Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.

Why I Love My Digital Life

Let’s chat about my digital life.

London traffic is a nightmare. Hustling through the typical tailbacks and gridlock
experienced every day in the British capital, harried commuters are rushing home for dinner, and at
the same time, listening to radio updates in between the DJ’s banter and lively pop music. But I am
not one of the London commuters. I seat in my kitchen 6000 kilometres away, having my lunch and
tune in to the traffic updates in London. I was born in London, and though I don’t miss the traffic, I do
miss the culture. But technology brings London closer to me every time I start missing home. Then, I
visit my birthplace without leaving my house in Toronto.

That is what I love about my job as a freelance journalist. Being mostly technology-related, I
find myself getting to play with the latest gadgets and software long before they hit the market and the
layman gets to lay his hands on them.

Take the radio, for example. It is not just any radio, but a SoundBridge. A 5 by 25 centimetres
cylinder, it connects my sound system downstairs with the internet and with my desktop computer in
my office upstairs. I tune in to anywhere I like. I will listen to some jazz tonight; I love some hot salsa
from Miami over the weekend. I also tap into my CDs, which are already loaded into my computer and
pull up any artiste, album or playlist at a glance.

Such is my digital life and I love it. It is not just about having the latest toys. It is about
how much it really changes and enhances the way I work, rest and play. The only problem is that I
have to wait for everyone else to catch up and become excited about a new form of technology. Very
often, many of these things are not available in some of the places I have to be in, granted by the
nature of my work. Living in the future can be utterly frustrating in this case.

Besides, I have to deal with ‘geek envy’ every time I see someone with a piece of
technology that I don’t have and I want to get it for myself too. Take for example, Eddie, a smart
analyst mate in our team when we went to Shanghai last time for a mobile computing conference. He
had a Slingbox, a contraption that connected to his TV’s cable set-top box, from which he could pull
programming wherever he had internet access. We could watch our favourite sports team or get the
latest news from home. I decided then to get one too.

Yet another mate of mine has the tech-laden car of my dreams. I can only imagine what it
would be like to own one: while waiting at a drive-through restaurant for my order, I would tune in to
the local news or check the sports scores. I don’t have to worry about my children as they would be
on the latest version of PlayStation. And I need not stop to ask for directions – the GPS will do the
navigating!

Can technology make me happy? My answer is definitely a yes. I am happy that my dog,
Rusty, has a microchip implanted in her shoulder. If she gets lost, I can easily find her, thanks to
technology. My father too, is thrilled to stay in touch with his mates and relatives around the world.
And I can see and talk to my daughter, who is studying in Italy, by using my laptop, a webcam and
internet phone.

More than anything, technology has helped bring my mother to life. She passed away ten
years ago, but a digital picture frame has brought happy memories to my father. I loaded pictures of
Mum and Dad together into a slide show on the digital photo frame and gave it to Dad on his 78 th
birthday. It made him happy and I am happy because he is.

Many may resent the pressure that technology brings, but I cannot imagine life without it.

Adapted from : Reader’s Digest

A. Read the article quickly. Which sentence best summarises the article? Choose A, B, C or D.
A The writer depends on technology to feel close to home and to connect him to the latest news,
radio programmes and music.
B The writer helps teenagers understand the digital world they live in today and how to get the
best from technology.
C The writer describes technological inequality and issues related to unequal access to
technology.
D The writer explains how the exponential growth in technology has benefited his society.

B. Look at the highlighted words in the article and choose the correct meaning A or B.
1. resent
A to feel bitterness B to feel at ease
2. contraption
A device B method
3. tailbacks and gridlock
A rush hour B traffic jams
4. tune in
A to be aware of B to listen to
5. latest
A newest B hippest
6. implanted
A inserted B established
7. harried
A fortunate B distraught
8. freelance
A working independently B working part-time

C. Read the article again and write T for True, F for False or NM for Not Mentioned.
1. The writer is in London when he is commenting about London traffic.
2. The writer gets to use the latest gadgets and software long before they reach the market.
3. The writer would rather freelance from home than work in an office.
4. He knows his cat can be traced if lost, as she has a microchip implant.
5. More animals have been reclaimed because more owners are microchipping their pets.
6. SoundBridge can connect the writer’s sound system downstairs with the desktop computer in
his office upstairs.
7. The writer has loaded old pictures of his parents together into a digital photo frame and
presented it to his father to keep memories of his wife alive.
8. He has to deal with ‘geek envy’ every time he sees someone with a piece of technology that
he does not have.
D. Fill in the blanks with one suitable word from the article.

The writer loves his job as a freelance (1) ___________________ because he uses
technology, especially the latest (2) ______________ before they reach the market. His
SoundBridge (3) _________________ him to the internet and his computer in his office
upstairs. He can also select and listen to any radio channel or CDs (4) ________________
into his computer. With a microchip implanted in his dog’s (5) _____________________,
Rusty can be easily found if she gets lost. Besides, his family can communicate with other
family members and friends all around the world, while a (6) ___________________ photo
frame of his late mother can keep his father’s (7) ___________________ of her alive.
Technology has changed and improved the writer’s life tremendously.