They feel they are poor listeners when they think about something else while the other is talking or when they are tired, or not interested in what she or he is talking about. Most people listen only with their ears.
According to the passage, listening only with ears may happen to us when____
A）we are emotionally tired
B）we are physically disabled
C）we are so interested in the topic
D）we are asked many questions
【原文意】:当他们心不在焉, 感到厌倦, 或对他/她谈论的话题不感兴趣的时候，他们就会觉得自己不是一个好的听众了。他们大多数人仅仅是用耳朵而非用心去听。
『个案解析』：四个选项中，A）与C）陈述互相矛盾, 互为正反项。我们什么时候不会用心去听? A）我们情绪厌倦的时候，C）我们对话题很感兴趣的时候。显然这两个选项是矛盾正反判断，只有一个而且必有一个是真，所以我们可以先排除B）、D）选项，然后再结合我们下文将要提及的常识项原则，可以把答案确定为A）。
再看一例：
The main problem is that our neighbor worlds appear to be unsuitable for advanced life forms. The moon may be the case first, it has hardly any atmosphere. Venus is little better, but the surface’s temperature is very high. Mars with thin atmosphere and little water cannot support the living necessity of the animals.
Q: There is unlikely any life on Venus because______.
A．it has very thin atmosphere
B．the surface temperature is too hot
C．the weather is too cold
D．it is extremely short of water
『个案解析』：B项（表面温度太热）与C项（气候太寒冷）语义相反互为正反项。根据正反项原则，可以排除A、D项，然后在B、C项中选其一，这样，考生至少可以在不看原文的前提下把答案的命中率从25%提高到50％。其实，此题为细节题，根据原文第三句，我们可以把答案确定为B。
正反项原则预示: 陈述内容或基调完全相反的两选项往往有一个是正确答案。
3．委婉项原则
所谓委婉，这里是指说话不能说死，要留有余地。阅读理解选项中语气平和、委婉的往往是正确答案。这些选项一般含有不十分肯定或试探性语气的表达，如：probably, possibly, may, usually, might, most of, more or less, relatively, be likely to, not necessary, although, yet, in addition，tend to，be liable to等等，而含有绝对语气的表达往往不是正确答案，如：must, always, never, the most, all, every, any, merely, only, completely, none, hardly，already等等。
Q: According to the first two paragraphs, ____.
A）. the use of water is a completely new concept
B） the sea has already long been used as a way of power
C） water is a source of energy far more economical than any other energies
D） water, if properly handled, may present a promising solution to energy crisis.
『个案解析』：很明显，根据委婉原则，正确答案应该为D, 其他三项都含有过于肯定语气的词，如：completely, has already, far more than any other。而选项D比