Believe it or not, there are people out there who care what you, that's right-you-think of the world. These strangers are part of an ever-growing on-line community of people known as 　"bloggers." Bloggers read and write Internet-based journals1 with links to Web sites and photos, known as "blogs."

　　Easy to use and fun to read, blogs are especially popular with young students. Recently, however, some surprising people have taken up blogging. Grandmothers, for example, have used blogs to share pictures and stories about their families. Even a homeless man in San Francisco shared his views on current events in a blog. He maintained2 it by using public computers in homeless shelters.3

　　The most popular blogs receive thousands of Internet hits a day. That kind of traffic has huge commercial4 potential.5 Advertisers have already started using blogs to promote6 new products. That has many bloggers worried that their forum for personal expression is about to become mainstream.




Diaries for the 21st Century
　　信不信由你，在世界的彼端真的有人在乎你──没错，就是你──对这个世界的看法。这些陌生人都属于一群日趋庞大的网络族，又被称为"网志一族"。他们会阅读并撰写网络日志，并与其他网站或照片链接，被称为"网志"。

　　使用方便、阅读起来又很有趣的网志特别受到年轻学子的喜爱。然而，近来一些令人意想不到的人们也开始玩起网志来了，像一些祖母级的人，便用网志来与人分享其家族成员的照片和小故事。在旧金山，甚至有一个游民也在网志里发布他对时事的观点与人共享。他使用收容所里的公用电脑来维护他的网志资料。

　　最受欢迎的网志一天有高达数千次的点击率。这样高的网络流量潜藏着巨大商机。广告业者已开始利用网志来推销新产品。这一点让网志一族担心他们用来表达个人意见的交流园地将成为主流趋势。

　　Vocabulary

　　1.journal n. a record of daily events 日记；日志

　　During my train journey around China, I kept a detailed journal of the people I met and the places I went.

　　搭火车环游中国期间，我详细记录下旅途中所遇见的人以及到过的地方。

　　2.maintain v. to make sure sth. ke

　　eps going, working, or operating at a continuous rate 维持；保持

　　Andy ran the first mile of the race extremely fast, but he couldn't maintain the pace, and had to slow down.

　　安迪在起跑后的前一英里跑得很快，之后却无法维持原来的速度，不得不慢下来。

　　3.shelter n. a place that provides free or low-cost housing and food for people in need 收容所

　　During winter, the shelters in many cities are crowded with poor people trying to escape the cold.

　　在冬天，许多城市里的收容所挤满了想避寒的穷人。

　　4.commercial adj. related to the buying and selling of products 商业的；商务的

　　Personal computers weren't common in the 1970s, but they began to achieve commercial success in the 1980s.

　　个人电脑在 1970 年代尚未普及，但到了 1980 年代便开始获得商业上的成功。

　　5.potential n. possibility for future development or achievement 潜力；可能性

　　That young musician has lots of potential, but he needs to practice hard if he wants to become famous.

　　那名年轻音乐家极具潜力，但若想成名，还得多下点功夫。

　　6.promote v. to try to make people buy sth. 推销；促销

　　The book store promoted the author's latest book by giving a free gift to anyone who bought a copy of it.

　　这家书店随书附赠赠品以促销该作者的新书。

　　More Information

　　1.blogger n. 网志使用者(blog指"网志"，或音译作"部落格"，为 weblog 的缩写，通常指个人的，或非商业性质的网站，使用者可视其为个人的网络日志，并加入其他网站连结，供网友阅览或发表意见。)

　　2.hit n. (上网)点击；点阅

　　3.forum n. 讨论区；论坛

　　4.mainstream n. (指思想、行为等的)主流