If your in-box （收件箱） 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 websites.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（稱呼語）and the signoff（簽收）；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noise and less time.This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated.Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later，I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read - and respond to - on the go.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 convenience 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 （過度）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.

（1）What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts？

B

B

A．Check bank accounts.
B．Fill in some forms.
C．Send long messages.
D．Communicate with their colleagues.
（2）Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3 and 4？

B

B

A．The likes and dislikes of the young generation.
B．The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail.
C．The rapid development of e-communication channels.
D．Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages.
（3）What does the underlined word "ephemeral" in paragraph 5 mean？

C

C

A．Automatically-sending.
B．Randomly-written.
C．Shortly-appearing.
D．Hardly- recognized.
（4）According to the passage，which of the following statements is true？

A

A

A．E-mail has reasons to exist with its own advantages.
B．It's too early to determine the decline of e-mail.
C．E-mail，just like postal mail has come to its end.
D．We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail.