5．If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands，you might have a hard time believing the news：e-mail is on the decline．
At first thought，that might seem to be the case．The incoming generation，after all，doesn't do e-mail．Oh，they might have an account．They use it only as we would use a fax machine：as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites．They rarely check it，though．
Today's instant electronic memos-such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages-are more direct，more concentrated，more efficient．They go without the salutation （称呼语） and the signoff （签收）； we already know the"to"and"from．"Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason：more signal，less noise and less time．This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated．Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later，I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read-and respond to-on the go．
The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail．Instant written messages bring great convince to people．They can deal with them at about any time：before a movie，in a taxi，waiting for lunch．And because these messages are very brief，they're suitable for smart phone typing．
Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history？Not necessarily．E-mail still has certain advantages．On the other hand，tweets and texts feel ephemeral-you read them，then they're gone，into an endless string，e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file，search and return to later．It's easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications：agreements，important news，longer explanations．
So，e-mail won't go away completely．Remember，we've been through a transition （过度） like this not so long ago：when e-mail was on the rise，people said that postal mail was dead．That's not how it works．Postal mail found its smaller market，and so will e-mail．New technology rarely replaces old one completely； it just adds new alternatives．
56．What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts？C
A．Contact close friends．
B．Send long messages．
C．Fill in some forms．
D．Communicate with their colleagues．
57．Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3and 4？A
A．The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail．
B．The likes and dislikes of the young generation．
C．The rapid development of e-communication channels．
D．Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages．
58．What does the underlined word"ephemeral"in paragraph 5mean？D
A．Automatically-sending．
B．Randomly-written．
C．Hardly-recognized．
D．Shortly-appearing．
59．According to the passage，which of the following statements is true？B
A．It's too early to determine the decline of e-mail．
B．E-mail has reasons to exist on its own advantages．
C．E-mail，just like postal mail has come to its end．
D．We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail．
分析 本文是一篇论说文，探讨了电子邮件是否会消亡的问题．通过分析，我们知道电子邮件是不太可能会完全从这个世界舞台退出．
解答 56--59 CADB
56．C 推理判断题．根据第二段they might have an account．可知，这些只需要填些表格就能完成．故选C．
57．A 推理判断题．第三段主要谈论Facebook and Twitter取代了电子邮件的一些功能，第四段谈论智能手机取代了电子邮件的一些功能．这导致了电子邮件的减少．故选A．
58．D 词义猜测题．根据下文you read them，then they're gone，你读了，然后，他们没有了．即：短暂出现．故选D．
59．B 推理判断题．根据最后一段e-mail won't go away completely可知，电子邮件不会彻底消失．同时，拿邮政邮件作对比，它也没有消失，只是市场变小了．故选B．
点评 人物故事类阅读理解文章是高考英语常考材料之一．这类文章一般可分为人物传记和短篇故事两类．这两类阅读材料一般较长，即词数多，而且命题也较多，特别是推理判断题和事实细节题多．在做此类阅读理解题时往往是材料看得懂，题目不好做的感觉．因此，在阅读材料时要重点放在事情发展的过程和结果上，注意把握事件的发展进程及人物之间的关系，细节与主题的关系，用以说明人物性格特点的事实、作者的态度等，这些内容往往是推理判断题的命题点．至于事实细节题的解答，同学们切忌想当然或者凭印象，一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确选择．
