Read the essay, choose the answer to fill in the blanks

In this age of (30) ………telephone networks and electronic mail, it seems that fewer and even fewer people are taking time to sit down and write letters (31) ………friends and relatives. For hundreds of years, letters were the only way to keep (32) ………people who were any distance away and letter-writing was seen as an important skill for all learned people (33) ……….

Gradually, (34) ………, the importance of writing letters is decreasing to a point that majority of us have to (35) ………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. (36) ………clients may appreciate a detailed letter, an employee who sends out long letters is often regarded as (37) ………. Many people prefer the telephone in all circumstances and its speed is essential in many situations but (38) ………have you put the telephone down, dissatisfied with what you have managed to say? I don’t think I’ll throw my (39) ………away yet.Question 31

…………, he could not lift the trap door