Britons want manners taught in school, poll finds

Three in four people believe manners should be taught in school, a new survey has found.

A survey by supermarket Waitrose found that good manners are slipping with 72 per cent of those polled saying people have become more rude over the last decade. The poll was conducted to mark the launch of the book How Rude! Modern Manners Defined, which will be published on Tuesday.

More than 70 per cent of respondents thought that good manners should be taught in school as part of the national curriculum It used to be the teaching of the three Rs that was considered the mainstay of a good school education, but the poll found that today most people would prefer the four Rs - reading, writing, arithmetic and respect.

Failing to say 'please' or 'thank you' was considered the most irritating example of bad manners. It irks people in Northern Ireland the most, as nearly 60 per cent of them cited it as the most irritating example of bad manners, compared with the national average of nearly 40 per cent.

Although In Europe, a kiss on the cheek is de rigueur when greeting friends, the survey shows keeping each other at arm's length is the preferred option of Brits. When asked the most appropriate greeting in a social situation more than 50 per cent felt a handshake did the job rather than kisses on the cheek or an embrace.

Women are the most keen to keep friends and acquaintances at arm's length, with a quarter of the women polled (25 per cent) feeling no physical contact was necessary with a simple hello being enough, compared to only 12 per cent of men.

More than 60 per cent of those surveyed blamed parents for the deterioration in good manners. This caused debate between the generations as only 43 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds blamed the parents, compared with 76 per cent of the over 55s.

On the plus side, respecting your elders appears to be alive and well as nearly 60 per cent claimed to give up seats to the elderly on public transport, although nearly one in four people avoid eye contact all together when travelling on public transport.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) The number of rude people in the UK has recently increased.
b) British people like being close to each other when they meet
c) Changes in the educational system are considered the reason why people are losing manners.
d) People are still polite to old people.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What is the difference between the UK and Europe in terms of greetings?
b) What is the preferred education system for the people interviewed?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as:

a) starting point par 2
b) to annoy, bother par 3
c) relations par 5

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Although In Europe, a kiss on the cheek is de rigueur when greeting friends, the survey shows keeping each other at arm's length is the preferred option of Brits.
In Europe, a kiss on the cheek is de rigueur when greeting friends, …………………………
b) More than 60 per cent of those surveyed blamed parents for the deterioration in good manners
Parents ……………………………………….
c) The poll was conducted because they are launching a book.
If they were............

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Do you think manners are disappearing nowadays? Why? Why not?