Text Box: Revised January 2006PE8-5        Going on a Business Trip

 

 

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, students should be able to:

-understand and describe common travel situations encountered by business travelers.

-comprehend and use travel-related vocabulary.

-use professional, formal register in communication more fluently.

-ask for and give clarification.

 

WARM-UP

 

Discuss these questions with a partner or in groups:

 

1.      Which countries have you been to? Which countries would you like to visit? Are there any countries you wouldn’t want to visit? Why?

2.      Do you know anyone who travels frequently on business (e.g., your uncle?

         your friend's father? etc.) What kind of business is s/he in?

3.    How often does s/he travel? Which countries does s/he travel to?

4.    What do you think are some of the problems a business traveler might face?

5.    Would you like to travel as a businessperson someday? Why or why not?

 


Tips For Business Travelers: Things To Know Before You Go

 

John Thompson is an international sales representative for a large multinational corporation with its main office in San Francisco. He often has to travel overseas to visit factories and meet with foreign clients. Next week, he will be visiting his client in Taipei for three days before going on to Shanghai to visit another client.

 

His secretary, Tina, usually handles his travel arrangements. She calls the travel agency to make the reservation.  She has to consider factors such as the check-in time, departure and arrival times, and visa requirements (if any). Once he has his tickets and travel documents in order, she calls the travel agency again to confirm his reservation.  Tina is also responsible for making his hotel reservations. Since Mr. Thompson often has to entertain guests at his hotel, he wants her to make sure that a large suite will be ready for him when he arrives at his destination.

 

When he goes abroad for business, his company pays for his flights. Mr. Thompson usually travels in business class. When he has enough frequent flier miles, he can upgrade to first class. He is such an experienced traveler that when there is turbulence, he usually sleeps right through it. His only complaint is that he often suffers from jet lag, especially on long trips.

 

He usually arrives at the airport two hours before his flight is scheduled to depart. There, he checks in and receives his boarding pass. He is also informed of his gate number and seat number. If he has enough time, he may visit the duty-free shops in the airport.

 

When he arrives at his destination, he makes sure his passport, visa, and arrival card are in order so he can quickly go through customs and immigration. He has the following advice for business travelers:

 

“Always pack lightly. I usually take one check-in and one carry-on baggage. As a business traveler, you will constantly be on the move. You don’t want to worry about lugging heavy bags with you everywhere you go. Just bring the essentials and leave the rest at home.”

 

“Don’t carry a lot of cash.You should take most of your money in traveler’s checks. Keep your receipts in a safe and separate place so if you lose your traveler’s checks, you can quickly get replacements. Credit cards can also be used almost anywhere.”

 

“Try to get plenty of rest before and after your flight. If you are traveling from NewYork to Taipei, you don’t want to suffer from jet lag.”

 

“Last but not least, remember the old saying - 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Try to learn as much as possible about the country you are traveling to and follow the local customs."

by Roman Yamsuan and Shelby Largay


VOCABULARY

 

Nouns

boarding pass           class (economy, business, first)                  customs

immigration                suite                            travel agency

 

Verbs

arrive (arrival time, arrival card)                   check in (check in baggage)

confirm                       depart (departure time)

 

Adjectives

carry-on (carry-on baggage)            duty-free

 

Phrases

check-in time                         suffer from jet lag       take in the sights      

 

Word Bank

essentials                   frequent flier miles                 lug       multinational corporation

replacements             saying                                     traveller's checks       turbulence

upgrade

                                                                       

EXERCISES

 

A.   Comprehension questions

1.       What is Mr. Thompson’s position?

2.       What factors does Mr. Thompson’s secretary have to consider?

3.       What does Mr. Thompson do before his flight?

4.       What is jet lag?  How can you avoid it?

5.       Explain the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

6.       What does Mr. Thompson need upon arrival?

7.       What advice does he give other travelers?

8.       Why does he need a hotel suite?

 

B.  Multiple choice 

Find the best choice to make the sentences even clearer.

