How Well Do We Concentrate? - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 5 Academic Reading Test 1 · Part 2 · Questions 14–26
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
How Well Do We Concentrate?
A Do you read while listening to music? Do you like to watch TV while finishing your homework? People who have these kinds of habits are called multi-taskers. Multi-taskers are able to complete two tasks at the same time by dividing their focus. However, Thomas Lehman, a researcher in Psychology, believes people never really do multiple things simultaneously. Maybe a person is reading while listening to music, but in reality, the brain can only focus on one task. Reading the words in a book will cause you to ignore some of the words of the music. When people think they are accomplishing two different tasks efficiently, what they are really doing is dividing their focus. While listening to music, people become less able to focus on their surroundings. For example, we all have experience of times when we talk with friends and they are not responding properly. Maybe they are listening to someone else talk, or maybe they are reading a text on their smart phone and don't hear what you are saying. Lehman called this phenomenon "email voice".
B The world has been changed by computers and its spin-offs like smart-phones or cell-phones. Now that most individuals have a personal device, like a smart-phone or a laptop, they are frequently reading, watching or listening to virtual information. This raises the occurrence of multitasking in our day to day life. Now when you work, you work with your typewriter, your cellphone, and some colleagues who may drop by at any time to speak with you. In professional meetings, when one normally focuses and listens to one another, people are more likely to have a cell phone in their lap, reading or communicating silently with more people than ever. Even inventions such as the cordless phone has increased multitasking. In the old days, a traditional wall phone would ring, and then the housewife would have to stop her activities to answer it. When it rang, the housewife will sit down with her legs up, and chat, with no laundry or sweeping or answering the door. In the modern era, our technology is convenient enough to not interrupt our daily tasks.
C Earl Miller, an expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied the prefrontal cortex, which controls the brain while a person is multitasking. According to his studies, the size of this cortex varies between species. He found that for humans, the size of this part constitutes one third of the brain, while it is only 4 to 5 percent in dogs, and about 15% in monkeys. Given that this cortex is larger on a human, it allows a human to be more flexible and accurate in his or her multitasking. However, Miller wanted to look further into whether the cortex was truly processing information about two different tasks simultaneously. He designed an experiment where he presents visual stimulants to his subjects in a way that mimics multi-tasking. Miller then attached sensors to the patients' heads to pick up the electric patterns of the brain. This sensor would show if the brain particles, called neurons, were truly processing two different tasks. What he found is that the brain neurons only lit up in singular areas one at a time, and never simultaneously.
D Davis Meyer, a professor of University of Michigan, studied the young adults in a similar experiment. He instructed them to simultaneously do math problems and classify simple words into different categories. For this experiment, Meyer found that when you think you are doing several jobs at the same time, you are actually switching between jobs. Even though the people tried to do the tasks at the same time, and both tasks were eventually accomplished, overall, the task took more time than if the person focused on a single task one at a time.
E People sacrifice efficiency when multitasking. Gloria Mark set office workers as his subjects. He found that they were constantly multitasking. He observed that nearly every 11 minutes people at work were disrupted. He found that doing different jobs at the same time may actually save time. However, despite the fact that they are faster, it does not mean they are more efficient. And we are equally likely to self-interrupt as be interrupted by outside sources. He found that in office nearly every 12 minutes an employee would stop and with no reason at all, check a website on their computer, call someone or write an email. If they concentrated for more than 20 minutes, they would feel distressed. He suggested that the average person may suffer from a short concentration span. This short attention span might be natural, but others suggest that new technology may be the problem. With cellphones and computers at our sides at all times, people will never run out of distractions. The format of media, such as advertisements, music, news articles and TV shows are also shortening, so people are used to paying attention to information for a very short time.
F So even though focusing on one single task is the most efficient way for our brains to work, it is not practical to use this method in real life. According to human nature, people feel more comfortable and efficient in environments with a variety of tasks. Edward Hallowell said that people are losing a lot of efficiency in the workplace due to multitasking, outside distractions and self-distractions. As a matter of fact, the changes made to the workplace do not have to be dramatic. No one is suggesting we ban e-mail or make employees focus on only one task. However, certain common workplace tasks, such as group meetings, would be more efficient if we banned cell-phones, a common distraction. A person can also apply these tips to prevent self-distraction. Instead of arriving to your office and checking all of your e-mails for new tasks, a common workplace ritual, a person could dedicate an hour to a single task first thing in the morning. Self-timing is a great way to reduce distraction and efficiently finish tasks one by one, instead of slowing ourselves down with multi-tasking.
Questions
Questions 14–18 Matching Information
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-F.
Questions 19–23 Matching Features
Look at the following statements and the list of scientists below.
Match each statement with the correct scientist, A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A. Thomas Lehman
B. Earl Miller
C. David Meyer
D. Gloria Mark
E. Edward Hallowell
Questions 24–26 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- A term used to refer to a situation when you are reading a text and cannot focus on your surroundings is 24.
