The mobile phone

People (1) ______ of having a personal means of communication for a long time. In the late 1960s, the idea (2) ______ so far in the future that it (3) ______ in the science fiction series, Star Trek. Since the 1980s, however, mobiles (4) ______ a part of everyday life. Although they (5) _______ initially seen as status symbol for successful business people, mobile use (6) ______ to include practically everyone in the developed world, old and young alike. The impact on social life (7) _______ enormous. We have got used to the idea of having constantly changing social plans, where a quick phone call is all it takes to rearrange things. Before this was possible, there were many occasions when friends who (8) _______ to meet completely (9) ______each other because of a slight misunderstanding. People would often have to make very careful arrangements to be sure of meeting up. As mobiles (10) ______ more popular, so they (11) ______ more powerful. The large, unreliable mobile phone of the 1980s (12) ______ into the small, stylish camera phone of today.