题目内容
Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter "i" - and many other brands are following
suit. The BBC's iPlayer - which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet -adopted the
title in 2008. A lovely bear - popular in the US and UK - that plays music and video is called "iTeddy".
A slimmed-down version of London's Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name
"i".
In general, single-letter prefixes (前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as
e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most "i" products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent's
"i", it's no surprise that they've selected this fashionable name.
But it's hard to see what's so special about the letter "i". Why not use "a", "b", or "c" instead?
According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King's College, London, "i" works because
its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses "i", no one knows whether it means Internet,
information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. "Even when Apple created the iPod,
it seems it didn't have one clear definition," he says.
"However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) ."adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter "i" also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual.
Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with "Google" and "blog", readers of BBC Magazines voted "i" as one of the top 20 words
that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with "2000" in
their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern.
However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.
B. make a call
C. watch TV programs online
D. read newspapers
B. old readers
C. fashionable women
D. engineers
B. uncertain
C. definite
D. unique
B. environmentally friendly
C. advanced
D. recyclable
B. iTeddy is alive bear
C. the letter "b" replaces letter "i" to name the products
D. the popularity of "i" products may not last long
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阅读理解. | ||||||||||||
Advertising is a form of communication that uses all kinds of media, and is visible everywhere these days. Typical customers of advertising companies are other companies, or businessmen, who want to persuade potential customers to buy more of what they make or sell. But there are other kinds of customers. Some organizations spend large sums of money on advertising a political party or other group that sells what is not, strictly speaking, a product or service. Such non - profit organizations are not typical advertising customers, and they prefer ways of spreading knowledge, changing attitudes, and improving society. Many advertisements are designed to increase sales of products and services by either improving brand image or, in the case of non - profit organizations, expressing ideas. In order to achieve th~s, advertisements will often pass on truthful information while delivering their messages. Every major medium is a means of delivering these messages, including television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards (大幅广告牌). Advertising will usually be created and. placed by an advertising agency on behalf of company or other organization. Spending on advertising has increased greatly in recent years. In 2006, spending was estimated at $155 billion in the United States and $385 billion worldwide; the latter is expected to reach more than $500 billion by 2010. While advertising can be seen as a necessity for economic growth and social development, it is not without social costs. Advertisement emails and other forms of junk mail have become so popular that ~they have become a major burden to users of I nternet email services, as well as a financial burden on Internet email service providers.
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