News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Mobile Phones
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Mobile Phones For Children

There is a new product in the stores for kids. Parents are not going to be happy. It is the Firefly phone. It looks like a toy but can make and receive real calls. It is child’s play to use. It has just five buttons and comes in many bright colours. The makers say children from as young as three years old can use the Firefly. One of the phone’s functions is that it can make a direct call to a parent. This may be useful if a child is in trouble and is in a hurry to speak to mum or dad. Maybe next will come baby phones!

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I don’t think it’s such a good idea for a three-year-old to have a phone. Whatever next? Will technology companies make computers for children? There could be all kinds of problems if children have phones. Some parents will definitely get a shock when they get their phone bill. They will know who made calls to countries on the other side of the world. Buying a phone for a child is a waste of money. Children always lose things. I know a few kids who would break this Firefly phone in a minute. It’s a very silly idea.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a new product	a.	colours
2	make and	b.	trouble
3.	bright	c.	hurry
4.	make a	d.	in the stores
5.	a child is in	e.	receive real calls
6.	in a	f.	direct call

Paragraph 2

1.	it’s such a	a.	of problems
2	Whatever	b.	of money
3.	all kinds	c.	good idea
4.	get	d.	bill
5.	phone	e.	next?
6.	a waste	f.	a shock

LISTENING GAP FILL

There is ___________________ the stores for kids. Parents are not going to be happy. It is the Firefly phone. It looks like a toy but can ___________________ real calls. It is child’s play to use. It has just five buttons and ___________________ bright colours. The makers say children ___________________ three years old can use the Firefly. One of the phone’s functions is that it can ___________________ to a parent. This may be useful if a child is in trouble ___________________ speak to mum or dad. Maybe next will come baby phones!

I don’t think it’s ___________________ for a three-year-old to have a phone. ___________________? Will technology companies make computers for children? There ___________________ of problems if children have phones. Some parents will definitely ___________________ they get their phone bill. They will know who made calls to countries on the ___________________ world. Buying a phone for a child is a waste of money. Children always lose things. ___________________ who would break this Firefly phone in a minute. It’s a very silly idea.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

There is a new (1) ____ in the stores for kids. Parents are not going to be happy. It is the Firefly phone. It looks like a toy but can make and (2) ____ real calls. It is child’s play to use. It has just five buttons and comes in many (3) ____ colours. The makers say children from as young as three years old can use the Firefly. One of the phone’s functions is that it can make a (4) ____ call to a parent. This may be useful if a child is in trouble and is in a (5) ____ to speak to mum or dad. Maybe next will come baby phones!

I don’t think it’s such a (6) ____ idea for a three-year-old to have a phone. Whatever next? Will technology companies (7) ____ computers for children? There could be all kinds of problems if children have phones. Some parents will definitely get a (8) ____ when they get their phone bill. They will know who made calls to countries on the (9) ____ side of the world. Buying a phone for a child is a waste of money. Children always lose things. I know a few kids who would break this Firefly phone (10) ____ a minute. It’s a very silly idea.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	produce	(b)	product	(c)	production
2.	(a)	receive	(b)	present	(c)	create
3.	(a)	brightness	(b)	bright	(c)	brightly
4.	(a)	directly	(b)	direction	(c)	direct
5.	(a)	hurry up	(b)	hurried	(c)	hurry
6.	(a)	good	(b)	well	(c)	best
7.	(a)	turn on	(b)	make	(c)	construct
8.	(a)	shocking	(b)	shocked	(c)	shock
9.	(a)	another	(b)	other	(c)	others
10.	(a)	in	(b)	on	(c)	at

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a new uocptrd
2.	be ppayh
3.	five stnubto
4.	One of the phone’s untsnfcoi
5.	make a dteirc call
6.	a child is in euoltrb
Paragraph 2
7.	vaWeerth next?
8.	all kinds of psoelrmb
9.	get a hscok
10.	on the ehtro side of the world
11.	a aetws of money
12.	a very llyis idea

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 1 )	There is a new product in the stores for kids. Parents are not going to be
( )	as three years old can use the Firefly. One of the phone’s functions is that it can make a direct call to a
( )	companies make computers for children? There could be all kinds of problems if children have
( )	happy. It is the Firefly phone. It looks like a toy but can make and receive real calls. It is child’s play to
( )	kids who would break this Firefly phone in a minute. It’s a very silly idea.
( )	use. It has just five buttons and comes in many bright colours. The makers say children from as young
( )	phones. Some parents will definitely get a shock when they get their phone bill. They will know who made calls to countries
( )	parent. This may be useful if a child is in trouble and is in a hurry to speak to mum or dad. Maybe next will come baby phones!
( )	I don’t think it’s such a good idea for a three-year-old to have a phone. Whatever next? Will technology
( )	on the other side of the world. Buying a phone for a child is a waste of money. Children always lose things. I know a few

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	stores new product There in is the a.
2.	Parents happy be to going not are.
3.	child’s to is play use It.
4.	three as young as from Children old years
5.	Useful a is trouble if child in
6.	such I a don’t good think idea it’s.
7.	problems of kinds all be could There.
8.	Parents definitely a will get shock.
9.	side Countries of on the the world other.
10.	phone Firefly this break would who Kids.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about mobile phones for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about mobile phones. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about mobile phones. Include imaginary interviews with two people, one who hates mobiles, the other who loves them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a child. Ask him/her three questions about mobile phones. Give him/her three of your opinions on mobile phones and children. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Mobile Phones (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)