READING AND VOCABULARY

MAD 4 MOBILES

Teenagers would rather use SMS text messaging to gossip about friends, a study shows.

Text messaging has become the main way teens communicate with friends, surpassing face-to-face contact, e-mail, and voice calling.

More than half of the 800 U.S. teenagers surveyed said they text on a daily basis to socialize and to chat with friends. Girls from 14 to 17 years old were the texting leaders, sending 100 messages a day. The youngest teenage boys were the least likely to text, and they send about 20 messages a day.

Overall, half of teens sent 50 or more messages each day, or 1,500 a month.

Analysis of the results showed one in seven became restless and irritable when they couldn't make phone calls.

Ninety per cent said they took their mobiles wherever they went. Seven per cent even said they would prefer to lose a job or relationship than give up their mobile.

'Getting phone calls can make you feel better about yourself - give you greater self-esteem,' Dr Sheffield said. 'Whereas not getting calls can make you feel down or less important.'

• Answer the following questions:

1. According to the study, what happens to teenagers when they can't make phone calls?
2. According to the text, how many sms texts are teenagers likely to send every day?
3. Is face-to-face communication the preferred one among teenagers? Why?

• Vocabulary.Find the words in the text which match with the definitions.

1. A report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people. _______
2. Abandon. ________________
3. Worried and uneasy. _________________
4. Every day. ________________
5. Within each other's sight or presence._____________
6. Including everything.______