Of all the people on my holiday shopping list, there was one little boy for whom buying a gift had become increasingly difficult. He's a wonderful child, adorable and loving, and he's not fussy or irritable or spoiled. Though he lives across the country from me, I receive regular updates and photos, and he likes all the things that the boys his age want to play with. Shopping for him should be easy, but I find it hard to summon up any enthusiasm, because in all the years I've given him presents, he never once sent me a thank-you note.
“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,” mourns Mary Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms. Demeanor” and author of six etiquette books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”
Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me : I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside — it's an attitude based on respecting other people.”
A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?
A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a horse on it.) ; a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state to find such a unique item! ) ; a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way it has enhanced your life (I'll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).
So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot. I have explained to my kids how I have reacted to not hearing from the little boy — how it made me feel unappreciated and unmotivated to repeat the process next year.
I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-thank-you notes ; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special —just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It's a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.
1.The author felt unmotivated when buying a gift for the little boy because he（ ）.
2.According to Ms. Demeanor, showing appreciation has the benefit of （ ） .
3.In a thank-you note, “The book will be my good companion when I am alone.” serves as （ ） .
4.What does the author mean by “while the tinsel is hot”(Line 2, Para. 6)?
问题1选项
A.purposely intended not to show gratitude for her kindness and consideration
B.had never expressed appreciation of the gifts he received in previous years
C.had no idea how thoughtful she was in choosing a gift for him
D.didn't like any of the gift she had given him
问题2选项
A.forming the habit of good manners
B.regaining the lost art of expressing thanks
C.motivating the gift giver to buy more gifts
D.distinguishing oneself from others in work and life
问题3选项
A.a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it
B.an announcement of how it has enhanced your life
C.a prediction of how you will use your gift
D.an acknowledgement of the gift
问题4选项
A.The moment her kids receive a gift.
B.The moment she starts choosing gifts for each kid.
C.When the art of sending thank-you notes isn't lost yet.
D.When her kids still remember who bought the gifts for them
第1题:
【选项释义】
The author felt unmotivated when buying a gift for the little boy because he ________. 作者在给小男孩买礼物时感到没有动力，因为他________。
A. purposely intended not to show gratitude for her kindness and consideration A. 故意不表示对她的善良和体贴的感激
B. had never expressed appreciation of the gifts he received in previous years B. 从未对前几年收到的礼物表示过感谢
C. had no idea how thoughtful she was in choosing a gift for him C. 不知道她在为他挑选礼物时考虑得有多周到
D. didn’t like any of the gift she had given him D. 不喜欢她送给他的任何礼物
