New Smartphone!

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Materials Daily News

New Smartphone!

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

fancy

Adjective

ˈfænsiː

having a lot of detail in structure or decoration; expensive or fashionable in a way that is intended to impress people

They went on a date to a fancy restaurant.

I love wearing a fancy dress.

We took our client to a fancy restaurant.

She always wears a fancy dress to work.

not at all

Phrase

nɑːt ət ɔːl

definitely not

He's not at all interested in his job.

She's not interested in her job at all.

If you look at it once more, this dress is not fancy, not at all.

supposed to

Phrase

səˈpoʊzd tuː

to be expected or required to

He was supposed to meet me thirty minutes ago.

You're supposed to separate your trash.

Am I supposed to guess what you think?

as much

Phrase

æz mʌʧ

at least that

Can you take pictures with a smartphone? // I can do as much.

harmful

Adjective

ˈhɑːrmfəl

likely or able to cause harm or damage

Smoking can be very harmful to a baby's health.

Spreading rumors can be harmful.

He doesn't realize how harmful his words can be.

The harmful effects of the factory are already appearing.

But, isn't eating too many sweets harmful?

Electronic cigarettes are more harmful than previously thought.

glossy

Adjective

ˈglɑːsiː

shiny and smooth

This is such a glossy phone.

(be) on the same page

Phrase

bi ɑːn ðə seɪm peɪʤ

to be in agreement with someone

I want to go out for lunch. // We are on the same page.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your tutor.

Grace and Zach chat about cell phones.
	Zach Did you see? Lynda bought a smartphone.
	Grace Yeah, I did. I don’t see why someone would need such a fancy cell phone.
	Zach If you look at it as a small computer, it is not that fancy, not at all.
	Grace But it is a cell phone. It is supposed to make calls and write messages. Well, emails too.
	Zach Well, it can clearly do as much.
	Grace But, but... I mean, it is not convenient to use the Internet on it. We have computers for the Internet and cameras for photography.
	Zach However you look at it, I don’t think smartphones are harmful.
	Grace Well they aren’t. I bet cell phone companies earn a lot of money selling such glossy cell phones. I think some people buy them just because they’re popular.
	Zach There will always be people like that. I won’t buy one for that reason, though. I don’t even need a smartphone right now.
	Grace Well, at least we are on the same page. I am not planning to buy a smartphone anytime soon, either.

Check your understanding:

What is the chat about?

What does Grace think cell phones need to do?

Why did Grace tell Zach that they were on the same page?

Exercise 3

Listening Comprehension

Listen to your tutor read the text then choose the correct answers to the questions.

What was Paul planning to do?

A.
Paul was planning to buy a new smartphone.
B.
He wanted to sell his smartphone and buy a new one.

What does Carol think cell phones should be able to do?

A.
Carol thinks that cellphones should be able to play music and receive emails.
B.
Carol thinks cell phones should be able to send and receive messages, calls, and emails.

What is Carol's opinion on new smartphones?

A.
Carol thinks that they are getting better and better every day.
B.
Carol's opinion is that smartphones are becoming a great distraction with their apps.

Did Paul make a decision about buying a new smartphone?

A.
Yes, Paul decided to buy one, no matter what Carol thought.
B.
Paul decided not to buy a new smartphone.

Exercise 4

Role Play

Role-play the following situation with your tutor.

Situation

You want to buy a new smartphone, but first you want to talk about it with a family member.

Exercise 5

Discussion

Do you like using your cell phone?

Do you have a smartphone? Why?

Is it popular to have a smartphone nowadays? Why?

Do you think cell phones are necessary these days? What about a hundred years ago?

What are some of the advantages of using a smartphone?