What is the main difference between active listening and merely hearing?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: Listening is an active process of paying attention and understanding meaning, whereas hearing is sound reaching the ears without necessary understanding.
Hearing is primarily the physical reception of sound by the ears, and it can occur without deliberate attention or understanding. Listening is more active: the person pays attention, interprets the words, and tries to understand the speaker’s meaning. Therefore, option A correctly distinguishes the two, while the other options reverse or deny this difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
Listening is an active process of paying attention and understanding meaning, whereas hearing is sound reaching the ears without necessary understanding.
Why is this the correct answer?
Hearing is primarily the physical reception of sound by the ears, and it can occur without deliberate attention or understanding. Listening is more active: the person pays attention, interprets the words, and tries to understand the speaker’s meaning. Therefore, option A correctly distinguishes the two, while the other options reverse or deny this difference.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 10 English question. Chapter: First Flight Prose.