 

____   1.   Mr. Joseph Lee has been an international ...... for many years.

                a) travel agency                 b) multinational corporation c) sales    representative

 

____   2.   How many pieces of baggage will you be ......, Miss Agustiady?

                  a) leaving us                    b) suffering from                                c) checking in

 

____   3.   Mr. Takashimaya will be sitting in ...... when he flies to Bangkok.

                  a) duty-free                       b) first class                                       c) his clothes

 

____   4.   Make sure that all your ......  are in order before you travel overseas.

                  a) travel documents        b) flier miles                                       c) family members

 

____   5.   Traveler's checks and ...... are much safer than bringing a lot of cash.

                  a) credit and debit                       b) credit cards                       c) credit unions

 

____         6.   Mr. Abdul Mohammed requested a large ...... to privately entertain his customers.

                  a) suite                             b) carry-on baggage             c) medium or small

 

____   7.   It’s okay for you to ...... to First Class, Mr. Domingo. Have a nice flight!

                  a) entertain                       b) depart                                            c) upgrade

 

____   8.   Please make sure that Mr. Singh has enough time to ...... through our catalogue.

                  a) browse             b) pack                                               c) advise

 

C.    Compound nouns  

Match words from the Column A to words on Column B to make 15 compound nouns. Each of the words in Column A can should only be compounded once to a word in Column B. The first one has been done for you (ex: sales representative).

 

            Column A                                                                 Column B

 

1.         sales ...           _d__                                       a.         lag

2.         travel ...           ____                                       b.         reservations

3.         duty ... ____                                       c.         card

4.         jet ...                ____                                       d.         representative

5.         business ...     ____                                       e.         checks

6.         customs & ...  ____                                       f.          arrival

7.         hotel ...            ____                                       g.         free

8.         carry-on ...      ____                                       h.         customs

9.         economy ...    ____                                       i.          agency

10.       boarding ...     ____                                       j.          number

11.       traveler's ...     ____                                       k.         baggage

12.       departure & ..____                                        l.          class

13.       credit ...          ____                                       m.        immigrations

14.       gate ...            ____                                       n.         flier miles

15.       frequent ...      ____                                       o.         pass

 

D.  Vocabulary

Rectangular Callout: CHECKLIST:  
Put a check (ü) on the following tasks if you have done them:

____  1.   I found the meaning of all of these words in my dictionary. 
____  2.   I know how to pronounce them and where their stress [´] marks are.
____  3.   I know each word’s noun, verb, and adjective forms.
____  4.   I made a grammatically correct sentence for each word.
____  5.   I understand how these words are used in the reading.
____  6.   I know how to pronounce these words correctly.
____  7.   I know how to paraphrase the vocabulary.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


E.  Appropriate answer  

Choose the most appropriate answer or reply to these. Some answers may even be repeated more than once. The first one has been done for you.

Rectangular Callout: a)   "I usually go to a tea shop."
b)   "It must be the jet lag."
c)   "For how long?"
d)   "Seven in the evening."
e)   "We'll try to get you a closer one."
f)   "Just one."
g)    "May I know who is calling?"
h)   "Better early than late, right?"
i)   "For about a week."
j)    "Most of them can, but not very well."
k)    "A thousand, please."
l)   "Yes, there's a nice Italian place on
        Chung Shan N. Rd. Sec 6."
m)   "About two hours before your flight."
n)  "It was  pleasant." 
o)   "Yes, but he is in a meeting right now."
p)   "Please, just call me Tina."
 


_e__   1.    "My hotel is far from your office!"

____   2.    "I think I'm too early."

____   3.    "My flight has been delayed."

____   4.    "What do you usually do after work?"

____   5.    "Can your staff speak English?"

____   6.    "How long do you plan to stay?"

____   7.    "You look very tired."

____   8.    "May I speak to your boss?"

____   9.    "What time is your flight?"

____   10.  "How many bags do you want to

                     check in?"

____   11.  "Can you recommend a good restaurant?"

____   12.  "How was your flight?"

____   13.  "What time should I check in?"

____   14.  "Nice to meet you, Miss Wu."

____   15.  "Is Mr. Young in?"

 

 

 

F. Registering for a hotel stay

Your manager is going to attend a trade show in San Diego, California. The organizers of the show have made special arrangements for participants to stay at the San Diego Paradise Point Resort. To complete the registration form on the next page, you will need to check his business card, credit card and flight itinerary below. He is traveling alone and he is a non-smoker.

