listen this way1Unit 1 Can I take a Message?(Ⅰ)
Part Ⅰ Getting ready
With the development of science and technology, the telephone is becoming more and more popular in our daily life. It is one of the most convenient and quickest ways of communication. We can use telephone to make or break social engagements, to do our shopping and ordering, and to obtain all kinds of information. Telephones can save our feet and endless amounts of time. But giving and receiving phone calls requires quick responses, and it is very important to get exact information from calls. To avoid misunderstandings, we should pay close attention to things like telephone numbers, times, dates, addresses, etc.
A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. All of them are related to the telephone and some are frequently used when giving and receiving phone calls. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. disconnected: not in service
2. an unpublished number: a telephone number that is not listed in the directory and is not available from the operator
3. put through: connect by telephone
4. extension: any of many telephone lines which connect various rooms or offices to the switchboard
5. switchboard: a central apparatus at which telephone lines are connected and disconnected
6. cellphone / cellular phone: a telephone using a network of radio stations to pass on signals
7. handset: mobile phone
8. mobile phone: a telephone which one can carry with one
9. GSM: Global System of Mobile Communications
10. hang on: continue waiting
B Here are some short conversations on the phone. Please listen. Pay special attention to telephone numbers and addresses. Supply the missing words.
1. Woman: Hello.
Man: Hello. I want the County
Woman: That's __________.
Man: Thank you.
2. Woman: Hello.
Girl: The __________ please.
Woman: _____________________.
Girl: What?
Woman: I said __________.
Girl: OK. Thank you.
3. Woman: My husband's broken his leg.
Man: What's your phone _______?
Woman: Call just __________. The address is __________ Modern __________.
Man: The __________ will be there in a few minutes.
4. Woman: Hello. I'd like a __________.
Man: Yes? What is the __________?
Woman: __________ Heath Road, Hamstit.
Man: Oh, OK. The taxi will be there in __________.
Woman: Thank you.
5. Man 1: Hello, I want a __________.
Man 2: OK. What __________ is it?
Man 1: __________ East __________ Street.
Man 2: Right. The cab will be there in __________.
Part Ⅱ Giving and receiving phone calls
Most of the time, when you dial a telephone number, your call goes through with no problem. Sometimes, however, you are not able to get through and the reason is given by a recorded message.
A In this section you are going to hear some recordings that the telephone company uses to tell you why your call did not go through. Listen carefully and write down all the telephone numbers you hear and the reasons why the calls did not go through.
Telephone numbers Reasons
1._______________________ _______________________
2._______________________ _______________________
3.__________/____________ _______________________
4._______________________ _______________________
5._______________________ _______________________
People usually receive telephone calls unexpectedly. Sometimes they have to make a note of the information contained in the call ?particularly when the call is for someone else.
B In this section you are going to hear some recorded phone calls for Mr. Turner.
1 First listen to some names:
Brown Thompson Jeremy Mary Roberts
2 Now listen to the calls. While listening for the first time, focus on the key words, add more key words if you can in the left-hand column. After the second listening complete the messages in the right-hand column with the help of the notes.
Messages
1. From: ________________________
Message: Harold Scott is ________ at the ________. There will be a__________for him.
2. From: ________________________
Message: Get in touch with him ________.
3. From: ________________________
Message: Call her at ________ before ________ or between ________ and ________ this ________.
4. From: ________________________
Message: He apologises but must ________ tomorrow's ________ appointment because he is going to be ________. Call him at ___________ to reschedule.
C Now try this: listen to some more authentic versions of the calls.
Part Ⅲ I'd like to speak to
English-speaking people usually speak very quickly. They speak with a variety of accents and different styles of speech are used. So telephone calls can very easily lead to misunderstandings.
Here is a phone call in which a caller tries to arrange an appointment. On the phone there can be a lot of misunderstandings.
A First listen to some sentences taken from the phone call. Supply the missing words.
1. Just one moment, I'll ________________.
2. You've got the ____________________.
3. Can you ________________ through the switchboard please?
4. You expressed an interest in our laboratory ________________________.
5. I'm going to be _________________ next month and I thought I might like to and see you.
6. Didn't you get the_____________ I sent you?
7. I'll just ________ if I can find my ________.
8. Is that ________________ for you?
9. I'll write to you to ________________ the arrangements just to ________________ we've got everything right.
B Now listen to the whole phone call. While listening for the first time, add more key words if you can in the left-hand column. After the second listening, answer the questions about the call in the right-hand column with the help of the notes.
Questions
1. How many speakers are there in the conversation? Circle the correct number.
a. 3 b.4 c.5 d.6
2. Who are they? Tick their names or jobs.
Bill Anderson Bill Henderson
Telephonist Secretary
Sylvia Perez Sylvia Perex
Peter Henderson Peter Anderson
3. What's the misunderstanding between the telephonist and the caller? Fill in the blanks.
The telephonist mistook Dr.__________ for Mr.__________ thus put the caller through the_______________.
