【英语时差8,16】一心多用

Multitasking Follies¹ In today’s plugged in, online, information-saturated world, it’s good to be a skilled multi-tasker, right? Unless you’re able to “tweet”, chat, and update your Facebook status all at the same time, you’re sure to fall behind the curve. Or maybe not,because according to one study, habitual² multi-taskers actually have trouble concentrating on more than one thing at once. The researchers, at Stanford, studied about one-hundred multi-tasking students to see how well they performed on simple tests. For example, identifying pairs of letters flashing on a computer screen and recognizing a letter that was the same as one shown two or three letters earlier. Now, you might assume that students used to habitual multi-tasking would be good at this. But you’d be wrong. The researchers found that the heavy multi-taskers were also the most easily distracted. They actually had a harder time carrying out simple letter identification tasks than lighter³ multi-taskers. Chronic⁴ multi-taskers were also slower at switching between tasks. So what does this mean? Well, it suggests that, at some basic level, the human brain isn’t really wired for multi-tasking. Generally speaking, we’re better able to concentrate on one thing at a time. Other studies have come to similar conclusions–like ones showing that talking on a cell phone or texting while driving are great ways to up the likelihood of getting in an accident. As for why multi-tasking is so prominent and even encouraged at work and in school–that will require further study.

1 follies   

罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He has given up youthful follies. 他不再做年轻人的荒唐事了。
• The writings of Swift mocked the follies of his age. 斯威夫特的作品嘲弄了他那个时代的愚人。

2 habitual   

adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。