General Listening Quiz

In today’s world, is a smartphone a necessity for people of all ages, or is it just a luxury item? Why or why not? How do people who grew up without mobile phones feel about this?

1. 1. Smartphones make people more productive than they used to be.
   2. Smartphones are more harmful than helpful for social relationships.
   3. Children under 12 should not have their own smartphones.
   4. Smartphones have replaced computers for most daily tasks.
   5. People spend too much time on smartphones instead of interacting face-to-face.
   6. Smartphones are essential for education in the modern world.
   7. Social media on smartphones is more addictive than video games.
   8. Smartphones should be banned in schools.
   9. Owning the latest smartphone model is unnecessary.
   10. Smartphones make people less creative.

“phone someone” = call someone
“Why don’t you phone him and see if he’s coming to the party?“

“call it day” = finish work and leave your workplace
“Let’s call it a day. We can finish this project tomorrow.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• walk away (verb): leave
  – The store owner wouldn’t drop the price on the old model of iPhone, so I just walked away.
• caring (adjective): kind
  – My sister is so caring that she let me borrow her new phone when mine broke.
• speck of dust (noun): a very, very small piece of dirt
  – Be sure to clean off any specks of dust off your camera lens before you take pictures. Otherwise, they won’t turn out well.
• beside the point: not important or relevant
  – I know my phone is six years old, and the camera is broken on it. That’s beside the point. It still works, so I don’t need to buy a new one.
• self-reliant (adjective): having the ability to take care of oneself, independent
  – Joseph is very self-reliant. He never asks his parents for financial help because he wants to take care of things on his own.
• entitled (adjective): having the feeling that you deserve something, sometimes without even working for it
  – My younger brother feels so entitled. He wants my parents to buy him a new computer, but he isn’t willing to pay for part of it. He thinks it’s their job to do everything for him.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  |  Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Many teachers have concerns about students’ use of cell phones at school and in the classroom. Think of three reasons for and against this issue and explain your ideas from your own experience.

Write one of your teachers an email about one of the topics or questions below. Then, summarize the teacher’s response and compare his or her answer to your own opinion.

1. At what age is it appropriate for a child to have his or her own phone?
2. How important is it for parents to track their children’s phone calls, text messages, or internet use on the phone?
3. Should children pay at least a part of their phone bill, and if so, how much?
4. Which method is better to ask someone out on a date: sending a text message or calling the person?
5. Which method is better to end a relationship: sending a text message or calling the person?
6. Is it illegal to text and drive in your city or region? If so, what is the penalty?
7. If a student cheats on a test by taking pictures of it and sending them to a friend, how do you handle the situation?