Read the following passage about 'uni-tasking' and 'multi-tasking'.
The human brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time. This enabled our ancestors to hunt animals, to create tools, and to protect their clan from predators or invading neighbours. In parallel, an attentional filter evolved to help us to stay on task, letting through only information that was important enough to deserve disrupting our train of thought.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the twenty-first century: The plethora of information and the technologies that serve our brain changed the way we use it. Increasingly, we demand that our attentional system try to focus on several things at once. Uni-tasking is getting harder and harder to do. The information age now buries us in data coming at us from every which way. We are bombarded with more information than at any time in history - the equivalent of 175 newspapers a day, five times as much information as we took in thirty years ago.
If we want to be more productive and creative, and to have more energy, the science suggests that we should tame the multi-tasking and immerse ourselves in a single task for sustained periods, say 30 to 50 minutes.
According to the author, are the following statements correct?
Answer YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.
1) The human brain is set up to perform many tasks at once.
2) The information age is characterised by our exposure to an abundance of data.
3) Multi-tasking may reduce human performance.
1-F
2-T
3-NG
Posted by: Ahmed | February 09, 2015 at 09:10
NO
YES
NOT GIVEN
Posted by: REBECCA | February 09, 2015 at 09:14
no
many tasks at once >< focus on one thing at a time
yes
our exposure to an abundance of data ~ buries us in data
not given
they are talking about how to be more productive and creative , not multi-task effect.
Posted by: hung | February 09, 2015 at 09:23
1.NO
2.YES
3.NO
Posted by: Karim | February 09, 2015 at 09:24
1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes
Thank you for sharing this lovely passage Simon. I agree with that 100%.
(( I m afraid most of the time multitasking is detrimental to our psychlogical health, in the log term it does affect our ability to concentrate. It makes ppl hyperactive and anxious without any good reason. ))
Posted by: rain | February 09, 2015 at 09:33
NO
YES
NOT GIVEN
Posted by: Christine | February 09, 2015 at 09:51
No
Yes
NG
Posted by: Jing | February 09, 2015 at 09:58
1. No
2. Yes
3. Not given
Posted by: Ali | February 09, 2015 at 10:19
1.NO
2.YES
3.NOT GIVEN
Posted by: selena | February 09, 2015 at 10:22
1) NO; 2) YES; 3) NOT GIVEN
Posted by: chu | February 09, 2015 at 10:59
1. No
2. Yes
3. Not Given
Posted by: Vinod | February 09, 2015 at 11:35
1. NO
2. Yes
3. Not-given
Posted by: Bikram | February 09, 2015 at 12:04
No
Yes
Not give
Posted by: Robin | February 09, 2015 at 12:28
No
Yes
Not given
Posted by: Raman | February 09, 2015 at 12:46
No
Not given
Yes
Posted by: David | February 09, 2015 at 13:05
NO, YES, NG
Posted by: paul | February 09, 2015 at 13:07
1. No
2. Yes
3. Not given
Posted by: Thang | February 09, 2015 at 13:10
1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes
Posted by: Liliana | February 09, 2015 at 13:46
Here is my answer:
1. NO
2. YES
3. NOT GIVEN
Posted by: Quang Duc Dao | February 09, 2015 at 14:41
Hi Simon,
Here is my answer
1. No
2. Not Given
3. Yes
I am interested in this article, so could you tell me where you got this? Thanks
Posted by: hellcha | February 09, 2015 at 15:54
CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
1. NO
(perform many tasks at once = opposite of = focus on one thing at a time)
2. YES
(exposure to an abundance of data = buries us in data coming at us from every which way)
3. YES
(Multi-taking may reduce human performance = If we want to be more productive... the science suggests that we should tame the multi-tasking)
...
PS. Sorry if you didn't manage to comment yesterday. It seems that there was a problem with the commenting system.
Posted by: Simon | February 09, 2015 at 16:08
1)F
2)T
3)NG
Posted by: Charrieré | February 10, 2015 at 12:38
Hi Simon,
Is "Multi-taking" same with "Multi-tasking"
Posted by: Reza.tr | February 10, 2015 at 14:54
1) NO
2) YES
3) NOT GIVEN
Posted by: ThaoDong | February 10, 2015 at 16:42
Yes
Not given
Does not say
Posted by: Nuri | February 10, 2015 at 18:37
1.No
2.Yes
3.Yes
Posted by: Mahir | February 10, 2015 at 18:51
No
Yes
NG
Posted by: Mohsen | February 10, 2015 at 23:24
No
Yes
Not Given
Posted by: Yu | February 11, 2015 at 01:36
i like
Posted by: zahid | February 11, 2015 at 04:24
False, true, not given
Posted by: svetulya | February 11, 2015 at 06:18
tell me any body the meaning of buries
Posted by: shoaib | February 11, 2015 at 16:50
Reza,
Thanks for pointing that out. It was a typo.
