Cambridge English Advanced. Practice Tests Plus 2. Practice Test 1. Reading Part 5

Part 5

Discussion
1) Do different media technologies influence people’s cognitive abilities positively or negatively?
2) Can playing video games be useful?
3) What may the consequences of automatic thinking be?
4) Do you spend more or less than ten seconds looking at a page while browsing?
5) Are you easily distracted?
influence cognitive abilities
shift the focus among icons
perform adeptly
rigorous thinking
collate the results
a subsequent test
retain the content
at the expense of
visual-spatial intelligence
keep track
mindfulness
inductive problem-solving
shallow
bounce rapidly
mental juggling
take a big toll
distinguish important information from trivia
gain some mental advantages
the ill effects go away
the cellular structure
the alterations shape the way smn thinks
be profoundly worried
cognitive consequences of the constant distractions and interruptions
the internet bombards smn
a tough problem
get stuck in a mental rut
let the problem sit unattended for a time
a fresh perspective
a burst of creativity
grapple with a problem
conscious deliberation
shift smn’s attention away from
the unconscious thought process don’t engage with a problem
the constant distractedness
temporary purposeful diversion
capacity to engage in the quieter, attentive modes of thought
underpin contemplation, reflection and introspection

Which consequence is the most serious?
What might be the consequences of the weaknesses in these high-order cognitive processes?
abstract vocabulary
mindfulness
reflection
inductive problem solving
critical thinking
imagination