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The Cell Phone Age
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Before you read • • Work with a partner.

Do you have a cellular phone? Why do/don’t you have one? Match the word with the correct meaning. large inconvenient size be as good as not noticing suitable only for very important complain about Quickly read the following text: For many people today, it’s difficult to imagine life without a cellular phone. Once the preserve of the rich, they have now become an indispensable part of modern day life. The technology for cellular phones was patented in 1975, but it wasn’t until 1982 that the first commercial cell phone network was established in the United States. Since that time, the cellular phone has changed from a bulky machine, to something that can fit into the palm of your hand. The functions available in modern-day cell phones are increasing rapidly. E-mail access is now standard. Cellular phone cameras, which were once little more than a gimmick, now rival stand-alone digital cameras in terms of quality. With ‘Third Generation’ telephones, broadband access offers the possibility of video phones, television and full Internet access.

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Vocabulary #1 indispensable the preserve of bulky rival bemoan oblivious

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Reading

All this comes at a cost, however. Many people bemoan a society where people seem glued to their phone, but oblivious to all that is going on around them.

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Summarizing

Write one sentence for each paragraph. Compare your answers with other students.

1) 2) 3) 4)

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Vocabulary #2

Change these sentences using the vocabulary from exercise two.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Many people complain about the manners of today’s youth. Computers have changed a lot in recent years. Desktops used to be very big. Many free software packages are as good as commercial ones. Sumo wrestling used to be only for Japanese. Now many nationalities