# The hazards of multitasking - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 3） - 考频：超高频 - 最近考试：2025.8.12广东轻工职业技术大学 - 题目数：14 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/0da4fd33-c504-45ff-a558-afecb830113f（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 Doing more than one thing at once – is it always a good idea? A 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. While you return calls, you sort email and other letters. You begin keying in slides for tomorrow’s presentation. Then your manager comes in wanting an immediate update on sales figures. You have just opened the spreadsheet when a very important customer calls. With the receiver held between your shoulder and your ear, you continue adding up the sales totals until, 15 minutes later, you finally manage, politely, to get rid of the client. You’ve been multitasking again. B You may believe that anyone who wants to get ahead today should master the art of multitasking. However, a recent study by the Families and Work Institute in New York City has found that 45 per cent of US workers believe that they are asked or expected to work on too many tasks at once. Managers may be surprised to learn that they are actually wasting their workers’ time. As it turns out, the human brain cannot really master the computer’s art of crunching data in the background while moving between process windows. Instead, a growing number of studies show that trying to juggle jobs rather than completing them sequentially can take longer, and leave workers with a reduced ability to perform each task. In addition, the stress associated with multitasking may contribute to short-term memory difficulties. The combination results in inefficiency, careless thinking and mistakes – not to mention the possible dangers of divided attention for drivers, air traffic controllers, and others who handle machinery. C How can a time management strategy that has become part of the common wisdom actually be so wrong? Exploring that question requires a closer look at an area of consciousness research that examines how the brain focuses attention. One of the modern foundations of current knowledge of multitasking was laid in 1935, when the American psychologist John Ridley Stroop reported that processing information from one task could cause interference with another. 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. This phenomenon is thought to occur when two tasks get tangled: the brain must suppress one that has been learned so well that it has become automatic (reading), to attend to a second task that requires concentration (naming the colour). D During the past couple of decades, psychologists have probed more deeply into the nature and limitations of multitasking. Psychologist and brain researcher Ernst Pöppel, of the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, believes that it is impossible to carry out two or three different tasks simultaneously with the same degree of concentration. He says that seemingly simultaneous awareness and processing of information actually takes place in ‘three-second windows’. E In these three-second segments, the brain takes in, as a block, all the data about the environment streaming in from the sensory systems; subsequent events are processed in the next window. So a person can concentrate on a conversation for three seconds, then for three seconds on a crying child, and three seconds on a computer screen. While one subject at a time occupies the foreground of consciousness, the others stay in the background until they, in turn, are given access to the central processor. F Another experiment by psychologist David E Meyer, of the University of Michigan, quantified just how much time we can lose when we shuttle between tasks. The researchers asked test participants to write a report and check their email at the same time. Those individuals who constantly jumped back and forth between the two tasks took about one and a half times as long to finish as those who completed one job before turning to the other. Each switchover from one task to another meant rethinking, and thus involved additional neural resources. In effect, the brain needs time to shut off the rules for one task and to turn on the rules for another. ‘Multitasking saves time only when it is matter of relaxed, routine tasks,’ Meyer says. It also takes the brain longer to adapt when switching rapidly back to an interrupted task, rather than waiting longer before switching back. G By its nature multitasking is stressful, and the area in the brain most involved with multitasking is also most affected by the resulting stress. Located behind the forehead, the prefrontal cortex, which neuroscientists call the ‘executive’ part of the brain, helps us to assess tasks, prioritise them and assign mental resources. It also ‘marks’ the spot at which a task has been interrupted, so that we can return to it later. This stress can also affect brain cells in another region, the hippocampus, which is important for forming new memories; damage in that area also makes it difficult for a person to acquire new skills. Psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey, of Harvard University, say that multitasking can bring about a brain condition that causes sufferers to constantly seek new information while having difficulties concentrating on its content. All in all, it may be wise to let the email wait while you work on your presentation. You will save time and perform each task better. ## 题目与答案 ### 27. Less attention will be paid to each task when more than one task is attempted at the same time. 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」 ### 28. Repeated changes of task mean that the brain will take a while to adjust. 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」 ### 29. Using the skills required for one task may make performing another one more difficult. 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」 ### 30. When multitasking, the brain can only focus on single tasks for very short periods. 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」 ### 31. Multitasking can lead to a medical problem. 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」 ### 32. 32 What is suggested about the worker in the opening paragraph? 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 ### 33. 33 Drivers and air traffic controllers are mentioned in the passage because they 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 ### 34. In John Ridley Stroop’s experiment, participants found it difficult to 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」 ### 35. 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_____ . 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」 ### 36. 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. 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」 ### 37. A second area, the hippocampus, may also be affected by the stress of multitasking. If any 37_____ in the hippocampus are affected, 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 ### 38. people may have problems with storing 38_____, 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」 ### 39. as well as learning 39_____ . 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」 ### 40. 40 The main aim of this passage is to 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 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。