T alking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it even cheaper by shortening the words that you use. Y ou can do this by taking out “ unimportant ” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2=to, 3=free, 4=for, 8=ate, h8=hate, etc.). Here is an example: Im 3 nw, why nt gv me a cll?(I ’ m free now, why not give me a call?) M obile phone users have developed a series of symbols( 一系列符号 ) to show how they feel. T hey are called emoticons( 情感符号 ). T o read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways . F or example, if you say something in a text message which is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face. L ike this: Why did t u cll me? I m so sad. :-( H ere are some others. C an you think of these text messages where you could use them? :-(sad :-