READING COMPREHENSION: MOBILE MANIA SPREADS

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MOBILE MANIA SPREADS as PHONES BECOME the MUST-HAVE GADGET 

By Robert Uhlig, technology correspondent 

1 More than 24 million Britons now own a mobile phone, according to statistics released yesterday. The growth is expected to accelerate in the next few years as the mobile phone overtakes the personal computer as the most used method of accessing the Internet. No longer a tool only of well-heeled travelling executives and plumbers, the mobile phone is now as likely to be found in school satchels and shopping bags as in briefcases. 

2 According to Vodafone, the market leader, of the 24 million cellphones in use, 11.9 million are prepaid, many of which are now used by teenagers. Schools have even taken to banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms and playgrounds. 

3 The pre-pay services, using phone cards, have proved the most popular with phone users keen to keep their bills under control. The advent of 'pay-as-you-go' schemes has brought the mobile phone to millions who could not previously afford one or failed the necessary credit ratings. The average pre-pay customer spends £198 a year whereas the typical business customer receives a bill of £556 a year. 

4 Around 40 percent of Britons now have a mobile, but by the end of next year, analysts expect the figure to increase by at least half. Even then, we will lag behind Finland, where 71 percent of people own a cellphone. 

5 Already, analysts are predicting that within a few years more people will actually watch the six o'clock news or Match of the Day on their mobile phone than on television. The phone networks say more people are already using their mobiles at six o'clock each evening than the BBC claims are watching its evening news bulletin. 

6 In recent years, a new technology called WAP, which enables the Internet to be viewed on a cellphone screen, was introduced. Now, almost all mobiles will be WAP phones. Mike Caldwell, of Vodafone, said: 'The average person will not realise it is the Internet that is coming to them on their mobile phone. They'll just use it to watch what they think is television.' 

Read the article and circle the best answer, (a, b, c or d), according to the text. 

1 Why is the number of users of mobile phones expected to go up so much?

 a) They are going to become cheaper. 

 b) They will be more popular amongst teenagers. 

 c) Phones will be used to connect with the Internet.

 d) They are so convenient.

2 Who used to be main users of mobile phones?

 a) Internet users. 

 b) Self-employed and business people. 

 c) People with very big incomes. 

 d) People who travelled a lot. 

3 Why have pre-pay phone cards increased the number of users? 

 a) The phone calls are cheaper. 

 b) They are more convenient. 

 c) Bills tend to be lower. 

 d) Users have to pay before making calls. 

4 What link is there between mobile phones and television? 

 a) People often use their phones during the six o'clock news. 

 b) Third generation mobiles will show live TV programmes from the Internet. 

 c) The new generation of phones will be much smaller than earlier ones. 

 d) Mobiles are good for watching the news and sports programmes. 

5 'well-heeled' in line 6 means

a) technologically competent. 

b) fashionable. 

c) tired of travel. 

d) quite wealthy. 

KEY

1. C 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. D