《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词3500》Unit84:校园里的手机文化

　　Unit 84
Mobile Culture on Campus
Mobile phone are becoming commonplace in college classrooms. The hush-hush chitchat between backbenchers is gradually being replaced by whispered phone conversations and SMS chats. Hip¹ and convenient, they are used for everything from playing games to planning a sudden outing.
Most teachers and students agree that cell phones interfere² with the teaching process. Professors find it difficult to command attention and encourage participation³ if students receive calls during class. It upsets the rhythm of the class. Colleges have responded in different ways. Some have banned mobile phones on the campus. Others request the students to switch off their mobiles on entering the teaching premises⁴. Students can use their cell phone in the canteen or the common room. But if professors find them using cell phones during lectures, they can confiscate⁵ the phone and demand a fine. Most students agree that cells can be very distracting during a lecture.
Some students claim that cells are almost a necessity. This holds good for colleges that do not have a good telephone network. In such a situation, it would be difficult for parents to contact their children and a mobile is very useful, almost necessary. Anxious parents can monitor their activities and remind them not to stay out too late. Students, expectedly, aren't happy about this "constant nagging⁶". They think some parents are just panicky.
Besides calls and SMS, cell phones help relieve boredom⁷. If they are bored, they can play a few games on the mobile. Students also use their mobiles creatively to make sudden plans. They decide on codes, like one ring means "I'll meet you", two rings mean "I can't make it". The idea is to avoid the expenses of a call or an SMS.
The mobile is not just a communication tool. It is also a fashion accessory. Possessing the hottest models with fancy features, trendy ring tones and covers are considered "cool". Some professors fear this craze could breed snobbishness⁸. They fear that some students carry these mobiles just to show off that they have the latest gadgets⁹. It is like a status symbol with some students. Many students feel that a mobile is no longer a luxury, and they just keep up with the Joneses. A psychology¹⁰ student says: "Now even the vendors¹¹ on the road have mobiles."
Here is where the model of the phone matters. Many show off the latest and costliest¹² gadgets. "The model of your phone reveals how deep your Dad's pocket is," one student says. As a result, students who don't carry a phone or own an outdated¹³ piece feel left out, especially when their friends kept messaging each other.

1 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

2 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

5 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

6 nagging   

adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• Stop nagging—I'll do it as soon as I can. 别唠叨了—我会尽快做的。
• I've got a nagging pain in my lower back. 我后背下方老是疼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

8 snobbishness   

势利； 势利眼

参考例句：

• We disdain a man for his snobbishness. 我们鄙夷势利小人。
• Maybe you have social faults such as snobbishness, talkativeness, and, etc. which drive away new acquaintances. 也许你有社交方面的缺点，诸如势利、饶舌、出语粗俗等，使你的新相识退避三舍。

9 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

10 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

11 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

12 costliest   

adj.昂贵的( costly的最高级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的

参考例句：

• At 81 billion dollars, Katrina is the costliest natural disaster in American history. “卡特里娜”飓风造成了近810亿美圆的损失，是美国历史上最严重的自然灾难之一。 来自互联网
• Senator John Kerry has proposed a tax on the costliest health plans sold by insurance companies. 参议员约翰？克里(JohnKerry)已经提议对保险公司销售的高价值的保险计划征税。 来自互联网

13 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。