Question

We are often unable to pay close attention to what we hear. But sometimes we try to remember everything a speaker say. We turn into sponges, taking in a speaker’s every word as if every word was equally important. We try to remember all the names, all the dates, and all the places. In the process we often miss the speaker’s main point.

Erik Waldman works at a design company. Knowing he had never been good at budgeting his money, he was determined to begin thinking about his economic future. When his employer circulated an e-mail announcing a financial planning seminar, Erik signed up right away.

The first period was about retirement planning. Simone Fisher, the lecturer, explained that 7 of 10 Americans between the ages of 22 and 35 do not have a regular savings plan. Erik wrote down every number Simone mentioned.

“If you want to have a retirement income equal to 75 percent of your current salary,” Simone continued, “you will need to invest at least of 6 percent of your present earnings, and beyond that you need to consider future inflation rates(通货膨胀率). I will help you calculate your individual savings needs soon. In the meantime, I want to stress that the most important thing is to start saving now.”

Erik recorded all the statistics Simone used. When she opened the floor for question, Erik raised his hand and said, “I have two question. When is the best time to start saving for retirement ? And how am I supposed to figure out my savings target if I don’t know what inflation rates will be in the future?”

This is a typical example of losing the speaker’s point by concentration on details. Erik had fixed his mind on remembering all the statistics in Simone’s presentation, but he blocked out the man message. Rather than trying to remember everything, efficient listeners usually concentrate on main ideas and evidence.

1.What does the underlined part “We turn into sponges” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. We sometimes become other persons.

B. We often fail to focus our attention

C. We refuse to agree with the speaker.

D. We find it difficult to remember key things

2.During the first period of the seminar, Erik______.

A. focused on the lecture’s details

B. got Simone Fisher’s main idea

C. showed little interest in the lecture

D. knew how to calculate inflation rates

3.When hearing Erik’s questions, Simone might think______.

A. they were very good question

B. Erik was an excellent partner

C. they had just been discussed

D. they were hard to answer

4.What do we know about Erik?

A. His boss asked him to attend the lecture

B. He does badly in managing his money

C. He has a good memory

D. He is still a student

Answer 1