Not long ago, if you wanted a high-end smartphone, you had to sign an agreement with a major wireless carrier(運營商) and play by their rules. That meant multi-year service agreements, expensive monthly bills and new fees. Now, Verizon is forcing even more expensive shared data plans on new consumers, and AT&T is preparing to promote similar plans.

Fortunately, these days you can avoid the big guys and still get some of the best smartphones with no agreement, and save money in the long run by paying a lower monthly bill.

Here are three of the best phones you can get without a traditional $70-and-up monthly bill. They’re not the only low-cost options, but all three are also currently available on major wireless carriers at a higher monthly price. Consider these alternatives if you’re on an individual plan and want to save some cash:

	Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus with T-Mobile Value Plan	Samsung Galaxy S II  with Ting	Apple iPhone 4S (16 GB) with Virgin Mobile
Specs	4.65-inch display (1280-by-720 resolution), dual-core processor, 5-megapixel camera, 16 GB storage; runs Android 4.1	4.5-inch display (800-by-480 resolution), dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera, 16 GB storage; runs Android 2.3	3.5-inch display (960-by-640 resolution), dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera, 16 GB storage; runs iOS 5
Phone Price	$349	$435 (white model)	$650
Service Cost	$45 per month for unlimited data (slowed down after 2 GB), 500 minutes, pay-per-text	$57 per month for 2 GB of data, 500 minutes, pay-per-text (estimated)	$35 per month for unlimited data (slowed down after 2.5 GB), 300 minutes and unlimited text
Total Two-Year Cost	$1429 (Compare to $1830 on Verizon with 2GB of data and 450 minutes)	$1,803 (Compare to $2,020 on AT&T with 450 minutes, unlimited data and text)	$1,490 (Compare to $2,020 on A T&T with 450 minutes, unlimited data and text)

61. According to the passage, we can know “Verizon” and “Virgin Mobile” are names of         .

A. new consumers                             B. expensive smartphones

C. wireless carriers                            D. promoting plans

62. If you want a smartphone with a relatively bigger screen, you can choose          .

A. Apple iPhone 3                        B. Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus        

C. Samsung Galaxy S II                  D. Apple iPhone 4S

63. The three best phones are the same in many ways except          .

①. the storage           ②. the operation system               ③. the resolution

④. the size of display    ⑤.the mega pixel of camera      ⑥. the processor

A. ①②③⑥           B. ①③④⑤    C. ②③④⑤     D. ②③⑤⑥

64. Which of the following statements is true?

A. Unlimited text is accessible to anyone who gets a Samsung Galaxy S II with Ting.      

B. Both T-Mobile and Ting are raising the prices of smartphone fees.     

C. Samsung Galaxy S II is the best phone for it is the most expensive one.     

D. Of the three best phones Apple iPhone 4S’ phone price is the highest.

65. Which is the cheapest choice if you want to keep a smartphone for 4 years?

A. Apple iPhone 4S with Virgin Mobile

B. Samsung Galaxy S II with Ting

C. Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus with T-Mobile Value Plan

D. Apple iPhone 4S with AT&T