More Than a Smiley Face
B2 First · Open Cloze · Cambridge Ready original exercise
For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning.
It is hard to imagine a text message today without at (0) ___ one emoji. These little pictures have become part (1) ___ the way we communicate, and some people now use them almost as often (2) ___ words. Supporters say that emojis help to make up (3) ___ something that written messages lack: tone of voice. A short reply such (4) ___ 'Fine.' can seem cold or even angry, but add a smiling face and it immediately sounds friendlier. However, emojis can also lead to misunderstandings. The same picture can mean one thing to a teenager and something quite different to their grandparents, (5) ___ may read a friendly symbol as a rude one. Context matters too. Few people would want to receive a serious message from their bank (6) ___ a laughing face at the end of it. Like any language, emojis work best when both sides understand each (7) ___ . They will never replace words altogether, but they are clearly here (8) ___ stay.
More Than a Smiley Face
Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.