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.
❓ 지문에 따르면, 외부 부하를 최소화하는 것의 주요 이점은 무엇인가?
A. A. 그것은 내용을 이해하지 않고도 암기하기 쉽게 만든다.
B. B. 더 많은 정신적 노력을 의미 있는 학습에 사용할 수 있게 한다.
C. C. 그것은 내용의 본질적인 어려움을 완전히 제거한다.
D. D. 이는 작업 기억에 대한 총 인지 부하를 증가시킨다.
✅ 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