| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
| Intermediate | Phones | Young Man – Woman | 01:23 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
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?
Idioms
“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.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Vocabulary Practice
Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:
Post-Listening Exercise
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.
Online Investigation
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.
- At what age is it appropriate for a child to have his or her own phone?
- How important is it for parents to track their children’s phone calls, text messages, or internet use on the phone?
- Should children pay at least a part of their phone bill, and if so, how much?
- Which method is better to ask someone out on a date: sending a text message or calling the person?
- Which method is better to end a relationship: sending a text message or calling the person?
- Is it illegal to text and drive in your city or region? If so, what is the penalty?
- If a student cheats on a test by taking pictures of it and sending them to a friend, how do you handle the situation?