Online friendships are quite easy, but in the real world things are much more difficult. There are no rules about friendship. There are no guidelines about how to make friends, how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on.

People also have very different opinions about friendship: some people would die for their friends and value them more than family. Others feel that friends are temporary. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to problems.

Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friends. We may want our relationship with them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships. 

(Get ready for IELTS)

Interviewer: Hello everybody! It’s Teenagers Round the World Channel. Our guest today is a teenager from Russia and we are going to discuss smartphones. We’d like to know our guest’s point of view on this issue. Please answer five questions. So, let’s get started.

Interviewer: When did you get your first smartphone? How did you feel when you got it?

Student: I got my first smartphone when I started primary school. I felt really happy and excited.

Interviewer: What do you mostly use your smartphone for?

Student: Mostly, I use my smartphone for social media. It’s a great way to keep up with friends.

Interviewer: What do you like most about having a smartphone?

Student: What I like most about having a smartphone is the convenience it offers. It allows me to stay connected with friends and family through calls, texts, and social media, no matter where I am.

Interviewer: What problems can teenagers have because of smartphones?

Student: Teenagers can have several problems because of smartphones. Sometimes, they spend too much time on their phones and don’t focus on school or real-life friends. It can also cause problems with sleep if they use phones late at night.

Interviewer: Do you think life would be difficult without a smartphone? Why or why not?

Student: Yes, I think life would be quite difficult without a smartphone. We use it for everything – staying in touch, finding information, and even studying. It makes daily life more convenient.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.

• explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
• mention the advantages (1–2) of the two types of pets;
• mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two types of pets;
• express your opinion on the subject of the project – say which type of pets presented in the pictures you’d prefer and why.

Hi Alex! I’ve found a couple of photos for our school project on pets in our lives. I’ll tell you more about them in this voice message as I can’t send them now, OK?

The first photo shows a child feeding a large parrot with seeds or nuts. The second photo is of a young man walking his pet dog in a park. Together, these two photos make an excellent choice for our project because they illustrate two different kinds of pets people can keep: one is an example of an exotic pet, while the other depicts a more common pet.

In terms of advantages and disadvantages, which we could discuss in our project, parrots are intelligent and social pets, and their talking abilities are just amazing! But they can be quite noisy and messy, which can be a problem.

On the other hand, dogs are great companions that offer protection, but they are quite costly pets to care for.

Personally, I’d prefer a dog as a pet because it would encourage me to stay active and live a healthy lifestyle.

Well, that’s all for now. What do you think about my choice of the photos? Let’s discuss later. Bye!