Youare out with a few friends after a long day at the office. You are so relieve-组卷网

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You are out with a few friends after a long day at the office. You are so relieved to be able to speak freely at last, with as much slang (俚语) as you like. Then another friend joins your group, contributing humorless and grammatically perfect sentences to the conversation. Are you at ease?

If you can imagine yourself in this situation, you can understand how a lot of young people feel when they receive a text with a big period (句号).

For the younger generation, using proper punctuation (标点) in an informal context like texting can give an impression of formality that borders on rudeness. The message-ending period establishes a certain distance. The punctuation is polite when you are speaking to someone older than you or above you at work, but unpleasant among friends. To put it simply, including a formality in informal communication makes people uncomfortable.

Think of a mother using her son’s full name when issuing a serious ultimatum (最后通牒). Or of an upset lover speaking to a partner in a cool, professional tone. People gain and express interpersonal comfort through unpolished self-presentation, and acting (or writing) too formally comes off as cold or distant.

It is also worth noting that more of our informal communication is digital now than ever before, so texting etiquette (礼仪) carries at least as much weight as speaking tone. It is generally accepted that many texters, especially young people, see end-of-message periods as unnecessary. It is clear that a message has ended regardless of its punctuation, because each message is in its own bubble. Thus, the message break has become the default (默认) full-stop.

This pressure to get one’s thoughts across increases when they are aware that the people that they are texting know they are typing—as with speech, both parties in the conversation are responsible for maintaining it To avoid keeping their friends waiting anxiously, therefore, texters send out single, often unpunctuated phrases rather than full sentences.

Adapting to this new custom may be difficult for older texters. However, this is not the first time that writers have repurposed standard punctuation. The new customs surrounding the period are just one episode in a centuries-long history of grammatical exploration.

【小题1】The two examples in Paragraph 4 are used to show ______.

A．using punctuation is practically rude

B．formality can create a certain distance

C．period is proper for elders and lovers to use

D．informal communication causes discomfort

【小题2】Why has the end-of-message period become unnecessary to young people?

A．More informal communication is digital now than before.

B．The message in its own bubble carries more significance.

C．They use unpunctuated sentences to keep a conversation going.

D．They want to escape the pressure of communicating their ideas.

【小题3】What’s the author’s attitude to the trend of changing punctuation standards?

A．Doubtful.