英語新聞周報(一)
摘要：聲名顯赫的互聯網服務商“美國在線”（AOL）目前正致力于自己的網絡瀏覽軟件開發工作，以增強競爭力，滿足日益增多的寬帶用戶的需求。
As part of its reincarnation, America Online Inc. is creating its own software for browsing the Web and playing movies and songs. It's a question of staying relevant in an increasingly broadband world.
AOL got its start as a dial-up Internet service provider, connecting millions of first-time users with software that had to be installed on computers and often made some serious modifications to the operating system.
That approach no longer makes sense, said Kerry Pearce-Parkins, director of AOL Product Management. For one, corporations generally prohibit their employees from installing software. That means many subscribers can't access AOL programming during the day.
And because broadband users get their Internet connection through a company other than AOL, they no longer need a software package that includes access tools.
That's why AOL is building a standalone Web browser, while keeping an all-in-one package available for those who really want it.
The browser's core will be Microsoft Corp.'s market-dominant Internet Explorer. Though AOL financed an organization behind a competing browser called Firefox, Pearce-Parkins said the company stuck with IE so users won't have to make "a leap of faith."
But AOL engineers are working to add such features as tabbed browsing, letting users open new Web pages without cluttering the screen with new windows. Unlike tabbed browsing in the Opera and Firefox browsers, AOL's will display a mini-version of the Web page, or thumbnail, as users scroll over a tab.
The AOL Browser will also have tools to thwart e-mail scams known as phishing and to index and search files on the user's computer.
But most importantly for the company, the browser will incorporate several ways to drive traffic to AOL programming and products, increasing ad opportunities.
The new AOL Media Player, built on AOL-owned Winamp technology, will also seek to integrate software with AOL's online radio stations and music store.
"Access to the AOL content and services is always a click away," Pearce-Parkins said.
The programs are expected to be ready for free download early next year.
下面是單詞講解和習慣用法：
1. AOL ：American On-Line , 美國在線服務公司。美國在線在提供在線服務的同時，也是一個通過撥號接入因特網的服務提供商。對這樣的企業來說，DSL與CATV線路等寬帶的普及將令公司不可避免的面臨重大的考驗。
dial-up Internet service provider：就是說撥號上網服務提供商。
其他類似的詞匯還有ISP：Internet Service Provider， Internet服務提供商. ICP：Internet Content Provider，Internet內容提供商.
2. Relevant：有關的, 相應的。
Relevant to sth表示與什么有關，切題的意思。比如：facts relevant to the case, 與本案相關的事實依據。
新聞中的“staying relevant in an increasingly broadband world”表示滿足日益增多的寬帶用戶的需求。
3. make sense表示某事有意義，行得通。
新聞中的no longer makes sense就是行不通了的意思。我們還可以說make sense of sth弄懂晦澀難懂的東西，比如Can you make any sense of the sentence?你能看懂那個句子嗎？
其他的習慣用法還有out of one’s senses愚蠢，精神不正常,對應的in one’s senses就是清醒，理智的意思。比如How could you do that? you must be out of your senses!你怎么會那么做呢？你一定是瘋了。
4. Subscriber：訂戶, 簽署者, 捐獻者的意思。新聞中指的是AOL的用戶。
5. dominant有統治權的, 占優勢的, 支配的。
新聞中“Microsoft Corp.'s market-dominant Internet Explorer”指的是微軟公司設計的在瀏覽器市場占絕對優勢的IE瀏覽器。
6. Finance: n.財政, 金融的意思，新聞中是給什么指供經費的意思。
financed an organization behind a competing browser意思是美國在線資助了一家公司開發與微軟競爭的網頁瀏覽器。
7. Leap：跳躍, 飛躍的意思。
新聞中的“so users won't have to make "a leap of faith."”意思是這樣一來客戶就無需改變自己的使用習慣。