Although there had been an astonishing variety of small Cameras developed in the 1880s, it

was not until George Eastman introduced the Kodak in 1888 that the mass appeal of photography seized America and Europe and thereafter spread quickly to the far corners of the earth. Eastman called his now famous camera the Kodak for no particular reason except that' he liked the word. It was easy to remember and could be pronounced in any language.

An immediate consequence of Eastman's invention was a number of amateur (业余的) photographs that soon became known as snapshots. The word was borrowed from hunters' jargon. When a hunter fired a gun from the hip, without taking careful aim, it was described as a snapshot. Photographers referred to the process of taking pictures as shooting, and they would take pride in a good day's shoot the way country gentlemen would boast about the number of birds brought down in an afternoon.

The Kodak made photography not easy but fun. Almost overnight photography became one of the world's most popular hobbies. A new and ubiquitous(普遍存在的) folk art was born; the showing of one's latest pictures and the creation of family albums became popular social pastimes. Camera clubs and associations numbered their members in the millions. One amateur was the French novelist Emile Zola, who took innumerable photographs of his family, friends, and travels. Interviewed about his favorite hobby in 1900, he observed, "In my opinion you cannot say you have thoroughly seen anything until you have got a photograph of it."

"The little black box," as the Kodak was affectionately dubbed, revolutionized the way people communicated. "A picture is worth a thousand words" was the claim and there were literally billions of pictures. In one year alone--1988, the centenary of the invention of the Kodak--it is estimated that close to thirty billion pictures were taken worldwide. Haft of these, fifteen billion, were taken in the United States alone. The impact of the sale of photographic equipment on the economy is equally incredible.

Photography has played an essential role in the media revolution. It has vastly enhanced our ability to convey information, so that the concept of the global village has become a commonplace. Photographs have immeasurably extended our understanding of and compassion for our fellow human beings.

Did Mr. Eastman have the faintest idea of the power residing in his "little black box" ？

What is the underlying significance of the invention of the Kodak？

A．It marked the beginning of manufacturing small cameras.

B．It met the need of photographers in America and Europe.

C．It made picture-taking suddenly popular among ordinary people.

D．It made the work of professionals more enjoyable.