Become a Better Listener
I strongly believe that it is rather important to be a good listener. And although I have become a better listener than I was ten years ago， I have to admit I'm still only an adequate1 listener.
Effective2 listening is more than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others while they are speaking or finishing their sentences. It's being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond. In some ways， the way we fail to listen is symbolic of 3 the way we live. We often treat communication as if it were a race. It's almost like our goal is to have no time gaps4 between the conclusion of the sentence of the person we are speaking with and the beginning of our own. My wife and I were recently at a cafe having lunch， eavesdropping on5 the conversations around us. It seemed that no one was really listening to one another， instead they were taking turns6 not listening to one another.I asked my wife if I still did the same thing. With a smile on her face she said，" Only sometimes." Slowing down7 your responses and becoming a better listener aids you in becoming a more peaceful person. It takes pressure from you. If you think about it， you'll notice that it takes an enormous amount of energy and is very stressful to be sitting at the edge of your seat trying to guess what the person in front of you （or on the telephone） is going to say so that you can fire8 back your response. But as you wait for the person you are communicating with to finish， as you simply listen more intently9 to what is being said， you'll notice that the pressure you feel is off. You'll immediately feel more relaxed， and so will the people you are talking to.They will feel safe in slowing down their own responses because they won't feel in competition with you for " air time10" ！ Not only will becoming a better listener make you a more patient person， it will also enhance the quality of your relationships. Everyone loves to talk to someone who truly listens to what they are saying.
注释：
1.adequate adj.勉强够的，差强人意的
2.effective adj.能产生（预期）结果的，有效的
3.symbolic adj.（与of连用）作为象征的
4.gap n.间隙，间隔
5.eavesdrop vi.（与on连用）偷听，窃听
6.turn n.（依次轮流时各自的）一次机会
7.slowdown（使）慢下来，（使）减速
8.fire vt.猛烈地发出
9.intently adv.专注地
10.airtime 广播时间
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