(完整)初三英语时文介绍五月最新

初三英语时文阅读（2009.5.18）

（材料一）博客早就不新鲜了，如今，许多人喜欢在网上“唠唠叨叨”。Twitter*: What are you doing?

Twitter is a free social networking* service. It is for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Users answer the question by sending short text messages called “tweets,” which are up to 140 characters in length. The short format of the tweet allows quick information sharing that provides a break from rising email and IM* fatigue.

Users can send and receive tweets through the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS)*, or applications such as Tweetie, Twitterrific, etc. Tweets are displayed on the user’s profile page (个人信息页面) and sent to

other users, known as “followers,” who have subscribed to them.

Twitter is a great way to keep in touch with people and quickly broadcast information about where you are and what you’re doing. For example, “I’m downtown and aching for some sushi. Anyone like to join me?”You can share information with people that you wouldn’t normally exchange emails or IM messages with, opening up your circle of contacts to an ever-growing community of like-minded people. That may explain partly the increasing popularity worldwide since the creation of Twitter in 2006.

Besides personal use, Twitter has also become an important marketing tool (营销工具) for celebrities, politicians, and businesses. It promises a

level of intimacy never before reached online, and gives the public the ability to speak directly to people who were once on a pedestal. U.S. President Barack Obama is a perfect example. During the U.S. Presidential

Election (美国总统大选) last year, Obama and his team set up a twitter

Election page, which contributed to his popularity. Now Mr. Obama is still the most followed Twitter user.

（材料二）如今，手机的衍生功能可谓是五花八门：拍照、听音乐、邮件……还可以看电影。

Putting Movies on Mobiles

Movies in the theater get their recognition at awards ceremonies such as the Oscars. But how about movies for phones? They are getting their turn at MoFilm*—the first mobile film festival.

The first MoFilm competition received 250 entries from more than 100 countries. Entries were restricted to films that were five minutes or less in length—ideal for viewing and sharing on mobile phones. An independent jury then selected a shortlist of five film-makers. The winner was chosen from the shortlist by an audience voting using their phones.

●New platforms

The awards highlight the increasing impact that mobile phones are making in the entertainment industry. Many grassroots filmmakers start out with short films. They are frustrated by the lack of opportunities to screen their work. Therefore, mobile phones are increasingly being seen as a new platform for these short works.

It is a good place for anyone who wants to express themselves and find a way to have that expression be seen by a wide audience. Just think about how many people have mobile phones in the world!

●New technology advances

MoFilm is pioneering content for mobile and online services that is a world away from Hollywood (好莱坞). The majority of films made for

mobiles are now short in length, taking into account the screen size. However this could be overcome as technology advances.

In the near future, longer films will likely be seen on the mobile phone. And there are mobile companies creating phones where users can watch movies at higher quality.