“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 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 (食人鱼) 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 opportune time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel (装饰用锡箔纸) 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 reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail 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. In Ms. Demeanor’s point of view, children born in the __________ is probably the least respectful generation.
2. Mary Mitchell suggests that a grateful attitude __________.
3. The author decided to teach the children the grateful attitude __________.
4. How did the author feel when seeing her children searching under the Christmas tree for their presents?
5. When comparing the hand-written thank-you notes and the e-mail ones, the author finds that __________.
问题1选项
A.1960s
B.1970s
C.1980s
D.1990s
问题2选项
A.is a necessity for one’s survival
B.enables one to be outstanding
C.means respecting other people
D.must be acquired by education
问题3选项
A.when the family was observing a festival
B.when the children opened their gifts
C.when the children were able to learn to read and write
D.right under the decorated Christmas tree
问题4选项
A.Greedy.
B.Cheerful.
C.Laughable.
D.Disheartened.
问题5选项
A.the former ones are more respectful
B.the latter ones are more environmental oriented
C.both of them capture the spirit of the holidays
D.both of them arouse a special feeling in the gift givers and the recipients
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:B
第4题:D
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
In Ms. Demeanor’s point of view, children born in the __________ is probably the least respectful generation. 在风度小姐看来，出生于__________的孩子可能是最不尊重别人的一代。
A. 1960s A. 60年代
B. 1970s B. 70年代
C. 1980s C. 80年代
D. 1990s D. 90年代
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干中信息词Ms. Demeanor定位到第一段第一、二句，该处讲到 “玛丽·米切尔是一位专栏作家，被誉为‘风度小姐’……在她看来（In her view），每一代人（each generation）与上一代人相比，都在失去为他人着想的意识（is losing a sense of consideration）。”可知风度小姐认为，越晚出生的孩子就越不懂得尊重别人，90年代在选项中是时间最晚的。因此D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“60年代”，B选项“70年代”和C选项“80年代”：这些选项不是时间最晚的，根据解题思路，可知不是最佳答案，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Mary Mitchell suggests that a grateful attitude __________. 玛丽•米切尔建议感恩的态度__________。
A. is a necessity for one’s survival A. 是一个人生存的必需品
B. enables one to be outstanding B. 能使人出类拔萃
C. means respecting other people C. 意味着尊重他人
D. must be acquired by education D. 必须通过教育获得
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干中信息词grateful attitude定位到第二段最后一句，该处讲到 “礼貌的习惯（habit of manners）来自内心——这是一种基于尊重他人的态度（an attitude based on respecting other people）。”这里说的礼貌的习惯就是感恩，感恩是一种尊重他人的态度。因此C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“是一个人生存的必需品”：对应第二段第二句“感恩的态度是一种极好的生活技能（tremendous life skill）。”这里的生活技能不等同于生存所必需的东西，属于偷换概念；
B选项“能使人出类拔萃”：对应第二段第二句“感恩的态度是一种让我们在职场和成年生活中与众不同（way to set ourselves apart）的高效而廉价的方式。”感恩让人与众不同，这不代表感恩就会让人出类拔萃，表述过于绝对，属于推理过度；
D选项“必须通过教育获得”：文中没有提到，属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The author decided to teach the children the grateful attitude __________. 作者决定__________教给孩子们感恩的态度。
A. when the family was observing a festival A. 当家庭过节日的时候
B. when the children opened their gifts B. 当孩子们打开礼物时
C. when the children were able to learn to read and write C. 当孩子们学会读书写字的时候
D. right under the decorated Christmas tree D. 在装饰好的圣诞树下
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干中信息词decided to teach定位到第五段第一句，该处讲到 “我觉得教这些基本礼节的最佳时机是在礼物包装纸还热的时候（while the tinsel is hot）。”这里的tinsel指的是用来包装和装饰礼物的锡箔纸，代表礼物，作者觉得最好的时机是孩子们刚打开礼物的时候。因此B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“当家庭过节日的时候”：根据解题思路，可知最好的时候是刚打开礼物的时候，这时候可能在过节日，确切来说最好的时机不是过节日的时候，属于曲解原文；
C选项“当孩子们学会读书写字的时候”：文中没有提到，属于无中生有；
D选项“在装饰好的圣诞树下”：对应第三段第一句“几年前，当我的孩子们像食人鱼一样在圣诞树下（under the Christmas tree）吃掉他们的礼物时，我看到的唯一态度就是贪婪（see was greed）。”这里指的是在圣诞树下，她意识到孩子们需要学会感恩，而不是说在圣诞树下教孩子们感恩的态度，属于偷换概念。
第4题:
【选项释义】
How did the author feel when seeing her children searching under the Christmas tree for their presents? 当作者看到她的孩子们在圣诞树下寻找礼物时，她是什么感觉？
A. Greedy. A. 贪婪的。
B. Cheerful. B. 快乐的。
C. Laughable. C. 可笑的。
D. Disheartened. D. 沮丧的。
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】根据题干中信息词under the Christmas tree定位到第三段，该处讲到 “几年前，当我的孩子们像食人鱼一样在圣诞树下（under the Christmas tree）吃掉他们的礼物时，我看到的唯一态度就是贪婪（see was greed）。时间和努力的价值在哪里（Where was the appreciation of time and effort）？”可知作者对于孩子们的贪婪进行了反思，认为这个贪婪的心态需要转变，为此感到沮丧。因此D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“贪婪的”：根据解题思路，可知贪婪是形容孩子们的，而不是作者，属于张冠李戴；
B选项“快乐的”和C选项“可笑的”：作者不是这样的态度，属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
When comparing the hand-written thank-you notes and the e-mail ones, the author finds that __________. 对比手写的感谢信和电子邮件的感谢信，作者发现__________。
A. the former ones are more respectful A. 前者更有礼貌
B. the latter ones are more environmental oriented B. 后者更注重环境保护
C. both of them capture the spirit of the holidays C. 这两者都体现了节日的精神
D. both of them arouse a special feeling in the gift givers and the recipients D. 两者都能在送礼者和受礼者之间激起一种觉得特别的感觉
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干中信息词thank-you notes and the e-mail ones和author finds定位到第六段第一、二句，该处讲到 “手写的感谢信，至少对我来说（at least to me）似乎显得更友好（seem friendlier）。但是（But），几乎所有的感谢都会让送礼人觉得自己很特别（gift giver feel special）——我们希望收礼人也能有这种感觉（just as, we hope, the recipient feels）。”第一句是作者的主观认为，那就是手写的感谢信更能体现出自己的友好，第二个观点是作者经过观察而发现的，那就是手写的和电子邮件形式的感谢信都能让双方觉得自己很特别。因此D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“前者更有礼貌”：根据解题思路，可知这是作者自己认为的观点，而不是她经过观察发现的，属于偷换概念；
B选项“后者更注重环境保护”：文中没有提到，属于无中生有；
C选项“这两者都体现了节日的精神”：对应文章最后一句“这一行为（It’s a gesture）完美地体现了节日的精神。”这里的gesture指的是表达感谢这件事，而不是针对手写的和电子邮件的感谢信而言的，属于张冠李戴。
