Let's all stop judging people who talk to themselves. New research says that those who can't seem to keep their inner monologues (独白) in are actually more likely to stay on task, remain __26__ better and show improved perception capabilities. Not bad, really, for some extra muttering.
According to a series of experiments published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology by professors Gary Lupyan and Daniel Swignley, the act of using verbal clues to __27__ mental pictures helps people function quicker.
In one experiment, they showed pictures of various objects to twenty __28__ and asked them to find just one of those, a banana. Half were __29__ to repeat out loud what they were looking for and the other half kept their lips __30__. Those who talked to themselves found the banana slightly faster than those who didn't, the researchers say. In other experiments, Lupyan and Swignley found that __31__ the name of a common product when on the hunt for it helped quicken someone's pace, but talking about uncommon items showed no advantage and slowed you down.
Common research has long held that talking themselves through a task helps children learn, although doing so when you've __32__ matured is not a great sign of __33__. The two professors hope to refute that idea, __34__ that just as when kids walk themselves through a process, adults can benefit from using language not just to communicate, but also to help "augment thinking".
Of course, you are still encouraged to keep the talking at library tones and, whatever you do, keep the information you share simple, like a grocery list. At any __35__, there's still such a thing as too much information.
A) apparently
B) arrogance
C) brilliance
D) claiming
E) dedicated
F) focused
G) incur
H) instructed
I) obscurely
J) sealed
K) spectators
L) trigger
M) uttering
N) volume
O) volunteers
答案解析：
26. 根据“New research says that those who can't seem to keep their inner monologues (独白) in are actually more likely to stay on task”(新研究表明，那些似乎无法抑制内心独白的人实际上更有可能专注于任务)，可知此处表示更专注，“focused”符合语境，所以选F。
27. 根据“the act of using verbal clues to...mental pictures helps people function quicker”(使用语言线索来……心理图像的行为有助于人们更快地发挥作用)，可知是用语言线索触发心理图像，“trigger”有“触发”之意，所以选L。
28. 根据“In one experiment, they showed pictures of various objects to twenty...”(在一个实验中，他们向二十……展示各种物体的图片)，结合语境可知是向志愿者展示图片，“volunteers”符合，所以选O。
29. 根据“Half were...to repeat out loud what they were looking for”(一半……大声重复他们正在寻找的东西)，可知是被告知要这样做，“instructed”有“指示，告知”之意，所以选H。
30. 根据“the other half kept their lips...”(另一半保持嘴唇……)，与前面大声重复形成对比，可知是嘴唇紧闭，“sealed”符合，所以选J。
31. 根据“...the name of a common product when on the hunt for it helped quicken someone's pace”(在寻找一种常见产品时……它的名字有助于加快某人的速度)，可知是说出名字，“uttering”有“说出”之意，所以选M。
32. 空格后面是谓语have matured，可知这里需要填写一个副词来修饰mature，空格处句意为“长期以来，常见的研究都认为，通过一项任务自言自语有助于孩子学习，尽管当你……成熟时这样做”，可知apparently符合语境，表示明显成熟/成年，所以选A。
33. 根据“although doing so when you've matured is not a great sign of...”(尽管当你成熟时这样做并不是……的好迹象)，结合语境可知不是聪明的表现，“brilliance”有“聪明，才智”之意，所以选C。
34. 根据“The two professors hope to refute that idea,...that just as when kids walk themselves through a process”(两位教授希望反驳这个观点，……就像孩子们自己经历一个过程一样)，可知是声称，“claiming”符合，所以选D。
35. 根据“At any..., there's still such a thing as too much information.”(在任何……，仍然存在信息过多这种情况)，结合语境可知是无论如何，“at any volume”从整体语境看可理解为在各种情况下(这里“volume”不按原意“音量”，从整体语境引申为情况的程度等意思 )，所以选N。
