* Comprehend the passage and answer the given questions..
(04)
Effective speaking depends on effective listing. It takes energy to concentrate on hearing
and concentrate on understanding what has been heard. Incompetent listeners fail in a number of
ways. Their attention drifts from what the speaker is saying. And finally they react. They let
personal feelings about the speaker or the subject override the significance of the message which is
being sent. What can a listener positively wishes to concentrate on receiving a massage,
chances of success are high. It may need determination. Some speakers are difficult to follow, either
because of voice problems, or because of the form in which they send a massage. There is then
particular need for determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said. Contraction is
helped alertness. Mental alertness is helped by physical alertness. It is not simply physical fitness
but also positioning of the body, the limbs and the head. Some people also find it helpful to their
concentration if they hold the head slightly to one sidé. One useful way for achieving this is
referring to. Note-taking, by trying to capture the critical headings and subheadings the speaker is
referring to. Note- taking has been recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the speaker.
It gives him confidence when he sees that listeners are sufficiently interested to take notes; the
patterns of eye- contact when the note-taker looks up can be very positive, and the speaker's
timing is aided- he see when a note-taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of
pauses. (279 words)
45. What is one of the hurdles that come in the way of effective listening?
46. Why is it difficult to understand what some speakers say?
47. What can enhance our concentration?
48. Find a word in the passage which is similar in meaning to 'useless.'
Answers
45. Some of the hurdles/difficulties that come in the way of effective listening are:
• The listener's attention drifts away from what the speaker is saying.
• They let their personal thoughts and feelings about the speaker or the subject override the significance/importance of the message which is being said.
46. It is difficult to understand what some speakers say because of many reasons, such as the speaker having voice problems or because the form/way the speaker tells the message is difficult for some people to understand.
47. Some ways to enhance our concentration are by mental alertness, which is helped by physical alertness. Physical alertness is also done by positioning the body, limbs and head. Some people find it helpful to their concentration if they hold their head slightly to one side. Another very useful way to enhance/increase our concentration is by note-taking by writing down the critical/important headlines or subheadings the speaker is saying. Note-taking is not only helpful to the listener, but it also helps the speaker by giving him/her confidence because the listener is sufficiently interested in what he/she is saying to take down notes.
48. A word in the passage which is similar in meaning to 'useless' is 'incompetent'.