The Lost Art of Listening A) "Why won't he even listen to my idea?" "Why am I cut off before I provide the whole story?" How many times have you been frustrated by someone not listening to what you have to say? How many times have you frustrated others by not listening to them? We tend to think that listening is the same as hearing; but listening is the art of being alert to the problems of the person you are with. Problems caused by not listening can be serious, not only at work, but also with family and friends. Many times we jump in to say what's on our minds before we've even acknowledged what the other person has said, short circuiting the possibility of mutual understanding. Speaking without listening, hearing without understanding. In fact we're often baffled and dismayed by the feeling of being left sitting around in the dark. B) Effective managers are proactive (主动的) listeners. They don't wait for members of their staff to come to them; they make an active effort to find out what people think and feel by asking them. The manager who meets frequently with staff members keeps informed and, even more importantly, communicates interest in the people themselves. An open-door policy allows access, but it doesn't substitute for an active campaign of reaching out and listening to people. The manager who doesn't ask questions communicates that he or she doesn't care. And if he or she doesn't listen, the message is "I'm not there for you." Even if a manager decides not to follow a subordinate's suggestion, listening with sincere interest conveys respect and makes the employee feel appreciated. C) Communicating by memo or e-mail—however witty or informal—is not substitute for personal contact, because it closes off the chance to listen. Simply going through the motions of meeting with people doesn't work either. The fake listener doesn't fool anyone. Poor eye contact, shuffling feet, busy hands, and meaningless replies, like "That's interesting" and "Is that right?" give them away. The insincere listener's lack of interest in the conversation betrays a larger problem: lack of interest in the person with whom the listener is communicating. D) Most people don't listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. Even at work, where performance takes priority over relationships, listening carefully to understand the other person's point of view—before you even think about replying—is the key to productive communication. Effective managers develop a routine in which communication time is an integral part of the job. They meet with their staff and ask questions. They don't react before gathering all the facts. If they don't know what their people are thinking and feeling, they ask—and they listen. E) When we don't feel heard by our superiors, few of us give up right away. We write memos, we ask to meet with them, we try to communicate our needs and convey our points of view. Then we give up. Frequently, we complain to our coworkers and our family and friends. Venting feelings of frustration with third parties rather than addressing conflicts at their source can take on epidemic proportions in work settings. Sometimes it takes the form of gossip, running down someone who's not present. F) But, some of you might be thinking, my boss really is insensitive. I've tried to talk to him, and he just doesn't listen. The mistake people make in trying to get through to unreceptive superiors is the same mistake most of us make in dealing with the difficult people in our lives: we try to change them. And when that doesn't work, we give up. Instead, start by examining your own expectations. What do you want and how are you programmed to go about getting it? Are you expecting to have your personal needs met at work? Do you work hard and wait patiently for the boss to tell you that you're doing a great job, like a good little boy or girl? G) listening is important at work because it enables people to understand each other, get along and get the job done. But don't get too personal. Don't let your compassion allow someone to talk about their personal problems, which is interfering with work. This may be happening if you're the only person he talks to. A good supervisor keeps channels of communication open—and keeps them focused on the task at hand—by asking for frequent feedback about how things are going (on the job). "What do you like and dislike so far about working here?" "Is there anything you think we should change to make things smoother?" H) Remember that it can be intimidating for subordinates to give criticism or make suggestions. If you want them to feel safe enough to open up, reassure them that you appreciate their ideas. "I'm glad you spoke up." "Thanks for letting me know." "I didn't realize... I'm glad you told me." Listening to the people we work with isn't the same as becoming friends with them. Many people worry that if we allow ourselves to get personal at the workplace, things might get sticky. But those who think that effective teamwork isn't about listening (it's about getting things done) are wrong. Without being heard we are diminished, as workers and as people. I) Keep in mind the difference between dissent (异议) and defiance (挑衅). Defiance means attacking the other person's position and making him wrong. Dissent means having the courage to stand up for what you think and feel. It's the difference between saying "You're wrong" and "This is how I feel." Clearly, a dissenting message is much easier to hear than a defiant one. The listener is more willing and interested in hearing a dissenter's objection. Someone who hears a defiant objection will tend to either ignore the comment or be rudely counter-defiant. This is a common problem that tends to increase barriers between people, something you don't want in a work environment where teamwork is necessary. Careful listening is difficult and takes practice to improve. Try harder to understand the other person's perspective.