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据第一段最后一句“为他买礼物应该很容易，但我发现很难唤起任何热情，因为在我送他礼物的这些年里，他从来没有给过我一封感谢信（because in all the years I’ve given him presents, he never once sent me a thank-you note）”，从中可知，作者在给小男孩买礼物时感到没有动力，因为他没有为前面几年的礼物写过感谢信，B项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“故意不表示对她的善良和体贴的感激”过度解读，曲解原文；
C选项“不知道她在为他挑选礼物时考虑得有多周到”和D选项“不喜欢她送给他的任何礼物”没有提到，无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
According to Ms. Demeanor, showing appreciation has the benefit of ________. 据风度女士称，表达感激对________有好处。
A. forming the habit of good manners A. 养成良好的习惯
B. regaining the lost art of expressing thanks B. 重拾遗失的表达感谢的艺术
C. motivating the gift giver to buy more gifts C. 激励送礼物的人买更多的礼物
D. distinguishing oneself from others in work and life D. 在工作和生活中脱颖而出
【答案】D
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据第三段第二句“感恩的态度是一种非常重要的生活技能，是一种有效而廉价的方式，可以让我们在职场和成人生活中脱颖而出（set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives）”可知，风度女士认为表示感恩能够让我们在工作和生活中脱颖而出。故该题选择D项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“养成良好的习惯”、B选项“重拾遗失的表达感谢的艺术”和C选项“激励送礼物的人买更多的礼物”没提及，无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
In a thank-you note, “The book will be my good companion when I am alone.” serves as ________. 在一封感谢信中，“当我孤独的时候，这本书将是我的好伴侣。”是________。
A. a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it A. 对花在选择它的时间和精力上的认可
B. an announcement of how it has enhanced your life B. 如何提升了你的生活的宣告
C. a prediction of how you will use your gift C. 你将如何使用你的礼物的预测
D. an acknowledgement of the gift D. 对礼物的致谢
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据第五段的内容可知，感谢信应该包含的三个部分是：对礼物的认可，对选择礼物所花费的时间和精力认可，以及如何预测你将如何使用礼物或者它如何提高你的生活。所以从“当我孤独的时候，这本书将是我的好伴侣。”可以看出，这句话是强调礼物的用途，即原文所说的“将如何使用你的礼物”。因此，该题选择C项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“对花在选择它的时间和精力上的认可”并不是这句话的作用，张冠李戴；
B选项“如何提升了你的生活的宣告”文中没有提到，无中生有；
D选项“对礼物的致谢”范围太广，不详细，张冠李戴。
第4题:
【选项释义】
What does the author mean by “while the tinsel is hot” (Para. 6)? 作者第6段所说的“while the tinsel is hot”是什么意思？
A. The moment her kids receive a gift. A. 她的孩子收到礼物的那一刻。
B. The moment she starts choosing gifts for each kid. B. 当她开始为每个孩子挑选礼物的时候。
C. When the art of sending thank-you notes isn’t lost yet. C. 当发送感谢信的艺术还没有消失的时候。
D. When her kids still remember who bought the gifts for them. D. 当她的孩子还记得是谁给他们买的礼物时。
【答案】A
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第六段第一句“所以，五年前，在我为数不多的一次作为父母的领悟中，我决定，教导这一基本礼貌的最合适时机是while the tinsel is hot”，结合下一句“我宣布，从今以后，每收到一件礼物，都将成为立即当场写感谢信的机会”，综合理解可知，while the tinsel is hot指的是“在收到礼物的那一刻就写感谢信”，A项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“当她开始为每个孩子挑选礼物的时候”、C选项“当发送感谢信的艺术还没有消失的时候”和D选项“当她的孩子还记得是谁给他们买的礼物时”理解错误，属于曲解原文。
【文章来源】《时代周刊》（Time）2001
【参考译文】
在我的节日购物清单上的所有人当中，有一个小男孩，给他买礼物变得越来越困难。他是个很棒的孩子，可爱又有爱心，他不挑剔，不急躁，也不娇惯。虽然他和我住在一个国家的两端，但我定期收到他的更新和照片，他喜欢所有他这个年龄的男孩想玩的东西。给他买礼物应该很容易，但我发现很难鼓起热情，因为在我给他送礼物的这么多年里，他从来没有给我寄过一封感谢信。
“寄感谢信正在成为一种失传的艺术，”玛丽•米切尔哀叹道，她是一名被称为“风度女士”的联合专栏作家，著有六本礼仪书籍。在她看来，每一代人都比上一代人失去了为他人着想的意识。“没有尊重，”她说，“就会产生冲突。”
风度女士一定会为我感到骄傲：我找到了一种方法，确保我的孩子们会一直寄感谢信。这种姿态很重要，风度女士说，因为“感恩的态度是一种了不起的生活技能，是让我们在职场和成年生活中脱颖而出的有效而廉价的方式。告诉你的孩子，礼貌的习惯来自内心——这是一种基于尊重他人的态度。”
几年前，当我的孩子们像食人鱼一样在圣诞树下掠夺他们的礼物时，我看到的唯一态度就是贪婪。对时间和努力的感激在哪里呢？
一封感谢信应该包含三个内容：对礼物的感谢（我喜欢那条印有马的领带）；对挑选它所花费的时间和精力的认可（你一定是逛遍了整个州才找到这样一件独特的东西！）；对你将如何使用你的礼物或它提升你的生活方式的预测（我一定会穿着它去参加下一次爱德先生大会！）。
所以，五年前，在我作为父母的一次难得的灵光一现中，我决定，教给孩子这一基本礼节的最合适的时间是趁热打铁。让我的孩子们大吃一惊的是，我宣布从今以后，收到的每一份礼物都应该当场写一封感谢信。我向我的孩子们解释了我对没有收到小男孩的感谢信的反应——这让我感到不被重视，让我明年没有动力再重复这个过程。
我不情愿地给我的孩子们开了绿灯，让他们发送电子感谢信；尽管手写信件（至少对我来说）看起来更友好。但几乎所有的感谢都会让送礼者感到特别——就像我们希望收礼者也会有同样的感觉。这是一个完美地抓住了节日精神的做法。
