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Have you ever listened to a private conversation? Maybe you were standing by a door or in a hallway and you heard people talking about someone else. You paused ... you perked up your ears ... and you listened. These people were not speaking to you. You eavesdropped.

To eavesdrop means you secretly listen to something said in private. Nosy people, people who like to gossip and spies are all good eavesdroppers. When it was first used in the 1600s, "eavesdrop" was the water that fell, or dropped, from the eaves of a house. After even more time passed, "eavesdropper" described someone who stood near a house to secretly listen to a conversation happening inside.

English has another expression related to eavesdropping and the home: the walls have ears. This means be careful what you say as there might be people listening.

Some word experts say this expression may come from story about an ancient Greek ruler who had an ear-shaped cave cut and connected between the rooms of his palace. This form of eavesdropping became common practice with rulers from many cultures.

There’s a great one more for eavesdropping – to listen in on. When you listen in on something, you listen to people speaking without joining in, usually secretly. But not always. You can listen in on a class at university or listen in on a meeting at work. These examples do not suggest that you were listening secretly.

Now, maybe you were minding your own business. Maybe you just happened to have overheard a private conversation. Overhearing is more innocent than eavesdropping. You can overhear something by being in the wrong place at the right time.

1.How many expressions are mentioned on listening in different ways?

A.3. B.4.

C.5. D.6.

2.Which is TRUE about the word of “eavesdrop”?

A.It means the fallen water from a house now.

B.It was first used in 1600 in ancient Greece.

C.Rulers seldom eavesdrop in many cultures.

D.It didn’t originally mean “to listen secretly”.

3.Which word or phrase means to listen to something by coincidence?

A.Eavesdrop. B.Listen in on.

C.Overhear. D.The walls have ears.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Overhear and eavesdrop take on the same meaning.

B.A gossip or a spy is good at eavesdropping.

C.The walls have ears means be careful when listening.

D.“Listen in on” always means listen secretly.

高二英语阅读理解困难题

少年,再来一题如何?
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