Do you know that shortly after hearing something，most of us can recall only 50% of the original message．Within two to eight weeks，we can recall only 25% or less of the original message．Our mental attitudes reduce our ability to retain what we hear．

    Some suggestions to being a good listener are mentioned below．

    First of all，stop tailing----you can’t listen while you are tailing．

    Ask questions when you don’t understand，when you need further clarification，when you want them to like you and when you want to show that you are listening．

    Don't interrupt----give them time to say what they have to say.

    Concentrate on what they are saying----actively focus your attention on their words，their ideas and their feelings as they relate to the subject.

    Look at the speakers----by looking，it gives them confidence that you are, in fact，listening. It helps you to concentrate too.

    __________----try to forget your own worries and problems. Leave them outside of the meeting room. They will prevent you from listening well.

    Understand the main points----concentrate on the main ideas and not the illustrative material.

    Use the difference in rate----you can listen faster than you can talk. So use this rate difference to your advantage by staying on the right track，anticipating what they are going to say，thinking back over what they have just said and evaluating the development of their argument. You speak at about 100 to 150 words per minute，but you think at 250 to 500.

    Learn to listen and you will achieve a great success in your life.

1．What is the passage mainly about? （No more than 10 words）

2．Fill in the blank with proper words. （No more than 5 words）

3．Which sentence can best replace “guessing what the talk will be about”?

4．When should we ask questions?

（1）______________________________________________________

（2）______________________________________________________

（3）______________________________________________________

5．Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.