Students at a school had to give up their smartphones for a project. They used simple phones that could only call and text. This project was to see how much they rely on their smartphones. It showed that many young people depend a lot on their phones. The project made them think about how they use their phones every day.

Some students liked not having their smartphones. They felt free without social media and notifications. Others found it hard because the simple phones didn’t have many features. This project made everyone think about how smartphones affect their lives. It also made them wonder if they use their phones too much.

Original news source: College students on life without a smartphone (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Word Association
Instructions: Have the students sit in a circle. Choose a word from the article, for example “smartphones.” The first student says a word that is associated with smartphones, for example “technology.” The next student must say a word associated with the previous word, for example “computers.” Continue going around the circle, with each student saying a word that is associated with the previous word. If a student cannot think of a word, they are out of the game. The game continues until there is only one student left.

– Charades
Instructions: Write down different actions or activities related to smartphones on separate pieces of paper, for example “texting” or “taking a selfie.” Divide the students into two teams. One student from each team comes to the front of the class. Show them a piece of paper with an action or activity written on it, but don’t let the other students see it. The two students must act out the action or activity without speaking, and their team must guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue with different students and actions until all the papers have been used.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen. Choose a word from the article, for example “rely.” One student must draw a picture that represents the word, while the other student tries to guess what it is. After a certain amount of time, switch roles and choose a new word. Each pair gets a point for every word they guess correctly.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Give each student a few minutes to think about the following question: “How does your smartphone affect your life?” Then, have the students pair up and share their thoughts with each other. After discussing, bring the class back together and ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole group. Encourage students to ask questions or provide feedback on their classmates’ ideas.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student think of two true statements and one false statement related to the topic of smartphones. For example, “I use my smartphone to check social media every day” or “I have never lost my smartphone.” Each student takes turns sharing their three statements, and the rest of the class must guess which statement is the lie. This activity encourages students to practice speaking and listening skills, while also learning more about their classmates’ experiences with smartphones.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the students have to give up for the project?
2. What could the simple phones only do?
3. Why did the students have to give up their smartphones?
4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
5. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
6. What did the project make everyone think about?
7. What did the project make the students wonder?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Students at a school had to give up their (1)______ for a project. They used simple phones that could only call and text. This project was to see how (2)______ they rely on their smartphones. It showed that many young (3)______ depend a lot on their phones. The project (4)______ them think about how they use their phones every day.

Some (5)______ liked not having their smartphones. They felt free without social (6)______ and notifications. Others found it hard because the simple phones didn’t have (7)______ features. This project made everyone think about how smartphones affect their (8)______. It also made them wonder if they use their phones too much.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a smartphone? Why do people use smartphones?
2. How would you feel if you had to give up your smartphone for a project?
3. Do you like using social media on your smartphone? Why or why not?
4. What are some features that smartphones have? Do you think simple phones are better or worse than smartphones? Why?
5. How do smartphones affect our lives? Do you think they make our lives better or worse? Why or why not?
6. Do you rely on your smartphone a lot? Why or why not?
7. How did the students feel when they didn’t have their smartphones? Did they feel free or did they feel like something was missing? Why?
8. Do you think young people depend too much on their smartphones? Why or why not?
9. How do you use your smartphone every day? What do you use it for?
10. Do you think it’s important to have a smartphone? Why or why not?
11. What do you think about the project that the students did? Do you think it was a good idea? Why or why not?
12. How do you think your life would be different if you didn’t have a smartphone?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. project
2. rely
3. notifications
4. features
5. affect
6. depend
7. smartphones
8. social media
9. simple
10. wonder

Meanings:
(A) To need something to work or live
(B) Special things that something can do
(C) To need someone or something to help you
(D) To change or make a difference to something
(E) Websites and apps where people share and talk to each other
(F) Phones that can do many things like take pictures and go online
(G) A special task or job to do
(H) Messages that pop up on your phone
(I) Easy to understand or do
(J) To think about something and be curious
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the students have to give up for the project?
(a) Their smartphones
(b) Their laptops
(c) Their tablets
(d) Their video games