Posted by: Simon | February 11, 2015 at 21:09
1.No
2.Yes
3.Not given
Posted by: Quynh Bui | February 12, 2015 at 07:46
i see but the last question makes me confused. because i seems no information for reducing human performance.
Posted by: Dong Nguyen | February 12, 2015 at 08:21
Simon is exactly right, the correct answers are
No,
YES
YES
Posted by: Toxic | February 13, 2015 at 10:42
Answer:
1. No.
Key words: set up ---> evolved
The human brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time
2. Yes.
key words:
data coming at us from every which way ------>our exposure to an abundance of data
3. Not given
Posted by: Le Kim Anh | February 14, 2015 at 10:02
1) NO
set up to perform many tasks at once = evolved to focus on one thing at a time
2) YES
EXPOSURE TO AN ABUNDANCE OF DATA= Bombarded with more information at any time in history
3) NOT GIVEN
Posted by: Zu | February 18, 2015 at 08:26
1-F
2-NG
3-T
Posted by: Esam Sharaf | February 20, 2015 at 21:35
1) NO
2) NOT GIVEN
3) NO
Posted by: Zu | March 08, 2015 at 12:57
hi simon, I do not understand this question,, I think second is not given because it seems different meaning :( could you explain it please ?
Posted by: seyma | March 11, 2015 at 20:46
Hi everyone,
My answer for the last question is NG. I don't understand why the answer from Simon is "Yes".
Could anyone please help me explain this question?
Posted by: Chi | March 19, 2015 at 09:09
As I understand, the last question means If we want to be more productive and creative, we should tame the multi-tasking because the multi-tasking may reduce human performance
Posted by: Nhi | March 20, 2015 at 07:21
Are these matching keywords correct?
Keywords From Question
1. human brain is set up to perform
2. many tasks at once
3. The information age
4. an abundance of data
5. our exposure to
6. performance
7. may
8. reduce
Keywords From Passage
1. human brain evolved to focus
2. one thing at a time
3. The information age
4. now buries us in data coming at us
5. We are bombarded with more information
6. productive and creative
7. suggests that
8. we should tame the multi-tasking
Posted by: Vince | March 31, 2015 at 11:51
hi simon,
I've one doubt.
I don't understand answer for question 3.
the answer is yes as it is writer's opinion based question.
and
false,if it is facts based question.
Kindly clarify my doubt .
Thanks in Advance.
Posted by: iswariya raghu | April 10, 2015 at 11:05
sorry,
NG,if it is facts based question.
Posted by: iswariya raghu | April 10, 2015 at 11:06
hi simon,
why the answer for 3rd question is true?
Because of opinion based passage?
Thanks.
Posted by: iswariya raghu | April 10, 2015 at 15:51
1.No
2.Yes
3.NO
Posted by: N.I.Shajib | April 18, 2015 at 06:56
Hi Simon. In my opinion, the answer to Q3 is "Not Given" because "we should tame..." is not the author's opinion.
Posted by: Hung | April 26, 2015 at 16:58
N,Y,NG
Posted by: Roozbeh | May 11, 2015 at 05:43
hi simon the answer for the third question should be NG why Ý
Posted by: son pau | May 13, 2015 at 08:49
thank u Simon, the last question in this exercise is so tricky. I gained one more noteworthy experience
Posted by: tabby | May 17, 2015 at 03:04
1.NO 2.YES 3.YES
Posted by: MANPREET | June 05, 2015 at 05:25
1. No 2. Yes. 3. NG
Posted by: Uzma | June 18, 2015 at 11:15
I think key word of the 3rd question is "may' (mean the fact that if 'multi-tasking' reduces human performance is unsure.
Similarly, in the text, 'science suggests that we should...' is an opinion, whether this opinion is true is unsure, too.
Posted by: Viet | July 08, 2015 at 11:11
NO
YES
NG
Posted by: farhana | July 22, 2015 at 19:58
1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes
Posted by: minaxi | July 31, 2015 at 13:47
no,yes, not given.
Posted by: arooj | November 05, 2015 at 11:55
1. No
2. Not given
3. Yes
Posted by: thien sao | February 11, 2017 at 06:10
I don't think the second question is Yes because of "characteristic"
Posted by: Ni | January 12, 2018 at 09:58
Sorry. "Characterised"
Posted by: Ni | January 12, 2018 at 09:59
N
Y
Y
Posted by: Simon | July 24, 2019 at 09:13