 

RT International, Ltd.

14F No.333 Keelung Rd. Sec. 1

Taipei 104 Taiwan  R.O.C.

Tel: 886-2-2745-9870  Fax: 886-2-2745-9800

 

Kevin Kai-Ya Wei, Sales Manager

Email: kwei@rt_intl.com.tw

 

RELOC #:          SN25745

   1PAX:           WEI, KAI-YA   MR.

  

UA844    TPE-SAN              06/06/03       1235-1425     Y       OK

UA845    SAN-TPE              06/11/03       1225-1840     C       OK

 

   REMARKS:      MILEAGE PLUS MEMBER (PREMIER)

   STAFF:          MICHELLE <EMPLOYEE #2768617>

   ISSUE DATE:  05/12/03           TIME:    1015

 
 



Hotel Registration Form

San Diego Paradise Point Resort

1404 West Vacation Road, San Diego, CA 92109-7905

Phone: (858) 274-4630/800-344-2626 Fax:  (858) 581-5924

 

Guest Name: ___________________________________________________________________

                            First                                                        Middle                                                   Family Name

 

Arrival Date: ____________________Time:________ Departure Date:____________________

 

Address to which confirmation should be sent (please type or print):

 

Name:_______________________________________________________________________

 

Company/Organization:_________________________________________________________

 

Address:______________________________________________________________________

 

City:_______________________________________State:______________Zip code:________

 

Country:____________________________________Phone:_____________________________

 

Fax:_______________________________E-mail:_____________________________________

 

Room preference:         ____Single                   ____Double    

                                    ____Smoking               ____Non-smoking

 

I have the following special needs:__________________________________________________

 

To guarantee with a credit card:  circle one

 

Visa                 Mastercard       American                      Diners              Carte                JCB

                                                Express                        Club                 Blanche

 

Card Number:___________________________________________Expiration date:__________

 

Print the name as shown on the card:________________________________________________

 

I authorize the hotel to charge one night’s room rate plus tax to this credit card if I fail to show up without canceling my reservation by 4:00pm on the arrival date.

 

Signature:________________________________________________Date:_________________

 

Please return by mail or fax by 5:00pm Pacific Time, September 29, 2001 To:  San Diego Paradise Point Resort 1404 West Vacation Road, San Diego, CA 92109-7905, USA   Fax:  (858) 581-5924

 

 


COMMUNICATION

 

A.  Giving and receiving clarification

 

Giving Clarification

When you are speaking and you can see that someone is not following you, you

can give him or her clarification, that is, check if they really understood you.

Instead of using the very common way of giving clarification – “Do you

understand?” – which is considered informal or impolite, you can use other more

formal expressions.

 

The expressions below are appropriate for most situations. Put a check (ü) on at

least three (3) expressions you would like to use from now on:

 

___  1. Have I made myself clear?  ___ 2.  Does that make sense to you?

___  3. Do you see what I mean?                ___  4. Am I making sense?    

___  5. Do you understand so far?             

 

The following expressions are also used for clarification but are inappropriate for formal situations.  Put a check (ü) by at least three (3) expressions you would like to use more often.

 

___1.  Did you catch that?               ___2. Is that clear?               ___3.  Right?

___4. Okay, so far?                         ___5.  Did you get that?       ___6.  Got it?                                                

Requesting Clarification

If you don’t understand something that the speaker is talking about, you may

have to interrupt him or her to repeat or explain something.  You cannot wait for

the speaker to stop and ask you; maybe he or she doesn’t even know you have

question.

 

Here are some polite ways to request clarification:

 

USE ONE OF THESE:                               FOLLOWED BY ONE OF THESE:

 


__ 11.   Excuse me.                                __ 16.  What was that again?

__ 12.   Pardon me.                                __ 17.  Could you repeat that please?

__ 13.   I beg your pardon.                     __ 18.  Would you mind repeating that?

__ 14.   I’m sorry.                                     __ 19.  I didn’t get the last part.

__ 15.   May I interrupt?                          __ 20.   Could you say that again please?

 

 

In more informal situations (ex: talking to your friends), you may ask for

clarification in these ways:

 


USE ONE OF THESE:                               FOLLOWED BY ONE OF THESE:

 


___ 21.   What?                                             ___ 25.   I didn’t catch that.

___ 22.   What did you say?                        ___ 26.   I didn’t get the last part.

___ 23.   Huh? (very informal)                      ___ 27.  You lost me.

___ 24.   I didn’t get that.

 

 

Now, here is a situation on an airplane that shows us how to use these phrases.

