Ioncemetawell-knownbotanistatadinnerparty．Ihadnevertalkedwithabotanistbefore，andIfoundhimfascinating．Isatthereabsorbedandlistenedwhilehespokeofunusualplantsandhisexperiments（heeventoldmeastonishingfactsaboutthesimplepotato）．Ihadasmallindoorgardenofmyown---andhewasgoodenoughtotellmehowtosolvesomeofmyproblems．

AsIsaid，wewereatadinnerparty．Theremusthavebeenadozenotherguests，butIbrokeanimportantruleofpoliteness．Iignoredeveryoneelseandtalkedforhourstothebotanist．

Midnightcame，Isaidgoodnighttoeveryoneanddeparted．Thebotanistthenturnedtoourhostandsaidmanynicethingsaboutme，includingthatIwasa“mostinterestingconversationalist．”

Aninterestingconversationalist？Ihadsaidhardlyanythingatall．Icouldn’thavesaidanythingifIhadwantedtowithoutchangingthesubject，forIdidn’tknowanymoreaboutplantsthanIknewaboutsharks．ButIhaddonethisonething：Ihadlistenedcarefully．IlistenedbecauseIwasreallyinterested．Andhefeltit．Naturallythatpleasedhim．Thatkindoflisteningisoneofthethebestwaystoshowrespecttoothers，anditmakesthemfeelgreattoo．“Fewhumanbeings，”wroteJackWoodfordinStrangersinLove，“canresistthesweeteffectofraptattention．”Iwentevenfurtherthanthat．Iwas“sincereinmyadmirationandgenerousinmypraise．”

ItoldhimthatIhadbeenhugelyentertainedandinstructed．Ihad．ItoldhimIwishedIhadhisknowledge．ItoldhimthatIshouldlovetowanderthefieldswithhim．What’smore，itwasalltrue．

AndsoIhadhimthinkingofmeasagoodconversationalistwhen，inreality，Ihadbeenmerelyagoodlistenerandhadencouragedhimtotalk．

26．FromParagraph1，wecanlearnthatthewriter___

A．wasdeeplymovedbythebotanist’stalk

B．wasamazedbywhathewashearing

C．wasnotinacomfortablesituation

D．behavedpolitelyandproperly

27．Whichofthefollowingdoesthewriterdescribeasaruleofpolitenessatdinnerparties？___

A．Avoidingdiscussionsaboutpoliticsandreligion．

B．Listeningcarefullytowhatanotherguestsays．

C．Arrivingandleavingattheappropriatetime．

D．Givingattention