Your mobile phone rings, and instead of the usual electronic signals, it’s playing your favorite music. A friend sends your favorite song to cheer you up. One day, a record company might forward new records and music videos to your phone.
The mobile business is getting into the music business. For the moment, the interest is in pleasant ring tones, but some companies are hoping to take full advantage of the next generation of mobile phones ― all – purpose gadgets(小玩意儿)that blend phone, personal stereo, video player and Internet browser into one.
Finally, record companies might send new records and videos to fans who register(注册)their cell phone numbers.
The fans could pass music or songs along to friends― a kind of musical trading card. Unlike Internet tracks, mobile downloads would be easy for record companies to control, said former record industry official Ralph Simon, who is now chairman of Yourmobile, based in Santa Monic, California.
“If you pass a song along to other phones through a network, each phone can be charged,” said Simon. “It’s like going through a toll gate(收费站). There’s more possibility for copyright control than there is on the Internet.”
Massachusetts – Based Converse is offering a service in Portugal and the Netherlands that lets people record tunes on their voice mail or send music as presents to friends. Finally, people might be able to sing karaoke and pass them along. The company is sure that people will want to use music to reach out and touch someone.
“A mobile phone is not a listening machine, and you’ll be disappointed if you think you can change it to a radio,” said Ohad Ouziel, a creative manager for Converse in Israel. “But if someone sends you a phone while you’re on vacation, you appreciate the feedling.”
The underlined word “blend” in the second paragraph most probably means________.
A.send
B.become
C.mix
D.compare
“Massachusetts – based Converse”in the sixth paragraph probably refers to_________.A.a person
B.a city in Israel
C.a state of the USA
D.a company
Record companies __________ the idea of passing songs and music along mobile phones.A.are worried about
B.are interested in
C.try hard to stop
D.take no notice of
According to Ralph Simon it would be easier to _________ through mobile phone network than through the Internet.A.protect copyright of music works
B.send personal messages
C.pass along songs and music
D.send voice mail