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Mobile phones: Warm up

Before beginning the chapter ask the students:

• If they know how long mobile phones have been in existence;

• If they can imagine how people communicated before mobile phones were used;

• If they can imagine being without a mobile phone;

• How long they think they could last without their mobile phones;

• What it is that makes a mobile phone so important to them.

11.1 Mobile phones and manners

Read and discuss Text 11.1.1 as far as ‘…without even realising it.’

Ask the students to discuss with a partner whether or not they agree with the writer and why/why not. Give them time to think and talk before collecting their answers.

11.2 The history of mobile phones

Read Text 11.2.1 together and discuss the information given. Check for comprehension and any unknown vocabulary. There are a number of people mentioned but they are explained in the text. This is a good opportunity for students to practise using simple ‘context clues’. For example, the question ‘Who was Ernie Wise?’ – from the text the students should be able to recognize that he was a British comedian.

11.3 Mobile phones in the future

Before reading Text 11.3.1, ask the students:

• How they think mobile phones will develop in the future;

• If they have seen any real examples of futuristic mobile phones;

• If they think people will always want to have mobile phones.

Let the students do the first reading in pairs, then read it as a class to check pronunciation, unfamiliar vocabulary, and grammar.

Written work – making a leaflet: If possible have a collection of leaflets to show the students, so that they have more ideas about the format, language, and information given which will help them create their own leaflets.

11.4 Mobile phones and stress

Before opening the books and looking at the illustration, ask the students to discuss with a partner:

• If they associate stress with their mobile phones;

• If they can imagine who would feel stressed by their mobile phones;

• If they feel they have a good work–life balance: if not, why not? And if so, how do they do it?

This text contains a number of low frequency words which will need to be explained. However during the first reading, encourage the students to try to guess at the meaning by using context clues.

TEACHER’S GUIDE

Mobile phones11

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11 Mobile phones

For example – ‘Describing distraction as the “nemesis” of productivity’ – an idea about the meaning of nemesis as a completely new unknown word can be gained by asking the students ‘Is nemesis a positive word or a negative word?’ Ask them to read around the word – not just the same sentence, but what has come before and what follows. Using context clues is a valuable skill in reading difficult texts and should be practised.

Exam practice

Remind the students that the text is related to the Core, as are all Paper 1 texts. They should complete the task under timed, exam-like conditions. Afterwards read and discuss the text together and check the answers, discussing any difficulties students may have encountered.

Suggestions for further reading

Feed by M. T. Anderson

Answers

Text 11.1.1

General comprehension

1 The British use mobiles more than landlines.

2 The price we pay is being plunged into a world of our own where we are unaware of people around us.

3 Debrett’s is a very famous guide to good manners in Great Britain.

4 The first tip is that people should not carry on talking on their mobiles while carrying out other business.

5 answers will vary

6 Nick Clegg supported the shop assistant.

7 It is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving in Britain.

8 The effect is called inattention blindness.

9 The lampposts have been padded to protect distracted mobile users.

10 They are considering fining people who text while walking.

Text handling

1 Replace the missing words:

a chatting

b chance

c oblivious

d injured

e possibly

f likely

g impair

h flawed

i colliding

2 Find the words:

a amazing – staggering

b was more than – exceeded

c change – transformation

d good social behaviour – etiquette

e private – intimate

f loud hailer – megaphone

3 Explain the following terms – suggested answers:

a secretly feeling sympathy

b join in and out of a conversation

c makes me feel crazy

d affects the time to react in a negative way

e huge crowd

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11Mobile phones

Grammar in context

answers will vary

Text 11.2.1

General comprehension

1

1973 First mobile telephone call was made

1983 First mobile phones went on sale in the US

1985 First mobile phone call was made in the UK

1986 Voicemail was added to mobile phones

1992 First text message was sent

1993 First smartphone was released (the IBM Simon)

1996 Internet access was added to phones

1997 First photo was shared using a mobile phone

1997 A cell phone was first used by James Bond

2 answers will vary

3 answers will vary

4 answers will vary

5 answers will vary

6 answers will vary

Text handling

1 Find the words:

a competitor – rival

b can be carried – portable

c task – chore

d ten years – decade

e young, modern person – yuppie

f funny man – comedian

g waving – brandishing

h difficult – laborious

2 True or false:

a False – ‘making the phone the top-selling electrical gadget in history, ahead of the PlayStation 2’

b False – ‘a false rumour that a software glitch allowed fraudulent bank transactions to be carried out using the device’

c True – ‘She neglected to change her calling plan’

d True – ‘such thefts account for one third of all street robberies’

e True – ‘Fake trees and cacti, which are used to conceal mobile phone masts’

f False – ‘Even if a phone is locked emergency calls can still be made accidentally’

g False – ‘The most common use for a mobile is… checking the time’

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11 Mobile phones

Grammar in context

Example answers for a passive sentence in the past-simple tense:

• ‘Thefirstphototobesharedusingamobilephonewas taken in 1997 by Philippe Kahn.’ Rewritten as: ‘In 1997 Philippe Kahn took the first photo to be shared using a mobile phone.’