- The 25 part of the brain controls multitasking.
- The practical solution of multitask in work is not to allow use of cellphone in 26.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | B | In the old days, a traditional wall phone would ring, and then the housewife would have to stop her activities to answer it. When it rang, the housewife will sit down with her legs up, and chat, with no laundry or sweeping or answering the door | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a long time ago, if a phone rang at home, a woman would stop everything she was doing, like cleaning or washing clothes, to just sit down and talk on the phone. She would not do other things at the same time. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph B. This paragraph talks about a time in the past when people at home did not do many things at once. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because this paragraph describes how old technology, like a traditional wall phone, made people stop other things to focus on one task, which means they were not multitasking. It gives an example of a 'housewife' at home stopping all other jobs to just talk on the phone. |
| Q15 | E | If they concentrated for more than 20 minutes, they would feel distressed. He suggested that the average person may suffer from a short concentration span. This short attention span might be natural, but others suggest that new technology may be the problem | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that people might feel bad or stressed if they try to focus on one thing for more than 20 minutes. It also says that most people might have a small amount of time they can focus, which is called a 'short concentration span'. This short focus time could be normal for humans, or it could be because of new phones and computers that always distract us. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'E'. This means that paragraph E in the text gives a possible reason why people often do many things at the same time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because this paragraph explains that people might multitask a lot because they have a 'short concentration span'. It says that if people try to focus for more than 20 minutes, they start to feel uncomfortable. This 'short concentration span' can be a natural thing, or it might be caused by how new technology and media work. This whole section offers several possible reasons for why we often multitask. |
| Q16 | F | No one is suggesting we ban e-mail or make employees focus on only one task. However, certain common workplace tasks, such as group meetings, would be more efficient if we banned cell-phones, a common distraction. A person can also apply these tips to prevent self-distraction. Instead of arriving to your office and checking all of your e-mails for new tasks, a common workplace ritual, a person could dedicate an hour to a single task first thing in the morning. Self-timing is a great way to reduce distraction and efficiently finish tasks one by one, instead of slowing ourselves down with multi-tasking | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that we don't have to stop using email or only do one task. But for things like meetings at work, it would be better if people didn't use cell phones because they distract everyone. Also, to stop yourself from getting distracted, you could work on one task for an hour in the morning before checking emails. Setting a time for yourself helps you focus and finish tasks better, instead of doing too many things at once and being slow. Answer Explanation: The answer is F. This paragraph describes how to deal with doing many things at once in a practical way at work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because this paragraph discusses how to make the workplace better for focus and efficiency. It provides 'tips' and 'solutions' for 'reducing distraction' and avoiding too much multitasking, like banning cell phones in meetings or focusing on one task first thing in the morning. These are practical ways to improve how people work. |
| Q17 | C | Earl Miller, an expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied the prefrontal cortex, which controls the brain while a person is multitasking. According to his studies, the size of this cortex varies between species. He found that for humans, the size of this part constitutes one third of the brain, while it is only 4 to 5 percent in dogs, and about 15% in monkeys. Given that this cortex is larger on a human, it allows a human to be more flexible and accurate in his or her multitasking | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Earl Miller looked at a part of the brain called the 'prefrontal cortex'. This part helps the brain when someone is 'multitasking' (doing many things at once). The passage explains that the 'size' of this brain part is different in humans, dogs, and monkeys. It suggests that because humans have a bigger 'prefrontal cortex', they might be better at 'multitasking'. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph C. This paragraph talks about how a part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex is connected to doing many things at once. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because this paragraph directly discusses how the size of the 'prefrontal cortex' relates to a person's ability to 'multitask'. It explains that the size of this brain part is different in humans compared to animals, and suggests that a larger cortex in humans might make them more flexible in multitasking. |
| Q18 | D | Even though the people tried to do the tasks at the same time, and both tasks were eventually accomplished, overall, the task took more time than if the person focused on a single task one at a time | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that even though people finished both jobs they tried to do at once, it took them 'more time' to do them together than if they had done each job separately, 'one at a time'. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means paragraph D in the reading passage talks about spending more time on two tasks at once compared to doing one task at a time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because paragraph D directly explains that when people try to do two tasks at the same time, it actually takes 'more time' in total than if they focused on doing each task 'one at a time'. The paragraph describes an experiment where people tried to do math problems and classify words at the same time, and the results showed that dividing their focus made the work take a longer duration. |
| Q19 | B | What he found is that the brain neurons only lit up in singular areas one at a time, and never simultaneously | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Earl Miller's study found that brain cells (neurons) only became active in one place at a time. They never became active in many places at the same time. This means our brain can only pay attention to one thing at a time, not many. Answer Explanation: The answer is Earl Miller. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Earl Miller because his experiment showed that the brain cannot truly focus on two different visual things at the same time. He found that brain cells, called neurons, only became active in one area at a time, even when people were presented with many visual things at once, meaning they could only pay attention to one thing at a time. |
