1、Unit I Shopping and Banking OnlinePart I Getting readySpot dictation. Fill in the blanks with the words you hear.We have just two more days to “shop till you drop“ till Christmas, and that typically means a lot of last minute shopping. And though buying with a mouse is still tiny compared to shoppin
2、g with your feet, online retailing is more popular than ever.Christmas shopping in the street is great sometimes. But when youve just got to get a bunch of shopping done and you want to have something to send to a third-party location, its much better online.In the U.S., online shopping is predicted
3、 to be 30% ahead of last December, while malls can expect less than a 6% increase in sales. In Britain， Europes biggest e-tailing market, online gift-buying is expected to grow by 50%， with $8 billion worth of goods sold through the net in the November to January period.Listen to a news report. Supp
4、ly the missing information.Tips for staying safe on the NetMajor points Details (key words)1. Evaluate the site Well-known/trustworthy/customer service/ complaints procedure/refund policy.2. Talk to merchant/Email and wait for responseAddresses/pho e numbers/call up3. Ensure secure connection Strict
5、 safety measures4. Be extra careful at a cybercaf or other public connectionConsumers who want to shop online are suggested to bear the following things in mind:Evaluate the site. Always buy goods from well-known and trustworthy companies. Deal with companies which offer customer service, a complain
6、ts procedure and have a refund policy.Talk to merchant. E-mail and wait for responses. Take down the addresses and phone numbers of those companies and make sure they are real by calling them up before buying any products and services.Ensure secure connection. Since buyers must submit personal infor
7、mation like number and expiry date of the card there are fears over security. Deal with sites that apply strict safety measures that require shoppers to give specific data known only to card holders before making the transaction.Be extra careful at a cybercaf or other public connection.Part II Net s
8、hopping under fireListen to the report. Supply the missing information about the main problems of online shopping found by the survey.Main problems of online shopping Long time waiting for delivery or even no delivery (about 8%) after ordering No clear information about delivery charges A danger tha
9、t customers personal information would be sold to a third party (as many as 87% of the sites) No policy on returning goods (about 47% of the companies) No confirmation of the order (about 35% of the sites) and the dispatch (as many as 87% of the sites) No money back more than four months after retur
10、ning goods (in two cases)Now listen again. Complete the summary. Summary:The survey shows in spite of the convenience and choice offered by Net shopping there are still many obstacles that prevent consumers from shopping with complete trust. One of the biggest problems is to build consumers trust in
11、 buying online. It takes time for the Internet to become mature as a retail channel when it gives support to trust relationships with guarantees of payment and service.TapescriptThere is an urgent need for e-commerce rules to boost confidence in buying online. Consumers International, a federation o
12、f 245 consumer organizations including the UKs Consumers Association said its survey showed that there were still obstacles to shopping online with complete trust.The study, funded by the European Union, involved buying more than 150 items from 17 countries. Each consumer organization taking part tr
13、ied to find one site in its own country and one abroad to buy a selection of items. These included a dictionary, a doll, jeans, a hairdryer, computer software and hardware, chocolates and champagne.The key findings were: Eight of the items ordered took more than a month to reach their destination an
14、d at least 11 (eight percent) never arrived. Many sites did not give clear information about delivery charges. Only 13% of the sites promised that they would not sell customers personal information on to a third party. Only 53% of the companies had a policy on returning goods. Only 65% of the sites
15、provided confirmation of the order and only 13% told customers when their goods had been dispatched. In two cases, customers are still waiting for their money back more than four months after returning their goods.Louis Sylvan, vice-president of Consumers International, said, “This study shows that,
16、 although buying items over the Internet can benefit the consumer by offering convenience and choice, there are still many obstacles that need to be overcome before consumers can shop in cyberspace with complete trust.“Chris Philips, Marketing Manager at a London based e-commerce security company, c
17、ommented, “This study confirms the difficulties of establishing consumers trust in the Internet as a shopping experience. With statistics like these and Visa claiming 47% of disputes and fraud cases were Internet-related, it is little wonder that Internet commerce is not producing the profits predic
