Question

Some people are so rude. Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says “Thank you?” Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on the Internet? 1.

Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little courtesies(礼节). But many social norms(规范) just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.

Take the thank-you note. Daniel Post Senning, a coauthor of Emily Post’s Etiquette，asked, “At what point does showing appreciation outweigh the cost?”

2. Think of how long it takes to listen to one of those messages. In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello. E-mail, too, is slower than a text. The worst are those who leave a voice mail and then send an e-mail message to tell you they left a voice mail.

This isn’t the first time technology has changed our manners, 3. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, suggested that people say, " Ahoy! "Finally, hello won out, and the victory sped up the greeting's use in face-to-face communications.

In the age of the smart phone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about:the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, or an office, which can be easily found on a digital map. 4. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail.

How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people,especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. 5. In traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here's hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do.

A. Then there is voice mail.

B. Others, like me, want no reply.

C. But people still ask these things.

D. Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?

E. Won't new technology bring about changes in our daily life?

F. Face-to-face communication makes comprehension much easier.

G. When the telephone was invented, people didn't know how to greet a caller.

Answer

1. D

2. A

3. G

4. C

5. B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。科技时代新的交流方式冲击了传统礼节，造成了不同人对两者的不同运用。我们要多考虑对方的情况，互相理解，既有礼貌又尽量不浪费别人时间。

1.考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。本段提到一些人很粗鲁，下面列举了既发语音邮件又发信息浪费时间的具体表现。D项“难道这些人没有意识到他们在浪费你的时间吗?”对上面例子进行了总结，对这些做法提出了疑问。故选D。

2.考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。根据段中The worst are those who leave a voice mail and then send an e-mail message to tell you they left a voice mail.可知，作者提到留下语音邮件又发电子邮件通知的情况。A项Then there is voice mail.位于段首，引出voice mail，下文对其进行介绍。故选A。

3.考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。根据Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, suggested that people say, " Ahoy! "Finally, hello won out,可知当时Bell刚发明电话时怎样打招呼的问题，G项：当电话发明时，人们不知道如何和来电者打招呼。与下文连接，故选G。

4.考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。本段介绍智能手机时代数字地图能够解决许多生活查询问题，你帮助他们解决问题后，他们会回复你感谢邮件。C项But people still ask these things.与上文转折，与下文连接。故选C。

5.考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。本段介绍不同的人群对礼节有不同的看法，我们要多考虑对方的情况，互相理解。上句Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message介绍了老年人的习惯，B项Others, like me, want no reply.与之对比，指出年轻人与老年人不同。故选B。