I suppose that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s given from the heart. When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it. Most of us don’t value ourselves or our love enough to know this. It has taken me a long time to believe in the power of simple saying “I’m so sorry,” when someone is in pain.

One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted to tell her that they once had something just like that happening to them. Her pain became a story about them. Eventually, she stopped talking to most people. We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care.

I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the handkerchiefs, until I realized that passing a person a handkerchief may be just another way to shut him down, to take them out of their experience of sadness. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.

This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too shy to speak or did not know the answer. But now I know that a loving silence often has far more power to heal than the kindest words.

56. What does the author value most in the communication with each other?

A. Deep understanding        B. Saying “I’m Sorry”.

C. Attention from heart.        D. Doing nothing.

57. The woman patient stopped telling her story to most people because ______.

A. She didn’t get enough respect from others

B. she was discouraged by being often interrupted

C. people often told her their own opinions

D. people couldn’t understand her sad situation

58. If you hand a handkerchief to someone crying, you may ______.

A. hurt his feelings                  B. make him embarrassed

C. encourage him to continue to cry     D. stop him from letting out his sorrow

59. It can be inferred from the passage that while communicating, ______.

A. listening is a perfect way to respond to others

B. people keep silent because they don’t know the answer

C. keeping silent means being too shy to speak

D. it is easy to form the habit of listening silently

There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.

But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.

His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.

They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, “Do you know son, why I am here today?”

The boy answered back, “to check my grades?”

“No, no” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”

These words caused the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.

Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!

Thanks a lot, dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.

1.The boy changed after he went to the boarding school because________.

A．his grades were not as good as before       B．his classmates didn’t like him

C．his father seldom went to see him           D．he felt no one cared about him

2.The father went to the boarding school to_________.

A．know if he was still the best student

B．find out what was wrong with his son

C．ask some questions about his classmates

D．talk with the boy’s teacher about his grades

3.The underlined word “ casual” in Paragraph 4 means _______.

A．unimportant       B．strange           C．special            D．difficult

4.The passage mainly tells us never to _________.

A．send a small boy to a boarding school

B．care too much about a student’s grades

C．pay no attention to the power of caring

D．miss the chance to say thanks to our fathers

There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.
But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.
His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, “Do you know son, why I am here today?”
The boy answered back, “to check my grades?”
“No, no” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
These words caused the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.
Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!
Thanks a lot, dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE

1. 1.

   The boy changed after he went to the boarding school because________

   1. A.
      his grades were not as good as before
   2. B.
      his classmates didn’t like him
   3. C.
      his father seldom went to see him
   4. D.
      he felt no one cared about him
2. 2.

   The father went to the boarding school to_________

   1. A.
      know if he was still the best student
   2. B.
      find out what was wrong with his son
   3. C.
      ask some questions about his classmates
   4. D.
      talk with the boy’s teacher about his grades
3. 3.

   The underlined word “ casual” in Paragraph 4 means _______

   1. A.
      unimportant
   2. B.
      strange
   3. C.
      special
   4. D.
      difficult
4. 4.

   The passage mainly tells us never to _________

   1. A.
      send a small boy to a boarding school
   2. B.
      care too much about a student’s grades
   3. C.
      pay no attention to the power of caring
   4. D.
      miss the chance to say thanks to our fathers