Question

That’s because focus, our ability to pay attention, is like a
flashlight beam—it can only shine on one or two things at a
time. Too much information, or irrelevant info, on screen and
our focus blows a fuse. We become disoriented, unmotivated,
and unsure of what to do. The zombies win.
Read this excerpt from paragraph 9.

That’s because focus, our ability to pay attention, is like a flashlight beam—it can only shine on one or two things at a time.

Based on the cause-and-effect structure used by the author, what can the reader predict will be discussed next in this paragraph?

Responses

What happens when we try focusing on several things at once
What happens when we try focusing on several things at once

Why there are no effective ways to focus on things
Why there are no effective ways to focus on things

The reasons people have difficulty maintaining focus
The reasons people have difficulty maintaining focus

How focus can be maintained even when doing many things at a time
How focus can be maintained even when doing many things at a time

Answer 1

What happens when we try focusing on several things at once

Reason: The flashlight-beam metaphor sets up a cause (focus can only shine on one or two things) and leads to the effect—what goes wrong when we try to attend to many things at once (disorientation, loss of motivation, confusion).