Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

4 . Some people are so rude!

Who sends an e­mail or a text message that just says “Thank you”？ Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?

Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.

In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello. E­mail, too, is slower than a text. Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect.

My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. Exasperated, he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. “Why are you leaving him voice mail？” my sister asked. “Just text him.”

In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once­acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank­you e­mail.

How to handle these differing standards? Easy. Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank­you message. Others, like me, want no reply.

The anthropologist (人类学家) Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here’s hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time­wasting forms of communication do.

5 . “When can I get a cell phone?” The answer is when your parents think you need one, though many kids seem to be getting them around age 12 or 13. Some younger kids may have them because their parents see it as a matter of safety and convenience. For example, a kid can call mom and dad when sports practice is over. And a cell phone can give kids almost instant access(快捷通道) to their parents if something goes wrong or they need help. It can give parents quick access to their kids so they can check on them and make sure they’re OK.

If you do get a cell phone, make some rules with your parents, such as how many minutes you’re allowed to spend on the phone, when you can use your phone, when the phone must be turned off, and what you will do if someone calls you too often, and so on.

You’ll also have to learn to take care of the phone in your life. Keep it charged(充电) and store it in the safe place so it doesn’t get lost. And whatever you do, don’t use it in the bathroom. I know someone who dropped her phone in the toilet!

6 . Thomas Alva Edison （爱迪生）was awarded more patents（专利） on inventions than any other American. When he died in 1931，Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him .One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout . All electric power would be shut off in homes，streets，and factories. Perhaps this suggested plan made Americans realize fully what Edison and his inventions mean to them. Electric power was too important to the country. Shutting it off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion. A blackout was out of the question.

On the day of Edison’s funeral（葬礼），many people silently dimmed their lights. In this way they honored the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen’s finger tips.