Everyone knows what they are!

You can see emoticons on

whatsapps, in email messages, in chatrooms, on t-shirts,
almost everywhere! However, the happy f ace, or smile,
which preceded the avalanche of emoticons, has been
around the decades. C harlie A lzamora, programme
director at a N ew York radio station, claims that in 1962
his station popularised the happy f ace by putting it on
sweatshirts that were then given away as promotional
items. However, D avid Stem of Seattle insists he invented Read the text and choose the
the smile in 1967. By the end of the 60s, happy f aces could correct option.
be seen everywhere in N orth A merica. But the jump to 1. Emoticons were preceded by
emoticons was apparently made in the early 80s, when smilies / promotional sweatshirts.
online bulletin boards fi rst appeared. I t was diffi cult at
times to know whether the messages posted there were 2. T hey fi rst became popular in the
serious, f unny or sarcastic, and so t his parallel f orm of 60s / 70s.
punctuation was developed, using regular keyboard
3. T hey were used to post messages
characters to express f eelings. A t present, thousands of
/ promote bulletin boards.
emoticons are listed on numerous websites and so many
new ones appear every day that it is impossible to keep 4. I n the text, they are compared to
track of them all. happy f aces / sarcastic messages.

C hoose the sentence that best expresses the main idea in each of these passages.

1. C harlie A lzamora, program director at a N ew York radio station, claims that in 1962 his station
popularised the happy f ace by putting it on sweatshirts that were then given away as promotional
items.
a. C harlie A lzamora created the happy f ace f or promotional purposes.
b. A radio station in N ew York used the happy f ace f or promotional purposes.
2. I t was diffi cult at times to know whether the messages posted there were serious, f unny or
sarcastic, and so this parallel f orm of punctuation was developed, using regular keyboard
characters to express f eelings.
a. Emoticons were used to help users post messages.
b. Emoticons were developed to clarif y messages.

C omplete the following sentences with too, enough or not … enough

and the adjective in brackets.
1. U se another emoticon. T his one is _________________________________ (conf using).
2. T hese days, young people are __________________________________ (impatient) to
write letter.
3. Some people claim that whatsapps are ________________________________ (clear).
4. T his system is __________________________________ (complex) to be really usef ul.
5. M any people popularised emoticons because they were _________________________
(clever) to realise their potential.
Everyone knows what they are! You can see emoticons on
whatsapps, in email messages, in chatrooms, on t-shirts,
almost everywhere! H owever, the happy f ace, or smile,
which preceded the avalanche of emoticons, has been
around the decades. C harlie A lzamora, programme
director at a N ew York radio station, claims that in 1962
his station popularised the happy f ace by putting it on
sweatshirts that were then given away as promotional
items. H owever, D avid Stem of Seattle insists he invented Read the text and choose the
the smile in 1967. By the end of the 60s, happy f aces could correct option.
be seen everywhere in N orth A merica. But the jump to 1. Emoticons were preceded by
emoticons was apparently made in the early 80s, when smilies / promotional sweatshirts.
online bulletin boards fi rst appeared. It was diffi cult at
times to know whether the messages posted there were 2. T hey fi rst became popular in the
serious, f unny or sarcastic, and so this parallel f orm of 60s / 70s.
punctuation was developed, using regular keyboard
3. T hey were used to post messages
characters to express f eelings. A t present, thousands of
/ promote bulletin boards.
emoticons are listed on numerous websites and so many
new ones appear every day that it is impossible to keep 4. I n the text, they are compared to
track of them all. happy faces / sarcastic messages.

C hoose the sentence that best expresses the main idea in each of these passages.

1. C harlie A lzamora, program director at a N ew York radio station, claims that in 1962 his station
popularised the happy f ace by putting it on sweatshirts that were then given away as promotional
items.
a. C harlie A lzamora created the happy f ace f or promotional purposes.
b. A radio station in New York used the happy face for promotional purposes.
2. It was diffi cult at times to know whether the messages posted there were serious, f unny or
sarcastic, and so this parallel f orm of punctuation was developed, using regular keyboard
characters to express f eelings.
a. Emoticons were used to help users post messages.
b. Emoticons were developed to clarify messages.

C omplete the following sentences with too, enough or not … enough

and the adjective in brackets.
1. U se another emoticon. T his one is ______too confusing______ (conf using).
2. T hese days, young people are _______too impatient____________ (impatient) to
write letter.
3. Some people claim that whatsapps are ______not clear enough________ (clear).
4. T his system is ____too complex_________________ (complex) to be really usef ul.
5. M any people popularised emoticons because they were ___clever enough_______
(clever) to realise their potential.