B2 Reading Test – Digital Well-Being and Productivity

Read the text below and answer the multiple-choice questions.

Many people try to be more productive by using digital tools—calendars, task apps, and focus timers. These can help, but productivity also depends on how we manage attention. Constant notifications split our focus into short, shallow moments, which reduces the quality of thinking and increases switching costs. Research suggests that even seeing a phone nearby can lower available attention, because part of the mind stays “on call.”

A practical approach is to separate “online” and “offline” blocks. During offline blocks, you close messaging apps, put the phone out of sight, and work on a single task. When you finish a block, you can batch messages and updates. This rhythm reduces micro-distractions without requiring you to ignore people all day. It also makes progress measurable: two or three focused blocks often produce more than hours of interrupted work.

Digital well-being is not only about limits; it’s also about intention. Curate your home screen so important tools are one tap away, while attention traps—endless feeds and alerts—are harder to access. At night, low-light settings and a device-free wind-down help your brain prepare for sleep, which supports memory the next day. Finally, reflect weekly: which apps saved time, and which only created extra steps? Small adjustments, repeated, can transform both mood and output.