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Grade 8 (A2) · Opinion article · 198 words

Leave the Phone at Home

An opinion article by a student who was first angry about the ban on phones during the school trip and then changed her mind.

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Leave the Phone at Home — by Lily Ben-David, 8th grade

1Next month our grade is going on a three-day trip to the Galilee. Last week, the school announced a new rule: no phones on the trip. Many students were , and so was I at first. But after thinking about it, I have changed my mind. I believe the rule is a good one.

2First of all, a school trip is a chance to be together. On our last trip, half of the bus was looking at screens instead of at the or at each other. Without phones, we will talk, sing and play games — the things we will actually remember.

3Second, phones can cause problems. Students take photos of others without asking and share them. Somebody always feels left out of a group chat. On a trip, where everyone sleeps and eats together, these problems become even bigger.

4Of course, parents . They want to know that their children are safe. But the teachers will have phones, and they will send and pictures to the parents every evening. In an , parents can call the teachers directly.

5Three days without a phone is not a . It is a gift. Let's give it a try.

📘 Glossary
  • upset - unhappy or angry
  • view - what you can see from a place
  • left out - not included
  • worry - to feel afraid that something bad may happen
  • updates - new pieces of news
  • emergency - a sudden dangerous situation
  • punishment - something unpleasant you get for doing wrong

Questions

  1. Finding details

    1. What new rule did the school announce?

  2. Making inferences

    2. How did Lily feel about the rule at first?

  3. Fact, opinion and stance

    3. What is Lily's opinion now?

  4. Finding details

    4. According to paragraph 2, what will students do on the trip without phones?

  5. Reference words

    5. In paragraph 3, "these problems" refers to…

  6. Finding details

    6. How will parents know that their children are safe?

  7. Purpose and structure

    7. Why does Lily write about parents' worries in paragraph 4?

  8. Word meaning

    8. In the last paragraph, Lily calls three days without a phone "a gift". She means it is…

  9. Main idea

    9. What is the main idea of the article?

Answer every question to get a score (0/9)

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