When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it was a rev

When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented thetelephone in 1876, it was a revolution in communication. For the first time,people could talk to each other over great distances almost as clearly as ifthey were in the same room. Nowadays, though, we increasingly use Bell’sinvention for taking photographs, accessing the internet, or watching videoclips, rather than talking. Over the last two decades a new means of spokencommunication has appeared: the mobile phone.

         Thefirst real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper, thescientist who invented the modem mobile handset（手机）.Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public. The streets ofmodem cities began to feature sharp-suited characters shouting into giantplastic bricks. In Britain the mobile phone quickly became the same withthe “yuppie”, the new type of young urban professionals who carried theexpensive handsets as status symbols. Around this time many of us said that wewould never own a mobile phone.

         Butin the mid-90s, something happened. Cheaper handsets and cheaper calling ratesmeant that, almost overnight, it seemed that everyone had a mobile phone. Andthe giant plastic bricks of the 80s had changed into smooth little objects thatfitted nicely into pockets and bags.

         Moreover,people’s timekeeping changed. Younger readers will be amazed to know that, notlong ago, people made spoken arrangements to meet at a certain place at acertain time. But later Meeting time became approximate under the new order ofcommunication: the Short Message Service （SMS） or text message. Going to be late? Send a textmessage! It takes much less effort than arriving on time, and it’s much lessawkward than explaining your lateness face to face and the text message haschanged the way we write in English. Traditional rules of grammar and spellingare much less important when you’re sitting on the bus, hurriedly typing “WillB 15mm late - C U @ the bar. Sorry! -).”

         AlexanderGraham Bell would be amazed if he could see how far the science of telephony hasprogressed in less than 150 years. If he were around today, he might say“That’s gr8! But I’m v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite.”

1.What does the underlined part in Para.2 refer to?

A. Houses of modern cities.                     B. Sharp-suited characters.

C. New type of professionals.                   D. Mobile phones.

2.According to Paragraph 4, why did Meeting timebecome approximate?

A. People were more likely to be late for theirmeeting.

B. SMS made it easier to inform each other.

C. Young people don’t like unchanging things.

D. Traditional customs were dying out.

3.If you want to meet your friend at the school gatethis evening, which of the following message can you send him?

A. Call U@ SKUg8 2nite.                  B. IM2BZ2CU 2nite.

C. CU@ the bar g8 2nite.                  D. W84U@ SKUg8 2nite.

4.What does the passage mainly tell us about?

A. Alexander Graham’s invention.

B. SMS as a new way of communication.

C. New functions of the mobile telephone.

D. The development of the mobile phone.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

2.B

3.D

4.D

【解析】

试题