If you’re like most people, you’ve indulged in fake listening many times. You go to history class, sit in the third row, and look ________ at the instructor as she speaks. But your mind is far away, _______ in the clouds of pleasant daydreams. ________ you come back to earth: the instructor writes an important term on the chalkboard, and you _______ copy it in your notebook. Every once in a while the instructor makes a _________ remark, causing others in the class to laugh. You smile politely, pretending that you’ve heard the remark and found it mildly___________. You have a vague sense of ___________ that you aren’t paying close attention, but you tell yourself that any ________ you miss can be picked up from a friend’s notes. Besides,________________. So back you go into your private little world. Only later do you realize you’ve missed important information for a test.
Fake listening may be easily exposed, since many speakers are sensitive to facial cues and can tell if you’re merely pretending to listen. ____________.
Even if you’re not exposed, there’s another reason to avoid fakery; it’s easy for this behavior to become a habit. For some people, the habit is so deeply rooted that _________________. As a result, they miss lots of valuable information.
squarely floating Occasionsllly dutifully witty humorous guilt　　　 material the instructor is talking about road construction in ancient Rome and nothing could be more boring Your blank expression and the faraway look in your eyes are the cues that betray you inattentiveness they automatically start daydreaming when a speaker begins talking on something complex or uninteresting