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Listening Skills: Comprehension Passage on Life

Changing Morality

Morality in today’s world is constantly changing. Morality is essentially a system of principles or rules that help us distinguish right from wrong and good from bad behavior. It guides how people act toward one another, what they value, and how they judge actions—both their own and others’.

People enter our lives for very temporary reasons, and they leave because, in their minds, they were sure they would leave one day. Not everyone who comes into our life plans to stay, and accepting this truth helps us understand human behavior more clearly.

If someone is giving only 50 percent, do not give 100 percent. Often, we keep people in the first position of our lives, while they have kept us in the fifth position or we are not even on their priority list. Sometimes there are cold betrayals that we do not expect. At times, some people hurt us so deeply that we shut the door of our heart permanently, and once the door of the heart is shut, it never opens again for anyone. People never understand the emotional damage and psychological collapse their actions can cause to another person, and they move on comfortably, unaware of the pain they leave behind.

Good values, strong principles, and morality seem to have vanished from the world. This idea closely reflects T. S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men, where he describes modern humans as empty and spiritually weak. Eliot writes:

“We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!”

These lines suggest that people appear complete from the outside but are hollow within, lacking true values, sincerity, and moral strength.

The world cannot be expected to follow our principles, value systems, and thoughts, because each human being has their own beliefs, priorities, and way of thinking. This moral emptiness eventually leads to silent destruction, as Eliot famously concludes in The Hollow Men:

“This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.”

These lines mean that the world does not collapse suddenly but slowly fades due to loss of faith, morality, and compassion.

The only true realizations in life are parents and teachers, and a genuine friend—if you are lucky—because these relationships are selfless and not selfish. The best gift they give us is trust, loyalty, and understanding. They support us, guide us, and stand by us even when others fail us.

A true friend is always a well-wisher. A genuine friend defends you in your absence and, most importantly, is a secret keeper and a trust keeper. Such friendships are rare in a hollow world.

In the end, noble deeds are not always rewarded by people. No one truly understands your emotions, and no one values your goodness, but only God Almighty does. As T.S Eliot said in The Hollow Men- 

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long
But For Thine is the Kingdom

This suggests that life is full of struggles, darkness, and trials. Yet, “For Thine is the Kingdom,” meaning all power, justice, and truth belong to God alone. Life may be full of difficulties, but we can keep our faith in God Almighty, trusting that He sees every sincere effort and every silent sacrifice.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. According to the passage, why do many people leave our lives?
A. Because they are forced to leave               B. Because they never planned to stay permanently
C. Because relationships are unnecessary      D. Because morality does not exist
Answer: B

2. What should one do if someone is giving only 50 percent in a relationship?
A. Give 100 percent to change them                                      B. End the relationship immediately
C. Give the same level of effort                                             D. Ignore the situation
Answer: C

3. What do T. S. Eliot’s “hollow men” symbolize?
A. Powerful leaders                B. Happy individuals              C. People lacking moral and spiritual values
D. Educated society
Answer: C

4. How does the world end according to The Hollow Men?
A. With a loud explosion                               B. With a war
C. Suddenly and violently                              D. Slowly and quietly
Answer: D

5. Who are described as the most selfless relationships in life?
A. Colleagues and neighbors                                      B. Friends and classmates
C. Parents, teachers, and a genuine friend                 D. Leaders and followers
Answer: C

6. What happens when people hurt someone deeply, according to the passage?

A. The pain disappears quickly
B. The person becomes stronger immediately
C. The heart may close permanently
D. New relationships heal the pain
Answer: C

7. What do people often fail to realize about their actions?
A. They may cause emotional and psychological damage
B. They improve relationships
C. They are always forgiven
D. They have no consequences
Answer: A

8. What is described as disappearing from the modern world?
A. Technology and progress
B. Good values and strong principles
C. Education and knowledge
D. Freedom and rights
Answer: B

9. What quality makes a true friend rare in today’s world?
A. Wealth
B. Popularity
C. Loyalty and trustworthiness
D. Intelligence
Answer: C

10. According to the passage, where should humans place their ultimate faith?
A. In society
B. In material success
C. In themselves alone
D. In God Almighty
Answer: D

One-Liner Questions

  1. Why do some people move on comfortably after hurting others?
  2. What does the phrase “hollow world” suggest about modern society?
  3. What role do parents and teachers play in a person’s life according to the passage?
  4. How does the passage define a genuine friend?
  5. What does the “shadow of life” symbolize in the passage?
  6. What truth about human relationships does the passage emphasize?
  7. Why does the author say we should not give 100 percent when others give only 50 percent?
  8. What emotional effect can betrayal have on a person according to the passage?
  9. What message do the final lines of The Hollow Men convey about moral decline?
  10. Who ultimately values human goodness and sincere efforts, according to the passage?

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