Lessons in the Lost Art of Listening
When was the last time you listened to someone? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? I once asked people what it meant to be a good listener. The typical response was a blank stare.
Of course, technology plays a role. People find phone calls interrupting them, preferring text or wordless emoji. Besides, schools and colleges rarely offer classes or activities that teach careful listening. You can join clubs to perfect your public speaking, but who attempts to achieve excellence in listening? The loud unpleasant mixture of sounds of modern life also stops us from listening.
Generally, listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say is related to you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone else holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond—the degree to which you facilitate the clear expression of another person’s thoughts and, in the process, have a clear mind of your own.
Good listeners ask good questions. They engage in exploring the topic, not to divert attention. There are curious questions like “Wouldn’t you agree…?” or “Don’t you think…?” These questions have strong tendencies. They will greatly influence the other person to change his or her view. And you’d better stay away from some personal questions like “What do you do for a living?” or “What part of town do you live in?” Just try to find out what excites people. Ask about the last movie they saw or for the story behind a piece of jewelry they’re wearing. Also good are expansive questions, such as, “If you could spend a month, where would you go?” Research indicates that when people who don’t know each other well ask each other this type of question, they feel more connected than if they spend time together achieving a task.
Because our brain can think a lot faster than people can talk, be careful with the tendency to take mental side trips when you are listening. Smart people’s attention is easily taken away by their own runaway thoughts. They may also assume they already know what the other person is going to say.
The reward of good listening will certainly be more interesting conversations. Researchers have found that attentive listeners receive more information from speakers, even when they don’t ask any questions. We are, each of us, the sum of what we attend to in life. The gentle voice of a mother and the criticism of a boss both ultimately form and shape us. And to listen poorly, selectively or not at all limits your understanding of the world and prevents you from becoming the best you can be.
1 ． One of the factors that influence listening is that ________.
A ． our confidence in listening is decreasing
B ． our speech creates a lot of noise around us
C ． listening skills are seldom taught in school
D ． texting causes a better effect than phone calls
2 ． What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A ． Why the art of listening gets lost by itself.
B ． Why effective methods are used in listening.
C ． How people make themselves well understood.
D ． How people can reclaim the lost art of listening.
3 ． According to the author, what should people do when they are listening?
A ． Avoid being absent-minded.
B ． Come up with curious questions.
C ． Focus on the speaker’s personal information.
D ． Try to find common interests with the speaker.
4 ． What can be inferred from the passage?
A ． Listening and speaking deserve equal attention.
B ． Good listeners maximize the benefits for themselves.
C ． Bad listening ultimately contributes to people’s failure.
D ． Listeners’ clear mind facilitates speakers’ expression of thoughts.
1 ． C
2 ． D
3 ． A
4 ． B
【分析】
这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了失落的倾听艺术，分析了导致倾听艺术遗失的一些因素、好的倾听者所具有的一些特点和倾听所带来的潜在好处。
1 ．细节理解题。根据第二段中 “Besides, schools and colleges rarely offer classes or activities that teach careful listening.( 此外，学校和大学很少开设教导认真聆听的课程或活动 )” 可知，影响聆听的因素之一是学校很少教授聆听技巧。故选 C 。
2 ．主旨大意题。根据第三段 “Generally, listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say is related to you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone else holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond—the degree to which you facilitate the clear expression of another person’s thoughts and, in the process, have a clear mind of your own.( 一般来说，倾听不仅仅是听别人说什么。这还涉及到注意他们是如何说的、他们说的时候做了什么、在什么语境下以及他们说的话与你有什么关系。这不仅仅是在别人滔滔不绝的时候保持沉默。恰恰相反。大量的倾听与你如何回应有关 —— 你在多大程度上促进了他人思想的清晰表达，在这个过程中，你有一个清晰的自己的头脑 )” 可知，第三段主要讲了人们如何重新找回失传的倾听艺术。故选 D 。
3 ．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段 “Because our brain can think a lot faster than people can talk, be careful with the tendency to take mental side trips when you are listening. Smart people’s attention is easily taken away by their own runaway thoughts. They may also assume they already know what the other person is going to say.( 因为我们的大脑思考的速度要比人们说话的速度快得多，所以当你在听的时候，要小心不要走神。聪明人的注意力很容易被自己失控的想法带走。他们也可能认为自己已经知道对方要说什么 )” 可知，作者认为人们在倾听的时候应该避免心不在焉。故选 A 。
4 ．推理判断题。根据最后一段中 “The reward of good listening will certainly be more interesting conversations. Researchers have found that attentive listeners receive more information from speakers, even when they don’t ask any questions.( 善于倾听的回报肯定会是更有趣的对话。研究人员发现，细心的听众会从说话者那里获得更多信息，即使他们没有问任何问题 )” 以及 “And to listen poorly, selectively or not at all limits your understanding of the world and prevents you from becoming the best you can be.( 而不善倾听、有选择地倾听或根本不倾听，会限制你对世界的理解，阻碍你成为最好的自己 )” 可推知，优秀的听众为自己争取到了利益的最大化。故选 B 。
