EF p 196. A Discursive Essay: Do Smartphones Really Improve Our Lives? Cloze

Smartphones dominate the field of personal communications and nowadays virtually everyone owns (1)_____________. They have many clear benefits, (2)________ do they really make our lives better? 

Perhaps the greatest benefit of smartphones is that they (3)___________ us to access an incredible amount of information. They are not just phones – we can also use them (4)_________ maps, encyclopaedias, novels, entertainment systems, and much (5)____________. We live in an age of information, and smartphones help us to make the (6)__________ of it all. 

In (7)_____________, they allow us to live our lives spontaneously. (8)__________ you need a taxi, have to book a restaurant table, or want to identify stars in the night sky, you can do it straight away. 

(9)_____________, they keep us in touch with our friends and family, and the social role they play in a fast-moving society is hugely important. 

(10)______________, there are strong arguments to suggest that what appear to be the advantages of smartphones can also have downsides. One drawback is the cost – monthly contracts are (11)______________ from cheap and smartphones tend to become obsolete quickly, (12)_____________ people feel they need to buy the latest model. 

What is (13)______________, they are a constant distraction, (14)___________ they encourage people to spend hours checking social networking sites (15)____________ they could be doing something more useful. 

But perhaps the (16)____________ significant downside is for working people. (17)___________ the one hand, smartphones offer great convenience, (18)___________ they also mean that employees can (19)__________ contacted by their boss or by customers at any time, (20)________ while they are on holiday. 

On the (21)______________, smartphones are a wonderful tool, but they have both (22)_____________ and cons and they have to be (23)__________ wisely. It is very important that we control (24)___________, and not the other way (25)_____________.

KEY

1. one

2. but

3. allow

4. as

5. more

6. most

7. addition

8. Whether

9. Finally

10. However

11. far

12. so

13. more

14. as

15. when

16. most

17. On

18. but

19. be

20. even

21. whole

22. pros

23. used

24. them

25. round