4. What's the misunderstanding between Perez and Dr. Henderson? Fill in the blanks.
When arranging the appointment, the time suggested by Perez was _________, ___th, ________, at ___ o'clock, but Dr. Henderson thought it was _________, ___th, ______, at ___ o'clock. The time suggested by Dr. Henderson later was ________, ____th, _____, but Perez thought it was ________, _____. The exact hour suggested by Perez was ________ but Dr. Henderson thought it was ________.
C Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the phone call.
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: Cell Phone: A New Health Risk?
There are many kinds of telephones, among which is the cell phone, a most important invention of the twentieth century. With the cell phone we can make phone calls almost any place and at any time. But every coin has two sides. So does the cell phone.
he following short passage is about the cell phone. You may find some newly-coined words and phrases in it. They will help you to expand your knowledge and keep up with the advances of telecommunication. Supply the missing words while listening.
More than __________ handsets were shipped __________ last year for the __________ digital cellular phone market. According to the US __________ firm Dataquest, production of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) handsets will exceed _____________ by __________.
The mobile phone is getting more and more ___________ because of the remarkable improvement of the world's mobile communication service. By the end of this year, there will be _______ GSM networks in _______ countries, providing ________ geographic coverage in the form of "roaming agreements" among GSM carriers.
But since the ________ day it came into being the mobile phone has been a _______ blessing. People are worried that it can _________ a new health risk.
According to scientists from _______ countries who met in Vienna recently, mobile phones may _________ up your brain, __________ with heart pacemakers and __________ cancer in mice.
But there is no __________ evidence to support fears that the __________ use of mobile phones may threaten human health.
The group did agree to intensify _________ into radiofrequency electromagnetic __________ (EMF), which emanate from mobile phones.
"This is something that we __________ as a high priority. We want to find out if these electromagnetic fields do to __________ cancer," said an EMF expert, "This is going time. I know everyone wants answers ______________ but this is just not __________."
The EMF project, launched last year, is a __________-year __________ programme to study ____________ health hazards stemming from exposure to mobile phones and other EMF _____________.
What will the experts of the EMF projects tell us __________ or __________ years later? We just don't know. Will there be the possibility that one day you find a cell phone carrying a __________ similar to the one we have seen too often on __________ packs: USING MOBILE PHONES MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH? No one can tell at the __________.
Part Ⅴ Memory test: Two Girls Talking on the Phone
Listening comprehension involves quick responses and good memory. On most occasions you are challenged to listen to the material only once or at most two times and grasp the most important information. Please allow your teacher to persuade you of the importance of taking that challenge and developing the skill. Practice makes perfect.
You are going to hear a conversation on the phone (preferably only one time). After that some questions will be asked. Find the right answers as quickly as possible according to the notes you have taken while listening.
Notes
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________
1. Smith Catherine Sue Sandy Carol Clara Carl Simon
2. in the office
at home
in a telephone booth
at a restaurant in a taxi
in a department store
3. 2 3 4 5
4. two months half a year one year two year three years
5. When were you born?
Where do you live?
Are you married?
Have you got any children?
How many people are there in your family?
Where did you go to school?
What is your present job?
What is your educational background?
Why do you want to leave your present job?
How much are you paid in your present job?
Why are you interested in the new job?
How much do you expect to be paid in the new job?
How do you intend to get to work?
How long do you intend to stay at the job?
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Now we are coming to the end of this unit. You have listened to a variety of things that are interesting and useful. How many of them are retained in your memory? The following table includes some of the productive words and expressions that appear in this unit. Please pay special attention to them and try to use the language.
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
PartⅠ reach avenue
ambulance
retire unpublished number disconnected
get in touch message temporarily
PartⅡ cancel job going out of order
reschedule lunch appointment on earth
apology as soon as possible
for a while
put through wrong extension just one moment
connect back through switchboard convenient
express trade fair for preference
call in measuring equipment by the way
Part Ⅲ confirm application absolutely
make sure enquiry
get hold of literature
diary
agent
ship cell(ular) phone world-wise
exceed handset fast-growing
provide marketing firm digital
come into being GSM(global system for remarkable
mean mobile communications) extended
heat up mobile phone mixed
interfere with network ever-increasing
Part Ⅳ threaten geographic coverage hazardous
intensify roaming agreements
emanate carrier
take time heart pacemaker
launch radiofrequency
stem electromagnetic field
priority
health hazard
cigarette pack
engage advice for ages
sack pip popular
PartⅤ insert interview exciting
hang on not again
