The Hazards of Multitasking

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题目与答案

1. Less attention will be paid to each task when more than one task is attempted at the same time.
   • John Ridley Stroop
   • Ernst Pöppel
   • David E Meyer
   • Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   答案：Ernst Pöppel

   原文定位：Ernst Pöppel;believes that it is impossible to carry out two or three different tasks simultaneously with the same degree of concentration

   同义替换：「at the same time」↔「simultaneously」，「more than one task」↔「two or three different tasks」

2. Repeated changes of task mean that the brain will take a while to adjust.
   • John Ridley Stroop
   • Ernst Pöppel
   • David E Meyer
   • Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   答案：David E Meyer

   原文定位：It also takes the brain longer to adapt when switching rapidly back to an interrupted task, rather than waiting longer before switching back

   同义替换：「Repeated changes of task」↔「switching rapidly」，「take a while to adjust」↔「takes the brain longer to adapt」，「adjust」↔「adapt」

3. Using the skills required for one task may make performing another one more difficult.
   • John Ridley Stroop
   • Ernst Pöppel
   • David E Meyer
   • Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   答案：John Ridley Stroop

   原文定位：processing information from one task could cause interference with another

   同义替换：「make performing another one more difficult」↔「interference with another」

4. When multitasking, the brain can only focus on single tasks for very short periods.
   • John Ridley Stroop
   • Ernst Pöppel
   • David E Meyer
   • Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   答案：Ernst Pöppel

   原文定位：Ernst Pöppel;seemingly simultaneous awareness and processing of information actually takes place in ‘three-second windows;In these three-second segments;the brain takes in;a person can concentrate on a conversation for three seconds;then for three seconds on a crying child

   同义替换：「very short periods」↔「three-second windows」，「focus on single tasks」↔「concentrate on one subject at a time」

5. Multitasking can lead to a medical problem.
   • John Ridley Stroop
   • Ernst Pöppel
   • David E Meyer
   • Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   答案：Edward Hallowell & John Ratey

   原文定位：Psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey;say that multitasking can bring about a brain condition that causes sufferers to constantly seek new information while having difficulties concentrating on its content

   同义替换：「lead to」↔「bring about」，「medical problem」↔「brain condition」

6. 32 What is suggested about the worker in the opening paragraph?
   • Anxiety deprived him of sleep the previous night.
   • He feels overwhelmed by his workload.
   • His manager has expressed disapproval.
   • He finds his work dull and uninteresting.

   答案：He feels overwhelmed by his workload.

   原文定位：You arrive at the office, review your to-do list and start to feel a headache coming on. You resolve to tackle the items as quickly as possible

7. 33 Drivers and air traffic controllers are mentioned in the passage because they
   • need to perform several tasks at once.
   • are unable to maintain concentration.
   • use their time efficiently.
   • cannot afford to make mistakes.

   答案：cannot afford to make mistakes.

   原文定位：not to mention the possible dangers of divided attention for drivers, air traffic controllers, and others who handle machinery

8. In John Ridley Stroop’s experiment, participants found it difficult to
   • tell one colour from another.
   • match up pairs of similar colours.
   • read out the name of one colour printed in another colour.
   • decide what colour looks most appropriate for.

   答案：read out the name of one colour printed in another colour.

   原文定位：Stroop noticed that when study participants were asked to name the colour of a word – such as ‘green’ – printed in a different colour – red, for example – they experienced difficulty saying the name of the colour

   同义替换：「name the colour of a word」↔「read out the name of the colour」，「printed in a different colour」↔「printed in another colour」，「experienced difficulty」↔「found it difficult」

9. Multitasking and its effects on the brain The stressful nature of multitasking has been shown to affect parts of the brain. The area most affected is the prefrontal cortex, which is found to the rear of the 35_____ .

   答案：forehead

   原文定位：Located behind the forehead, the prefrontal cortex

   同义替换：「to the rear of」↔「behind」

10. It is the part of the brain which judges tasks, then puts them in order of importance and allocates 36_____; it also enables a worker to resume a task which has been put to one side.

    答案：mental resources

    原文定位：helps us to assess tasks, prioritise them and assign mental resources

    同义替换：「judges tasks」↔「assess tasks」，「puts them in order of importance」↔「prioritise them」，「allocates」↔「assign」

11. A second area, the hippocampus, may also be affected by the stress of multitasking. If any 37_____ in the hippocampus are affected,

    答案：brain cells

    原文定位：This stress can also affect brain cells in another region, the hippocampus

12. people may have problems with storing 38_____,

    答案：new memories

    原文定位：the hippocampus, which is important for forming new memories; damage in that area also makes it difficult for a person to acquire new skills

    同义替换：「forming」↔「storing」

13. as well as learning 39_____ .

    答案：skills

    原文定位：damage in that area also makes it difficult for a person to acquire new skills

    同义替换：「learning」↔「acquire」

14. 40 The main aim of this passage is to
    • describe areas where multitasking is useful.
    • challenge widely held opinions on multitasking.
    • show the physical damage that multitasking can cause.
    • call for better psychological experiments on multitasking.

    答案：challenge widely held opinions on multitasking.

    原文定位：You may believe that anyone who wants to get ahead today should master the art of multitasking. However, a recent study;has found that