[9급 국가직 영어 2025년 19번]

Active listening is an art, a skill and a discipline that takes __________________. To develop good listening skills, you need to understand what is involved in effective communication and develop the techniques to sit quietly and listen. This involves ignoring your own needs and focusing on the person speaking―a task made more difficult by the way the human brain works. When someone talks to you, your brain immediately begins processing the words, body language, tone, inflection and perceived meanings coming from the other person. Instead of hearing one noise, you hear two: the noise the other person is making and the noise in your own head. Unless you train yourself to remain vigilant, the brain usually ends up paying attention to the noise in your own head. That’s where active listening techniques come into play. Hearing becomes listening only when you pay attention to what the person is saying and follow it very closely.