英语博客：DSI to cook.

　　It is very fashionable here for kids to have portable¹ computer devices. My boys have Psps and Dsis. Their peers² all have them, and, therefore, they expect at some stage to get them. The advertising³ on television doesn't help, as far as being a parent is concerned. The exciting new games that they see advertised make kids want to have the latest thing to play. There is quite a difference between the two devices, so I am told. The Psp has longer games with better graphics⁴. The Dsi, on the other hand, has more variety and shorter games. Cass, for example, can record his voice, take pictures, and then distort⁵ both, and add them to a fighting sequence. He can create his own hilarious⁶ computer game. The other day, I heard a lot of loud laughter coming from his bedroom. When I investigated, my boys showed me their crazy, newly invented game that had both of them karate⁷ kicking, and throwing special power balls at eachother that were made of cropped photos of objects from their bedroom. Hudson, on the other hand, spends time every day trying to go up the various levels of his long games. He has to defeat more monsters, gain more points and weapons, until he can finish. We even have some of their friends calling them to see what level they are at, and if they have any pointers or advice as to how to defeat certain creatures. At the moment, Cass is in the kitchen, making a 'French macaroni and cheese' by following a cooking program on his Dsi. It gives the recipe, the equipment needed, step by step instructions, and extra video information on different foods and cooking methods. The dish is in the oven, and the Dsi is ticking away, timing⁸ its cooking. I was a little scared of my son taking the kitchen over. I imagined a complete disaster taking place, but actually he has tidied and cleaned everything! How unusual! That must be one of the instructions from his Dsi.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: portable, to crop, graphics, a pointer.
1. I'm so glad that I have a portable computer, a lap top. I have access to all kinds of information whenever I need it.
2. The wedding photos had too much background, so I cropped them. Now, they mainly show the people.
3. That game needs better graphics; the figures are fuzzy and very simplistic.
4. Could you give me some pointers as to how to grow disease-free roses?

1 portable   

adj.轻便的，手提式的；n.便携的东西

参考例句：

• I have a portable typewriter.我有一个便携式打字机。
• There is a pretty portable pair of steps in one corner of the room.屋角放着一架小巧玲珑的折梯。

2 peers   

n.同等的人，贵族vi.凝视，窥视vt.与…同等，封为贵族v.凝视( peer的第三人称单数 )；盯着看；同等；比得上

参考例句：

• She enjoys the respect of her peers. 她受到同侪的尊敬。
• She peers into my eyes. 她盯着我的眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。

5 distort   

vt.歪曲，曲解，扭曲，使变形；vi.变形

参考例句：

• How dare he distort the facts so brazenly!他怎么敢如此肆无忌惮地歪曲事实！
• This caused the sound to distort.这导致了声音的失真。

6 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

7 karate   

n.空手道(日本的一种徒手武术)

参考例句：

• Alice's boyfriend knew a little karate.艾丽斯的男朋友懂一点儿空手道。
• The black belt is the highest level in karate.黑腰带级是空手道的最高级别。

8 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。