Question

We can make mistakes at any age．Some mistakes we make are about money．But most mistakes are about people．“Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?“When I got that great job，did Jim really feel good about it，as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?”“And why wasn’t Paul friendly just because I had a car?”When we look back，thoughts like these can make us feel bad．But when we look back，it’s too late．

Why do we go wrong about our friends? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning．And if we don’t really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words．Sometimes someone tells you，“You’re a lucky dog．”That’s friendly．But“l(fā)ucky dog”?There’s a bit of envy in those words．Maybe he doesn’t see it himself．But bringing in the“dog”puts you down a little．What he may be saying is that he does’t think that you can have such good luck．

‘‘Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for’’is another example that says one thing and means another．It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life．But is he? It’s telling you to think of all the hungry people in the whole world when you haven’t got a date(約會)for Saturday night．

How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking．Do his words fit the way he looks? Dose what he says agree with the tone(語調(diào))of voice? His posture(姿態(tài))? The look in his eyes? Stop and think．The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of the words may save another mistake．

1.This passage is mainly about ．

A.how to remember what people say

B.what to do when you listen to others talking

C.how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people

D.how to watch people when they are talking

2.According to the writer，the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that ．

A.we fail to listen carefully when they talk

B.people will be angry when we check what they say

C.people usually say one thing but mean another

D.we like to doubt what our friends say

3.The underlined word“it”in the second paragraph means ．

A.being friendly B.a bit of envy

C.1ucky dog D.your luck

4.When we listen to a person talking，the most important thing for us to do is to ．

A.know the way the person is talking

B.take a good look at the person talking

C.notice his tone，his posture and the look in his eyes

D.understand the real meaning of what he says

5. Maybe the writer is a ．

A.teacher B.psychologist(心理學家)

C.scientist D.doctor

Answer 1