Question

listening to music is another common distraction that many students choose. a recent survey found that 62% of university students were listening to music while studying or doing homework. but, again, recent eye - tracking evidence suggests that listening to music also reduces reading efficiency in a similar way to irrelevant speech. this may occur because much music contains language in the form of lyrics that readers try to process. in fact, a recent summary of a large number of studies on the topic, or metastudy, has suggested that listening to lyrical music may be just as detrimental to text comprehension as listening to speech. however, listening to instrumental music without lyrics appears to have little if any negative effect on comprehension. so if you must listen to music while you study, it may be better to listen to classical pieces rather than the latest popular hits. even if you find an empty room and take out your headphones, studying today often means dealing with a big potential distraction in the form of smartphones and social media. in one study, students conducting three hours of homework engaged with an average of 35 distractions such as using their phone, accessing the internet for non - study purposes, or listening to music. such types of multitasking activities are usually associated with poorer studying performance. for example, one study found that students who were allowed to send text messages during a lecture had lower comprehension of its contents than those who had their phones switched off. another recent survey found that greater daily social media use
assessment questions
question 24
the author would most likely suggest that people study in
a. a coffee shop.
b. a popular park.
c. a communal space.
d. an empty classroom.

Explanation:

The passage emphasizes reducing distractions while studying. An empty classroom is likely to have fewer distractions compared to a coffee - shop, a popular park, or a communal space. The text mentions that distractions like using phones, social media, and listening to music with lyrics can be detrimental to studying. An empty classroom would minimize such distractions.

Answer:

D. an empty classroom