Т. Шелкова - Как вести беседу по телефону
I. Define the meaning of these words and phrases. Make up sentences using them.
to organise oneself a suitable hotel, to do smth. the hard way, to be a great one for smth., with one’s lot, to put up smb., to put up with smb. (smth.), masses of adverts, to be a dead loss, to scrabble in the sand, to pop into the sea, to overlook the beach, to keep half an eye on smb., to manage a quiet snooze, facilities, to allow for a bit of exaggeration, over the road, to pop around, what with the children and the holiday traffic, to rattle on, to apply for a job, light engineering, to put smb. in with a chance, to get shortlisted, to feel at one’s best, to feel off balance, to be in the hot seat, an applicant, the pay, to be loaded, to have more scope for smth., a stick-in-the-mud, to move with the times, to be left behind, to have a bash, to go off smth., to keep one’s fingers crossed for smb., a bit of a bind, to amuse oneself, to turn in
II. Rephrase these sentences.
1. I can’t be very much help to you. 2. I’ve always taken a tent and done it the hard way. 3. Great one for the open air. 4. They will put up with noisy kids. 5. I’m a dead loss. 6. Sounds too good to be true. 7. You know, even allowing for a bit of exaggeration in the advert, it seemed to have a lot to offer. 8. They are bound to say that. 9. Strange as it may seem, the kids are very good in the car. 10. If you go by train you are sort of insulated from all the lovely places you are passing. 11. It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble. 12. I’ve decided to apply for that job. 13. My training and experience have put me in with a chance. 14. I feel reasonably optimistic about getting short-listed. 15. I don’t feel at my best in interviews. 16. I feel off balance when I’m in the hot seat myself. 17. I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications. 18. “What’s the pay like incidentally?” “Nearly twice what I’m getting now”. 19. The rates tend to be a lot higher there, anyway. 20. You’ll be loaded! 21. I should need a damned sight more than twice my present wages to be loaded. 22. He’d never do anyone a bad turn. 23. He’s a stick-in-the-mud. 24. He’s very slow to respond to new ideas. 25. I hope you fed them all that guff about your qualifications and experience in your application. 26. I thought I’d have a bash. 27. But you didn’t lay it on too thick. 28. They can go off you. 29. I bet you’ll cake walk it. 30. Travelling in the rush hour can be a bit of a bind. 31. I’ll have to ring off now.
III. Fill in the missing remarks in these snatches of telephone conversation (see Conversations 1 and 2).
1. C: Two-six-two four-three-double four. Charles Farmer speaking.
J.: …
2. C.: Hello, Joan, how are you?
J.: …
C.: Oh, not so bad, you know.
3. C.: But I’ve always taken a tent and done it the hard way.
J.: …
4. J.: …
C.: Oh dear, I am a dead loss, aren’t I. But tell me about the advert.
J.: …
5. С:. Sounds too good to be true. Expensive?
J.: …
6. C.: …
J.: Would you? That’s very kind of you. They won’t mind, will they?
C.: …
7. C.: No, of course not. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to help.
J.: …
8. J.: … It really is very kind of you to go to all this trouble.
C.: …
9. В.: Bob here. How’s things?
J.: …
10. J.: Very nice, too. Do you feel optimistic about it?
В.: …
11. J.: I shoudn’t think they’ll get many applicants with your qualifications.
В.: …
12. J.: You’re bound to get an interview. What’s the pay like incidentally?
В.: …
13. J.: Was the money the main reason for applying?
В.: …
J.: What was that then?
В.: …
14. J.: I bet you’ll cake walk it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, at any rate.
В.: …
IV. Reproduce the telephone conversations as close to the text as possible.
V. Make up telephone conversations considering these assignments.
1. Your colleague has come back from Italy where he spent his vacation. Phone him and have a talk about: a) the places he has been to; b) the hotels he has put up at; c) the facilities he has been offered; d) the hotel charges; e) the way he has amused himself; f) the people he has met.
2. You are taking a holiday and leaving Ottawa for a month. Phone your Canadian colleague to say good-bye and tell him how you are planning to spend your holiday.
3. You have a telephone call from your counterpart in London. After discussing business he says that his son is applying for a job. Ask him about the prospects of his son’s new job, its advantages and disadvantages and what his son feels about it.
3. A Persuation Which Failed
Harry: Hallo — 5289.
Cynthia: Is that Harry?
Harry: Yes — who’s that?
Cynthia: Oh, Harry. It’s me, Cynthia.
Harry: Cynthia? Cynthia! Oh yes. How are you?
Cynthia: I’m fine. And you and Barbara?
Harry: Oh, we’re both well.
Cynthia: Oh, that’s good. Look, I’m ringing to ask you a small favour. I hope you don’t mind.
Harry: No. No, of course not. Anything I can do, within reason[117].
Cynthia: Well, the thing is that — you know Shirley?
Harry: Shirley? I don’t think so.
Cynthia: You know, she’s the girl I work with. I think you met her.
Harry: Did I? When?
Cynthia: She’s the one with red hair.
Harry: Oh.
Cynthia: Anyway, I wondered — well — you see Shirley and I are giving a party. Of course we wondered if you and Barbara would like to come…
Harry: Well, that’s very nice of you, I’m sure.
Cynthia: We’d love to have you.
Harry: We’d love to come.
Cynthia: Well, the point is, you see, that we wanted to invite a lot of interesting people.
Harry: Oh yes -
Cynthia: Yes — and well, you know our flat; it really isn’t big enough. And we were wondering if there was just the smallest chance of having it at your place — just for the evening, you know.
