DoyoueverdohomeworkwhilelisteningtomusicorwatchTVwhiletextingfriend?Itmayseemlikeanobviousquestionsincemostofusmultitask(做多个任务)allthetime.ButaccordingtoarecentstudypublishedinthejournalPLOSONE

Question

Do you ever do homework while listening to music or watch TV while texting friend? It may seem like an obvious question since most of us multitask(做多个任务) all the time.

But according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE using  a number of media devices(媒体设备) at the same time could be changing our brains.

The report was carried out by Sussex University in the UK. Researchers first asked 75 adults about how often they spent time multitasking between different kinds of media.  Then they checked their brains with an MRI machine. Those who reported heavier media multitasking had less gray matter in their brains. Gray matter is the part of the brain that helps to deal with information and control emotions(情感).  

So is multitasking really rotting our brains and making us stupid?   We can’t be sure according to researchers.

They say that the results only show a link. They are unsure whether multitasking reduces gray matter or if people with less gray matter are simply more likely to multitask.

“Media multitasking is becoming more popular in our lives today and there is increasing concern about its influence(影响) on our well-being ” said British scientist Kep Kee Loh who directed the study.

Loh says that more study is needed to support the idea that our behaviors are changing our brains.  But if it’s true it could support earlier studies about media multitasking.

   In 2012 a study by Michigan State University in the US found that people using several media devices at the same time were more likely to be anxious or depressed.

It seems that more research into the issue is needed.  But no matter what you should consider limiting(限制) yourself to one screen at a time the Huffington Post reported.

For one thing Multitasking doesn’t actually work if you are trying to be more efficient(有效率的). You’re going from one action to another instead of truly doing two things at a time.  It wastes your energy and slows you down. And  once you’ve slowed down it can be hard to pick back up where you left off.

If you want to finish a list of jobs “set goals establish a routine(常规) and take regular breaks” suggested The Huffington Post.

1. What did the recent study by Sussex University find?

A. Most people have the ability to multitask.

B. Multitasking can help to improve efficiency.

C. There are several reasons behind media multitasking.

D. There is a link between more media multitasking and less grey matter.

2. The underlined word “rotting” is closest in meaning to _____.

A. harming           B. controlling        C. improving        D. recovering

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A. Many studies have proven that people’s behaviors change their brains. 

B. Scientists are concerned about the bad influence of media multitasking.

C. Depressed people use more media devices than other people to relieve stress.

D. People are advised to stop using media devices in the future.

Answer 1

DAB