OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many se

OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast (抨击) the use of emoticons as “infantile (幼稚的) just like the people who use them” He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明显的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’ s an emoticon gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into (融入) something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正确的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature (不成熟的). It’s just a question of individuality. :)
【小题1】According to the article, emoticons are popular because . A．most of them look funnyB．they are easy for lazy people to useC．they add feeling and character to a communicationD．a reader cannot understand a message without them【小题2】Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with? A．Instant Message chatters are childish.B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication.C．Men never use emoticons.D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody.【小题3】From the text, we can conclude that the author . A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticonsB．thinks emoticons don’t suit himC．encourage his friends to use emoticonsD．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone【小题4】What is the main point of the article? A．Advice on language used over the Internet.B．The history of emoticons.C．Arguments over the use of emoticons.D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons.C

(答案→)C 解析：【小题1】根据第一段Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.及下文描述,可知选C.【小题1】根据第二段He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明显的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues. 描述，可知他认为在数字通信方面运用语言就已经足够，故选B。【小题1】根据短文倒数第二段All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正确的).……I do not have much time for emoticons.……I’d rather let my words do the talking.描述，可知他认为所有这些争论有几分正确，他没有更多的时间用于表情符号，宁愿用语言来进行交流。故选B，认为表情符号不适合他。【小题1】这篇短文中作者重点介绍了人们关于使用表情符号的争论，并表明了自己的观点，故选C，关于使用表情符号的争论。

哦，回答的不错