One day, I went to see my last patient(病人), an old woman. In the doorway, I saw she was struggling (掙扎) to put socks on her swollen (浮腫)feet in the bed. I stepped in, spoke quickly to the nurse, read her chart noting. I was almost in the clear that she was not in serious condition.
I asked, “Could I help put on your socks? How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they’re better today. The nurse mentioned you’re anxious to see your son. He’s visiting you today. It’s nice to have a family visit. I think you really look forward to seeing him."
"Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not yours." She said with a serious voice.
I was surprised as I helped her with the socks. She told me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him in five years. She believed that was the main cause of 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 listen.
Each story is different. Some are detailed; others are simple. Some have a beginning, middle and end; others don’t have clear ends. Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really matter. What matters to the storyteller is that the story is heard — without interruption(打斷) or judgment(評價).
It was that woman who taught me the importance of stopping, sitting down and truly listening. And, not long after, in an unexpected accident, I became a patient. 20 years later, I sit all the time — in a wheelchair.
For as long as I could, I continued to see patients from my chair. I believe in the power of listening.
小題1: How was the old woman?
| A．Her feet were swollen. | B．Her sugars were high. |
| C．She was not badly ill. | D．Her blood pressure was better. |
小題2:How did the doctor know that the old woman’s son was visiting her?
| A．The nurse told him. | B．The old woman told him. |
| C．The woman’s son told him. | D．The doctor got it from her chart noting. |
小題3:What did the old woman think caused her health problems?
| A．Her son’s not seeing her. | B．No one listening to her story. |
| C．The medical care of the hospital. | D．The distance between her and her son. |
小題4:When the patient told the doctor her stories, what she needed might be ______.
| A．keeping smiling | B．interruption or judgment |
| C．listening without interruption | D．communicating with each other |
小題5:Which statement is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．Her son lived close to her house. |
| B．The old woman didn’t need the doctor’s treatments. |
| C．Listening is powerful medicine. |
| D．The doctor has to “walk” with the help of a wheel chair. |
