Saying “thank you” is probably the first thing most of us learn to do in a foreign language. After all, we’re brought up to be polite, and it is important to make a good impression upon other people — especially across national divides.
So, what exactly are you supposed to say when “thank you” is only the 20th most popular way to express gratitude? According to a recent survey, 19 other ways of expressing appreciation finished ahead of “thank you” in a poll of 3,000 people.
Pollsters(民测调查员) found almost half of those asked preferred the more informal “cheers”, while others liked to use such expressions as “ta”, “great” and “nice one”.
So, just what is the appropriate form of words to express your thanks?
Fortunately, the clue is in the language itself. “Cheers”, despite its popularity, is considered an informal way to say thank you — and this is a definite clue as to when you can best use it.
For instance, when going for a drink with friends, a smile and a “cheers” by way of thanks is not only appropriate to the situation, it is also culturally accurate.
“Ta”, originated from the Danish word “tak”, was the second-most popular expression of thanks, and is also commonly used in informal situations, along with phrases such as “nice one”, and “brilliant”. Interestingly, one word that didn’t make it into the top 20 was “thanks”, Thank you is shorter, more informal cousin.
“Thanks” can be useful, as it is able to bridge the divide between the formality of “thank you” and the downright relaxed “cheers”.
Certain words can double as an expression of thanks as well as delight. Again, the words themselves offer the clue as to when best to use them.
For example, words like “awesome”, “brilliant” and “you star” featured highly in the new poll and they can hint at both your pleasure at someone’s action, as well as serving to express your thanks. If you are on the receiving end of a “new” thank you, you can respond with a simple “no problem”, or “sure”.
Of course, in certain circumstances, a simple wave, nod or smile may be appropriate. For instance, if a car driver slows down to let you cross the road, simply raising your hand in acknowledgement is enough to show that you appreciate the driver’s consideration.
Sometimes, formality is necessary, and “thank you” is still the best choice in such situations. But students should not worry about when exactly to use certain expressions.
Many people in Western countries are worried that good manners are in decline. People are tired of seeing their acts of kindness and service pass without comment. So don’t think your “thank you” is clumsy or awkwardly formal. The chances are, if you said “thank you”, you made someone’s day. You star.
【小题1】We can tell from the results of the poll that __________.

A.people are unconcerned about politeness nowadays.
B.“thank you” remains the best expression of gratitude.
C.there is a variety of expressions of appreciation.
D.there are more formal expressions than informal ones.
【小题2】According to the passage, which is an appropriate response to “awesome” or “brilliant”?
A.Thanks.B.Sure. C.Nice one.D.Cheers. .
【小题3】In the last paragraph the author encourages people to          .
A.show their gratitude to others.B.behave themselves well.
C.continue their acts of kindness.D.stop worrying about bad manners.
【小题4】Which of the following can serve as the best title of this passage?
A.How to Appear More Polite .B.Ways to Show Gratitude.
C.Never hesitate to Say “Thank You”.D.Good Manners in Decline!

Millions of British people have ditched the traditional ‘thank you’ and replaced it with the less formal ‘cheers’, according to a survey.
Although the average person will say ‘thank you’ nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a ‘cheers’ or ‘ta’ where it’s needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.
One in 20 now say ‘nice one’ instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a ‘cool’ than a ‘thank you’.‘Merci’, ‘fab’ and even ‘gracias’ were also listed as common phrases to use, as was ‘much appreciated’.
One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal ‘thank you’ was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won’t say thank you if they are in a bad mood. Most people declared that saying thank you was something drilled into them by their parents. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person’s face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should — on at least two occasions every day.
It seems our friends and family get the brunt (压力) of our bad manners with half admitting they’re not good at thanking those closest to them — many justifying (为…辩解) the lack of thanks because their family ‘already know I’m grateful’.
When spoken words won’t do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. A third will still send a handwritten thank-you note — but 45 percent admit it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.
A quarter of British people say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake.
It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude (感激) they feel they should receive.
【小题1】Most of the people who took part in the survey say that they say “thank you” _____.

A.when they are in good mood
B.completely out of habit
C.when they feel truly grateful
D.purely out of politeness
【小题2】The underlined word “ditched” in Paragraph 1 means “________”.
A.given upB.usedC.sharedD.grasped
【小题3】It can be learned from the passage that _______.
A.different ways of expressing gratitude are all fashionable
B.people should avoid saying “thank you” nowadays
C.a thank-you note is still appreciated by most people
D.people in a bad mood never say “thank you”
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Most people express their gratitude to others by buying food for them.
B.About fifty percent of people try not to say thank you when they should.
C.Most people may feel natural when they fail to receive others’ gratitude.
D.Many people think it unnecessary to say thanks to their family members.

Millions of British people have ditched the traditional “thank you” and replaced it with the less formal “cheers”, according to a survey.

Although the average person will say “thank you” nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a “cheers” or “ta” where it’s needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.

One in 20 now say “nice one” instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a “cool” than a “thank you”. “Merci”, “fab” and even “gracias” were also listed as common phrases to use, as was “much appreciated”.

One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal “thank you” was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly wouldn’t say “thank you” if they were in a bad mood.

Most people declared that saying “thank you” was something drilled into them by their parents. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say “thank you” to a person’s face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should — on at least two occasions every day.

