Cell phones, or mobile phones, are becoming more popular around the world as a preferred form of communication, but can you find a cheap calling plan that will fit your budget? What do you look for when deciding on a cell phone or a phone carrier (e.g., cost of phone, number of minutes a month, cancellation fees, etc.)?

HELPFUL TIP: Cell phones are now a part of everyday life. Be sure to compare phone plans before you make a long-term commitment; otherwise, you might be paying for a long time.

Listen to the conversation by pressing the “Play Audio” button and answer the questions. Press the “Final Score” button to check your quiz.

Daughter: Dad. You love me, don’t you?
Father: Of course, I do. Why do you ask . . . Ah, what’s on your mind?

Daughter: Well, I saw this great offer for a free cell phone here in the newspaper, and . . .

Father: Free? Nothing’s ever free.

Daughter: Well, the phone is free . . . after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Father: Ah, so that’s the catch. And why do you need a cell phone anyway?

Daughter: Dad. All my friends have one, and I can use it to call you in case the car breaks down.

Father: Ah, I don’t know. There are always so many fee.

Daughter: But the monthly charge for this service is only $29.99, with 1,000 free weekday minutes nationwide, and unlimited weekend minutes. Plus, unlimited, anytime minutes for anyone using the same service.

Father: I don’t know.

Daughter: And you can roll over the extra minutes to the next month instead of just losing them. What do you think of that?

Father: Yeah, but what is the term of the service agreement?

Daughter: It’s only for six months.

Father: But what if you cancel early?

Daughter: Um . . . Ah, there’s a cancellation fee of $200, but with . . .

Father: Two hundred bucks!

Daughter: Yeah, but you won’t have to worry about me while I’m driving the new car.

Father: New car? What new car?

Daughter: The new car you’ll need to buy so I can use the cell phone. I mean, what’s is gonna look like if I’m using a cell phone in our old lemon.

Father: Teenagers. What’ll they think of next?.

Listen to the key vocabulary and sample sentences:

• rebate (noun): a refund of part of all of the amount paid
  - The company offers a fifty-dollar rebate on the purchase of a new cellphone.
• catch (noun): a hidden drawback or disadvantage
  - So, there must be a catch to buying this cellphone. I mean, why would the company offer it for free?
• in case (adverb): in the event that
  - Bring your phone in case we need to call for help.
• fee (noun): cost, the amount of money you have to pay for something
  - There are always a number of fees you have to pay when buying a car.
• charge (noun, also a verb): fee, the amount of money you have to pay for something or (as a verb), require someont to pay money for a product or service
  - The store charged me too much for the cell phone, so I’m going to return it.
• nationwide (adverb and adjective): happening around the nation or country
  - The cell phone company is promoting their services nationwide.
  - That company offers nationwide cell phone coverage.
• roll over (phrasal verb): transfer or carry over
  - This is one of the few companies that allows you to roll over your minutes to the next month without losing them.
• term (noun): period of time
  - Over the long term, buying a high-quality phone might make the most financial sense.
• lemon (noun): a defective automobile
  - I bought a used car at a really good price, but it turned out to be a lemon.