People spend hours talking on their mobile phones. There is an opinion that it may be ________HARM__________ to their health, but it is difficult to know for sure. Some research shows that mobile phones may cause brain problems. On the other hand, some doctors say mobiles are not ________DANGER__________ at all. No matter what doctors say, it’s just _________POSSIBLE_________ to live without a mobile phone today. It has become a very ________USE__________ device and people can’t do without it. It makes our life _________COMFORT_________ and saves time. People can get in touch with each other quickly. Mobile phones make _________COMMUNICATE_________ easier.
Michael could not imagine his life without computers. His parents ________BUY__________ him his first computer at the age of seven. It took _________HE_________ several days to learn how to use it. His mum said that the younger people were, the _________FAST_________ they could learn computer skills. That was probably true – most
________CHILD__________ in Michael’s class were very competent computer users. Michael was really surprised to find out that the first personal computer _________INVENT_________ in the 70’s of the last century.
“And how did you chat or send your e-mails without computers?” he asked his mother.
She smiled: “We _________NOT/SEND_________ each other e-mails. And there were no networks.”
She also said that it _________BE_________ fun to communicate face-to-face, to play out-of-doors and to visit friends’ homes.
“But if there _________BE_________ no computers, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my friends who live far away from me,” Michael replied.
“True. Technological progress is a great thing,” his mother said “And I think people _________CREATE_________ even more amazing communication devices in the near future.”
1. Early mobile phones
2. Annoying mobiles
3. Expensive mobiles
4. Fashionable mobiles
5. Multifunctional mobiles
6. Modern mobile phones
A. Lars Magnus Ericsson, was the first man who had a telephone in his car. When he saw a place where he could get to phone lines, he connected to them with a pair of long electric wires. Then in Russia two Soviet engineers successfully tested a mobile phone installed in a car. It could connect to a local telephone network within 20 kilometers. A year later, two engineers from Europe tried to use antenna in the phone.
B. The company of mobile phones in Finland started to sell their products in 1970. There were several types of phones: 2G and later 3G. Third-generation phones are now used everywhere in the world. They are small, flat and very comfortable to use. Some people say that the only problem with the new phones is to remember all the functions. The mobile phone is often called the Seventh of the Mass Media (with Print, Recordings, Cinema, Radio, TV and Internet the first six).
C. In many countries, most adults and many children now have mobile phones. Mobile phones are used for a variety of purposes, including keeping in touch with the family, running business, and for emergency calls. Children and adults often play mobile phone games or use the phone as an audio player. In Japan, phone companies provide immediate notice of earthquakes and other natural disasters to their customers free of charge. In the event of an emergency, disaster response crews can find injured people using the signals from their mobile phones.
D. Today’s mobile phones do more than just offer voice, email, Web and music services. They are stylish accessories, too. Cool design has always played a great role in digital business. People, young people especially, use the phone to express their self. Just like clothes, phones can carry a message of sports lifestyle, luxury, adventure or romance. Mobile phone companies introduce their new collections every season and it’s rather difficult to keep up with today’s mobiles.
E. Mobile phones have increased greatly in the world. Some people carry more than one mobile phone for different purposes, such as for business and personal use. The mobiles are to be seen absolutely everywhere – in schools, restaurants, theatres and even churches. They ring during lectures, meetings and in classical music concerts. In recent survey, 62 % of people said that the most irritating thing in their lives was mobile phones on the train!
1. Why did people start the postal service?
2. What is snail mail?
3. Where did the first delivery system appear?
4. What are the advantages of e-mail?
5. What was the first stamp like?
6. How were the letters paid for?
A. For as long as humans have existed there has been a need to keep in touch and to transfer important information between people in different places. Before the invention of writing, oral messages were carried from one person to another between towns. Writing made it much easier to send longer messages; however, it was still difficult to make sure that your message got to the right place.
B. It was used by the Roman officials to transfer information throughout the Empire. Staging posts and a system with horses and carriages meant that messages could move quickly, by using many riders instead of one. It was very important for business and military reasons that good communication system existed. However, the Romans were not the first to realize this. The Chinese and Persian empires used systems of horses and riders more than 500 years before the Romans.
C. Before the invention of the postage stamps, letters were “franked”. It was marked on the letter that delivery had been paid for. This could have been either written or stamped. A post-mark was also stamped on the letter. Invented in 1660 in England, this was a mark that showed where and when the letter had been posted. It was used to see how long it took to deliver the letter – to make sure the service was reliable.
D. It is the humorous term used by e-mail users for the old-fashioned letters-in-envelopes postal system. It means that such letters travel very slowly, which actually is rather unfair. In Britain you can send letters first or second class; the first class ones normally get to their destination, anywhere in the country, the next morning. The postal service is called the Royal mail, and all the British stamps have the head of the Queen.
E. They were invented in Great Britain. It was a British man called Rowland Hill who proposed a stamp to be stuck on the letter to identify that postage had been paid. The first stamp was issued in 1840. It was called the Penny Black and the profile of Queen Victoria’s head was depicted there. The stamp cost 1 pence and was darkly coloured. About 65 million Penny Blacks were issued, and nowadays it is not a very rare stamp.
1. A new music instrument 2. The latest fashion
3. A mobile for grandma 4. Phone addiction
5. A strange competition 6. A law against mobiles
7. Back to real-life communication 8. Digital personal assistants
A. Young people often worry about the style and functions of mobile phones. However, today companies present more models for people who are over 50 or 60 years old. They need a mobile phone with large buttons, so that they can dial numbers without glasses. The menu is also simple. It really doesn’t matter if the phone has a camera or the Internet. For them, less is more.
B. Today, when friends meet in a café, they put their mobile phones in the middle of the table. They aren’t allowed to touch them at all. If someone does it and answers the phone, they have to pay for everybody. Sounds fun, right? The idea is to make people concentrate on a real conversation with each other instead of using their mobiles all the time.
C. Visitors of theatres and cinemas often complain that mobile phones ring during performances. The city government of New York passed a new act. It is now forbidden to use mobile phones in places, like theaters, libraries, museums, galleries, and cinemas. Those who don't switch off their mobiles will have to pay $50.
D. With mobile phones we can contact anyone, anywhere, any time. Scientists say that some people are so used to mobiles that they can't go to the kitchen without them. They are in panic if they leave them at home or lose. It has become a habit to have a mobile everywhere. People depend on mobile phones so much that doctors have started worrying. They say it may be a thing similar to drugs.
E. Throwing mobile phones is an international sport that started in Finland in 2000. Traditionally participants throw mobile phones over their shoulders. The person, who throws farthest, wins. There's also freestyle throwing. In this contest sportsmen should throw a mobile in a beautiful and creative way.
F. In 2010 a young girl from China made a song using only her mobile phone. She wrote it without any guitars, pianos, drums. She used different functions of her mobile. It took her several days to record the song. Later she made a video of it and put the video on the Internet, where over a million people watched it. She sent the song to the Apple company and suggested using it in their advertisements.
G. Today's mobile phones can already send e-mails, surf the Internet, and keep you in touch with friends. Tomorrow's phones are like helpful secretaries. In a few years you'll see that they know your habits and can advise you what to cook for dinner. They will remind you where to go and what present to buy.
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