It seems our friends and family get the brunt (压力) of our bad manners with half admitting they’re not good at thanking those closest to them — many justifying (为……辩解) the lack of thanks because their family “already know I’m grateful”.

When spoken words won’t do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. A thank you email is also popular, while a quarter turn to social networks to express gratitude. A quarter of British people say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake. A third will still send a handwritten thank-you note — but 45 percent admit it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.

It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude they feel they should receive. 

1.Most of the people who took part in the survey say that they say “thank you” _____.

A.when they are in good mood              B.completely out of habit

C.when they feel truly grateful               D.purely out of politeness

2.The underlined word “ditched” in Paragraph 1 means “_____”.

A.abandoned        B.used             C.shared            D.grasped

3.It can be learned from the passage that _____.

A.different ways of expressing gratitude are all fashionable

B.people should avoid saying “thank you” nowadays

C.a thank-you note is still appreciated by most people

D.people in a bad mood never say “thank you”

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A.Most people express their gratitude to others by buying food for them.

B.About fifty percent of people try not to say thank you when they should.

C.Most people may feel natural when they fail to receive others’ gratitude.

D.Many people think it unnecessary to say thanks to their family members.

 

Millions of British people have ditched the traditional ‘thank you’ and replaced it with the less formal ‘cheers’, according to a survey.

Although the average person will say ‘thank you’ nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a ‘cheers’ or ‘ta’ where it’s needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.

One in 20 now say ‘nice one’ instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a ‘cool’ than a ‘thank you’.‘Merci’, ‘fab’ and even ‘gracias’ were also listed as common phrases to use, as was ‘much appreciated’.

One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal ‘thank you’ was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won’t say thank you if they are in a bad mood. Most people declared that saying thank you was something drilled into them by their parents. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person’s face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should — on at least two occasions every day.

It seems our friends and family get the brunt (压力) of our bad manners with half admitting they’re not good at thanking those closest to them — many justifying (为…辩解) the lack of thanks because their family ‘already know I’m grateful’.

When spoken words won’t do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. A third will still send a handwritten thank-you note — but 45 percent admit it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.

A quarter of British people say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake.

It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude (感激) they feel they should receive.

1.Most of the people who took part in the survey say that they say “thank you” _____.

A.when they are in good mood

B.completely out of habit

C.when they feel truly grateful

D.purely out of politeness

2.The underlined word “ditched” in Paragraph 1 means “________”.

A.given up          B.used             C.shared            D.grasped

3.It can be learned from the passage that _______.

A.different ways of expressing gratitude are all fashionable

B.people should avoid saying “thank you” nowadays

C.a thank-you note is still appreciated by most people

D.people in a bad mood never say “thank you”

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A.Most people express their gratitude to others by buying food for them.

B.About fifty percent of people try not to say thank you when they should.

C.Most people may feel natural when they fail to receive others’ gratitude.

D.Many people think it unnecessary to say thanks to their family members.

 

 

Wednesday 15 Oct 2009 – 13:12

Language Tutors/ Teachers Needed

Location: London

Our company provides language training for schools, businesses and private individuals across the UK. We provide training in European languages, as well as Asian and Middle Eastern languages.

We are looking for experienced language tutors to join our team. If you have a passion for languages and a love for teaching, we will be delighted to hear from you! Please send your CV together with your contact details to: Jane@conversation-piece.co.uk

TEL: 01771 876532

Monday 13 Oct 2009 – 09:54

Primary Private Tutor Wanted

Location: Manchester

You should have

the identity of a native English speaker.

a good standard of literacy and oral communication skills.

a recognized degree or Teaching qualification, teaching experience. TA or HLTA.

Salary is £20 per hour

Please call me on 01772 814739

or e-mail: astartuition@btinternet.com

visit: http://www.astartuition.com

Thursday 7 Oct 2009 – 14:46

Tutor Jobs in Italy

Location: Italy

Employ experienced teachers and assistants now for 2009 / 2010 school year

(Early childhood, primary, middle and high school).

We are the only English Mother Tongue childcare / education agency with actual offices in Italy and not just an internet site. Our staff is surely Australian, American and Italian (speaking both English and Italian).

Interesting travel, the opportunity to experience continental Europe, the culture and of course the great food!!

www.europlacements.it

TEL: 02762 804506

Info@europlacements.it

Wednesday 1 Oct 2009 – 15:20

Private French Teacher

Location: South Hight St Kensington

The teacher

is a native French speaker

has a flexible timetable

is experienced in teaching

The teaching

beginner, intermediate, advanced, all levels covered

grammar, vocabulary, literature etc.

French songs, games, drawing, theatre, etc. for the children!

The lessons

Small groups, long term teaching

£20 per hour

Looking forward to meeting you!

Call me on: 07780 923504

frenchiefrenchcourse@hotmail.fr

64.   These advertisements are most probably taken from         .

       A. a job application book                    B. a travel brochure 

       C. an entertainment magazine       D. the Internet

65.   If you are a native Chinese speaker from Jiangsu and fond of language teaching, you may

       contact         .

       A. Jane@conversation-piece.co.uk       B. astartuition@btinternet.com

       C. info@europlacements.it    D. frenchiefrenchcourse@hotmail.fr

66.   All of the four teaching jobs pay special attention to your         .

       A. speaking ability        B. writing ability

       C. master’s degree         D. teaching experience    

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