YourfriendsmightbeinAustraliaormaybejustdowntheroad,buttheyarealljustafewclicksaway.Lifehaschangedformillionsofyoungpeopleacrosstheworldwhonowmakefriendsonline.Whetheryouusechat-rooms,QQ,MSNorICQ,youareamemberofthisgroup.

“Idon’toftentalkwithmyparentsorgrandparents,butItalkalotwithmyoldfriendsonQQ,”saidFox’sShadow,theonlinenameusedbyagirlstudentinChina.“MostofmyclassmatesuseQQafterschool.”

QQisthebiggestmessagingserviceinChina.ArecordfromTencent,thecompanywhichdevelopedQQ,showsthat4millionpeopleuseditoneSaturdaynightinOctober.

AndprobablyFox’sShadowwasoneofthem.“IloginonFridaynights,andSaturdaysorSundayswhenIfeeleverythingaroundmeboring.Iusuallyspendabouttenhourschattingonlineeveryweek,”shesaid.“ButInevertalkwithstrangers,especiallyboysormen.”

Eventhoughshelikeschatting,sheiscarefulaboutmakingfriendswithstrangersonline.“Youdon’tknowwhoyou’retalkingto.Youshouldalwaysbecarefulaboutwhomyoubelieveinonline.”

Manypeoplewouldliketomeetofflinewhentheyfeeltheyhaveknownsomeoneverywell.Fox’sShadowoncemetoneofheronlinefriendsfacetoface.Itwasagirlwhowasafootballfanlikeherselfandtheywenttoafootballmatchtogether.

A16-year-oldBeijingboy,namedBartSimononline,dislikesQQusers.“IusedtochatonQQ,butIfoundthatmostpeopleweretalkingaboutfoolishthings,”hesaid.NowhechatsonlineinEnglish,usingMSN.“IonlychatonlinebecauseI’vegotfriendsinJapan,theUSandSingapore,”hesaid.“Iwanttolearnmoreaboutforeigncultures.”ButhespendslittletimechattingonQQasheseesitasawasteoftimeandmoney.

“Ifyouarereallyaddictedtoit,sometimesyoucan’tgiveyourmindtoyourlessons,”hesaid.“Andfriendsinyourreallifearealwaysmoreimportantthanthoseso-calledfriendsyoumeetonline.”

小题1:Fromthepassage,weknow“…theyarealljustafewclicksaway”means“ ”.