 

            Example:

 

Flight attendant:         Excuse me, sir, could you please pull down your window shade?

            Passenger 1:             I'm sorry, what was that again?

Flight attendant:         Could you please close your window so the other passengers could watch the movie without the sun shining through your window?

            Passenger 1:             I’m sorry,but I prefer to keep it open.

            Flight attendant:         Pardon me, would you mind repeating that?

Passenger 1:             I said I don’t want to close my window. You see, I wanted this seat   because it’s next to the window, ... and I like to keep my window open.

            Passenger 2:             Sir?

            Passenger 1:             Yes??

Passenger 2:             If you don't close your window, I can't see the movie clearly. If my wife, son, and I can't see the movie clearly, they will complain to me. That makes me angry. And if I get angry, I can break your eye-glasses, and you won't see clearly either. Are you following me?!!

Passenger 1:             Uh, yes, I am! I'm closing the window now, ... enjoy your movie!

            Passenger 2:             Thank you for being so kind ...

 

Below are some other situations wherein you can practice these phrases.

 

A foreign client calls your office and needs your help. Now, you must do two things: 1) help the client; and  2) report to your boss when he comes into the office what you did.

 

a)  They are lost and ask for directions to your office.

b)  They are stuck in traffic and will be later than expected.

c)  They would like to reschedule for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 


B.  What to pack?

You are going on a ten-day business trip. You will be traveling around quite a bit and must pack lightly. In fact, you can only bring 15 of the following items. Decide which items you will take. Compare your answers with a partner.

 

___ traveler's checks                                    ___ underwear

___ shampoo                                                ___ soap / deodorant

___ business cards                                      ___ cellular phone / mobile phone

___ sneakers                                                ___ aspirin

___ camera                                                   ___ alarm clock

___ diary                                                        ___ video games

___ toothbrush                                              ___ adaptor

___ wallet                                                       ___ travel documents

___ Walkman / Discman                              ___ hairdryer

___ briefcase                                                ___ gifts for hosts

___ jeans                                                       ___ socks

___ laptop computer                                    ___ travel iron

___ English dictionary                                  ___ t-shirts

___ credit cards                                            ___ a novel

___ calculator                                                ___ printer

___ neckties                                                  ___ formal shoes

___ belt                                                          ___ dark pants

___ briefcase                                                ___ hair brush / comb

 

 

C.  Using formal English

We change the way we speak to other people according to their age, position or status.  When speaking to someone who is older or has a higher status than you, it is proper and polite to use formal expressions.  When speaking to your friends it’s okay to use a more informal register. 

 

1. Which expression is appropriate when speaking to a child?

a.  It’s a pleasure to meet you          b.  Hi there.

 

2. Which expression is appropriate when speaking to your classmate?

a.  May I trouble you for a pencil?      b.  Can I borrow a pencil please?

 

3. Which expression is appropriate when speaking to your teacher or business associate?

a.  Would it be possible to speak with you for a moment?  b. Got a minute?

 

4. Look at the following expressions.  Which ones are appropriate for a business situation?  Which ones are only okay to use with friends? 

Mark each with a “F” for formal or an “I” for informal.

 

____See you later                ____How are you?               ____Do you want ~ ?

____Good bye                      ____Yeah                              ____Give me ~

____How cool!                      ____Yes, of course               ____I’ll see you tomorrow

____Thank you                      ____Hello                              ____What do you want?

____Can I help you? ____Bye bye                         ____Would you like ~ ?

____How’s it going?            ____I’d prefer                        ____Sure, no problem

____Hi                                   ____You guys                        ____Could I please~?

____Thanks                           ____I’d like                            ____Ladies and Gentlemen

____I want ~                          ____ Yes                                ____That’s very interesting

 

5. We usually use a formal register for business correspondence and communications.  Look at these two e-mail messages.  The first example is very informal and inappropriate for business.  The second example was re-written using a more formal register. 

