You may feel like a master multitask er as you drink your morning coffee, catch up on email and tune into a conference call. But did you know for most people, in most situations, multitasking makes us less efficient and more likely to make a mistake.
This might not be as apparent when we’re doing simple and routine tasks, like listening to music while walking, or folding laundry while watching TV. But when the stakes are higher and the tasks are more complex, trying to multitask can negatively impact our lives — or even be dangerous.
So-called multitasking divides our attention. It makes it harder for us to give our full attention to one thing. For example, attempting to complete additional tasks during a driving simulation led to poorer driving performance. It can also affect our ability to learn, because in order to learn, we need to be able to focus. Dr. Kubu, a neuropsychologist, says, “If we’re constantly attempting to multitask, we don’t practice tuning out the rest of the word to engage in deeper processing and learning.” Another pitfall (缺陷) is that trying to do too much at once makes it harder to be mindful and truly present in the moment — and mindfulness comes with a plethora (过量) of benefits for our minds and our bodies. In fact, many therapies based on mindfulness can even help patients suffering from depression, anxiety and other conditions.
Choosing to focus on one task at a time can benefit many aspects of our life. Take surgeons for example. “People assume a surgeon’s skill is primarily in the precision and steadiness of their hands. While there’s some truth to that, the true gift of a surgeon is the ability to single-mindedly focus on one person and complete a series of task over the course of many hours.” Dr. Kubu explains. But surgeons aren’t necessarily born with this ability to monotask. Rather, they develop and perfect it through hours of practice. It is true that we perform best one thing at a time. Why not give it a try?
1. Multitasking will make negative influences when tasks are ________.| A．clear and apparent | B．routine and regular |
| C．simple and relaxing | D．risky and complicated |
| A．By listing data. | B．By stating reasons. |
| C．By giving definitions. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Single-task. | B．Multitask. | C．Efficiency. | D．Task-switching. |
| A．Why multitasking doesn’t work. | B．How to improve daily performance. |
| C．Which career less needs multitasking. | D．What positive effects multitasking has. |
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【推荐1】Obesity is a problem often associated with North America. However, China is providing that East Asians are having issues battling the problem as well. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 40 million obese people in China. To address weight problems of its students, Nanjing Agricultural University is offering weight reduction classes in which the students who loses the most weight gets the highest mark.
Given the many complications that come with it, it’s not hard to realize that obesity is a problem that needs to be acted upon. It was not long age that a plus size student in Nanjing University fainted during a 1,000-meter race and died tragically. He was 168 centimeters and 92 kilograms, which was not exactly an ideal shape for competitive racing.
In terms of motivation, signing up for a course like the one offered in Nanjing Agricultural University is very likely to inspire individuals. It’s like signing a contract for a goal that promises rewards and recognition.
However, there’s also a dark side to offering a course that resembles the plot of a reality television show. While entertaining and possibly inspiring for students, this course could lead to an extreme lifestyle change. As a result, there is no guarantee that students will still keep their newfound good habits with respect to eating and exercising after the course is completed.
| A．Apart from influencing athletic ability, being overweight affects young people’s mental health. |
| B．There are currently a few initiatives in place that could help combat this problem. |
| C．While it sounds like a good idea, the course should only be a part of a larger movement to maintain a healthy body through changes in diet and lifestyle. |
| D．Aside from that, working out with like-minded people can provide moral support. |
| E．With this in mind, we can see that such classes should only be the first step of many when it comes to solving the obesity problem in China. |
| F．Due to the current cultural views on obesity there is a significant need for anti-obesity education. |
【推荐2】Uggs(雪地靴) are certainly ugly, or at least inelegant. The shapeless boots, pulled on in a hurry, can make anyone look like a slob（懒惰的人）, which has made them the target of disrespect. It hasn’t been hard to find someone strongly condemning them. “Ugg boots are no sexy,” The Independent declared in 2003, “unless you’re Mrs. Bigfoot on a lone mission across Antarctic to find Mr. Bigfoot. When wearing the boots, a writer of The Gloss complained, “There’s nothing to indicate that you don’t have square, horrible shoeboxes in place of human feet.” In 2015, one coffee shop on Brick Lane in east London ever banned ugg-wearers.