• ‘Theresultwasa£142,000bill,whichwas later reducedto£1,800bythephonecompany.’Rewrittenas:‘Thephonecompany later reducedthebillfrom£142,000to£1,800.’

Example answers for a passive sentence in the present-simple tense:

• ‘IntheUKamobilephoneis stolen every three minutes.’ Rewritten as: ‘In the UK thieves steal a mobile phone every three minutes.’

• ‘Faketreesandcacti,whichare used to conceal phone masts, have become an art form and featured in photographic exhibitions.’ Rewritten as: ‘People use fake trees and cacti to conceal phone masts; these have become an art form and featured in photographic exhibitions.’

• ‘Evenifaphoneis locked emergency calls can still be made accidentally.’ Rewritten as: ‘Even if the owner locks the phone, emergency calls can still be made accidentally.’

Text 11.3.1

General comprehension

1 It gets its name from the abbreviation Hands On Talk – HOT.

2 As it is attached to the wearer round the wrist there is little risk of dropping or losing it.

3 Users can access their contacts for caller ID and text messaging, check email, listen to music, check basic apps, etc.

4 You can listen to music through the phone’s native player.

5 No, users must do that on their regular smartphone.

6 A proximity alert will sound if your phone is not with you.

7 The glass face is smudge proof, anti-reflective, and can be read even in bright sunlight.

8 This is done by shaking your hand.

Text handling

1 Paragraph headings:

[1] The market today [5] Specifications and other details

[2] What’s new about the HOT watch [6] Talk to the hand

[3] Other exciting features [7] Final plans

[4] It’s your choice

2 True or false:

a False – ‘It’s not uncommon these days to see someone with a Bluetooth headset seemingly talking to themselves’

b True – ‘You’ll still need to take out your regular smartphone however for more advanced functions, like GPS’

c True – ‘Moving your hand toward your ear while receiving an incoming call will automatically answer it’

d True – ‘[it] will detect if the wearer has fallen down suddenly and then automatically text a pre-set emergency number’

3 a making their hand into the shape of a cup

b new

c introduce a new idea

d built into the wrist

e improvements

f makes something possible

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11Mobile phones

Grammar in context

answers will vary

Text 11.4.1

General comprehension

1 False – ‘The encroachment of work into after hours and digital distractions in the office have also caused an “invisible pandemic” of poor productivity in the workplace’

2 True – ‘distraction due to the deluge of “stuff” we are all incessantly bombarded with has created… poor productivity’

3 False–‘adapterscopedwellwitha24-hourworkcycleandwereoftenemployedbyprogressivebusinesses’

4 True – ‘It was essential employers and employees agreed on some ground rules about technology’

5 True – ‘It needs to be made OK to turn their phone off and not respond’

6 False – ‘If an employee said to their employer: “I’m not prepared to check emails outside of work”, an employer could not compel them to do so’

7 True – ‘it is rare for him to respond’

Text handling

1 intrusion/spread

2 enemy

3 huge amount

4 widespread effect

5 everyone has to help

6 work from a distance to the office, often at home

Grammar in context

1 to

2 with

3 by

4 to

5 on

6 to

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11 Mobile phones

Exam practice

Exercises

1 Your mobile phone will know your schedule and check for problems, wake you in time, and plan the best route.

2 It will download programmes that will interest you as podcasts.

3 It can send daily menu suggestions, check the contents of the fridge, and upload the bill from grocery shopping.

4 No, it will not be much more expensive.

5 Intelligent software can learn behaviour, predict needs, and integrate with databases.

6 answers will vary

7 A False – ‘You still call it a “mobile”’

B True – ‘providing remote alerts if the home security system is triggered’

C False – ‘you can pay for tickets for journeys or buy items in shops’

D True – ‘alert the user to… family in the vicinity’

E True – ‘programmes that will interest you and download them’

F False – ‘[it will] direct voice calls to voicemail when you are in a meeting’

G True – ‘daily suggestions for your evening meal based on… the likely contents of your refrigerator’

H True – ‘Leaving home without your mobile, bad enough already, will become… quite unthinkable’

I False – ‘Actually, surprisingly little’

J True – ‘purely a device for making voice calls’

8 I D

II H

III F

IV A

V I

VI J

VII E

VIII C

IX B

X G