7 . Looking back, Geoff Banks of Devon, England can hardly even remember how he first started writing to his American friend, Celesta Byrne.
Geoff and Celesta were given each other's names and addresses as part of a school pen pal program back in 1938. They're both now 100 years old, and a lot has changed in the past 84 years: their age changed: their appearance changed; but one thing has not—they still use the traditional way to contact.
“I honestly struggle to remember something, but I was talking to Celesta recently and I think it was something to do with an American school's scheme, Geoff said.” They matched us up with Americans for a pen pal relationship, and somehow I ended up with this letter from an American girl, and we've just kept corresponding（通信）ever since. "
Geoff and Celesta's relationship never turned romantic, but they shared a lot over the decades. They kept up their correspondence through World War II, sending updates about their families, friends, and work. In 2002, they finally got a chance to meet in person during a trip to New York City. Two years later, they met up again, but ever since then they've gone back to pen and paper.
Recently, they've switched to digital forms of communication to stay in touch, something that's easier has been easier on their eyes and hands. Their children have helped them set up email accounts.
“I've known this new thing called Zoom, I think, now to chat with her, but I leave all the technology to younger people. Deep down, I refuse to use Zoom. Writing to Celesta has been a source of great satisfaction'for me over the years,” said Geoff.
Celesta says their relationship is “like people who live next door”. “You know how they're doing, you say a few words, and then you both go to work,” she explained. “She's always been there to write to, even if it was just birthday cards and Christmas cards,” Geoff added.
1. What do Geoff and Celesta insist on doing over the 80 years?
| A．Enjoying telling jokes. | B．Writing to each other. |
| C．Creating a program. | D．Keeping a secret. |
2. What do Geoff Banks' words in Paragraph 3 tell us?
| A．How they got in touch. | B．Why they liked writing. |
| C．What they both liked to do. | D．When they ran a scheme. |
3. What is Geoff's attitude towards using Zoom to stay in touch?
| A．Supportive. | B．Unclear. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
4. What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To introduce a way to make friends. | B．To teach us skills of writing letters. |
| C．To tell us a tale of lifelong friends. | D．To stress the power of technology. |
