Answer Keys :: Vocabulary

Reading Passage 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

It is in everyone’s pocket and we feel ill-at-ease when it is not. The ubiquitous mobile phone. The world of technology has come a long way since the first mobile phone was invented in 1973. Bulky and awkward to use at first to the sleek and powerful smartphones of today, the evolution of the mobile phone has been rapid and impressive. To celebrate its fiftieth birthday we will explore the history of mobile phones and how they have changed the way we communicate. We will also look at some of the most popular smartphones on the market today and how they are revolutionizing the way we interact with the world around us.

The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was the first cellular phone that general public could buy. It was released in 1983, and it was also the first mobile phone to meet the FCC’s stringent requirements for mobile phone use. The phone was designed to be used with the Motorola Cellular Network, which was the first cellular network in the United States. It had a weight of 28 ounces, and it was 9 inches tall. It had a black and white LCD display, and it had a numeric keypad for dialing numbers. The phone had a battery life of up 30 minutes of talk time, and it could store 30 phone numbers in its memory. It also had a built-in speakerphone for hands-free conversations. Finally, it had an antenna that could be extended to improve reception, and came complete with a car charger compatibility. The phone was considered a luxury item at the time, and it cost around $3,995. It was a revolutionary device that changed the way people communicated and paved the way for the modern mobile phone.

The company that is credited to have made mobile phones affordable is Nokia. Contrary to popular belief, the company is not Japanese, but Finnish. The impact of Nokia on the mobile phone market has been immense. The company is responsible for introducing a number of innovative features, such as the first colour screens, the first mobile phone sporting a built-in camera, and the ability to access the internet. Nokia has also been instrumental in developing the technology behind 3G and 4G networks, allowing mobile phones to access high-speed data networks. Nokia has also had a major influence on the design direction in the industry. Its iconic Nokia 3310 was a huge hit when it was released in 2000 selling over 126 million units worldwide, and its appearance has been copied by many other manufacturers.

The most commercially successful mobile phone of all time is the renowned Apple iPhone. The iPhone was first released in 2007 and was an instant success. While it wasn’t the first smartphone, it introduced the concept of a multi-functional touchscreen that dominates the body of the phone with a minimal number of physical buttons. The idea of an app store where users could download thousands of apps redefined the industry of mobile software. The iPhone was so successful that it gave way to a whole new era of similar devices, and to this day it remains the dominant force on the market, shaping the phones of the future. It is no wonder that it has gone through over ten generations, each improving on almost every single technological aspect of the device. Small wonder that, largely thanks to the iPhone Apple became the most valuable company in the world.

The country that has the most cellphones per capita is the United Arab Emirates. This is mainly due to the country’s high disposable income as well as its strong infrastructure and connectivity. The UAE has been investing heavily in its telecoms sector, resulting in mobile networks and internet speeds that are among the highest. It has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world, with more than 200 million active subscribers, while also boasting the highest internet speeds. Finally, the UAE is a popular tourist destination that has millions of people visiting it every year. This means that the country has to keep up with the latest trends in mobile technology in order to meet the needs of its visitors.

Despite the indisputable advantages that cellphones offer, there is a number of drawbacks to be kept in mind. While many believe that one of the biggest risks is the radiation emitted by the gadget, statistics shows otherwise. People nowadays are too distracted to pay attention to their surroundings, which in some cases leads to serious injury or even death. The infamous “driving and texting” is the main culprit, leading to a staggering 1.6 million traffic accidents each year according to the National Safety Council. Another issue to consider is the increasing social isolation that mobile devices bring about. People nowadays prefer texting to face-to-face communication. Finally, with all the information such as credit card numbers and other sensitive data stored on our phones they potentially pose a very serious security threat – a fact that many people simply fail to realise.

Taking a look at today’s latest models, it is difficult to wrap your mind around what huge headway the technology has made. Modern devices are almost as powerful as full-fledged computers. The cameras can rival those of dedicated devices, the sound is crystal clear and the battery can last for days. Perhaps the real paradigm changer though is the fact how reliant we have grown on these little things and how much worse we would have been without them. It would definitely make us appreciate them more.

Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. Initially, mobile phones were considerably heavier than they are now
2. The first mobile phone was sold in 1973
3. Motorola pioneered the mobile phone market
4. The USA was the first country to have cellular network coverage
5. Motorola DynaTAC 8000X could be controlled using voice
6. Motorola introduced phone cameras to the market
7. Mobile access to the internet was only made possible by iPhone

Questions 8 and 9
According to the text, which TWO facts are true about the iPhone?

A it was the first phone with a touchscreen
B it was first to offer downloadable software
C the phone was immediately accepted by the public
D the phone only had one button
E it is a trend-setter of the industry

Questions 10-13
Using NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage, complete the summary

While mobile phones are indispensable in our daily lives they pose certain 10 ____ to the user. Even though many argue that it is 11 ____emitted by the device, the facts point at something entirely different.
The truth is one might get too 12 ____when talking on the phone or sending messages which can potentially lead to very serious consequences. 13 ____concern is another thing to keep in mind as phones store lots of sensitive data that can be easily compromised.

Click to download this IELTS Reading Worksheet in PDF.