One hundred grandmothers were asked how good manners had changed since they were children， what they expected of their own children when they were growing up and how their grandchildren behave today．
Although the grannies were united in the belief that good manners cost nothing they unwillingly came to the conclusion that all the old little courtesies （礼节） are gradually being erased． Some children are not taught simple good manners by their parents， in the belief that they should be free to express themselves．
Manners at mealtimes revealed the greatest inter-generational difference． While 92 percent of grandparents and 87 percent of their children sat down at the table with all the family to eat at least once a day， nowadays this applies to just 54 percent of children．
Traditional family mealtimes have been on a slippery slope for many years and this survey reveals an apparent corresponding decline in table manners． One grandmother said： My grandchildren have bad table manners as they haven't been taught them by their parents． Only 49 percent of children today have to ask to get down from the table compared with 89 percent of their grandparents and 80 percent of their parents． Keeping your elbows off the table is almost totally unnecessary， with just 19 percent of grandchildren still expected to stick to the old rule． However， some parents are still keeping family mealtimes alive， with even the smallest children joining them at the table in their highchairs whether it is their mealtime or not．
Although some little courtesies may no longer be encouraged today， good old fashioned "please" and "thank you" seem to have weathered the storm． Nevertheless， there has been a big downturn in writing thank you letters， from 86 percent of grandparents to just 35 percent of grandchildren putting pen to paper today．
A final word from one wise grandmother： "If there weren't rules there would be nothing for kids to break， no risk to take， no scars to show for mistakes． Rules let you fly．"



Which of the following would some modern parents most probably agree with？ ______

A. Good manners are very important．
B. Kids should show who they truly are．
C. It is easy for kids to learn good manners．
D. Kids should learn from their grandparents．

According to the survey， 81 percent of kids ______ ．

A. put their elbows on the table
B. usually eat in their highchairs
C. have meals with all the family
D. ask permission to leave the table

What might many kids be encouraged to do？ ______

A. Apologize sincerely face to face．
B. Show appreciation by writing letters．
C. Talk about the weather with strangers．
D. Express thankfulness in spoken words．

What is the author's attitude towards sticking to traditional courtesies？ ______

A. He is uncertain about it．
B. He is mildly critical．
C. He approves of it．
D. He is strongly against it．

Which can be the best title for the text？ ______

A. How to Express Yourself？
B. Change the Unnecessary Rules
C. Are Good Manners a Thing of the Past？
D. Grandmothers Caring for Grandkids