Impatience has been around for a long time.There is nothing new about people losing th

eir patience while stuck in traffic or waiting in line.But some experts believe that people are less patient today than in the past.

Some analysts suggest that in recent years many people are less patient because of technology.They suggest that “digital technology, from cellphones to emails to Wads, is changing our lives.The instant results we get from this technology have in turn increased our desire for instant satisfaction in other aspects of our lives.”

Psychologist Jennifer Hartstein makes some observations.She explains that “we have become an immediate satisfaction culture, and we expect things to move quickly, efficiently and in the way we want.When that doesn't happen, we tend to become increasingly frustrated and unsatisfied.”

Some believe that e-mail is losing popularity and could soon become outdated.Why？ Because many people who send messages do not have the patience to wait hours, or even minutes, for a response.Also, with e-mails, as with letter writing, introductory and concluding greetings are often expected.But many people consider such formalities(客套)to be boring and time-consuming.They prefer instant messaging.Many people do not take the time to proofread what they put in writing.As a result, letters and e-mails contain numerous grammatical and spelling errors.

The thirst for immediate results is not limited to the digital communications.People seem to be losing their ability to wait in other areas of life.For instance, do you ever find yourself talking too fast, eating too fast, driving too fast, or spending money too fast？ The few moments it takes to wait for an elevator to come, for a traffic light to change, or for a computer to start may seem like too long a time.

16.According to the first paragraph, people ______.

A.were more patient in the past

B.have been patient for a long time

C.used to be patient while stuck in traffic

D.used to be patient while waiting in line

17.Nowadays people lose their patience because（）.

A.their desire for satisfaction has increased

B.they are bored with what they have

C.they have more things to do than before

D.their life has been changed by technology

18.Some believe that e-mail could soon become outdated because ______.

A.it takes a long time to start the computer