 

Informal

TO:  George Jones

FR:  Bob Smith

RE:  Sales mtg.

 

Hi George! 

There’s going to be a sales meeting on Sept. 19th at 3:30 in the boss’ office.

By the way, thanks for the info I asked for.  See you on the 19th!

Cheers, Bob

 
:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formal:

TO:  Mr. George Jones

FR:  Mr. Bob Smith

RE:  Sales Meeting

 

Dear Mr. Jones:

I’m writing to inform you of a sales meeting that’s been scheduled for September 19th at 3:30pm in the CEO’s office. 

 

Also, I’d like to thank you for sending me the information I requested. 

 

I look forward to seeing you on the 19th.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Smith

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


6. Change the following conversation to a more polite and formal one.

 

A= Ticket agent                     B = Business traveler

 

A:        What do you want?

B:        I want a ticket to New York.

A:        When do you want to go?

B:        Friday

A:        One way or Round trip?

B:        I want roundtrip.

A:        When will you come back?

B:        On the 30th.

A:        There’s one seat left.  Do you want it?

A:        Yes.

A:        What’s your name?

B:        Fred Smith.

A:        Are you going to pay with a credit card Fred?

B:        Yes.

A:        Okay, give me the number.

B:        123456789.

A:        Thanks.  Bye!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       


D.  Role Play:  Speaking to people in the service industry

 

Situation #1: Talking with airline reservations staff.  Study the dialogue below.

Complete the conversation and then act it out with your partner.

 

Student A:  You are a passenger (PAX) (your name is Mr. Johnson Yang) and

you are calling to confirm your reservation to San Francisco, California. You also

want to check if your request to upgrade to either business or first class has

been confirmed.

 

Student B:  You are an airline ground staff (GS) member. Look at the

information that appears on your computer screen:

 

Rectangular Callout: Record Locator Number Rectangular Callout: Departure and Arrival Times
 

 


        

Rectangular Callout: 	RELOC #:	DW2317Z
	1PAX:	YANG, JOHNSON   MR.
	CTC ADDR:  	TPE HILTON HOTEL RM 6311

	UA845    SFO-TPE  	10/12/00	  1425-1840	   C	OK
	UA844    TPE-SFO	10/18/00	  1235-0900	   C 	WL*
	UA844    TPE-SFO	10/19/00  	  1235-0900	   F	WL*
	UA844    TPE-SFO	10/19/00	  1235-0900	   Y	OK

	REMARKS:	MILEAGE PLUS MEMBER (PREMIER)
	STAFF:	MICHELLE <EMPLOYEE #2768617
	DATE:	10/18/00	TIME:	1015
        

Rectangular Callout: This passenger is confirmed for business class (C) on October 12.           

Rectangular Callout: Flight numbers        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rectangular Callout: He is waitlisted on first class (F) and business class (C), but he is confirmed on economy (E) class
on October 19.
Rectangular Callout: Route:
Taipei to
San Francisco
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


         GS:        Good morning, United Airlines (UA)â, may I help you?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        Can I have your record locator number, please, Mr. Yang?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        Did you say “B” as in “boy” or “D” as in “dog” for your locator number?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        Well, it shows that you are still waitlisted tomorrow (WL) on both business class (C) and first class (F) on the 19th to San Francisco (SFO) but you are confirmed (OK) on economy (Y) class. Do you nt to continue trying to get a business or first class seat?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        It doesn’t look too good for first class, but I think business has a better chance. Do you want me to keep trying for both?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        Okay, I’ll cancel first class for you.

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        No problem. My name is____________________.

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         GS:        Your most welcome, Mr. Yang, thank you for calling!

 

 

Situation #2:  Asking a flight attendant about drinks and meals. Study the

dialogue below. Complete the conversation and then act it out with your

partner.

 

Student A:  You are a passenger talking with a flight attendant (FA) about

drinks & meals. 

 

Student B:  You are a flight attendant

 

         FA:         Good morning and welcome aboard!

