Complete the words in the sentences.

Choose the correct word(s).

1. There are thought to be / appears to be millions of species of insects in the world.

Complete the sentences with the words in the list.

Choose the correct word(s).

2. It’s appear / It appears that the office is closed.

Choose the correct word(s).

3. It would seems / seem that Brad has stolen Fred’s bicycle.

Choose the correct word(s).

4. Apparently / According to the newspaper, the economy is going to improve next year.

Choose the correct word(s).

5. The robbers may have / might be escaped by motorcycle.

Choose the correct word(s).

6. Pete is understood to / understood have written a postcard from Paris.

Choose the correct word(s).

7. It’s been announced / announced that our pay will increase next year.

Choose the correct word(s).

8.There is thought to have been / to be undiscovered oil beneath the Antarctic.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so that you distance yourself from the information. Use the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

Choose the correct answer.

1. It has been announced that the company president is leaving next month. ____________________

Choose the correct answer.

2. Apparently to the newspaper this morning, there were several robberies in the city last night. _____________________

Choose the correct answer.

3. It is said that there are some animals that recognize themselves in the mirror. _________________

Choose the correct answer.

4. According to what I read on the internet, there will be a special election for mayor next month. _____________________

Choose the correct answer.

5. There are thought being several ways to achieve lifelong happiness. _____________________

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Choose two words and put them together to make compound nouns. Do not add extra words.

Complete the words in the sentences.

Complete the words in the sentences.

Complete the words in the sentences.

Complete the words in the sentences.

Question:

Complete the words in the sentences.

Complete the words in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Complete the time expressions in the sentences.

Match the words to the same sound.

1. recent ________

Match the words to the same sound.

2. meditation ________

Match the words to the same sound.

3. focus ________, ________

Match the words to the same sound.

4. conclude ________

Choose the stressed syllable.

1. de|ter|mined

Choose the stressed syllable.

2. con|tent|ment

Choose the stressed syllable.

3. dis|tin|guish

Choose the stressed syllable.

4. al|ter|na|tive

Choose the stressed syllable.

5. ex|ten|sion

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

1. Question:

What does the writer suggest about the word ‘multitasking’?

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

2. Question:

The aim of the research was to ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

3. Question:

The researchers use the term ‘executive control’ to describe how the brain ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

4. Question:

What do we learn about the experiment?

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

5. Question:

Which of the following happened during the experiment?

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

6. Question:

One of the two stages of the brain’s executive control ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

7. Question:

One of the implications of the research is that ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

8. Question:

The researchers believe that their research might ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

9. Question:

In the final paragraph, the writer says that multitasking is something that ________.

Read the article and Choose the correct answer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has a downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training, and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

10. Question:

What is the main topic of the text?

Listen to five people talking about their opinions of art. Match the speakers (1–5) to the opinions (A–H).

Listen to five people talking about the disadvantages of various jobs. Match the speakers (1–5) to their feelings about money (A–H).

Listen to an interview about time management. Choose the correct answer.