Page 83 - OPIC-Advanced

Answer B:
Chatting on the phone has all its pros and cons. The phone is a little gadget that makes things
accessible in an instant, but it is also quite addicting. Let me tell you about its advantages first.
First, it saves time. By using a phone, you can save yourself from all the traffic and pollution just
to get to a friend’s house. Simply dial the numbers, and presto, you can talk with a friend on
the line! This not only saves time but also money. I also use the phone to solve problems. I had
this defect on my computer once, but I didn’t have the time to bring it to a service center. What
did I do? I just called a techie friend, and he told me the nuts and bolts on how to fix the thing.
With a little chitchat on the phone, you can never go wrong. However, too much chatting on the
phone poses a threat. You see, with all the conveniences it offers, one can always get addicted
to it. Take for example a friend of mine. She spends hours talking on the phone. She forgot how
time went, thus forgetting all the chores she needed to do. Afterwards, she not only had to cram,
but she also had to spend a large sum of money to pay the bill. Overall, chatting on the phone
may have advantages, but overdoing it can affect your life badly.

Points to emphasize in answering:
Introduce the advantages and disadvantages of chatting on the phone.
[example: The phone is a little gadget that makes things accessible in an instant,
but it is also quite addicting.]

Tell about the advantages first.
[example: First, it saves time.]
- Give details.
[example: Simply dial the numbers, and presto, you can talk with a friend on the line!]
- Cite some examples to support it.
[example: I had this defect on my computer once, but I didn’t have the time to
bring it to a service center.]

Discuss the disadvantages.
[example: However, too much chatting on the phone poses a threat.]
- Give details.
[example: one can always get addicted to it.]
- Cite some examples to support it.
[example: Take for example a friend of mine. She spends hours talking on the phone.]

Conclude the discussion.

Vocabulary

pros and cons - advantages and disadvantages
gadget - device
presto - an exclamation to denote something instant
defect - problem; flaw
techie - knowing much about technology
nuts and bolts - basics
chitchat - chat
cram - do things fast in a limited time

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