Question

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。

In the course of researching my book, I asked people on five continents, “Who listens to you?” and the response was usually a long, awkward pause. Even those who were married and claimed vast networks of friends struggled to come up with someone who they felt truly listened to them.

It's fueling what public health officials are calling a worldwide epidemic of loneliness, which increases the risk of dying young. Indeed, studies link loneliness with heart disease, stroke, dementia and poor immune function.

To fight loneliness people are told to “Get out there! Join a club, take up a sport, volunteer, or invite people to dinner.” How do you connect with people once you're “out there” and “face-to-face”? Truly listening to someone is a skill many seem to have forgotten or perhaps never learned in the first place.

Listening goes beyond hearing what people say. It's also paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say resonates within you.

Listening is not about simply 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 elicit clear expression of another 's thoughts and, in the process, express your own clearly. It starts with an openness and willingness to follow another person's story without presumption or getting sidetracked by what's going on in your own head.

Good listeners ask good questions. Everyone is interesting if you ask the right questions. If someone seems dull or uninteresting, it's on you. Good questions don't have a hidden agenda of fixing, saving, advising, convincing or correcting. They don't begin with “Don't you think...?”or “Wouldn't you agree…?” and they definitely don't end with "Right?" The idea is to find out more about the speaker's point of view, not to influence it.

Also avoid asking appraising questions like “What do you do for a living?” and “What part of town do you live in?” and “Are you married?” These are not honest attempts to get to know people so much as rank them in the social hierarchy. It makes people strongly defensive and is likely to reduce the conversation to a CV recitation.

Instead, ask expansive questions such as, “What's the best gift you ever received?” and “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?” Listening to people in this way is also essential to reaching compromise. You might not agree with them, but you gain understanding about their background and influences.

Listening is a skill and, like any skill, it degrades if you don't do it enough. The more people you listen to, the more aspects of humanity you will recognize and the better your judgments. To listen poorly, selectively, or not at all, will stop you from having a better understanding of the world.

Passage outline	Supporting details
Introduction	◇People today find it hard to have a true1.. ◇ It can increase loneliness,which probably causes an2.death. ◇People are advised to be actively3.in various social activities and truly listen to each other.
How to listen	◇4.on the speaker as well as what is being said. ◇Follow another person's story5.without presumption and distraction. ◇Ask good questions meant to6.the speaker's point of view. ◇Avoid asking appraising questions that will make people quite7.to have an open and deep conversation. ◇Listen to people by asking expansive questions to8.gaps and find common ground.
Summary	◇Listening is a skill that needs constant9. ◇Good listening will improve our judgments,while poor listening will 10. our understanding of the world.

Answer

1.listener

2.earlier/ early

3.involved/ engaged

4.Concentrate/ Focus

5.truly/ openly/ willingly

6.explore

7.reluctant/ unwilling/ defensive

8.bridge/ narrow

9.practice

10.limit/ restrict

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了倾听的重要性。今天的人们发现很难找到一个真正的倾听者，这是对健康有害的，同时建议人们多参加各种各样的社交活动真正地倾听彼此。文章还说明了如何去倾听，告诉我们倾听是一种需要不断练习的技能，好的听力会提高我们的判断能力，而不好的听力会限制我们对世界的理解。

1.考查名词。根据第一段中Even those who were married and claimed vast networks of friends struggled to come up with someone who they felt truly listened to them.可知即使是那些已婚且自称有大量朋友的人，也很难找到一个真正倾听他们心声的人。由此可知，今天的人们发现很难找到一个真正的倾听者。根据上文a true可知应填单数名词listener，表示“倾听者”。故填listener。

2.考查形容词或比较级。根据第二段中It's fuelling what public health officials are calling a worldwide epidemic of loneliness, which increases the risk of dying young.可知这加剧了公共卫生官员所说的全球范围内的孤独流行病，增加了英年早逝的风险。由此可知，找不到真正的倾听者会增加孤独感，可能会导致过早死亡。表示“早期死亡”或“过早死亡”短语为an earlier/early death。故填earlier/ early。

