The barcode, the QR code’s older sister, is limited to 20 characters of information and can only be read horizontally. In contrast, QR codes can hold about 7,000 characters of information and can be read at any angle. Also, unlike barcodes, they don’t require specialized devices to be read. The camera in your smartphone will do, as most modern phones include scanning functions. For a QR code to be scanned, it must contain three black squares in three of the code’s corners. These small squares help the camera determine the position of the code.
条码（即行动条码的前身）局限于二十个字元且只能水平读取。相较之下，行动条码可以容纳大约七千个字元的资讯，并且可以从任何角度读取。此外，与条码不同的是，它们不需要专门的装置来读取。智慧型手机中的相机就可以做到，因为大多数现代手机都具有扫描功能。行动条码的其中三个角落必须包含三个黑色方块，它才能被扫描。这些小方块可以帮助相机找出行动条码的位置。
生活必备字词：
advertisement n. 广告（常缩写为 ad）
be short for... 是……的缩写
era n. 时代，年代
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