Question

【题目】 Is It Better to Read Books or Listen to Them?

We often think how fast we learn something depends on how smart we are. If your brain is taking in material quickly, you’re clever; if not, well, that doesn’t say great things about your IQ. But science shows context (上下文) and technique (技术) actually play a big role in how fast we learn, and even small changes – like the way you use to read – can make a big difference.

Audio (音频的) books have plenty of advantages: you can enjoy them anywhere, even in the car, and not printing books saves trees. Poor readers also often find them more interesting. But according to the latest research, if your goal isn’t to pass the time in traffic, but instead to learn something difficult, you should choose a physical book.

In a recent opinion piece in the New York Times, psychology (心理学) professor Daniel T.Willingham mentioned a 2010 study where 48 students either read or listened to an article about child psychology. Although the students spent the same amount of time with their material and did about the same number of distracting (分散注意力) activities while they absorbed the information, they scored very differently on a 10-item quiz later. Generally, the readers scored 81 percent but while the listeners scored 59 percent. Why does listening vs reading material have such a great effect on learning?

Willingham explains that first, most of us read more slowly than we listen (especially when pausing and rereading), and when you’re trying to absorb new information, slower seems to be better. “About 10 to 15 percent of eye movements during reading are actually regressive – meaning the eyes are going back and re-checking,” he explains to TIME. “This happens very quickly…”

Second, books offer visual cues (可视线索) that help our brains organize and understand new information. Things like chapter breaks, subheadings, and lists help us in making sense of the material and understanding how it fits together. You lose all that when you go the audio way.

The bottom line is simple: Don’t feel shame about passing your time in traffic with an audio book. However, be aware of audio’s limitations when it comes to studying, and seriously consider choosing good old-fashioned reading instead.

【1】According to the writer, you should choose to read a book to ______.

A.take in the informationB.pass the time in traffic

C.learn something difficultD.organize new information

【2】A “physical book” in Paragraph 2 probably means “______”.

A.an audio bookB.a book about physics

C.a book about computerD.a book made of paper or cloth

【3】What can we learn from the passage?

A.To read a book is better than to listen to it.

B.Readers are cleverer than listeners.

C.Reading books is a good way to pass time.

D.How fast we learn depends on how smart we are.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】A

【解析】

本文主要讲述的是老式的阅读方式与听音频阅读的对比，从而得出要论情况而定阅读方式，不要因为在交通中带着有声书消磨时间而感到羞愧。然而，当涉及到学习时，要意识到音频的局限性，并认真考虑选择好的老式阅读。

【1】细节理解题。A. 得到一些信息；B. 在交通中消磨时间；C. 学习一些难的知识；D. 组织新的信息；根据文中if your goal isn’t to pass the time in traffic, but instead to learn something difficult, you should choose a physical book.可知，选择C。

【2】词义推测题。A. 一本音频书；B. 有关物理的书；C. 一本计算机书；D. 一本用纸或者布料做的书；根据文中Audio (音频的) books have plenty of advantages: you can enjoy them anywhere, even in the car, and not printing books saves trees.可知，这里指的是印刷来的书，所以选择D。

【3】推理题。A. 读一本书比听一本书好；B. 读者比听众聪明；C. 读书是打发时间的好方法；D. 我们学习的速度取决于我们有多聪明；根据整篇文章的理解可知，主要讲述的是音频阅读和书本阅读，所以本题选择A更合适。