12.1 Warm-up activity: discuss the following questions in pairs:

1) Do smartphones play an important role in your life?

2) Can you imagine your life without this device?

 

Exercise 12.1.1 Match the definitions (1–8) with the vocabulary (a–h):

1) to miss out on; 2) addiction; 3) constantly; 4) to be cut off from; 5) unlike; 6) social media; 7) ironically; 8) early adopters;

a) websites and apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; b) in a funny or strange way because it’s unexpected; c) different from; d) to not get the benefits of; e) needing something too much or in an unhealthy way; f) people who are the first to buy or use new technology; g) all the time without a break; h) to have no access to.

 

Exercise 12.1.2 Read an article about how people at different ages use computers and smartphones

 

Digital habits across generations

Today’s grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations’ online habits couldn’t be more different. The over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site’s second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64 and 2.9 million over-65s. Sheila, aged 59, says, ‘I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It’s a much better way to see what they’re doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That’s how we did it when I was a child, but I think I’m lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.’ Ironically,Sheila’s grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves.      Children under 17 are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they’re not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. ‘It’s my alarm clock so I have to,’ she says. ‘I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.’ Unlike her grandmother’s generation, Chloe’s age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn’t heard from in forty years. ‘We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,’ she says. ‘It’s changed my social life completely.’ Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. ‘I was always connected and I felt like I was always working,’ he says. ‘How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?’ So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. ‘I’m not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I’m setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.’ Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

 

Reference [13]

 

Exercise 12.1.3 Vocabulary:

1) online habits – онлайн привычки;

2) arrange – организовывать, устраивать;

3) addiction – зависимость, склонность;

4) old-style – старомодный, несовременный;

5) constantly – постоянно;

6) cut off – отделять, прерывать, выключать;

7) emergency – крайняя необходимость, непредвиденная ситуация, критическое положение;

8) quality – качество, качественный;

9) a matter of time – вопрос времени;

10) catch up with – догнать.

 

Exercise 12.1.4 Are the sentences true or false?

1) More people aged 55 or more use Facebook than people aged 65 or

more. T/F

2) Grandparents typically use Facebook less than their grandchildren. T/F

3) Sheila feels grateful to social media. T/F

4) Peter found his own smartphone use affected how he felt about how

much his children used their phones. T/F

5) Peter has changed how much he uses his phone during the working day. T/F

6) Peter feels that the changes make him a better parent. T/F

 

Exercise 12.1.5 Match the parts of expressions:

1) data; 2) access;                        3) advanced;                   4) to install;                   5) personal;                    6) method of…; 7) online;                        8) to share;

a) software; b) files; c) communication; d) storage; e) chat; f) to the Internet; g) technology; h) computer.

 

Exercise 12.1.6 Complete the collocations in each sentence with an appropriate word from the box:

Data, communication, technology, memory, connection, storage, function, displays

 

1) If a computer or a telephone has Internet _________________ , one can shop easily;

2) E-mail is a method of _________________ used worldwide, between friends, colleagues, business partners, and so on;

3) A student can use the PC as a _________________ system for many books;

4) This telephone is equipped with the latest _________________  ;

5) This smart phone has a bigger _________________ , so it can store more _________________ ;

6) This gadget automatically________________ current news, that’s a really useful.

 

Exercise 12.1.7 Read the following dialogues by roles:

Dialogue 1:

A: Do you have a mobile phone, a laptop computer or a portable music device?

B: Yeah, I bought a laptop last year and this year my girlfriend gave me a smart phone of the latest model for my birthday.

Dialogue 2:

A: Do you always want to buy the latest technology or you are happy with an older model?

B: Hah, that’s an interesting question ‘cause I like to chat with my friends the most of my free time. So, for me it’s essential to have a device with useful software installed, for I can stay connected with my friends. And if my ‘old’ gadget allows me to send and receive messages, share photos and videos, I think I can do without latest trends.

Dialogue 3:

A: What other new gadgets would you buy?

B: Honestly, I’m not a gadget lover but there’s one thing I’d like to purchase. It’s the new Smart watch offering up-to-date features. You just have an easy to use electronic device with different facilities including Internet access, sending files and storing data right on your hand. This watch is like a small version of a smart phone.

Dialogue 4:

A: What is the most useful gadget today, in your opinion?

