Although there had been various small cameras developed, it was not until George Eastman introduced the Kodak in 1888 that the mass appeal of photography attracted America and Europe and thereafter spread quickly to the far corners of the earth. Eastman called his new 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 blizzard of amateur photographs that soon became known as snapshots. The word came 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. Photography became not only easy but fun because of the Kodak. Almost overnight photography became one of the world’’s most popular hobbies. A new and universal 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 ardent amateur was the French novelist Emile Zola, who took a lot of photographs of his family, friends, and travels. Interviewed about his favorite hobby in 1900, he observed, "I think 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 almost thirty billion were taken in America alone. The impact of the sale of photographic equipment on the economy is equally mind-boggling. Photography has played an essential role in the media revolution. It has greatly enhanced our ability to convey information, so that the concept of the global village has become a commonplace. Photographs have greatly 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" From context clues, we can guess that the word "centenary" (Para.4,line 3) means

A. celebration.
B. one hundred years.
C. a noteworthy year.
D. an annual celebration