3.考查动词语态。根据第三段中To fight loneliness people are told to “Get out there! Join a club, take up a sport, volunteer, or invite people to dinner.”可知为了战胜孤独，人们被告知“走出去!加入一个俱乐部，参加一项运动，做志愿者，或者邀请别人吃饭。”由此可知，建议人们积极参与各种社会活动，真正倾听彼此。此处作谓语且表示“参与”短语为be involved/engaged in。故填involved/ engaged。

4.考查动词。根据第四段Listening goes beyond hearing what people say. It's also paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say resonates within you.可知倾听不仅仅是听别人说什么。也要注意他们说话的方式，说话时他们做了什么，在什么语境下，以及他们的话如何在你心中产生共鸣。由此可知，注意力要集中在说话人身上，也要集中在说话的内容上。表示“集中于”短语为concentrate/focus on，且此处为祈使句句首动词用原形，要大写。故填Concentrate/ Focus。

5.考查副词。根据第五段中It starts with an openness and willingness to follow another person's story without presumption or getting sidetracked by what's going on in your own head.可知它以一种开放的心态和意愿开始，不做任何推测，也不被自己的想法所左右。由此可知，要真实地/开放地/欣然地跟随别人的故事，不做任何假设，也不分散注意力。此处修饰动词Follow应用副词，且表示“真实地”，“开放地”，“欣然地”副词为truly/ openly/ willingly。故填truly/ openly/ willingly。

6.考查动词。根据倒数第四段中The idea is to find out more about the speaker's point of view, not to influence it.可知这样做是为了更多地了解演讲者的观点，而不是去影响它。由此可知，问一些好的问题意味着探索说话者的观点。表示“探索”动词为explore，且根据上文mean to do sth.可知应填动词原形。故填explore。

7.考查形容词。根据倒数第三段中It makes people strongly defensive and is likely to reduce the conversation to a CV recitation.可知它会使人们产生强烈的防御心理，并有可能将谈话简化为背诵简历。由此可知，避免问评估性的问题，这会让人们不愿意进行开放和深入的谈话或产生防御心理。根据上文make people quite可知此处应填形容词作宾语补足语，且表示“不情愿的”“防御的”形容词为reluctant/ unwilling/ defensive。故填reluctant/ unwilling/ defensive。

8.考查动词。根据倒数第二段中Listening to people in this way is also essential to reaching compromise. You might not agree with them, but you gain understanding about their background and influences.可知以这种方式倾听他人也是达成妥协的必要条件。你可能不同意他们的观点，但你可以了解他们的背景和影响。由此可知，通过问一些具有拓展性的问题可以缩小差距，拉近彼此之间的距离，并找到共同点。表示“缩小差距”短语为bridge/ narrow gaps根据上文Listen to people by asking expansive questions to可知此处为不定式作目的状语，故填动词原形。故填bridge/ narrow。

9.考查名词。根据最后一段中Listening is a skill and, like any skill, it degrades if you don't do it enough.可知倾听是一种技能，就像其他技能一样，如果你做得不够，它就会退化。由此可知，倾听是一种需要不断练习的技能。结合上文constant为形容词修饰名词，可知应填不可数名词practice。故填practice。

10.考查动词。根据最后一段中The more people you listen to, the more aspects of humanity you will recognize and the better your judgments. To listen poorly, selectively, or not at all, will stop you from having a better understanding of the world.可知你听的人越多，你就会认识到人性的更多方面，你的判断就会越好。不听，有选择地听，或者根本不听，都将阻碍你更好地理解这个世界。由此可知，好的倾听会提高我们的判断能力，而糟糕的倾听会限制我们对世界的理解。此处作谓语表示“限制”应用动词limit/restrict，根据上文will可知为一般将来时，故填动词原形。故填limit/ restrict。