Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.

In this stage of development of (31) _______ telephone networks and electronic mail, it appears that fewer and fewer individuals are taking time to sit down and write letters to friends and relatives. For thousands of years, letters were the only method to keep (32) _______ people who were any distance away and letter-writing was perceived as an essential skill for all educated people to master.

Steadily, (33) _______, the significance of writing letters is lessening to a point that majority of us have to make a special effort to turn out something worthwhile when we apply for a job or make a complaint. In business circles the tendency is for routine communications to become shorter. Even though clients may appreciate a detailed letter, an employee who sends out long letters is often regarded as (34) _______. Many people prefer the telephone in all circumstances and its speed is important in many situations, but (35) _______ have you put the telephone down, dissatisfied with what you have managed to say? I don’t think I’ll throw my pen away yet.