The concept of 'cognitive load' refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory. In educational psychology, it is often divided into three types: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane. Intrinsic load is associated with the inherent difficulty of the material itself, which cannot be altered by instruction. Extraneous load is generated by the way information is presented to learners, such as poorly designed diagrams or unnecessary text, and can be minimized through better instructional design. Germane load, on the other hand, is the mental effort devoted to processing and understanding the material, contributing to learning. Research suggests that reducing extraneous load allows more cognitive resources to be allocated to germane load, thereby enhancing knowledge acquisition. However, overly simplifying material may reduce necessary intrinsic load, hindering deep learning.
❓ 本文によると、外的負荷を最小限に抑えることの主な利点は何か。
A. A. 内容を理解せずに暗記しやすくする。
B. B. より多くの精神的労力を有意義な学習に充てることができる。
C. C. それは内容の本質的な難しさを完全に排除する。
D. D. 作業記憶への全体的な認知的負荷を増加させる。
✅ 正确答案
B. It allows more mental effort to be used for meaningful learning.
IELTS Reading Tips
Skim the questions first, underline keywords, then locate in the passage
Watch for paraphrasing; correct answers are often reworded
Be wary of absolute statements (all, always, never) — usually wrong
Pay attention to content after transition words (however, but, yet)
Manage time: about 20 minutes per passage; skip difficult questions first