B2Reading and Use of EnglishPart 6
Gapped text
You are going to read an article. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
On the first Monday of last month, I caught myself checking my phone while the kettle was still boiling. It wasn’t an emergency; it was just a habit. I had promised myself I would read more and sleep better, yet my screen time report suggested the opposite. So I decided to try a 30-day “digital declutter” to see what would change.
I didn’t want to become someone who refuses technology completely, because that would never last. Instead, I chose a simpler goal: keep the useful apps, but stop the automatic scrolling.
Once I wrote the list, I noticed a pattern: the “useful” apps usually had a clear purpose, while the others just offered endless updates.
On day one, I turned off most notifications. At first, the silence felt strange, as if I’d forgotten something important. However, after a few hours I realised how often my attention had been interrupted.
That evening I cooked dinner more slowly, and I even listened to the whole song on the radio instead of skipping it.
The next step was setting “phone-free” times. I chose breakfast and the last hour before bed, because those were moments when I wanted to be calmer. The first few mornings were difficult. I kept reaching for the phone and then remembering my own rule.
Later, I replaced the habit with something small, like making tea or writing down three things I needed to do.
Of course, the biggest challenge wasn’t the phone itself; it was what I used it for. Social media was the main problem, because it was designed to keep me there. I didn’t delete my accounts, but I removed the apps from my home screen and logged out each time.
Nevertheless, I still had days when I fell back into old behaviour, especially when I was tired.
Something unexpected happened in the second week: boredom returned. I had forgotten how long a bus journey could feel without constant entertainment. Yet that boredom was also useful, because it pushed me to notice my surroundings. I started carrying a paperback again, and I looked out of the window more.
Moreover, I found myself having more real conversations, because I wasn’t half-listening while reading messages.
By the final week, the experiment felt less like a challenge and more like a routine. My screen time didn’t drop to zero, and it didn’t need to. What changed was the feeling of control. I still used maps, music and group chats, but I stopped treating every quiet moment as a problem to solve with a screen.
After thirty days, I didn’t become a different person, but I did become someone who chooses when to connect.
If you’re thinking of trying a digital declutter, start small and make it realistic. Turn off a few notifications, set one phone-free time, and pay attention to how you feel. Then adjust the rules, because they should work for your life, not against it. The real goal isn’t perfection; it’s making technology support your day instead of stealing it.
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