B: Nowadays there’re loads of various devices we can’t go without in our day-to-day life. I think many people will share my opinion that laptops, smart phones or phablets which allow us to communicate with friends, shop online, store books and read them, are part and parcel of our life. Some may say that a gadget should be user-friendly and have a big screen; for others, and advanced technologies make a difference. It’s just a matter of taste.

 

Reference [16]

 

Exercise 12.1.8 Make up your own dialogue using the words in bold.

 

Should children be allowed to have smartphones?

12.2 Warm-up activity

Discuss the following questions in pairs:

1) Do smartphones play an important role in your life?

2) Can you imagine your life without this device?

 

Exercise 12.2.1 Read the essay written by Tung

Hi guys, my name is Tung. I am a newbie of essayforum.com. (https://essayforum.com)  This is the first time that I have posted an essay to this forum, and because my writing skills still needs to improve, so I will be very grateful if you, guys, could give me any suggestions about this essay. And I hope to work with you guys on correcting many essays. Thanks for reading this.

In this modern globalization era, many advanced technologies have been made to aid more benefits to the people’s lives. Especially in life communications, smartphones are being the most beneficial tools. Unfortunately, the pros and cons of that kind of tools have been debated whether the early access to this kind of technologies are good are bad to children. Does this means that smartphones should be banned from the reach of young-aged people? In my point of view, I wholeheartedly believe that parents should not forbid their children from owning that kind of tools.

First, smartphones are the most convenient tools which have the functions of both the cell phones and the computers. Two are always better than one, isn’t it? Consequently, they bring out many advantages to children. For example, a child wants to find more information on its assigned homework. To do so, only 2 tools are able for an internet access: smartphone and computer. Using computer is only for accessing the sources, but using smartphone can additionally help the kid to carry those sources freely to places, which are good study environments. Therefore, not only does the kid can learn more effective, but he or she one also can avoid from sitting in front of the computer for hours affecting negatively on the eyes.

Second, having the smartphones is vital for parents in keeping contact with their children. Smartphones have already been upgrade to have GPS devices helping to keep tracks on the users. Also, the calling systems of smartphones make getting an instant connect to those users easier. Consequently, parents can precisely know where their children have been. For example, a kid has gone for hours, and its parents worry sick whether the child is facing dangerous or not. If the child does not have a smartphone, there is no possible way to find him or her. By having that tool, which has a GPS device, tracking down where that child went is much easier. Also, parents could call him to see what is going on. This will help a lot in finding the kid. So letting a child to own a smartphone is crucial. Not only does the child can be found whatever the situation was, but it also can avoid from unable to reunite with its family.

For these reasons, giving children the smartphones is necessary. There are many benefits gained from using these tools, such as learning more effectively and helping parents to keep track on their children. For the sake of the society and the safety of the children, giving the chance of owning the smartphones to children is very important. Maybe, they can learn from the pros and cons of these tools. So that in the near future, they can make a more innovative forms of smartphones which will aid even more benefits to the society.

 

Reference [18]

 

Exercise 12.2.2 Vocabulary:

1) newbie – новичок;

2) skill – навык;

3) benefit – выгода, польза;

4) pros and cons – за и против, плюсы и минусы;

5) beneficial – выгодный, целесообразный;

6) access – доступ, допуск;

7) to be banned – быть запрещённым, нелегальным;

8) consequently – следовательно, в результате, поэтому;

9) additionally – дополнительно, кроме того;

10) source – источник;

11) to avoid – избегать;

12) instant – незамедлительный, мгновенный;

13) vital – жизненный;

14) to upgrade – модифицировать, обновлять;

15) to track down – выслеживать, обнаруживать;

16) crucial – ключевой, актуальный, жизненно важный;

17) to reunite – соединиться, воссоединиться.

 

Exercise 12.2.3 Correct some mistakes made by Tung in the italicized sentences

 

Exercise 12.2.4 Match the synonym:

1) vital;                           a) comfortable;

2) device;                        b) ban;

3) convenient;                 с) successfully;

4) benefit;                       d) tool;

5) effectively;                 e) worldly;

6) forbid;                        g) profit.

 

Exercise 12.2.5 Work with your partner: discuss whether you agree with Tung’s opinion or not. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer

 

Exercise 12.2.6 Writing: make an overview of using smartphones. Write pros and cons of these devices