第二节：阅读下面61到65几段文字，为它们从A到F中选出适当的标题。注意：有一个标题是多余的。

A．The most common problem is a “wandering” mind

B．Selective listening is also a mental barrier

C．Listening isn’t an easy skill to master

D．Attitudes can also interfere with good listening

E．Noise and background music makes listening more difficult

F．Listening is also related to the level of the listener’s knowledge

1．__________________

         Listening is not as easy as someone thought．Even good listeners may recall only fifty percent of what they hear．Retention, the ability to remember and recall information, decreases about twenty to twenty – five percent after a few days．So no matter how well you listen in class, you’re always going to have to refresh your memory before a test! Unfortunately, many people have poor listening habits, and little listening training．To improve your listening skills, it’s important to understand what causes poor listening．

2．__________________

         If you find it difficult to concentrate solely on what a speaker is saying, there’s good reason．The mind processes information much faster than a speaker can speak．The brain can process over 500 words per minute, while the average speaker talks as a rate of 124 to 250 words per minute．That means the mind can hear what’s being said and can think about something else at the same time．

3．__________________

         If you have a negative idea about the speaker or the topic, you’ll find it difficult to listen attentively．Hostile or captive audiences often have more difficultly listening than do favorable or voluntary ones．

4．__________________

         If a speaker speaks “above the heads” of an audience, people find it difficult to concentrate．Speakers who use unfamiliar words or who use incomplete explanations make it more difficult to listen．Speakers who “speak down” to audiences, failing to acknowledge what the audience already knows, also create mental blocks．

5．__________________

         When people listen selectively, they simply block out what they don’t want to hear．For instance, many people have habits that are dangerous to their health, like smoking．However, they often choose to block out what a speaker says about health risks．They may listen to a speech and think that the speaker’s message applies to other people, not them．In other words, they hear what they want to hear and ignore what they don’t want to hear．

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt. 
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out. 
Though the belief in the merit (优点) of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist (免疫学家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
【小题1】The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because ________.

The old king decided to retire and         the heavy load of responsibility to his three daughters.

A．give out           B．hand over         C．take over          D．block out

When my oldest son was in high school, he planned to attend a Christian contemporary concert with the youth group from our church. To my    36   , Aaron invited me to go along.  I    37    accepted; however, by the time the date of the concert arrived, my youngest son had been ill, and I was    38   about him. My husband    39    me to attend the concert, promising he would take care of our youngest. I hesitated.

Finally, it    40    me. Aaron was sixteen years old. How many    41    would I have to do something fun with him    42    he went away to college? And how many youth actually    43     their mothers to attend a concert with them that was clearly for  teens?  The    44    was made. I would not miss this opportunity.

At the concert, I sat with Aaron in the third row, stuffing (填塞) cotton in my ears to block out the    45   , ear-splitting music of the first performer. I stood when the kids stood, clapped when they clapped, and never let anyone know how    46    I was to feel  the  floor  vibrate (震动) beneath my feet. Aaron and his friends were    47    at my enthusiasm.

By the time we left the concert, my ears were ringing, but it quickly passed.    48    did my son's teenage years.    49    he was in college and away from home. I missed him more than I could say. On days when I was especially    50    for his ready smile and his teasing manner, I would think back to the concert we attended and be thankful once again  that  I  didn't    51    an opportunity to spend time with my son.

Aaron is now grown and has a family of his own, but we are still very    52   . Some days he calls just to    53    and tell me about his day. I drop everything and    54   the moment, knowing these times too shall    55   .

1.A. amazement      B. agreement        C. argument     D. disappointment    

2.A. hardly         B. suddenly     C. readily          D. rapidly    

3.A. crazy          B. merciful     C. patient      D. concerned   

4.A. prevented      B. encouraged       C. stopped      D. refused   

5.A. determined     B. hit          C. controlled       D. annoyed   

6. A. opportunities     B. years            C. festivals        D. moments   

7.A. after          B. since            C. when         D. before   

8.A. invited            B. advised      C. allowed      D. promised  

9.A. invitation     B. design           C. demand       D. decision  

10. A. silly            B. pleasant     C. loud         D. sweet    

11. A. excited          B. nervous      C. curious      D. surprised  

12. A. puzzled          B. annoyed      C. amused       D. disappointed   

13.A. Such          B. Neither      C. So           D. Either   

14.A. In no time        B. In time      C. At a time        D. At the time  

15.A. tired         B. worried      C. upset            D. lonely   

16. A. have         B. miss         C. obtain           D. grasp   

17. A. close            B. open         C. young            D. positive   

18.A. talk          B. speak            C. chat         D. communicate  

19. A. wait         B. spend            C. listen           D. enjoy   

20.A. pass          B. gain         C. lose         D. keep

When my oldest son was in high school, he planned to attend a Christian contemporary concert with the youth group from our church. To my    36  , Aaron invited me to go along.  I    37   accepted; however, by the time the date of the concert arrived, my youngest son had been ill, and I was    38  about him. My husband    39   me to attend the concert, promising he would take care of our youngest. I hesitated.
Finally, it    40   me. Aaron was sixteen years old. How many    41   would I have to do something fun with him    42   he went away to college? And how many youth actually    43    their mothers to attend a concert with them that was clearly for  teens?  The    44   was made. I would not miss this opportunity.
At the concert, I sat with Aaron in the third row, stuffing (填塞) cotton in my ears to block out the    45  , ear-splitting music of the first performer. I stood when the kids stood, clapped when they clapped, and never let anyone know how    46   I was to feel  the  floor  vibrate (震动) beneath my feet. Aaron and his friends were    47   at my enthusiasm.
By the time we left the concert, my ears were ringing, but it quickly passed.    48   did my son's teenage years.    49   he was in college and away from home. I missed him more than I could say. On days when I was especially    50   for his ready smile and his teasing manner, I would think back to the concert we attended and be thankful once again  that  I  didn't    51   an opportunity to spend time with my son.
Aaron is now grown and has a family of his own, but we are still very    52  . Some days he calls just to    53   and tell me about his day. I drop everything and    54  the moment, knowing these times too shall    55  .