Passage Two
IMPATIENCE has been around for a long time. There is nothing new about people losing their patience while stuck in traffic or waiting in line. But some experts believe that people are less patient today than in the past-and for reasons that might surprise you.
Some analysts suggest that in recent years many people are less patient because of technology. They suggest that “digital technology, from cellphones to cameras to email to iPads, is changing our lives. The instant results we get from this technology have in turn increased our desire for instant gratification in other aspects of our lives.”
Psychologist Jennifer Hartstein makes some observations. She explains that “we have become an immediate satisfaction culture, and we expect things to move quickly, efficiently and in the way we want. When that doesn’t happen, we tend to become increasingly frustrated and unsatisfied.
Some believe that e-mail is losing popularity and could soon become outdated. Why? Because many people who send messages do not have the patience to wait hours, or even minutes, for a response. Also, with e-mails, as with letter writing, introductory and concluding greetings are often expected. But many people consider such formalities（客套）to be boring and time-consuming. They prefer instant messaging。 Many people do not take the time to proofread what they put in writing. As a result, letters and e-mails contain numerous grammatical and spelling errors.
The thirst for immediate results is not limited to the digital communication. People seem to be losing their ability to wait in other areas of life. For instance, do you ever find yourself talking too fast, eating too fast, driving too fast, or spending money too fast? The few moments it takes to wait for an elevator to come, for a traffic light to change, or for a computer to start may seem like too long a time.
According to the first paragraph, people ________.
A. were more patient in the past B. have been patient for a long time C. used to be patient while struck in traffic D. used to be patient while waiting in line正确答案A
