英語時(shí)文閱讀

(A)

博客早就不新鮮了，如今，許多人喜歡在網(wǎng)上“嘮嘮叨叨”。

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 (個(gè)人信息頁面) 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 (營(yíng)銷工具) 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 (美國(guó)總統(tǒng)大選) last year， Obama and his team set up a twitter election page， which contributed to his popularity. Now Obama is still the most followed Twitter user.

(B)

如今，手機(jī)的衍生功能可謂是五花八門:拍照、聽音樂、郵件……還可以看電影。

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 (好萊塢). 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.

Wherever you see movies， one thing is certain: The quality of work， the simple ability at story telling， and the thing that inspires someone to tell a story can really come from anywhere.

(C)

怎么才能從不知道不知道，到不知道知道，到知道不知道，到知道知道的境界呢?

When You Know

You Know…You Know!

How can you be sure that you know what you know? That may sound silly but it’s really a serious question. Have you ever “thought” you knew something but when it came time to write the exam you discovered that you really didn’t “know” it， after all?

Strategies you can use

When that happens， it isn’t because you have a bad memory， it’s because the things you are trying to remember haven’t been properly learned. Luckily， there are strategies you can use to help you learn difficult things. And scientists say that there is even a part of your brain that can “predict” whether this new knowledge has been completely understood.

Judgment of learning

Scientists call this predicting， the “judgment of learning”. It really just means looking over your own shoulder while you are studying and asking yourself， “Do I really get this?” And if you don’t， it means adjusting your “strategy” until you do.

Here’s one strategy:

1. Set a short-term goal to learn something.

2. Study as you normally would.

3. Answer some test questions to get some feedback.

4. Use that feedback to work on your weak points.

In the driver’s seat

Developing the ability to“judge” your own learning needs a lot of practice. But it can be a very useful skill. It puts you in the driver’s seat and in charge of your own studies. In effect， it lets you know that you really know what you think you know. You know?