Question

Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, you are communicating quite fluently, but: Listening is STILL a problem! First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening comprehension is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. The most important thing is to listen as often as possible. The first step is to find listening resources. The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The RealPlayer from RealMedia.com. The RealPlayer allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.

Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated (懊恼) by limited understanding. What should you do?

Here is some of the advice I give my students:

●Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.

●Stay relaxed when you do not understand — even if you continue not to understand for a long time.

●Do not translate what you hear into your native language.

●Listen for the general idea of the conversation. Don’t concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas.

I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn’t understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion. Then, after the first six months, I discovered two very important facts. Firstly, translating creates a wall between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that — even if I didn’t pay much attention, I could usually understand what the speaker had said.

1.The best way to improve our listening is to _____.

A. practise as much as possible.

B. find as many listening resources as possible.

C. use the Internet like a radio station.

D. speak naturally and read as much as possible.

2.Which of the following is a good habit when listening?

A. Try to understand everything.

B. Try to get the main ideas.

C. Pay much attention to details.

D. Translate each word in your mind.

3.The underlined part “a wall” in the last paragraph refers to “_____”.

A. a communication barrier (障碍).

B. culture shock.

C. language understanding.

D. a little misunderstanding.

Answer

1. A

2. B

3. A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。作者提出了提高听力理解能力的几点建议。

1.细节理解题。由第一段The most important thing is to listen as often as possible 可知，提高英语最好的方法是尽可能多的练习。故A选项正确。

2.细节理解题。由Listen for the general idea of the conversation. Don’t concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas 可知，听一听对话的大致观点。在你了解主要观点之前不要专注于细节。故B选项正确。

3.词义猜测题。由最后段In the beginning, when I didn’t understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. This method usually resulted in confusion 一开始，当我一个字都不懂的时候，我坚持要把它翻译出来。这种方法通常会造成混乱。可知，翻译造成了交流上的障碍。故A选项正确。