" Your eyes are two pools that twinkle like stars in the sky." These sweet nothings are traditionally best sent in feather-inked script1 on fine, perfumed parchment. Nowadays, though, more and more lovers are using e-mail or cell phone short message services (SMS) to say a few nice words to each other. The result: a new culture of love-letter writing has evolved and is rewriting the rules in how we express our love. Make no mistake: in many cases the love e-mail messages significantly resemble their aromatic predecessors. The verbal imagery has hardly changed. SMS messages, however, have necessitated9 the development of a new, shorter form of love talk. Experts believe, in fact, that far more people now carry out sweet talk in cyberspace than in the time before e-mail and short messaging came along.! _& o& C+ q1 z) D" q: V! W3 I) @
When people communicate over e-mail or short messages, everything is much more relaxed, less serious, and this helps the sweet words flow. Nicola Doering, a media researcher at the Technical University of Ilmenau in Thueringen, Germany, emphasizes that for many people contact over e-mail or SMS is simpler: " The language is a different one here than in traditional letters; people tend to write more like they speak." This means that a message writer might not have to agonize over every word, as is often expected with traditional love letters. This is obviously encouraging for many people. For longer, particularly romantic love letters, e-mail writers also reach back into the language of poetry, " Your calf-blue eyes" is typical for the kind of phrasings found in e-mail love letters. At least one traditional symbol between lovers has made a striking comeback. Even in the love letters of the 19th century, one often found the letter X as a symbol of a kiss. Many paper love letters would have three Xs at the bottom as a closing. And this symbol is often used today between lovers in their e-mail messages.
& r9 ?; u- ^: ] In spite of all the technological advancement that e- mail represents, classic love letters on paper still have a special meaning, the experts say. Ink on paper simply affects many people more strongly than lines on a computer screen. It appears more serious, more binding, as if written for all eternity. Sometimes people want to have something to touch, a letter that you can really hold in your hand.; V( ^6 Y, C: K3 B- n8 W6 L- ?
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage above.4 _# o% b% I! T
1.From this passage we learn that the love e-mail messages_____.1 @+ I! N$ P/ g' X+ t
A.haven't changed the convention in how people express love
! X* B) A7 d7 `8 M. Z1 m, K( ^ B.are still like traditional letters in many cases
3 K3 P$ ~7 V' X, L" ?7 H9 s- | C.are often sent on fine,perfumed parchment- Z$ m0 Y$ V5 q2 e8 W0 H8 ~
D.represent a traditional culture of love-letter writing
0 x) S9 B( a+ C& w 2.Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a characteristic of the new culture of love-letter writing?
* X2 x, s/ t6 T, Q+ e h A.It is more relaxed and less serious.
9 \$ L- W. G$ i1 P% ` B.It makes contact simpler for many people.
( |2 {4 e9 u0 O: @( o$ V* E C.It makes love letters more like poetry.
3 `% T" J/ ]/ j. s D.It helps people to say more sweet words.
" Z4 a7 f2 b5 h* Y 3.Three Xs used in lovers'e-mail message symbolize_____.
0 U6 z0 n0 M- F; } A.a striking comeback B.the language of poetry
/ O9 S9 V }3 `# E$ [2 o& G3 n/ h C.closing of the letters D.three kisses
|2 s) X& \1 t1 t( d4 U 4.It is implied that experts think classic love letters_____.+ J' q+ m+ `: o+ ?
A.exclude the technological advancement
2 A6 E# S; Z3 i6 q" o V B.resemble lines on a computer screen8 v$ R( A4 O( _* X. `$ q& ~
C.can not be touched by modern people P9 j: p5 x- Z; w% q5 @" i
D.have stronger power to move the feelings
6 f/ {8 U- g' R- [$ l0 W! _ 5.The author's tone in this passage is_____$ F% G' v& i* o u, Z5 c* t& N
A.mocking B.complimentary1 W0 B0 w/ p6 w& O4 H
C.objective D.approving
1 d) i a* X5 x; D) D
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