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第三十八篇
　　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 M1are spending a considerable amount of their time in fruitless efforts as they multitask. It argues that，in fact，these young people are frittering away as much as half of their time again as they would if they performed the very same tasks one after the other.
　 　Some young people are juggling an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. At the same time that 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 iPods2 or on another computer. As some new device comes along it too is 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 up3 in 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 is supposedly also seriously affecting young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their perception of the impact of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks，the overwhelming majority of young people gave a favour able 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 help with study skills. Similarly，employers feel that young people entering the workforce need to be taught all over again，as they have become deskilled.
　　While all this may be true，it must be borne in mind4 that more and more is expected of young people nowadays; in fact，too much. Praise rather than criticism is due in respect of5 the way today’s youth are able to cope despite what the older generation throw at them.
　　詞匯：
　　excessive adj.過多的，額外 interact vi.交流，溝通，互動
　　multitask vi.同時進行多個任務 wizardry n.魔力，法術
　　supposedly adv.據(jù)認為，據(jù)推測
　　hail vt.贊揚 performance n.表現(xiàn)，行為
　　claim vt.聲稱，主張 perception n.認識，看法，見解
　　considerable adj.相當大的，相當多的 impact n.影響，作用
　　gadget n.小巧的機械裝置
　　fritter vt.消耗，浪費 overwhelming adj.壓倒性的
　　juggle vt.耍弄，玩耍 majority n.大多數(shù)
　　electronic device n.電子裝置，電子儀器 academic adj 學術的，學校的
　　decline n.下降，衰退
　　surf vi.(網上)沖浪，漫游，瀏覽 concentration n.專心，專注
　　indicate vt.表明，指出 remedial adj.補習的，補救的
　　affect vt.影響 deskilled adj.逐漸失去技能的
　　isolated adj.孤立的，與世隔絕的 due adj.應有的，適當?shù)?/span>
　　注釋：
　 　1.Generation M：M代表multimedia。Generation M即“多媒體時代”，是指伴隨著計算機和因特網的普及而成長起來的一代年輕人。他們多出生于1980年之后，熱衷于計算機、因特網、視頻游戲、智能手機。 這些新媒體和傳統(tǒng)媒體如電視、印刷品、音響制品結合起來，使得他們的世界異常豐富多彩。“多媒體時代”的另一特征就是可以multitask，即多項任務 同時進行，如他們可以一邊上網沖浪、一邊聽著音樂、一邊看著電視里的MTV、一邊和朋友短信聊天、同時還做著自己的家庭作業(yè)。
　　2.iPod：美國蘋果公司的一款音樂播放器，除了可以播放MP3音樂外，iPod還可以作為高速移動硬盤使用，可以顯示聯(lián)系人、日歷和任務，以及閱讀電子書和聆聽有聲電子書以及播客(Podcasts)。
　　3.be wrapped up in…注意力完全集中于……
　　4.bear in mind記住
　　5.in respect of關于，就……而言
　　練習：
　　1. According to a recent study, what is probably true about the multitasking Generation M?
　　A)They are highly commended for being so effective and efficient.
　　B)They waste more time than they should save，contrary to common assumptions.
　　C)They should prioritize and focus on the most important tasks on hand.
　　D)They need to improve their organizational skills so as to complete all their tasks.
　　2.With the advent of new gadgets，what will happen to Generation M’s present e-devices?
　　A)They make way for the latest and greatest and are retired by the young people.
　　B)They are put away temporarily but stay in rotation for their owners to choose from.
　　C)They become part of the ever increasing collection of novelties.
　　D)They are either sold or traded so that their owners can update their toys and hobbies.
　　3.How will multitasking affect Generation M adversely?
　　A)It makes them feel lonely and pitiful.
　　B)It makes them aloof and elusive to family and friends.
　　C)It makes them selfish and possessive.
　　D)It makes them impolite and ungrateful.
　　4.What is the biggest problem for multitasking undergraduates in universities?
　　A)They should adjust their academic attitudes seriously.
　　B)They should seek psychological professionals for assistance.
　　C)They should take some crash courses to catch up with their classmates.
　　D)They should try harder to focus on one task before moving on to the next.
　　5.In dealing with today’s youth. what approach should parents take?
　　A) Be supportive and understanding.
　　B) Be realistic and lower their expectations
　　C) Be encouraging and let their children stick to their old habits.
　　D) Be patient and hope everything will work out just fine eventually.
　　答案與題解：
　 　1.B 從第一段第一句話中的“a considerable amount of their time”“fruitless efforts”以及該段最后一句話中的“frittering away as much as…”可以進行同義替換，waste就是fruitless和fritter的同義詞。
　　2.C從第二段的最后一句話中的“added to the list rather than replacing”可以判斷出，這些年輕人的電子設備是越來越多，而不是A被取而代之、B被輪流使用、D被出售或交換以便買更新的產品。

　 　3.B 答案A是文字游戲，原文中“isolated worlds”應該理解為孤立的世界，即獨自"alone"，而不是孤獨“lonely”。答案C說他們變得自私和占有欲強，想買更多電子產品，顯然不 對。答案D說他們變得不懂禮貌和不知感恩，均是對第三段最后一句話中的“no longer greet”和“nor can they eat at the family table”的字面理解。答案B是兩個近義詞，重點在性格變化上，變得“若即若離，難以捉摸"。
　　4.D 答案A認為是態(tài)度問題，把客觀問題主觀化。答案B是誤導選項，試圖用“remedial help”誤導大家聯(lián)想到remedy一詞，故引出psychological professional的曲解。答案C把第五段第一句中的“later development”和“decline in the quality of...”表象化，認為應該抓緊趕上同學(catch up)。答案D才是正確答案，問題癥結在于multitasking難以讓人集中注意力，造成浪費時間、影響表現(xiàn)等后果，這些前文均已提過。
　　5.A答案A把praise替換成了相對隱性的近義詞。答案B只針對最后一段的第一句話，斷章取義。答案C前半部分encouraging還算接近正確答案，后半部分則成了鼓勵“將錯就錯"。答案D認為應采取“聽之任之，順其自然”的態(tài)度轉變。