Text with multiple choice gaps B2

Read the text and choose the most appropriate answer from the drop-down menu.

If you ever asked someone for their mobile phone number and they said, “Sorry, I don’t own a mobile phone,” you (1) either that a) they are lying or b) they are crazy. (2) seems hard to believe that in this day and age there are people who don’t own a mobile phone, but (3), those people exist, and I am one of them.

But why would somebody in their right mind decide to do something so contrary to (4) society deems so essential? In my case, it was more by accident than (5) . 

One day I forgot my incredibly expensive phone in a bar and it just (6). Then, as a way of punishing myself for such a terrible mistake, I decided not to get a new one for some time.

(7)  a phone, I became fully aware of the extent to which such a small device rules our daily actions. My hand had to reach into my pocket hundreds of times before learning that there wasn’t a phone (8) in it. 

 It was the first stage of my detox. Every 30 minutes or so, I was desperate to check what (9) in the world for the last 30 minutes –that was how often I (10) my phone before losing it.

Little (11) that you can get separation anxiety from a machine.

In stage two I began to fill the void left by my phone with the simple little habits that we all used to have before our phones took (12) our lives. I started making uninterrupted eye contact when someone was talking to me, or making small talk with my co-workers, or looking through the window when travelling on the train, or even asking for directions and looking around while I was walking.

By the end of this second stage, I was still suffering from axiety, but that didn't prevent (13) that there was a whole world in front of me which I had never appreciated, because I had always been looking down.

In the third and final stage I got rid of my anxiety. Now I started to really enjoy my new-found freedom, the contemplative moments, the social interactions, the sunshine, the fresh air. I'm still in that stage, and I'm determined to continue in in for as long as I enjoy it, which I don't think is going to end any time soon. I should have (14) a long time ago, I had been missing out on so many things. 

The only problem now is that while I have opened my eyes, everybody around me is still looking at the world through their touchscreen, and it can sometimes be annoying for outsiders like me. I wish phones (15) invented.

The only problem now is that while I have opened my eyes, everybody around me is still looking at the world through their touchscreen, and it can sometimes be annoying for outsiders like me. I wish phones (15) invented.