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It is a common complaint that people today have a short attention span
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04 Feb 2026, 10:41
04 Feb 2026, 10:41
Expert Reply
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Question Stats:
33% (01:42) correct
66% (00:47) wrong based on 9 sessions
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It is a common complaint that people today have a short attention span. But is it that people are (i) ________ if the television camera (ii) _______ a view, or is it that the (iii) _______ from one angle to another has trained the viewer to expect variety?
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. satisfied | D. lingers over | G. constant |
| B. fascinated | E. cuts short | H. delay |
| C. impatient | F. rapidly changes | I. inability |
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Re: It is a common complaint that people today have a short attention span
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08 Feb 2026, 08:55
08 Feb 2026, 08:55
Expert Reply
The correct choices are (C) impatient, (D) lingers over, and (G) constant.
The Logic Breakdown
Blank (i) and (ii): These two blanks work together to define the "nature" side of the complaint. The sentence asks if people are naturally a certain way when a camera stays on one thing for too long.
- If a camera lingers over (D) a view (stays there for a long time), a person with a short attention span would become impatient (C).
- Choice (E) "cuts short" and (F) "rapidly changes" would actually satisfy someone with a short attention span, so they wouldn't be "impatient" or "fascinated" in a way that fits the "short attention span" complaint.
Blank (iii): This blank describes the alternative "nurture" explanation. The sentence suggests that perhaps the way television is edited has trained us.
- If the viewer has been trained to "expect variety," it is because the switching of angles is constant (G).
- A "delay" (H) or "inability" (I) would not train someone to expect variety; it would do the opposite.
The Contrast: Internal vs. External
The sentence structure "But is it that... or is it that..." sets up two competing theories:
1. Theory 1 (Internal): People are just naturally impatient (C) when the stimulus lingers (D).
2. Theory 2 (External): The constant (G) shifting of angles in modern media has conditioned our brains to require high-speed variety.
Why the others fail:
- (A) and (B): If people were "satisfied" or "fascinated" when a camera lingered, there would be no "complaint" about short attention spans.
- (E) and (F): If the camera "cuts short" or "rapidly changes," that is providing the variety that people supposedly crave, so it wouldn't be the cause of a complaint about the viewer's behavior in that moment.
- (H) Delay: A delay from one angle to another would be a "black screen" or a pause, which doesn't fit the context of modern television "training" us for variety.
The Logic Breakdown
Blank (i) and (ii): These two blanks work together to define the "nature" side of the complaint. The sentence asks if people are naturally a certain way when a camera stays on one thing for too long.
- If a camera lingers over (D) a view (stays there for a long time), a person with a short attention span would become impatient (C).
- Choice (E) "cuts short" and (F) "rapidly changes" would actually satisfy someone with a short attention span, so they wouldn't be "impatient" or "fascinated" in a way that fits the "short attention span" complaint.
Blank (iii): This blank describes the alternative "nurture" explanation. The sentence suggests that perhaps the way television is edited has trained us.
- If the viewer has been trained to "expect variety," it is because the switching of angles is constant (G).
- A "delay" (H) or "inability" (I) would not train someone to expect variety; it would do the opposite.
The Contrast: Internal vs. External
The sentence structure "But is it that... or is it that..." sets up two competing theories:
1. Theory 1 (Internal): People are just naturally impatient (C) when the stimulus lingers (D).
2. Theory 2 (External): The constant (G) shifting of angles in modern media has conditioned our brains to require high-speed variety.
Why the others fail:
- (A) and (B): If people were "satisfied" or "fascinated" when a camera lingered, there would be no "complaint" about short attention spans.
- (E) and (F): If the camera "cuts short" or "rapidly changes," that is providing the variety that people supposedly crave, so it wouldn't be the cause of a complaint about the viewer's behavior in that moment.
- (H) Delay: A delay from one angle to another would be a "black screen" or a pause, which doesn't fit the context of modern television "training" us for variety.
gmatclubot
Re: It is a common complaint that people today have a short attention span [#permalink]
08 Feb 2026, 08:55
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