Harry: Well — we’d love to let you, of course. But just now it would be a little difficult.
Cynthia: Oh, no. It wouldn’t be now. In about two week’s time.
Harry: Two weeks. Oh, I see. But — unfortunately — I think that would be even more difficult. You see, we’re haying part of the house redecorated, and in two weeks -
Cynthia: I suppose it wouldn’t be possible to use the rooms that aren’t being decorated?
Harry: Well, you know what it’s like, Cynthia, when you’ve got the decorators in; you don’t quite know where you are if you see what I mean -
Cynthia: Yes — yes, of course. It is a pity. I don’t know what we’ll do.
Harry: I’m sorry. We’d help if we could.
Cynthia: Well… Good-bye then, Harry.
Harry: Good-bye, Cynthia.
4. Two Sisters on the Telephone
Joyce: Well, what have you been up to[118] since I saw you first?
Kate: I haven’t been up to anything, I’m afraid[119]. Just the usual grind[120]. Have you been doing anything?
Joyce: No. James is off to Italy again tomorrow for his firm. He rings me every night from Turin, which is a comfort.
Kate: So you’ll be absolutely tied again with the children?
Joyce: Of course.
Kate: The firm would never pay for you to go to Italy as well, I suppose?
Joyce: As a matter of fact, that’s just come up[121] for the first time. There’s a big job of entertaining coming off[121] in about a fortnight — all the possible buyers and their wives are invited to Turin for a demonstration and a party afterwards, and they say they’d pay for me to go and play hostess[122]and look nice, but of course, with the children… And anyway, what have I got to look nice in?
Kate: I say, ducky, I’ve just got an idea. When is this do at Turin[123]? It wouldn’t be at a week-end by any chance?
Joyce: It’s to be a Saturday — best time for a party.
Kate: Well, look here[124], why don’t I come and look after[125] Michael and Jane for the week-end? They’re not such demons[126] as you seem to think, you know. We usually get on fine[127].
Joyce: Oh — it’s terribly sweet of you, but I couldn’t.
Kate: Yes, you could. Now sort it out with James[128] this evening before he goes. I’ll come over[129] on the Friday night, and I’ll stay over the Monday too — I’ll get the day off from the office — so you needn’t get back till late on Monday and you can see a bit of Italy as well.
Joyce: No, I can’t really… Really you shouldn’t.
Kate: Now shut up. No more nonsense. It’s settled. Just see the frig[130] is full of food. I’ll take them to the Zoo on Saturday. And what’s wrong with that trouser suit? You look splendid in it.
Joyce: Do you really think I could? I never thought of a trouser suit for the party…
5. Renting a House (Anglo-American Misunderstandings)
The telephone rings in a house in the London suburb of Twickenham.
An American Voice: Good morning. Is this Mrs Jones?[131]
Mrs Jones (rather puzzled): I’m Mrs Jones.
American: Oh, fine. I’m Drusilla Applebee, and I’m calling[132] about your house you advertised to rent[133] for the summer months.
Mrs Jones (still rather puzzled): Why yes, when are you going to call?
Mrs Applebee: I mean I’m calling you about it right now[134]. We’re a large family and your house sounded the sort of place we need for July, August and September.
Mrs Jones: Oh, yes, of course. How many are you in your family?
Mrs Applebee: Six, so we hope you have plenty of closets[135].
Mrs Jones: Er — oh, you mean what we call cupboards! Yes, we’ve got plenty of those. And lots of chests of drawers too.
Mrs Applebee: Chests of drawers…?
Mrs Jones: Oh, I should have remembered — the American term is “dresser”, isn’t it?
Switchboard operator (in strong American voice): Are you through?
Mrs Jones: Oh, yes, I’m through.
Mrs Applebee (simultaneously): No, no, we’re not through yet. I’m speaking from my husband’s office and they’re all Americans here. Gosh[136], I’d no idea the British were so different about languages. What do you mean when you say you are through? We mean we’re finished with the call.
Mrs Jones: Oh dear, we mean we’ve been “put through”, we’re connected! Perhaps you’d like to come and see the house and then we needn’t misunderstand each other quite so much.
Mrs Applebee: I should love to see your house, but I’ve no car right now. Can I get to you easily some other way? I’m in Church Street.
Mrs Jones: You can take a 27 bus to the Twickenham roundabout, then use the subway right there…
Mrs Applebee: Excuse me, I didn’t know the subway went to Twickenham.
Mrs Jones: Oh, of course, my fault. The underground doesn’t go to Twickenham. I just meant when you get off the bus you take the passage under the road and when you come up the other side our house is at the end of Aldridge Avenue, opposite. How soon would you like to come?
Mrs Applebee: Is three o’clock today OK?
Mrs Jones: Fine, I’ll expect you.
EXERCISES
I. Define the meaning of these phrases. Make up sentences using them.
to ask somebody (to do) a favour, to be disorderly, to be rung up by somebody, to view one’s suggestion (un)favourably, to do something within reason, to give a party, to be wondering if, to redecorate a room (cottage, house), to know where you are, to be up to something, just the usual grind, to be off to (some town or a country), to be a comfort, as a matter of fact, to play hostess, to look nice in some dress, to look after somebody, it is terribly sweet of you, to come over, to stay with somebody, to get a day off, it’s settled, what’s wrong with him?, to be rather puzzled, to sound the sort of place we need, how many are you in the family?, to be so different about languages, to be put through, I should love to do something