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         May I get you something to drink?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

 

         FA:         Would you like hot coffee or iced coffee?

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

        

         FA:         Would you like cream and sugar?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         Okay, here you are.

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         Today we are serving chicken with rice or pork and noodles.  Which one would you prefer?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         (a little later)

         FA:         How is your meal sir?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         Oh, I’m very sorry. Let me heat it up for you.

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         May I offer you some red or white wine, sir?

 

         PAX:      _____________________________________________________

         FA:         Okay, Please let me know if there’s anything else I can get you.

 

 

E.  Understanding your client's e-mails 

1. In pairs or groups, read this message carefully and guess what it is about.

 

 

Date:         28 June 2000 05:22:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST)

From:        George Mitchell <gm@pricewaterhorse33.com>

To:             Linda Yang <lyang@hewlettpackharder.twt>

Cc:            Peter Brown <pb@pricewaterhorse33.com>

Subject:    Next Visit

 

Dear Ms. Yang,

 

I'm sorry for not replying to your e-mail dated 31 April as our computer

had a virus. Yes, I enjoyed the food very much and hope to try some new

dishes when I visit Taipei next month. I especially liked the traditional

soybean milk you introduced me to.

 

For your information, Mr. Brown is very interested in your price of USD2.00

per can (USD48.00/case of 24 cans). He liked the quality of your tea samples.

He looks forward to meeting Mr. Huang in Taipei, perhaps in October, on his

way to Thailand.

 

I will write to you to schedule a meeting when Mr. Brown’s travel schedule has

been confirmed. 

 

Best regards,

Mr. George Mitchell

 

 

a.   Was George ever in Taipei? How did you know?

b.   Who is George's boss?

c.   What did George show Mr. Brown?

d.   What does Linda's company make?

e   Who is Linda's boss?

f.   Do you think Linda and George are of the same level?

 

2. Now, write a short (50+ word) e-mail explaining the following to Mr. Mitchell.

 

a.  Mr. Brown is always welcome to come to Taipei, but you want him to know that Mr. Huang will be out of the office during the first two weeks of October.

 

b.  Because Mr. Mitchell did not contact you in over a month, the price of the tea has increased to USD2.50 per can. 

 

c.   You will not be in Taipei next month (when Mr. Mitchell plans to visit) because   you will be going to mainland China to inspect your company's factory. You just learned about this news today.

TIP for Writing

Seek Feedback from Others

Having other people check your text can help identify problems in your writing - places where your composition was perhaps clear to you, but not to other readers. 

In addition to asking classmates for comments on your compositions, you may also benefit from asking various teachers for feedback as well.Try to be specific about what sort of feedback you want. Do you want other readers to simply spot out spelling and grammar mistakes? Or are you looking for feedback about deeper errors? Getting feedback from many sources can help you assess your composition realistically.   

 

You do not have to agree with all of the feedback you receive or necessarily follow it, but you should listen to it closely. Be sure to thank people who take the time to give you feedback and offer to give feedback on their papers. When you take the time to help others, they will be more willing to help you. Gradually, you can build up a positive "feedback network". Also, by reviewing other writers’ texts, you can also learn to evaluate your own texts more critically.

 

 

 

 

 
                      

 

 

 

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


LISTENING

 

A.   "Sound-alikes" in conversation

Listen carefully to the speaker and guess which is the correct answer (a or b).

 

1.    ___ a)  Is this your first time to the States, sir?

       ___ b)  Is this you fifth time to the States, sir?

 

2.    ___ a)  That’ll be 15 dollars and 50 cents, please.

       ___ b)  That’ll be 50 dollars and 15 cents, please.

                 

3.    ___ a)  Let’s meet in the lobby at 8:15.

       ___ b)  Let’s meet Bobby at 8:50.

                 

4.    ___ a)  I’d like to fly on December 10th .

       ___ b)  I’d like to fly on September 10th .

                 

5.    ___ a)   Have you talked to your travel agent yet?

       ___ b)   Have you talked to your travel agency yet?

                 

6.    ___ a)   Please contact me at 2868-5432.

       ___ b)   Please contact me at 2886-9432.

 

7.    ___ a)   Our flight to Thailand leaves at 10 in the morning.