And yet, over the years, plenty of strange and unattractive shoes have met with the approval of the fashion establishment. The problem with uggs wasn’t that they were ugly; it’s that they were common.
But a funny thing happened on the way to fashion’s tomb: the universal ugg has not gone anywhere. Uggs have quietly stayed here since their best time. Once you start paying attention, you’ll be shocked to discover how many people are still wearing them. They are worn by mothers in town and in the country, by teenagers on Saturday shopping trip and by people in fashion.
Perhaps the secret of uggs’s unstoppable success is that, if there is a dividing line between public appeal and private style，it might be a pair of cozy boots. They are certainly comfortable, soft and warm, as if your feet were in the hugging of someone who really loves you. At $150 a pair, they are neither cheap nor entirely out of range. They are casual and indulgent(纵容的）.
Somehow uggs, the boots that so many people hate, have managed to challenge the cruel logic of the fashion cycle and carry on whether you approve of them or not.
1. What is the best title of the passage?| A．Uggs Refuse to Die |
| B．Uggs Have Existed So Long |
| C．Uggs Enter the Fashion Circle |
| D．Uggs Have Gone Somewhere |
| A．To prove uggs’ toughness |
| B．To prove uggs’s popularity |
| C．To prove people’s approval |
| D．To prove people’s condemning. |
| A．Uggs are very common |
| B．Uggs are inelegant and ugly |
| C．Uggs are worn by teenagers |
| D．Uggs stay there regardless |
| A．They are very comfortable |
| B．They own private style |
| C．They have public appeal |
| D．They are very cheap |
【推荐3】TikTok is the birthplace of the entertainment stars of the new generation Z (born after1996). Ambitious young people have been able to attract huge audiences on the social media platform by dancing, singing, pulling pranks, performing skits and whatever else they can think of in short videos, most of which last between 15 seconds and a minute. Obviously, it’s a place for kids and most social media is youth-oriented. However, it maybe not just kids anymore. Austin, for instance, is 82 years old and is known to his 1.4 million TikTok fans as “Old Man Steve”.
Austin and several other older social media stars have developed big TikTok followings over the last few years, with fan bases well into seven or even eight figures. Most of them uploaded videos just for fun, but were lucky enough to go viral. Some have become full-time TikTok bloggers, making use of their fame on TikTok to appear on other platforms, and TV as well as ads and endorsement (代言). While they are just as energetic as the young people, they bring their own interest to TikTok. “I think that it’s a great thing for seniors to be able to be on the internet and communicate,” Old Man Steve say “I don’t think it’s just for the young people.”
The folk listed below is one of the biggest older TikTok stars—Jenny Krupa. J-Dog @its-j-dog. 2M followers and 83. 6M likes Jenny Krupa, 88, of Alberta, Canada, has become the TikTok star “J-dog” with the help of her grandson, Skylar Krupa. They have been making videos together since August 2019.J-dog is a fashionable old woman. On Valentine’s Day, for instance, she told viewers not to worry about not getting a card.“It’s not because no one likes you,” she said. “It’s probably because you’re a loser.” Skylar Krupa says.“When we started, she really didn’t like it, but once the J-dog personality became a viral hit，there was no turning back.” “She liked the attention from it.” Skylar says, and now “she’s definitely turning into J-dog.” The person hasn’t overwhelmed the person, however, Skylar says his grandmother was very touched by the online love and support she got from her followers following her husband’s death in July.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To tell the readers how to use TikTok. |
| B．To summarize the whole passage. |
| C．To give a detailed description of TikTok. |
| D．To introduce the topic to the readers. |
| A．In order to become famous. |
| B．Just for enjoying themselves |
| C．To earn some money. |
| D．To compete with the youth. |
| A．caused by a virus | B．getting worse |
| C．become popular | D．be boring |
| A．Only young people is fond of TikTok. |
| B．Most of the videos on TikTok last more than one minute. |
| C．Some elderly video bloggers take advantage of TikTok to earn some money. |
| D．Old Man Steve thinks it is not good for the old to surf the internet. |
【推荐1】Time and time again, I hear someone ask why anyone would want to keep an “ugly” building or a building that is dirty and clearly in need of work. I think you could say we preservationists look at buildings through a different angle — an angle that can see the swan (天鹅) in the ugly duck, the story in the simple lines, the book behind the cover.
