英语听力教程(四)答案文稿

Unit I Shopping and Banking Online

Spot dictation. Fill in the blanks with the words you hear.

Listen to a news report. Supply the missing information.

Consumers 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 complaints 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 information 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 cybercafé or other public connection.

Listen to the report. Supply the missing information about the main problems of online shopping found by the survey.

Tapescript

There is an urgent need for e-commerce rules to boost confidence in buying online. Consumers International, a federation of 245 consumer organizations — including the UK's Consumers Association — said its survey showed that there were still obstacles to shopping online with complete trust.

Part III Banking at home

A. Listen to a description of today's banking services. Complete the outline.

I. Some problems of the walk-in bank

A. standing in long lines

B. running out of checks

C. limited opening

hours

II. Online banking

services

A. viewing accounts

B. moving money between accounts

C. applying for a loan

D. getting current information on products

E. paying bills electronically

F. e-mailing questions to the

bank

III. Reasons for creating online

services

A. competing for customers

B. taking advantage of modern technology

IV. Inappropriateness of online banking for some people

A. having no computers at home

B. preferring to handle accounts the traditional way

Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the material. Then answer the questions.

Questions:

1.What is "interactive

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, 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 bank's 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 may 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 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-mail 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 want 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 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.