I believe listening is powerful Medicine.
Studies have shown it takes a(n) __31__ about 18 seconds to __32__ a patient after he begins talking.
It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. I __33__ her room in a hurry and stood at the doorway. She was an older woman, sitting at the edge of the bed, __34__ to put socks on her swollen feet. I stepped in, spoke quickly to the nurse, __35__ her chart noting she was in stable __36__. I was almost in the clear.
I stood against the bed looking down at her. She asked if I could help put on her socks. __37__, I started a monologue that went something like this: "How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they're better today. The nurse __38__ you're anxious to see your __39__ who's visiting you today. It's nice to have family visit from far away. I bet you really __40__ forward to seeing him."
She __41__ me with a serious, authoritative voice. "Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not your story."
I was surprised and __42__. I sat down. I helped her with the socks. She began to tell me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that the stress of this __43__ greatly to her health problems. After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do for her. She shook her head no and smiled. All she wanted me to do was to __44__.
Each __45__ is different. Some are detailed; others are unclear. Some have a beginning, middle and end. Others wander __46__ a clear conclusion. Some are true; others not. __47__ what really matters to the storyteller is that the story is __48__-— without interruption, assumption or __49__.
Listening to someone's story is key to healing and diagnosis. I often thought of what that woman taught me, and I often __50__ myself of the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening.
31. A. physicist B. physician C. expert D. dentist
32. A. understand B. recognize C. interrupt D. know
33. A. entered B. passed C. left D. approached
34. A. continuing B. learning C. pretending D. struggling
35. A. observed B. scanned C. designed D. evaluated
36. A. level B. condition C. position D. period
37. A. Therefore B. Otherwise C. Instead D. Moreover
38. A. indicated B. responded C. mentioned D. announced
39. A. son B. husband C. brother D. nephew
40. A. look B. tolerate C. chant D. clarify
41. A. bothered B. influenced C. stopped D. puzzled
42. A. disappointed B. scared C. thrilled D. embarrassed
43. A. attached B. contributed C. devoted D. owed
44. A. sit B. wait C. listen D. comfort
45. A. feeling B. case C. life D. story
46. A. without B. to C. for D. at
47. A. And B. Yet C. So D. Then
48. A. read B. written C. repeated D. heard
49. A. judgment B. acknowledgement C. encouragement D. commitment
50. A. convinced B. informed C. reminded D. Warned