18、ted two or three years ago. Trust takes time to build, and the Internet will not mature as a retail channel until trusted brands, like the banks for example, start to offer ways of supporting trust relationships with guarantees of payment and service.“In September, the Organization for Economic Co-o
19、peration and Development will hold a meeting to discuss a set of international guidelines for electronic commerce.Part III Banking at homeA. Listen to a description of todays banking services. Complete the outline.OutlineI. Some problems of the walk-in bankA. standing in long linesB. running out of
20、checksC. limited opening hoursII. Online banking servicesA. viewing accountsB. moving money between accountsC. applying for a loanD. getting current information on productsE. paying bills electronicallyF. e-mailing questions to the bankIII. Reasons for creating online servicesA. competing for custom
21、ersB. taking advantage of modern technologyIV. Inappropriateness of online banking for some peopleA. having no computers at homeB. preferring to handle accounts the traditional wayNow try this: listen to a more authentic version of the material. Then answer the questions.Questions:1. What is “intera
22、ctive banking“?It is banking through the Internet.2. Why can “online banking“ compete for customers?“Online banking“ offers convenience which appeals to the kind of customer banks want to keep.3. What kind of customers do banks want to keep?Banks most want to keep people who are young, well-educated
23、, and have good incomes.Many people dislike walking to the bank, standing in long lines, and running out of checks. They are dissatisfied with their banks limited hours, too. They want to do some banking at night, and on weekends. For such people, their problems may soon be over. Before long, they m
24、ay be able to do their banking from the comfort of their own home, any hour of the day, any day of the week.Many banks are preparing “online branches,“ or Internet offices, which means that people will be able to take care of much of their banking business through their home computers. This process
25、is called interactive banking. At these online branches, customers will be able to view all their accounts, move money between their accounts, apply for a loan, and get current information on products such as credit cards. Customers will also be able to pay their bills electronically, and even e-mai
26、l questions to the bank.Banks are creating online services for several reasons. One reason is that banks must compete for customers, who will switch to another bank if they are dissatisfied with the service they receive. The convenience of online banking appeals to the kind of customer banks most wa
27、nt to keep people who are young, well-educated, and have good incomes. Banks also want to take advantage of modern technology as they move into the twenty-first century.Online banking may not be appropriate for everyone. For instance, many people do not have computers at home. Other people prefer to
28、 go to the bank and handle their accounts the traditional way. Even though online banking may never completely replace a walk-in bank, it is a service that many customers are going to want to use.Part IV More about the topic: Secret of Good Customer ServiceBefore listening, read and think about the
29、following questions.When youre shopping in a store, how would you like to be treated by the sales assistant? What is good customer service?Now listen to an interview discussing English and American good customer services. Compare the services and supply the missing information.In Britain they ask yo
30、u, “Are you being served?“ Whilst in America they tell you to “Have a nice day.“ But what is the secret of good customer service? From Harrods in London and Saks New York, were going to find out the dos and donts of selling protocol.English Good Customer ServicePeter Willasey (Corporate 1. Which of
31、the following is a common American saying?2. What can be sold at a yard sale?3. Why do people go to a yard sale?5. When was the old wooden club stolen?6. What was the real value of the club?7. Why was the club at a great value?Unit 2 Hotel or B&B?Part I Getting readyBProportions of touristsThis year
32、 An average yearStaying in hotels 35% 60%Staying in holiday camps 45% 20%Visiting Europe 60% 80%Visiting the U.S.A. 30% 15%Going by plane 50% 70%Taking their own car 30% 20%TapescriptA: Good morning. Id like some information about tourist figures, please. First, about accommodation. What proportion
33、of tourists stay in hotels? B: Well, in an average year 60% of tourists stay in hotels, but this year 35% are staying in hotels. A: What proportion of tourists stay in holiday camps? B: Well, in an average year 20% of tourists stay in holiday camps, but this year 45 % are staying in holiday camps. A
34、: Now, about places visited. What proportion of tourists visit Europe? B: Well, in an average year 80% of tourists visit Europe, but this year 60% are visiting Europe. A: And what proportion of tourists visit the U.S.A.? B: Well, in an average year 15% of tourists visit the U.S.A., but this year 30% are visiting the U.S.A. A: Now, about methods of transport. What proportion of tourists go by plane? B: Well, in an average year about 70% of tourists go by plane, but this year about 50% are going by plane. A: What proportion of tourists take their own car?
