Weekly Lesson Telecommunications Use your browser's print command to print this lesson |
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Vocabulary
a carrier |
N. a company which provides telephone service |
competition competitive |
N. This is when several companies in an industry sell the same product or service resulting in lower prices and better customer support. |
deregulation |
N. the act of taking a government controlled industry and opening it up to private companies for the purpose of introducing competition |
a fee |
N. a small charge for a professional service; a small charge for admission to a place or event |
to hook up |
V. to make the electrical connections required for a machine or information service |
to install |
V. to put in or add a piece of equipment or hardware |
a monopoly |
N. This is when one company (or the government) has control over an industry and does not allow competition. |
to place a call |
V. to make a telephone call |
the suburbs |
N. an area outside a city where people live rather than work |
telecommunications |
N. the industry and science of sending and receiving messages with a telephone (or other electronic devices) |
Vocabulary in Conversation
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following conversation. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
Sandra: Tony, I just moved into my new apartment, and I need to have the phones _______________________. I have no idea what I am doing; I have to make all these decisions about local, local long-distance, and long-distance _______________________.
Tony: I know - it's really complicated. In America, we have somewhere between five and ten thousand long distance telephone companies. _______________________ is nice, but sometimes I think we have too much choice! It was easier before _______________________ in the early eighties. The _______________________ industry has become far too confusing, but at least prices have really gone down in the last twenty years.
Sandra: Why do I need to choose more than one company?
Tony: We divide telephone service into three categories: local, local long-distance, and long-distance. Your long-distance company allows you to call foreign countries, other American states, and other cities in your state. Your local long-distance company allows you to call _______________________ or regions just outside your city. And, of course, your local company allows you _______________________ within your own city.
Sandra: But they only asked me to choose a local long-distance company and a long-distance company. Don't I get to choose my local service?
Tony: In Southern California, we really don't have much choice yet when it comes to local service. It's still basically a _______________________.
Sandra: Is it really expensive to make local telephone calls then? How much does it cost per minute?
Tony: Actually, for most people, local calls do not have a per minute charge. You pay your local telephone company a monthly service _______________________ of around ten to fifteen dollars for your local service, but then we don't have to pay per minute.
Sandra: You don't pay per minute? That's amazing! In my country, I normally have to pay a lot of money for local calls.
Tony: I rarely pay more than twenty dollars a month for local, local long-distance, and long-distance combined. It's so cheap that I had an extra telephone line _______________________ for my computer.
Vocabulary Follow-Up
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following sentences. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
1. John: Which long-distance _______________________ do you use?
Mary: I just switched to AT&T.
2. I just got my computer, and I don't really know what I am doing. Do you know how _______________________ a new computer program on the hard drive?
3. There were so many different wires that it took me more than half an hour _______________________ the video recorder.
4. That amusement park just raised its admission _______________________ again. It has become ridiculously expensive!
5. Ever since the _______________________ of the airlines industry, the cost of flying has gone way down. Unfortunately, the quality of the service has gone way down as well.
6. Does your country allow _______________________ in the telecommunications industry, or is that still controlled by the government?
7. That software company has bought out so much of its competition that it has virtually become a _______________________.
8. If you want _______________________ from this office, you need to dial "9" first to get an outside line.
9. Jonathan is majoring in _______________________ at Brown University. This semester he is taking a really interesting course on how the internet and cable television will alter the pricing for long distance telephone service.
10. In the 1950s, many Americans left the inner city and moved to the _______________________ to find the American dream of owning a house with a big backyard.
Keep + Prepositions
Complete the following text by filling in the blanks with the appropriate preposition.
Use the following prepositions: back, out, around, on, off, up, down, away, in, over
1. There was a sign on the door that said, "Keep ________________ !"
keep ________________ : to stay outside of a place
2. I ran the entire marathon, but I wasn't able to keep ________________ with the rest of the runners. In fact, I was the last to finish.
