UNIT 5

PROBLEM SOLVING

Lesson 1

Topic for Communication: Getting somewhere, Banking services, Minor services

Grammar Focus: The Past Participle Construction

Language Use: Asking about problems. Saying you are worried

Part A

READING AND SPEAKING

Due to some cultural differences you may face problems during your short stay abroad. Can you guess which? Here is some information which can help you avoid them and some dialogues that present typical interaction in such cases. Do the tasks that follow and practice asking about problems.

a) You need to get somewhere

Ex. 1. Read the text and say in what way the transport system in Britain differs from that in our country.

City Transport in Britain

Britain has a well developed transport service. If includes buses, coaches, trains, planes, etc. Most buses in Britain are operate by the local Council. Others are owned by companies which often receive financial help from the Government.

On many routes you will see both single-decker and double-decker buses. There is often only one man in change of the bus and you pay him the fare when you get on. Some buses have a conductor as well as a driver.

If you want to catch a bus, you wait at a bus stop. Here there's a board with the routes, numbers and times of buses. But be careful. Sometimes there's a sign “Reguest stop” which means that buses only stop if you put out (hold out) your hand.

If there are other people waiting at the bus stop you must queue behind them and allow them to get on the bus first. (Some people believe that the British habit of queuing first began with the introduction of public transport).

Taxis in London are usually big black vehicles. Sometimes they may be ordinary cars with a “Taxi” sign on top. You can find taxis at taxi ranks (places where taxis wait), at airports, station, and in the center of town. You can also telephone for a taxi or stop one in the street.

A taxi can be cheaper than the bus fares for two or more people. However, long journeys by taxi are expensive - be careful at ports and airports. You can ask the driver to give you an idea of the cost before you leave. Drivers must charge the metered fare for all journeys within London (including Heathrow) regardless of duration and distance. Taxi drivers expect to be tipped for all journeys.

Ex. 2. Act out the dialogues and answer the questions that follow as fully as possible.

Taking a taxi

• Where is the nearest taxi-rank?... Are you free?

• Yes, I'm. Get in, please. I'll take care of the luggage.

• The Russian Embassy, please. I've to be there by 10.30. Drive as fast as you can. Do you think you can get in time?

• I can't promise, the traffic is heavy, but I'll do my best. We'll be all right if the lights are with us.

• Could you tell me how much it may cost?

• I think about £ 5. The meter will indicate the exact fare to be paid.

• Thank you. Here's the fare and you may keep the change.

  • Why wasn't the driver sure of getting in time?

Finding the Way

• Oh, hello, Brian. Pleased to meet you. Did you have a good day today?

• Not bad, but I've got lost this morning.

• How?

• Well, I got up, had breakfast and went to the tube station as usual, but the sta­tion was closed, so I decided to take a taxi. I waited and waited and as there were no taxis around I started to walk but got lost...

• Oh, no. What did you do?

• Well, I tried to ask the way but everyone I met was a foreigner. It was terrible. Nobody understood me.

• So what happened?

• I walked round and suddenly I saw a sign for the Haymarket. The school is not far from there so I followed the sign and arrived just over an hour later.

• What a pity.

  • How did Brian lose his way?

Taking a Bus

• Does bus 4 go to the railway station?

• You'd better take bus 51 from the University.

• Can you tell me where to get off?

• Yes, it's quite away, yet, but I'll tell you in good time.

• Is bus 4 going the wrong way?

• No, but it's on the half way from the railway station and you'll have either to walk or to change the bus at the History Museum.

• How much further is the railway station?

• I suppose it's in ten minute's walk. It's two stops after the History Museum.

  • Why did the stranger ask about the route of bus 4?

In the Underground

• Excuse me, which line do I take for Holborn, please?

• Take the Bakerloo to Oxford Circus and change to the Central.

• Where do I go now? I'm a stranger here and I'm afraid to lose my way.

• Oh, yes. The London Underground system in very complicated. There are ten lines here and it's very easy to get lost. But if you follow the direction signs you can't go wrong. Go straight down the stairs and get the lift over there.

• Thank you very much, indeed.

  • Why is it easy to get lost in London underground?

B) You need some banking or postal services

Ex. 1. Read the text about banking services and discuss it in class.

Banks offer their customers different services mostly connected with organising money. When you are a visitor to a country you'll probably go there for two reasons: to exchange currency or to put your money on a deposit or savings account.

When you're exchanging foreign currency in a bank, look for a sign saying “Foreign Exchange” or if you have traveler's cheques in British simply “Change”. If you have pounds, however, you can cash them in the main part of a bank. Each time you exchange money you'll have to pay a small charge called commissions. Because of this it's cheaper to exchange several notes together than to exchange them one at a time.

When you get money from a bank they will usually ask you what kind of notes you want. You'll hear: “How would you like the money?”. You can answer: “In tens, please” (or four tens, a five and five ones, or nine fives, three ones and two worth in 10ps, or whatever you want).

If you came to Britain for more than a few weeks you can open a current account at a British bank. In this cash the bank may ask you for a reference (the name and address of a person who knows you) from someone who has a bank account in Britain.

Another way to keep your money safe is in an account for saving money – called either a savings account or a deposit account. Instead of a cheque book, you usually get a small book which you use to pay money in and to take it out. All banks and the Post Office have accounts like this and they'll be happy to tell you about them.

Ex. 2. Ask a bank clerk about the following:

1. You want to know currency exchange rate.

2. You want to put your money on a deposit or savings account.

Ex. 3. Discuss with your partner.

“Plastic money” is the name for credit cards, like Visa or American Express. There are also cash cards (for autobanks) and cheque cards, which people have to show when they write a cheque. How can people use these cards in your country?

Do you think "plastic money" will ever replace cash completely?

Ex. 4. Do the following money quiz.

• Currencies used in Japan, Australia, India and Russia.

• The meaning of the expression “hard currency”.

• Two credit cards which are usable world-wide.

• Imports that most countries impose customs duties on.

• The coins and bank-notes used in your country and in the English speaking countries.

Ex. 5. Act out these dialogues taking the roles of a bank teller and a customer. Note down the services done in each case.