The key answer of exercise 4
The key to exercise solutions in chapter 6e - Speaking skills for the textbook On Screen B1+/B2 - Student's Book with authors Virginia Evans and Jenny Dooley from Express Publishing
Question
Look at pictures A and B. Use phrases from the language box to compare and contrast the pictures and talk about the benefits of these means of communication.
Answer
- Pictures A shows a woman sitting in a large armchair with a phone to her ear and a laptop on her lap. She is smiling and she seems to be talking and typing at the same time. She could be surfing the Net or she may be shopping online.
- In picture B, I can see three teenage girls hanging out outdoors on some benches. They are smiling, laughing and talking. They may be at school or they may be in a park.
- Both pictures show people communicating in different ways. The girl in picture A is communicating using technology whereas the girls in picture B are using face-to-face communication. The girl in picture A is indoors whereas the girls in picture B are outdoors. Both pictures show girls, although picture A shows an individual whereas picture B shows a group.
- Communicating using technology allows people to communicate anywhere at any time. It also allows you to communicate with people in the comfort of your own home. However, it is rather impersonal and faceless.
- Face-to-face communication, on the other hand, allows people to form and build strong relationships. In addition, it allows people to communicate without misunderstandings because factors like facial expressions and body language can be seen and understood. However, face-to-face communication is not always possible or convenient so technology can help to communicate especially when there's some distance.