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  3. For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3

For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3

admin2014-05-25  42
问题     For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this: The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults are catching up. People from age 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says.
    Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point.
    Part of what’s driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts.
    Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users less. Sprint Nextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy texters in a difficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting, email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand’s new wireless plan: "Beyond Talk."
    Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact. Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what researchers have named "micro-coordination"—"I’ll txt u in 10 mins when I know wh/restrnt."
    Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection. "When people have a mobile device and have even a little extra time, they will communicate with someone in their life," says Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
    And the phone conversation will never be completely out. Deal makers and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers say people are more likely to use text-based communication at the preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made.
According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to "beside the point"?
选项 A、Unimportant.
B、Unacknowledged.
C、Underestimated.
D、Undeniable.
答案A
解析 该段首句提到，短信爆炸的背后是我们对移动设备看法的根本转变。再结合第1段列举的收发短信的数据，可知现在手机越来越多用于收发短信，由此推断出，如今人们认为手机作为通话工具这一点不如以前重要，因此beside the point意思是A“不重要的”。
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