商务英语(BEC)中级考试历年真题(24)

1 Sometimes it is necessary to insist on further explanation.

　　2 You shouldnt focus on your response while others are still speaking.

　　3 People are reluctant to admit that they dont listen well.

　　4 There are benefits in seeing things from the speakers perspective.

　　5 Keen observation of the speaker can support our listening skills.

　　6 It is risky to think about a different issue while someone is speaking.

　　7 People do not mind hearing their own views summarised.

　　Good listener, better manager

　　A

　　Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we havent listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we havent quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us. Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember - despite the benefit of notes - exactly what everyone said. But success depends on getting things right - and that means listening.

　　B

　　Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effortless activity. It demands attention and concentration. It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification - it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong. However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, youll miss what the speaker is saying - probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical. And not having heard, you wont know youve missed anything until its too late.

　　C

　　The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished. We then stop listening. Even worse, this often adds rudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it. Good listeners dont interrupt. In fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well.

　　D

　　Above all be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators. Its helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying. Equally importantly you should put yourself in the other persons place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they are getting at and form a response. But dont be too clever. Faced with a know-all, many people keep quiet because they see no point in continuing.

这篇文章讲的是倾听(listening)的重要性。一个好的管理者必然是一个好的倾听者，所以要讲究倾听的艺术。

　　第一题，有时坚持进一步的解释是很有必要的。答案是B段的这么一句：It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification - it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong它可能意味着为了进一步的信息和说明去询问说话的人——问总比不顾情况的继续并且把事情办错的好。这里的additional information对应于further explanation.

　　第二题，不能在别人还在说的时候就开始关注自己的回应。答案是C段的第一句：The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished。我们最常见的坏习惯就是在讲话者远还没结束的时候就开始思考我们将对这个话题说些什么。这里的before the other speaker has finished就是others are still speaking，focus on your response就是start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject。

　　第三题，人们不愿意承认自己没有听好。答案是A段的第一句：Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we havent listened carefully enough。我们经常指责别人没有好好听，假装我们自己是无可指责的，其实在我们心里知道，很多我们所犯的错误都是由于听的不够仔细。这句的意思就是说我们心里知道什么原因，但是口头上喜欢指责别人。也就是第三题题干说的不愿意承认。

　　第四题，从说话者的视角去考虑问题是有好处的。答案是D段的这么一句：Equally importantly you should put yourself in the other persons place, both intellectually and emotionally。同样重要的是你必须把自己置于别人的位置上，既是智力上的也是情感上的。这里的put yourself in other person’s place就是seeing things from the speaker’s perspective。

　　第五题，对说话者的敏锐观察可以提高倾听技巧。答案是D段的这么一句：Its helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying。记住说话人的移动方式和姿势是很有用的，这些可以揭示出很多他们所说话的信息。连说话的姿势都要记住，当然是keen observation了，helpful可以对应于support。

　　第六题，当别人在说话的时候去想着另外一件事是很危险的。答案是B段的这么一句：if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, youll miss what the speaker is saying如果你让自己走神了，哪怕是仅有的几分钟，你也将错过别人所说的话。allow your mind wander onto something else也就是think about a different issue.

　　第七题，人们不介意听到他们自己的观点被总结。答案是C段的这么一句：In fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is offended by this事实上在作出自己观点之前往往很值得解释下刚刚所听到内容的主要观点。没有人会被这个所冒犯。explaining the main idea of what you have just been told也就是hearing their own views summarised。do not mind也就是nobody is offended by this。