Question

Anna Schiferl hadn’t even got out of bed when she reached for her cell phone and typed a text to her mom, one recent Saturday. Mon was right downstairs in the kitchen. The text? Anna wanted an egg for breakfast. Soon after, Joanna Schiferl called, “If you want to talk to me, Anna, come downstairs and see me!” Anna laughs about it now. “I was kind of being lazy,” she admits.

These days, many people with cell phones prefer texting to a phone call. And that’s creating a communication divide, of sorts—the talkers vs. the texters. Some would argue that it’s no big deal. But many experts say the most successful communicators will, of course, have the competence to do both. And they fear that more of us are unable to have—or at least are avoiding—the traditional face–to–face conversations.

Many professors say it is not common to see students outside of class. “I sit in my office hours lonely now because if my students have a question, they email me, often late at night,” says Renee Houston, a professor at the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. “And they never call.”

As Anna sees it: “There are people you’ll text, but won’t call. It’s just a way to stay in touch with each other.” Some believe that scores of texts each day keep people more connected. “The problem is that the conversation isn’t very deep,” says Joseph Grenny, co-author of the book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

“The problem has been there since we’ve had telephones—probably since the time of a telegraph,” Grenny says. Texting is just the latest way to do that. Though they may not always be so good at deep conversations themselves, Grenny suggests that parents model the behavior for their children and put down their own cell phones. He says that they also should set limits, as Anna’s mom did when she made the “no texting to people in the same house” rule.

1.According to Paragraph 1, Joanna .

A. was very strict with her daughter

B. did not know how to use a cell phone

C. was angry that her daughter got up late

D. did not have any breakfast that morning

2.The underlined word “competence” in Paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.

A. chance B. ability C. courage D. patience

3.In Joseph Grenny’s opinion, .

A. cell phones make people lonelier

B. telephones help people communicate clearly

C. texting helps people have deeper conversations

D. talking should be encouraged instead of texting

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. Why is communication important?

B. How does texting affect kids at school?

C. Is texting ruining the art of conversation?

D. How can we avoid one-sided conversations?

Answer 1