| Q20 | D | He found that doing different jobs at the same time may actually save time. However, despite the fact that they are faster, it does not mean they are more efficient | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Gloria Mark learned that when people do different tasks at the same time, they might finish quicker. But even though they are faster, it doesn't mean they do a better job or work smarter. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Gloria Mark found that doing many things at the same time might make you finish faster, but it doesn't mean you do them well or effectively. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Gloria Mark because the passage clearly states his findings that support the idea that multitasking can be quicker but not necessarily more effective. He observed office workers and noted that even though doing multiple jobs at once might 'save time' and make them 'faster,' it doesn't mean they are 'more efficient,' which means 'better.' |
| Q21 | A | However, Thomas Lehman, a researcher in Psychology, believes people never really do multiple things simultaneously | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a psychologist named Thomas Lehman thinks people cannot do many things at the same time. He believes your brain just focuses on one thing, not many. Answer Explanation: The answer is A, which means Thomas Lehman is the scientist who said people never truly do two things at the same time, even if they think they are. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage clearly states that 'Thomas Lehman... believes people never really do multiple things simultaneously.' This directly matches the idea in the statement 'People never really do two things together even if you think you do.' He explains that your brain can only focus on one task at a time, even if you are trying to do more. |
| Q22 | E | Edward Hallowell said that people are losing a lot of efficiency in the workplace due to multitasking, outside distractions and self-distractions | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Edward Hallowell believes workers are not doing their best because they try to do many jobs at once (multitasking). He also says that things around them that distract them, and things they do to distract themselves, are also causing this problem. Answer Explanation: The answer is Edward Hallowell. He explains that things around us, like noise or our phones, make it hard for people to work well when they try to do many tasks at once. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Edward Hallowell because he directly mentions that 'outside distractions' are a reason people lose efficiency in the workplace when multitasking. These 'outside distractions' are factors present in the environment. He further supports this by suggesting that changing the environment, such as banning cellphones in meetings and altering workplace rituals like immediately checking emails, would help to improve efficiency and reduce the negative impact of distractions. This clearly links environmental elements as causes or significant contributing factors to the issues surrounding multitasking. |
| Q23 | E | As a matter of fact, the changes made to the workplace do not have to be dramatic. No one is suggesting we ban e-mail or make employees focus on only one task. However, certain common workplace tasks, such as group meetings, would be more efficient if we banned cell-phones, a common distraction | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Edward Hallowell believes that small changes in how we work can help a lot. It says that changes 'do not have to be dramatic,' meaning they don't have to be big or difficult. He gives an example: if people don't use their cell phones during work meetings, those meetings would be 'more efficient,' meaning they would be better and lead to more accomplished work. Answer Explanation: The answer is Edward Hallowell. He is a person who shared his ideas about work and how to make it better. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Edward Hallowell because the passage mentions his ideas about making small, easy changes in the workplace to help people work better. He suggests that changes do not need to be 'dramatic' or very big. For example, simply stopping the use of cell phones during group meetings can make work more efficient. This matches the idea that 'even minor changes' can 'improve work efficiency'. |
| Q24 | email voice | Lehman called this phenomenon "email voice" | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that Lehman, a researcher, named this behavior 'email voice'. This name is for when someone is busy looking at their phone, like reading a text, and so they don't notice or hear people talking around them. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'email voice'. This is a name for when someone is looking at their phone and doesn't pay attention to what's happening around them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'email voice' because the passage explains that when people are focused on reading a text on their phone, they often don't hear what others are saying or notice their surroundings. The researcher, Lehman, gave this specific situation the name 'email voice'. |
| Q25 | prefrontal cortex | Earl Miller, an expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied the prefrontal cortex, which controls the brain while a person is multitasking | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that a smart person named Earl Miller looked at a brain part called the prefrontal cortex. He found that this part of the brain is in charge when someone is trying to do many things at once. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'prefrontal cortex'. This is a special part of your brain that helps you think and do things, especially when you try to do many things at once. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'prefrontal cortex' because the passage clearly states that this specific part of the brain is responsible for controlling the brain when a person is trying to do multiple tasks at the same time. The question asks what part of the brain 'controls multitasking', which directly matches the function described for the 'prefrontal cortex' in the text. |
| Q26 | group meetings | However, certain common workplace tasks, such as group meetings, would be more efficient if we banned cell-phones, a common distraction | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that work activities like 'group meetings' would be better and more productive if people stopped using their cell-phones, because phones frequently distract people. Answer Explanation: The answer 'group meetings' means a time when many people come together to talk and work on things in a company or office. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'group meetings' because the passage suggests a practical way to deal with multitasking at work. It explains that if cellphones are not allowed in these meetings, people can focus better and the meetings will be more 'efficient'. Cellphones are called a 'common distraction', meaning they often stop people from paying attention during work meetings. |