After a very busy afternoon，as I walked into my house，I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia，upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice，but this time，exhausted from chores，I simply sat down in a chair and listened to my friend’s frustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to fort her，I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia’s depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. “I’m so grateful for the way you helped me through this，”she said.
At first I was surprised. After all，I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting (发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening，I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact，most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap；it’s listening that’s rare and valuable It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying，but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker，that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately，listening isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work，multitasking has bee a barrier (障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my email while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system：Most of us take in only about half of what’s being said during a conversation，according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute，yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore，because we think much more quickly than we speak，it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times，it’s a skill worth developing. With a little practice (employing some techniques)，you can bee a better listener.
【小题1】Why didn’t the author give any advice to Lydia that afternoon?A．Because she thought her keeping silence was better for Lydia.B．Because she didn’t know how to fort Lydia.C．Because she was too tired to talk to Lydia.D．Because she couldn’t cut in while Lydia was talking.【小题2】In Paragraph 2，the author mainly talks about .A．the importance of listeningB．the importance of venting angerC．her own listening experienceD．her own venting experience【小题3】The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that .A．we think much more quickly than we speakB．we can only understand about half of what we hearC．there is not much thinking time available while we are listeningD．we lose our concentration easily while we are listening【小题4】What will be discussed following the passage?A．Why listening is valuable.B．What we should do while listening.C．How to bee a good listener.D．How to stop drifting off while listening.【小题5】The first paragraph serves as a(n) ．A．explanation B．introductionC．mentD．backgroundC
网友回答
(答案→)C
解析：倾听也是一门艺术。
【小题1】C细节理解题。由第一段的exhausted from chores可知，作者由于太劳累，只能听朋友讲话，没有提建议，也没有安慰她。
【小题2】A段落大意题。第二段作者通过自己发泄的经历体会到了倾听的重要性，人际关系专家的观点也证实了这一点，故选A项.
【小题3】D推理判断题。结合本段的主题可知，作者引用这一研究结果是想说明：容易走神是倾听的一大障碍
【小题4】C文章结构题。文章最后说到采用一些技巧稍加练习，你就可以成为一个更好的倾听者。由此可知，接下来作者会告诉大家一些倾听的技巧。
【小题5】B写作手法题。本文讲述了倾听的作用及倾听的障碍，文章首段由朋友打电话向作者倾诉这一事件引出叙述的主题，B正确。