单选题
Excessive Demands on Young People

Being able to multitask is hailed by most people as a welcome skill, but not according to a recent study which claims that young people between the ages of eight and eighteen of the so-called Generation M are spending a considerable amount of their time in fruitless efforts as they multitask. It argues that, in fact, these young people are frittering(浪费)away as much as half of their time as they would if they performed the very same tasks one after the other.
Some young people are using an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. At the same time they are working, young adults are also surfing on the Internet, or sending out emails to their friends, and/or answering the telephone and listening to music on their iPods or on another computer. As some new device comes along, it is also added to the list rather than replacing one of the existing devices.
Other research has indicated that this multitasking is even affecting the way families themselves function as young people are too wrapped up in(沉湎于)their own isolated worlds to interact with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house nor can they eat at the family table.
All this electronic wizardry(魔力)is supposedly also seriously affecting young people's performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinions of the impact of modern gadgets(小装置)on their performance of tasks, the great majority of young people gave a favourable response.
The response from the academic and business worlds was not quite as positive. The former feel that multitasking with electronic gadgets by children affects later development of study skills, resulting in a decline in the quality of writing, for example, because of the lack of concentration on task completion. They feel that many undergraduates now urgently need remedial(补救的)help with study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the workforce need to be taught all over again, as they have become skilled.
While all this may be true, it must be borne in mind that more and more is expected of young people nowadays; in fact, too much. Praise rather than criticism is due in respect of the way today's youth are able to cope despite what the older generation throw at them.

单选题 What is probably true about the multitasking Generation M?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 题意:有关同时进行多项任务的多媒体时代的年轻人。下列哪一项有可能是真实的?
题干中的关键词:“true真实;the multitasking Generation M同时进行多种任务的多时代的年轻人”。
该题可在第1段的3~6行找到:“……被称为’多媒体时代’的年轻人在同时进行多项任务的过程中常常事倍功半,了无成果。……比起如果他们逐项完成同样的任务,他们要浪费掉多达一半的时间。”以此判断应选B项。
单选题 With the introduction of new gadgets, what happens to the Generation M's present e-devices?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 题意:随着新电子产品的推广,多媒体时代年轻人目前的电子设备会发生什么情况?
题干中的关键词:“new gadgets新电子产品;e-devices电子设备”。
根据文中第2段的4—5行:“随着一些新电子产品的出现,只是在原有的基础上增添、而不是替换。”以此判断应选D项。
单选题 Multitasking makes the Generation M
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 题意:同时进行多项任务使得多媒体时代的年轻人______。
题干中的关键词:“Multitasking同时进行多项任务;makes使;the Generation M多媒体时代的年轻人”。
根据文中第3段的3—4行:“当他们进家时不再与家人打招呼,也不再同桌吃饭。”以此判断应选C项。
单选题 The academics feel that many undergraduates badly need to
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 题意:学校认为,许多大学本科生急需______。
题干中的关键词:“many undergraduates许多大学本科生;badly need急需”。
根据文中第5段的4—5行:“他们认为,许多大学本科生都急需恶补学习技能这一课。”以此判断应选C项。
单选题 What attitude should the older generation adopt towards the multitasking youth?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 题意:老一代人对能同时进行多项任务的年轻人应该采取什么态度?
题干中的关键词:“What attitude什么态度;the odder generation老一代人;the multitasking youth多项任务同时进行的年轻人”。
根据本文的最后1句是:“他们能够应对老一代人对他们的任何要求,对此我们更应该赞许而非批评。”以此很容易判断应选D项。