2. What could the simple phones only do?
(a) Take pictures and play games
(b) Call and text
(c) Access social media and browse the internet
(d) Watch movies and listen to music

3. What did the project aim to find out?
(a) How much the students rely on their laptops
(b) How much the students rely on their tablets
(c) How much the students rely on their smartphones
(d) How much the students rely on their video games

4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
(a) Bored without social media and notifications
(b) Free without social media and notifications
(c) Angry without social media and notifications
(d) Sad without social media and notifications

5. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
(a) Because the simple phones had too many features
(b) Because the simple phones were too big
(c) Because the simple phones were too small
(d) Because the simple phones didn’t have many features

6. What did the project make everyone think about?
(a) How laptops affect their lives
(b) How tablets affect their lives
(c) How video games affect their lives
(d) How smartphones affect their lives

7. What did the project make the students wonder?
(a) If they use their laptops too much
(b) If they use their tablets too much
(c) If they use their phones too much
(d) If they use their video games too much

8. What did the students use instead of their smartphones?
(a) Simple phones
(b) Smartwatches
(c) Smart TVs
(d) Smart speakers

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Others found it hard because the simple phones didn’t have many features.
2. This project was to see how much they rely on their smartphones.
3. They felt restricted without social media and notifications.
4. They used basic phones that could only call and text.
5. Students at a school had to give up their smartphones for a project.
6. It showed that many young people depend a lot on their phones.
7. Some students disliked not having their smartphones.
8. This project made everyone ignore how smartphones affect their lives.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did the students have to give up for the project?
2. What could the simple phones that the students used only do?
3. How did the project make the students feel about their smartphones?
4. Why did some students find it hard to not have their smartphones?
5. What did the project make the students think about?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did the students have to give up for the project?
The students had to give up their smartphones for the project.

2. What could the simple phones only do?
The simple phones could only call and text.

3. Why did the students have to give up their smartphones?
The students had to give up their smartphones to see how much they rely on them.

4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
Some students felt free without their smartphones.

5. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
Some students found it hard without their smartphones because the simple phones didn’t have many features.

6. What did the project make everyone think about?
The project made everyone think about how smartphones affect their lives.

7. What did the project make the students wonder?
The project made the students wonder if they use their phones too much.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) smartphones
(2) much
(3) people
(4) made
(5) students
(6) media
(7) many
(8) lives
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. project
Answer: (G) A special task or job to do

2. rely
Answer: (C) To need someone or something to help you

3. notifications
Answer: (H) Messages that pop up on your phone

4. features
Answer: (B) Special things that something can do

5. affect
Answer: (D) To change or make a difference to something

6. depend
Answer: (A) To need something to work or live

7. smartphones
Answer: (F) Phones that can do many things like take pictures and go online

8. social media
Answer: (E) Websites and apps where people share and talk to each other

9. simple
Answer: (I) Easy to understand or do

10. wonder
Answer: (J) To think about something and be curious
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the students have to give up for the project?
Answer: (a) Their smartphones

2. What could the simple phones only do?
Answer: (b) Call and text

3. What did the project aim to find out?
Answer: (c) How much the students rely on their smartphones

4. How did some students feel without their smartphones?
Answer: (b) Free without social media and notifications

5. Why did some students find it hard without their smartphones?
Answer: (d) Because the simple phones didn’t have many features

6. What did the project make everyone think about?
Answer: (d) How smartphones affect their lives

7. What did the project make the students wonder?
Answer: (c) If they use their phones too much

8. What did the students use instead of their smartphones?
Answer: (a) Simple phones
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Others found it hard because the simple phones didn’t have many features. (Answer: True)
2. This project was to see how much they rely on their smartphones. (Answer: True)
3. They felt restricted without social media and notifications. (Answer: False)
4. They used basic phones that could only call and text. (Answer: False)
5. Students at a school had to give up their smartphones for a project. (Answer: True)
6. It showed that many young people depend a lot on their phones. (Answer: True)
7. Some students disliked not having their smartphones. (Answer: False)
8. This project made everyone ignore how smartphones affect their lives. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