3. Read the text and choose the best answers. Underline the sentences in the text that helped you decide. 

1 What is Mike Owen doing today? 

a He is playing computer games. 

b He is watching a TV series from start to finish. 

c He is running a difficult race. 

d He is watching an interesting documentary on TV. 

2 According to the text, waiting for the next episode of a TV series can make viewers feel?

a anxious. 

b bored. 

c delighted 

d frightened. 

3 How much does it cost to use an online streaming service? 

a Nothing - it's free. 

b It depends on the film. 

c The same every month. 

d Users pay by the hour. 

4 Viewers who stream programmes 

a can leave the room during the adverts. 

b needn't receive phone calls. 

c mustn't get up in the middle of a film. 

d don't have to watch at particular times. 

5 What makes Mike choose to watch House of Cards today? 

a It only has thirteen episodes. 

b Many TV channels show it at the same time. 

c It was highly recognised as a huge success. 

d There is just one episode each week.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?

It's dark outside, but eighteen-year-old Mike Owen doesn't notice the time passing. Today, he's only doing one thing: sitting in front of his computer screen, watching all thirteen episodes of a TV drama. 

Binge-viewing - watching several episodes of a TV series in one sitting - is getting more and more popular. And it isn't hard to see why. In the past, viewers had to wait nervously between episodes of their favourite TV series, because they were usually broadcast only once a week. Each episode finished with a moment of suspense called a 'cliffhanger', and fans were often left for seven whole days wondering what would happen next. But all of this has changed with the technology of streaming. For a monthly subscription, viewers can choose films or programmes from an online streaming service, which they can view on their TV, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. 

This system has a number of advantages. Firstly, users can watch what they want when they want. Secondly, they can pause the film or programme so they can get a snack or answer the phone without missing the action. Thirdly, and most importantly for some, their viewing is not constantly interrupted by advertisements. 

Mike is watching a series called House of Cards, a political thriller starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Instead of introducing one episode a week, all thirteen chapters were streamed online at the same time. The series was extremely popular and won a number of awards. TV executives should take note of the show's success because the future of their own channels may be in danger.