keep ________________ : to do something at the same pace or speed
3. I don't have much shelf space, so I keep my books ________________ the television.
keep ________________ (keep + preposition of location)
4. If you take the medicine on an empty stomach, you will have problems keeping it ________________ .
keep ________________ : to not vomit or throw up
5. Watch out, there's a rattlesnake! Everybody keep ________________ !
keep ________________ : to not approach something; to stay away from
6. You need to keep the ice cream ________________ the refrigerator until we have dessert. Otherwise, it will melt.
keep ________________ (keep + preposition of location)
7. I told you to keep the dog ________________ the bed. I don't want dog hair all over the bedspread.
keep ________________ : to make sure something is not on another thing
8. The roast chicken is on the table. Can you keep the cat ________________ from it until everyone sits down for dinner?
keep ________________ : to make sure something does not have access to another thing
9. The house is so dusty that I have to keep a cover ________________ the computer to make sure it stays clean.
keep ________________ : to make sure something is over another thing
10. Fire is a real danger that everyone should be aware of. I always keep a fire extinguisher ________________, just in case of an emergency.
keep ________________ : to make sure you always have access to something
Focus on Verbs
The following conversations should be completed by putting the verb in parentheses in the Simple Future or Future Continuous. If you are confused, you should refer to the English Page's Verb Tense Tutorial.
1.
Sandra: Where is Tim going to meet us?
Marcus: He (wait) _________________________ for us when our train arrives. I am sure he (stand) _________________________ on the platform when we pull into the station.
Sandra: And then what?
Marcus: We (pick) _________________________ Michele up at work and go out to dinner.
2.
Ted: When we get to the party, Jerry (watch) _________________________ TV, Sam (make) _________________________ drinks, Beth (dance) _________________________ by herself, and Thad (complain) _________________________ about his day at work.
Robin: Maybe, this time they won't be doing the same things.
Ted: I am absolutely positive they (do) _________________________ the same things; they always do the same things.
3.
Florence: Oh, look at that mountain of dirty dishes! Who (wash) _________________________ all of those?
Jack: I promise I (do) _________________________ them when I get home from work.
Florence: Thanks.
Jack: When you get home this evening, that mountain will be gone and nice stacks of sparkling clean dishes (sit) _________________________ in the cabinets.
4.
Doug: If you need to contact me next week, I (stay) _________________________ at the Hoffman Hotel.
Nancy: I (call) _________________________ you if there are any problems.
Doug: This is the first time I have ever been away from the kids.
Nancy: Don't worry, they (be) _________________________ fine.
5.
Samantha: Just think, next week at this time, I (lie) _________________________ on a tropical beach in Maui drinking Mai Tai's and eating pineapple.
Darren: While you are luxuriating on the beach, I (stress) _________________________ out over this marketing project. How are you going to enjoy yourself knowing that I am working so hard.
Samantha: I 'll manage somehow.
Darren: You're terrible. Can't you take me with you?
Samantha: No. But I (send) _________________________ you a postcard of a beautiful, white-sand beach.
Darren: Great, that (make) _________________________ me feel much better.
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Weekly Lesson Answers Telecommunications |
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Vocabulary in Conversation
Sandra: Tony, I just moved into my new apartment, and I need to have the phones hooked up. I have no idea what I am doing; I have to make all these decisions about local, local long-distance, and long-distance carriers.
Tony: I know - it's really complicated. In America, we have somewhere between five and ten thousand long distance telephone companies. Competition is nice, but sometimes I think we have too much choice! It was easier before deregulation in the early eighties. The telecommunications industry has become far too confusing, but at least prices have really gone down in the last twenty years.
Sandra: Why do I need to choose more than one company?
Tony: We divide telephone service into three categories: local, local long-distance, and long-distance. Your long-distance company allows you to call foreign countries, other American states, and other cities in your state. Your local long-distance company allows you to call suburbs or regions just outside your city. And, of course, your local company allows you to place calls within your own city.
Sandra: But they only asked me to choose a local long-distance company and a long-distance company. Don't I get to choose my local service?
Tony: In Southern California, we really don't have much choice yet when it comes to local service. It's still basically a monopoly.
Sandra: Is it really expensive to make local telephone calls then? How much does it cost per minute?
Tony: Actually, for most people, local calls do not have a per minute charge. You pay your local telephone company a monthly service fee of around ten to fifteen dollars for your local service, but then we don't have to pay per minute.
Sandra: You don't pay per minute? That's amazing! In my country, I normally have to pay a lot of money for local calls.
Tony: I rarely pay more than twenty dollars a month for local, local long-distance, and long-distance combined. It's so cheap that I had an extra telephone line installed for my computer.
