English test 10th gradeTopic - Technology

A. Read the following introductions to five paragraphs of an opinion text about technology and organise them in a logical, coherent way. (A) Secondly, it is difficult to imagine in advance how new technology can be used. The fact is that it is difficult to avoid its being misused ...

(B) We are definitely suffering from the effects of technology. In this essay, I will say why we need technology in spite of some of its risks ...

(C) Technology by itself cannot solve our problems. First of all, it is neutral, neither good nor bad ...

(D) To sum up, I would say we should look at ways of using technology to tackle our worlds issues, rather than using it for mindless consumerism ...

(E) However, we cannot just reject technology because of this and go back to living simple lives ...

Sequence(______ ( ______ (______ ( ______ (______

B. Complete the text about teenagers reasons for sending text messages, using words/expressions from the list (1-9). Do not use the same word/expression more than once. Three of them do not apply. Write the number from the list next to the letter on the table below.

a)

b)c)d)e)f)

C. Match the two halves of the sentences in columns A and B.AB

1. Nowadays teenagers text a lot,

2. Many teenagers text during the night;

3. Technology can be useful

4. Experts are studying the consequences

of texting

5. Mobile phone companies offer

unlimited plans;a) even when they are in the classroom.

b) in order to control its risks.

c) however, their parents often ignore this.

d) therefore its easy for teenagers to text for free.

e) if teens use it appropriately.

1

2

3

4

5

D. Read the text.Texting Teenagers

5

10

15

20

They text late at night when their parents are asleep. They text in restaurants and while crossing busy streets. They text in the classroom with their hands behind their back. They text so much their thumbs hurt.The phenomenon is beginning to worry physicians and psychologists, who say it is leading to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, stress and sleep deprivation. Sherry Turkle, a psychologist who has studied texting among teenagers, said it might be causing a change in the way adolescents develop. Two of the jobs of adolescence are to separate from your parents, and to find the peace and quiet to become the person you decide you want to be, she said. Texting hits directly at both those jobs.

Psychologists expect to see teenagers break free from their parents as they grow into autonomous adults, but if technology makes something like staying in touch very, very easy, thats harder to do. As for peace and quiet, Turkle said, If something next to you is vibrating every couple of minutes, it makes it very difficult to be in that state of mind. The pressure to answer immediately is quite high. So if youre in the middle of a thought, forget it.Michael Hausauer, a psychotherapist, said teenagers had an interest in knowing whats going on in the lives of their peers, coupled with a terrific anxiety about being out of the loop. For that reason, he said, the rapid rise in texting has potential for great benefit and great harm. Texting can be an enormous tool, he said. It offers companionship and the promise of connectedness. At the same time, texting can make a youngster feel frightened and overly exposed.The pediatrician Martin Joffe says parents are less aware of texting than of video game playing or computer use. Still, some parents are starting to take measures. Greg Hardesty, a reporter in California, said that last year his 13-year-old daughter, Reina, racked up 14 528 texts in one month. When her grades fell precipitously, her parents took the phone away. Yet Reina said there was an element of hypocrisy in all this: her mother, too, is hooked on the cellphone she carries in her purse. When this happens, teens feel they are being punished for behavior in which their parents indulge. Professor Turkle explained.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?_r=0 (abridged and adapted)

1. Pay attention to the repetition of they text in the first paragraph. Who is the author referring to? ___________________________________________________________2. Identify five consequences of texting mentioned in the text. _______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________3. Complete the following sentences using the information given in paragraph 3.

a) Teenagers wont be able to become autonomous __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

b) The constant interference from the SMS teenagers send and receive disturbs ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________.4. According to Michael Hausauer, what are the advantages of texting?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________5. Identify the idea each of the following expressions. Choose the best option.1.hits directly (l. 8)

a) affects

b) helps

c) shoots

2.break free (l. 9)a) go away

b) become dependent

c) become independent

3.coupled with (l. 15)a) married to

b) two more people

c) in addition to4.being out of the loop (l. 15)a) to know everything

b) not to know what is going on

c) to keep up with the latest gossip

5.racked up (l. 21)a) received

b) accumulated

c) sentt

6.hooked on (l. 23)a) in love withb) addicted toc) connected to

6. What do the following words refer to?1. who (l. 5) ___________________________________4. It (l. 17) _____________________________________

2. you (l. 8) ___________________________________5. her (l. 22) ____________________________________

3. their (l. 9) ___________________________________6. in which (l. 24) _______________________________

Vocabulary and Reading

According to the Pew Internet Project survey (2010), _a)_ of the teenagers interviewed (83%) mention catching up with friends as the main reason why they send and receive text messages several times a day or at least once a day. However, 13% say that they _b)_ do it (once a month).

Most teens say they use text messaging to say where they are or to know someone elses whereabouts. Over _c)_ (28%) say they check in with their parents or friends several times a day and 24% do so a little less _d)_, i.e., once a day.

Only _e)_ of teens (11%) use text messaging to do things related to their school work several times a day.

About 24% of texting teens _f)_ use text messaging to talk about important personal matters (a couple of times a week).

Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project Surveys, 27.09.2010 (adapted)

1. all

2. a minority

3. a quarter

4. the majority

5. always

6. daily

7. frequently

8. occasionally

9. rarely

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