Question

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

If you think about your circle of friends and family members, you can certainly pick out one or more people who are not good listeners. 1.      If you’re fortunate, that person is a good friend, a loved one or a teacher.

All too often, we associate the benefits of good listening skills with achieving very specific outcomes, like following the boss’s orders (aimed at getting a job promotion).

2.      We think of them as something basic, which we mastered in our formal schooling, along with dictation and obeying instructions, etc. This is a shame. We should know listening skills are the focus of lifetime learning and development, related to our communication skills.

3.      All of these occur because two people or groups don’t listen to each other. We don’t analyze the root problem, or work on improvement steps.

We still tend to treat listening skills the way we treat learning to walk: we think that once we’ve acquired them, we’ve got them. We are ready to move on to the next thing. Wrong. 4.

Poor listening skills often damage effective dialogue between people. 5.      If we were able to reduce misunderstandings in our conversations by 20-30%, there would be benefits in efficiency and the elimination (消除) of tiresome repetition.

A. However, think about the upside potential.

B. We’re surrounded by this kind of outcome.

C. We tend to undervalue the importance of our listening skills.

D. Think about the number of failures, misunderstandings and arguments.

E. Equally you can think of someone you know who is a very good listener.

F. The challenge of listening is determining when the speaker wants a response or advice.

G. The problem is that people and language are far more complex than the roads we travel on.

Answer

1.E

2.C

3.D

4.G

5.A

【解析】

试题分析：文章介绍了密西西比河名字的由来以及密西西比三角洲的发展史。

1.E考查上下文联系。根据上句When the length of its branch, the Missouri, is added to it, the Mississippi becomes greater加上它支流——密苏里河的长度，密西西比河变得更壮观了。因此密西西比河成为世界上第三大长河。故选E项。

2.C考查上下文联系。根据上句Today the river has largely been controlled.现在密西西比河大部分已经得到控制，那么下句应该谈治理的手段。因此选C项。

3.D考查上下文联系。第三段主要讲三角洲历史和居民。G选项的意思是：他们称自己为卡津人,保持着原始的生活方式和自己的传统。故选D项。

4.G考查上下文联系。根据下文讲述的密西西比河的历史，可以推断第一句是本段的主题句或过渡句。句意：众所周知,“The Great Water”是一条边境河流。选G项。

5.A考查上下文推断。根据上句the French had founded another city just above the Mississippi delta, New Orleans. 法国人在密西西比三角洲上建立了另一个城市，新奥尔良市。可知，是密西西比河塑造了新奥尔良市现在的样子。故选A项。

考点：历史文化类短文阅读。