Many people think that listening is a passive business. It is just the opposite. Listening well is an active exercise of our attention and hard work. It is because they do not realize this, or because they are not willing to do the work, that most people do not listen well.
Listening well also requires total concentration upon someone else. An essential part of listening well is the rule known as ‘bracketing’. Bracketing includes the temporary giving up or setting aside of your own prejudices and desires, to experience as far as possible someone else’s world from the inside, stepping into his or her shoes. Moreover, since listening well involves bracketing, it also involves a temporary acceptance of the other person. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will seem quite willing to open up the inner part of his or her mind to the listener. True communication is under way and the energy required for listening well is so great that it can be accomplished only by the will to extend oneself for mutual growth.
Most of the time we lack this energy. Even though we may feel in our business dealings or social relationships that we are listening well, what we are usually doing is listening selectively. Often we have a prepared list in mind and wonder, as we listen, how we can achieve certain desired results to get the conversation over as quickly as possible or redirected in ways more satisfactory to us. Many of us are far more interested in talking than in listening, or we simply refuse to listen to what we don’t want to hear.
It wasn’t until toward the end of my doctor career that I have found the knowledge that one is being truly listened to is frequently therapeutic(有療效的) In about a quarter of the patients I saw, surprising improvement was shown during the first few months of psychotherapy(心理療法), before any of the roots of problems had been uncovered or explained. There are several reasons for this phenomenon, but chief among them, I believe, was the patient’s sense that he or she was being truly listened to, often for the first time in years, and for some, perhaps for the first time ever.
【小題1】The phrase “stepping into his or her shoes” in paragraph 2 probably means _______.

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow. While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union. Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families.
Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (＝before) marriage. Not only do the prospective(預(yù)期的) marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings. Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.
As for any family， the basic ingredient(成分) of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual(相互的) respect. However， love alone is not enough. Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.
Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success. Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit. Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved. Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.
By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent(矛盾的) loyalties， lingering(持久的) hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams. The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable. However， there are ways to confront(面臨) and resolve them. For example， support groups and professional counselors(法律顧問) are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming(壓倒性的).
Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort. Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily. Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection.
【小題1】According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States.

It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering students were talking about the exam that was going to begin in a few  36 . On their faces was confidence . This was their last exam — then on to 37 and jobs.
Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they 38 get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take 39 of the world.
The coming exam, they knew, would be a(n)  40 task. The professor had said they could bring  41 books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 42 each other, during the test.
 43 they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles 44 on the students’ faces as they noted(注意到) there were only five essay-type questions.
Three hours had passed 45 the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.
He looked at the 46 faces before him, and then asked, “How many completed all five questions?” 47 a hand was raised.
“How many answered four?” Still no hands.
“Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly （不安地,慌張地）in their seats.
“One, then? Certainly somebody finished 48 .”But the class remained silent.
The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I 49 ,” he said. “I just want to impress upon you that,   50 you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the   51 you don’t know. These questions you couldn’t answer are relatively(相對地,相當(dāng)?shù)?  52 in everyday practice. ” Then smiling, he added, “You will all  53 this course, but remember — even though you are now college graduates, your education has just  54 .”
The years have 55  the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

Four simple keys to transform your life
The power of choice.
Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision, the greater its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.
How do you make choices?
If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you. This foundation is to choose based on what’s best for all. Imagine a world where every parent, spouse(配偶), friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what’s best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world.
It’s the intention.
“But how do I know what is really best?” you might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn’t matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice. What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there’s no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what’s best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind.
What’s best for me, too!
Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for other. An overly(過度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what’s best for all.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A grave of a man dating back to around 2300 BC was found by archaeologists in England On May 3, 2002. Buried with him were the tools of a hunter or warrior. There was a bone pin that may have been from a piece of clothing such as a leather coat. He carried a copper knife on his breast. The most amazing find was two gold earrings. That would have made him a man of distinction. Only a few centimeters from his head were two pots made of clay, tools and materials to make arrows, a bow and a dozen arrows for hunting and a second, smaller copper knife. Next to them lay a cushion stone, upon which the man could work metal.
His grave is the richest of any found from that period, because this man was buried with two gold earrings which are the oldest gold ever found in Britain (dated to 2470 BC). Besides, he was buried three miles from Stonehenge. Archaeologists tend to believe he was a member of a powerful class who might have organized the construction of Stonehenge.
Stonehenge was begun around 3000 BC. In about 2300 BC the huge stone circles were built. The biggest stone weighed approximately 20 tons. But the smaller blue stones, still weighing 4 tons on average, came from west Wales. It is not yet known how these were conveyed over a distance of 380 km. It is also a mystery how early man was able to construct Stonehenge without the use of modern construction machines and lorries.
He is an example of people who brought culture and new techniques from the European mainland to Britain. In terms of technical development people were going from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age and then to the Iron Age.
【小題1】Which are not included in the things that are found in the grave of a man?