The correct answer is A: Passing messages exactly as received. A characteristic of good traffic handling is passing messages exactly as received, without modification, interpretation, or editing. This ensures message accuracy and integrity. When handling formal traffic, you should relay messages word-for-word as you received them. You shouldn't paraphrase, summarize, or 'improve' the message. The message originator wrote it a specific way for a reason, and your job as a traffic handler is to pass it accurately. This is fundamental to reliable message handling and is especially important for emergency or formal messages where accuracy is critical.