Some people are so rude!
Who sends an e­mail 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 Google? Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?
Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.
In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello. E­mail, too, is slower than a text. Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect.
My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. Exasperated, he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never return
ed his phone calls. “Why are you leaving him voice mail？” my sister asked. “Just text him.”
In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once­acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank­you e­mail.
How to handle these differing standards? Easy. Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank­you message. Others, like me, want no reply.
The anthropologist (人类学家) Margaret Mead once said that 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 time­wasting forms of communication do.
1．What does the underlined word “Exasperated” mean in the fifth paragraph?
A．Worried.    B．Surprised.
C．Annoyed.    D．Tired.
2．Why didn’t the writer reply to his father?
A．He liked text messages better.
B．He enjoyed checking his voice mail.
C．He didn’t receive any voice mail messages.
D．He didn’t want to talk with his father.
3．Which of the following does the writer agree to?
A．People needn’t learn from one another in traditional societies.
B．Dealing with voice mail should vary with each individual.
C．People needn’t turn to Google for help when in trouble.
D．Declaring who you are or saying hello in texts is necessary.
4．What’s the best title for this passage?
A．Nowadays: what should we do with text messages?
B．Nowadays: do you like leaving others a voice message?
C．Nowadays: what means should we use in communication?
D．Nowadays: do you need a thank­you message?
I love to read before I go to sleep.It usually makes me feel calm.But a big part of this depends on what I read.I love to read Oor Wullie and The Broons.Very often I'm smiling before I go to sleep.
I decide to write about this in a blog because I find that so many of us go to sleep with stress.Before we go to sleep，we may run over the day in our minds，and worry about tomorrow.We also may watch the news on TV，read the news on our smart phones or tablets，or even answer work emails.But the news is rarely proclaiming(宣告)all the good t
hat's happening in the world and work emails make us feel that we're still at work.All these things may leave us a stressful sleep.
Oor Wullie and The Broons are not the only things I ever read at night.I sometimes read novels but，with the odd exception，I mostly avoid anything that is too mentally taxing or stimulating late at night unless it's something that inspires me or is clearly helpful in my life.
And even if I do read something mentally stimulating，when I feel myself getting tired I lay that book down and pick up a trusty old Oor Wulliealert怎么读 or The Broons for the last 10 or 15 minutes.Doing this makes my mind quiet and helps ensure I get a peaceful night's sleep.Reading about Wullie or Maw and Paw Broon is like a comfort blanket for me.
I'd suggest you find light­hearted reading as a comfort blanket at bedtime，especially if you find yourself stressed or depressed a lot of the time，or if you find difficulty winding at the end of a day.It is the thing that can gently turn your attention towards lightness and ease.
If your material makes you laugh，then you may feel even better.Several studies show that
laughter boosts happy chemicals in the brain，it strengthens the immune system，it's good for the heart，and it is most definitely good for mental health.It even helps us improve our relationships.
And if you do happen to pick up a copy of Oor Wullie or The Broons，I hope you find it just as entertaining as I do.
5．What can we learn about Oor Wullie and The Broons?
A．They make people run over the past days.
B．They are the best books to be read before people sleep.

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