       ___ b)   Our flight to Tainan leaves at 11 in the morning.

 

8.    ___ a)   Mr. Lee is a light traveler.

       ___ b)   Mr. Lee is a flight traveler.

 

9.    ___ a)   You should take one check-in and one carry-on.

       ___ b)   You should take one jacket and one carry-on.

 

10.  ___ a)   You will need a visa if you are going to China.

       ___ b)   You will need a visit if you are going to China.

 

B. A message from your travel agent

You’ve just returned to your hotel room. Listen to the following message on your hotel phone, and answer the following questions.

 

1. Who is calling?

a. Mr. Rhodes from Thailand           b. Mr. Rhodes from Amsterdam

c. Andre Fromme Prime                  d. Andre from the travel agency

 

2. How are “you” going to get to Bangkok?

a. flying on TG456 in business class          b. flying on Thai 456 in economy class

c. flying on TG915 in business class           d. flying on Thai 945 in business class

 

3. According to the message, what will happen at 9:45 pm?

a. You will depart from Amsterdam.            b. You will check in your baggage.

c. You will pick up your boarding pass.       d. You will arrive in Bangkok .

 

4. What don’t “you” have with you on your trip?

a. a credit card                                  b. traveller’s checks

c. check-in baggage                         d. a flight itinerary

 

5. Where will “you” pick up your boarding pass?

a. at the check-in counter                 b. at the hotel travel agency

c. on the flight                         d. at the hotel delivery desk

 

6. How can “you” pay for this upgraded ticket?

a. only with frequent flier miles         b. with frequent flier miles or credit card

c. with traveller’s checks or miles    d. with credit card or traveller’s checks

 

7. How can “you” contact the caller?

a. call or visit the travel agency                    b. visit or call Bangkok

c. visit or call Thai Airlines                            d. visit or call Amsterdam


TAPESCRIPT PE8-5

 

A.   "Sound-alikes" in conversation

Listen carefully to the speaker and guess which is the correct answer (a or b):

 

1.    ___ a)  Is this your first time to the States, sir?

       ___ b)  Is this you fifth time to the States, sir?

 

2.    ___ a)  That’ll be 15 dollars and 50 cents, please.

       ___ b)  That’ll be 50 dollars and 15 cents, please.

                 

3.    ___ a)  Let’s meet in the lobby at 8:15.

       ___ b)  Let’s meet Bobby at 8:50.

                 

4.    ___ a)  I’d like to fly on December 10th .

       ___ b)  I’d like to fly on September 10th .

                 

5.    ___ a)   Have you talked to your travel agent yet?

       ___ b)   Have you talked to your travel agency yet?

                 

6.    ___ a)   Please contact me at 2868-5432.

       ___ b)   Please contact me at 2886-9432.

 

7.    ___ a)   Our flight to Thailand leaves at 10 in the morning.

       ___ b)   Our flight to Tainan leaves at 11 in the morning.

 

8.    ___ a)   Mr. Lee is a light traveler.

       ___ b)   Mr. Lee is a flight traveler.

 

9.    ___ a)   You should take one check-in and one carry-on.

       ___ b)   You should take one jacket and one carry-on.

 

10.  ___ a)   You will need a visa if you are going to China.

       ___ b)   You will need a visit if you are going to China.

 

B. (English with an accent)

Mr. Rhodes, this is Andre from the Prime Travel Agency in the hotel lobby calling. It is now Tuesday, May 3 at 11:30 am. I just contacted Thai Airlines about the changes in your flight itinerary for the end of this week. You are confirmed on TG456 in business class from Amsterdam to Bangkok. The flight departs Amsterdam at 9:15 am on Friday, with an arrival time of 9:45 pm in Bangkok. As you told me you don’t have any check-in baggage,  we have asked for the boarding pass to be delivered to the hotel. This will save you time at check in. You can pick up the boarding pass from our agency anytime tomorrow. Your frequent flier miles can not be used for this upgrade, so you will need to  bring your credit card or traveller’s checks to pay the additional costs when you come to collect your boarding pass. If you have any questions, I’ll be on duty here until 7:30 pm. Our extension number is 3211.