Vocabulary Follow-Up
1. John: Which long-distance carrier do you use?
Mary: I just switched to AT&T.
2. I just got my computer, and I don't really know what I am doing. Do you know how to install a new computer program on the hard drive?
3. There were so many different wires that it took me more than half an hour to hook up the video recorder.
4. That amusement park just raised its admission fee again. It has become ridiculously expensive!
5. Ever since the deregulation of the airlines industry, the cost of flying has gone way down. Unfortunately, the quality of the service has gone way down as well.
6. Does your country allow competition in the telecommunications industry, or is that still controlled by the government?
7. That software company has bought out so much of its competition that it has virtually become a monopoly.
8. If you want to place a call from this office, you need to dial "9" first to get an outside line.
9. Jonathan is majoring in telecommunications at Brown University. This semester he is taking a really interesting course on how the internet and cable television will alter the pricing for long distance telephone service.
10. In the 1950s, many Americans left the inner city and moved to the suburbs to find the American dream of owning a house with a big backyard.
Keep + Prepositions
1. There was a sign on the door that said, "Keep out !"
keep out : to stay outside of a place
2. I ran the entire marathon, but I wasn't able to keep up with the rest of the runners. In fact, I was the last to finish.
keep up : to do something at the same pace or speed
3. I don't have much shelf space, so I keep my books on the television.
keep on (keep + preposition of location)
4. If you take the medicine on an empty stomach, you will have problems keeping it down .
keep down : to not vomit or throw up
5. Watch out, there's a rattlesnake! Everybody keep back !
keep back : to not approach something; to stay away from
6. You need to keep the ice cream in the refrigerator until we have dessert. Otherwise, it will melt.
keep in (keep + preposition of location)
7. I told you to keep the dog off the bed. I don't want dog hair all over the bedspread.
keep off : to make sure something is not on another thing
8. The roast chicken is on the table. Can you keep the cat away from it until everyone sits down for dinner?
keep away : to make sure something does not have access to another thing
9. The house is so dusty that I have to keep a cover over the computer to make sure it stays clean.
keep over : to make sure something is over another thing
10. Fire is a real danger that everyone should be aware of. I always keep a fire extinguisher around, just in case of an emergency.
keep around : to make sure you always have access to something
Focus on Verbs
1.
Sandra: Where is Tim going to meet us?
Marcus: He (wait) will be waiting / is going to be waiting for us when our train arrives. I am sure he (stand) will be standing / is going to be standing on the platform when we pull into the station.
Sandra: And then what?
Marcus: We (pick) are going to pick Michele up at work and go out to dinner.
2.
Ted: When we get to the party, Jerry (watch) will be watching / is going to be watching TV, Sam (make) will be making / is going to be making drinks, Beth (dance) will be dancing / is going to be dancing by herself, and Thad (complain) will be complaining / is going to be complaining about his day at work.
Robin: Maybe, this time they won't be doing the same things.
Ted: I am absolutely positive they (do) will be doing / are going to be doing the same things; they always do the same things.
3.
Florence: Oh, look at that mountain of dirty dishes! Who (wash) is going to wash all of those?
Jack: I promise I (do) will do them when I get home from work.
Florence: Thanks.
Jack: When you get home this evening, that mountain will be gone and nice stacks of sparkling clean dishes (sit) will be sitting / are going to be sitting in the cabinets.
4.
Doug: If you need to contact me next week, I (stay) will be staying / am going to be staying at the Hoffman Hotel.
Nancy: I (call) will call you if there are any problems.
Doug: This is the first time I have ever been away from the kids.
Nancy: Don't worry, they (be) will be / are going to be fine.
5.
Samantha: Just think, next week at this time, I (lie) will be lying / am going to be lying on a tropical beach in Maui drinking Mai Tai's and eating pineapple.
Darren: While you are luxuriating on the beach, I (stress) will be stressing / am going to be stressing out over this marketing project. How are you going to enjoy yourself knowing that I am working so hard.
Samantha: I 'll manage somehow.
Darren: You're terrible. Can't you take me with you?
Samantha: No. But I (send) will send you a postcard of a beautiful, white-sand beach.
Darren: Great, that (make) will make / is going to make me feel much better.