Take the Queen Emma Building for example. While people may remember that building being named as one of the ugliest buildings in town, the angle from which a preservationist will view the building is that it is uniquely constructed with an artistical brise-soleil to block the sun. The designer used standard concrete bricks to form a decorative wall. Unfortunately, the brise-soleil was removed in 2011, making the building look like many of the contemporary buildings in town.
Sometimes people remember a beautiful site that was replaced by a “horrid” piece of architecture and can’t get over their anger, even when that building becomes an important part of our story. This is particularly true in San Francisco where many preservationists themselves dislike anything newer than the Victorian era. Yes, it was a tragedy that many failed to appreciate the Victorian buildings and let many get torn down several decades ago, but those losses also tell another important story. It tells the story of the 1950s and 1960s when there was hope for a more equal society with inexpensive housing for the working class. Should that history be wiped from our memories?
Preservation is not just about keeping pretty, well-kept buildings, but about conveying parts of our history-not just the history of huge events, but the story of how everyone used to go to a certain corner market. Our history cannot be told only in buildings that meet someone’s criteria of beauty; sometimes our history is painful, but no less important.
1. How do preservationists see buildings?| A．They are devoted to repairing famous buildings. |
| B．They focus on their value rather than appearance. |
| C．They prefer ugly buildings to beautiful ones. |
| D．They pay great attention to ancient buildings. |
| A．It’s regrettable. | B．It’s confusing. |
| C．It’s pleasing. | D．It’s unbelievable. |
| A．To wipe the history of the Victorian era. |
| B．To restore the architecture before the Victorian era. |
| C．To work off the deep anger of the working class. |
| D．To make land available for cheap housing. |
| A．What kind of buildings are of historical value? |
| B．Why do architects make ugly buildings? |
| C．Are ugly buildings worth preserving? |
| D．Are preservationists’ work meaningless? |
【推荐2】A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be "running out of control". This idea is dangerous.
Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast and is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.
Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections, whatever is scientifically possible will be done-somewhere , sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it fuels a sense of hopelessness and discourages then from making efforts to build a safer world.
In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and out of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of "controlling" science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict.
Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the untied efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can
science best serve mankind in the future.
1. What can we conclude from the recent study?| A．People think highly of science. |
| B．People hold mixed opinions about science. |
| C．Science is getting dangerously out of control. |
| D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes. |
| A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down. |
| B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science. |
| C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future. |
| D．People will work more actively to put science under control. |
| A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes |
| B．the ties between different areas need strengthening |
| C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science |
| D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science |
| A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers. |
| B．The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes. |
| C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. |
| D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. |
【推荐3】More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation app such as Apple Maps or Amap. This raises the age-old question we meet with any technology: What abilities is our brain losing to these apps? But also, importantly: What abilities are we gaining?
Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.
But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I'm so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.
In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as go north for three blocks and──then west’’ make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up, none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys(小巷) that cross with newer avenues at many angles. In such places, you’d better turn to the locals. In the countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask. In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.
Which brings me back to my original question: While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes a door, we should also look for the doors it opens.
1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset?| A．They are interested in reading paper maps, |
| B．They don’t know how to use navigation, apps. |
| C．They are limited to a single smart phone app. |
| D．They are confused by digital maps’ direction. |
| A．Asking local people the way. |
| B．Following the navigation app. |
| C．Getting familiar with the city rules. |
| D．Looking for street names and house numbers. |
| A．Cautious | B．Ambiguous |
| C．Favorable | D．Critical |
| A．Benefits of Navigation Apps |
| B．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps |
| C．My World Opens Up by New Technology |
| D．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain? |