The greenhouse effect causes trouble by raising the temperature of the planet. The【C1】______rise is not very much, but the Earth's ecosystem is very weak, and small changes can have large effects. It has been believed that this【C2】______of one degree will happen by the year 2025. This could probably【C3】______the North American corn belt, which produces much of the world's grain,【C4】______to much higher food prices, and even less food for the Third World than they already have. However, it would also mean that some countries which are further north would be able to【C5】______crops they had never been able to before, although there is less land as you move north from the corn belt. The other serious worry is that rising sea levels from the melting of the polar ice could【C6】______flood many countries. A rise in sea levels of one meter, which many experts are【C7】______by the year 2100 (and some as soon as 2030), would flood 15 percent of Egypt, and 12 percent of Bangladesh. The Maldives in the Indian Ocean would almost【C8】______disappear. Most of the countries which would suffer most from a rise in sea levels are the poor【C9】______states, so the islands in the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean have formed the Alliance of Small Island States, AOSIS, so they have a【C10】______voice in international politics and can make the richer developed world listen to their problems. A. severely B. damage C. island D. critical E. grow F. mainland G. louder H. predicting I. rise J. completely K. geometry L. actual M. extending N. leading O. develop

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尊敬老人是中华民族的传统美德之一。重阳节的设立就是要倡导人们遵守 孝道 (filial piety)、尊敬老人。中国的法律规定赡养父母是成年子女的责任。不和父母一起住的成年子女要给老人 生活费 (living allowances)并帮助他们干家务活。但是，由于社会的发展和生活的压力，现在越来越多的年轻人很少回家探望父母。2013年7月，政府把“常回家看看”写进法律。

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文成公主是 西藏历史 (Tibetan history)上最受人爱戴的皇后之一。这位美丽聪明的 唐朝 (the TangDynasty)公主于640年离开长安到西藏 和亲 (marriage of state)。除了大量的 珠宝 (jewellery)，文成公主还给当地带去了唐朝先进的科学和农业技术。随行的文士和乐师等人员极大地促进了西藏文化的发展。文成公主为促进唐朝和西藏经济文化的交流，增进汉藏两族人民之间的关系，做出了历史性的贡献。

一项调查结果显示，许多大学生每日阅读时间不足1小时，而上网时间却超过了4小时。

BSection B/B

关于大学的功能，人们的看法各不相同。有人觉得大学是一个给学生提供知识的平台，学生们获得的应该是更多的知识。而随着越来越多的大学毕业生面临严峻的就业形势，有人就认为大学应该从更现实的角度帮助学生就业。或许两种观点都有道理，但是很少有大学生真正想要挑战自己。 无论学业还是就业，都和自己的努力和意识分不开。那些停留在讨论大学功能层次的人们，似乎不太可能获得更多的进步。

壮族(the Zhuang ethnic minority)是中国人口最多的少数民族，约有1900万人。

外销瓷(exported chinaware)是专门销往国外的陶瓷。中国陶瓷外销始于唐代(the Tang Dynasty)，当时是作为特产随丝绸输往国外的。这些外销瓷在东南亚地区受到当地人民的热烈欢迎。宋元时期(the Songand Yuan Dynasties)，随着对外贸易的进一步发展，中国陶瓷的外销变得越来越繁荣。外销瓷在中国古代输出品中占有极其重要的地位，在与世界各国的交流中，起着桥梁与纽带的作用。

随着城市化(urbanization)进程的加快，越来越多的农民工(migrant worker)在城市里安顿下来。他们把子女接到城里来，希望孩子能接受到更好的教育。然而，这些农民工发现现实并不像他们预期的那么美好。城市公立学校的设施和师资远远不能满足大批农民工子女的需求。幸运的是，农民工子女的教育已成为政府议事日程上优先处理的问题。

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根据传统，门前摆放的石狮应为一对，雄狮在左而雌狮在右。

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NeverOverprotecttheChildrenForthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessay.Youshouldstartyouressaywithabriefdescriptionofthepictureandthenexpressyourviewsontheexcessiveprotectionforchildrenfromfamily.Youshouldwriteatleast120wordsbutnomorethan180words.