Question

阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。

The Nigerian postal service has witnessed a reduction in the number of letters sent, especially by individuals, due to the alternatives of email and text.

“People prefer these over letters, because of the speed, although letters serve many purposes, other than conveying of messages", said Barry Varley Tipton, principal of Cherry Field College.

But some people think that the vanishing(逐渐消失的) art of letter writing has grave (严重的) consequences for students, teachers, the economy, society and the beauty of reading from loved ones, because letters in those days usually had a variety of styles .

A lover of letters writing, Hajiya Aisha refers to the occasions she has seen people enraged, because their connections at a cyber cafe took 56 seconds rather than the usual 36 hours. She says, “Although letters are slow, waiting for something good is not wholly a bad thing. Nothing beats a hand written letter.”

"When I was a graduate studying overseas twenty five years ago, my mother wrote to me daily. It was wonderful to receive those letters. They often said nothing more than everyone was thinking of me. I continue this tradition with several friends who are scattered worldwide. Hand written letters show the love that we have for family and friends. Email cannot replace the smile of actually getting the letter. The warm, sincere thank- you note, or the sweetly scented love letter we usually received and sent in those days is irreplaceable" she said.

Will electronic age stamps replace letters? Hopefully not, since it takes with it a culture rich in colour, history, and communication. Letters, like bits of ourselves, deserve to be stored away for future readers, giving them insight into details as small as the price and pattern of stamps, and as great as personal insights exchanged long ago.

【写作内容】

       1. 以约30词概括以上短文的主要内容：

       2. 然后以约120个词以“Will written letters die out ?”为主题写一篇短文，并包括如下要点：

       (1)有些人认为用手机收发短信和用因特网收发邮件更加方便快捷，写信很费时间

       (2)有些人喜欢和朋友或家人写信

       (3)你的观点

【写作要求】

       1. 你可以使用实例或其他论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用阅读材料中的句子

2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称

【评分标准】

       概括准确、语言规范、内容合适，篇章连贯。  (请在答题纸上作答)

Answer

Thanks to email and text, people nowadays make their communication quick and convenient, and fewer and fewer letters are written. However, it is still believed that written letters are irreplaceable.

It’s true that many people find it easy to send emails and text messages and often avoid writing letters completely. However, I don’t agree that written letters will gradually disappear.

First of all, it seems to me that letters written by people include a piece of soul and letters are a reflection of human emotions. For instance, using the Internet my sister still likes to receive ordinary letters by post, because they help her to feel a close bond with people living far away.

    Secondly, for many years the written word was one of the most powerful tools in the world. Moreover, for many people, to write a letter is an element of their traditions. In many cases the Internet is not considered to be substitute for letters.

   In conclusion, letters will never become extinct because of their importance to many generations of people.

Possible version II

Thanks to email and text, people nowadays make their communication quick and convenient, and fewer and fewer letters are written. However, it is still believed that written letters are irreplaceable.

There is no doubt that with the help of the Internet and cell phones, people find it easy and convenient to communicate with others. Compared with them, writing letters seems to be a waste of time.

On the other hand, however, some people do enjoy receiving letters from friends and families, and meanwhile, they prefer to write letters to keep in touch with them rather than send them emails or text them messages.

As far as I am concerned, letters written by people will never disappear. Firstly, it seems to me that they include a piece of soul and letters are a reflection of human emotions. Secondly, for many years the written word was one of the most powerful tools in the world. Moreover, for many people, to write a letter is an element of their traditions. In many cases the Internet is not considered to replace letters.

In conclusion, letters will never become extinct because of their importance to many generations of people.

【解析】略