Audition: Staying Legal in Cyberspace
Ex. I. Listen to the text after youve consulted your dictionary for the new words. Answer the questions.
Word list:
access
skill
application
enhance
curriculum
guidelines
dissemination
live music
infancy
remote
Questions:
1. What does a computer have to have in order to communicate throughout the world?
2. What is the most commonly used Internet application?
3. What are LISTSERVs used for?
UnitXIII
Part I
Ex. I. Pre-text questions:
Do you have a credit card? If yes, do you think it's more convenient than cash? If not do you know anyone having one and how does the owner assess the disadvantages as well as the advantages of having one?
Ex. 2. Read the text and answer the questions following it.
Plastic Money
Credit card has become a widespread method of payment. In the Western European countries as well as in the USA, it is usual to have more than one credit card depending on its use. Usually, credit cars are divided into travel and entertainment and bank credit cards.
Most banks issue credit cards which are linked either to the VISA, ACCESS or MASTERCARD systems (less widespread AMERICAN EXPRESS, DINERS CLUB), enabling a wide national or international application. No charge or subscription is made for the issuing of a card, however, an annual fee will be charged for the running of the account. The customers receive a monthly statement indicating the purchased items of the previous month.
The repayment of the incurred amounts can be made flexibly, ranging from payment within a six-week time limit, thus incurring no interest charge, to various installments over a varied period of time.
Normally, banks issue credit cards which can be used up to a certain sum daily. Usually up to £500 can be withdrawn in a foreign currency and up to £200 from the VISA, ACCESS or MASTERCARD dispensers.
Apart from the three large credit card organizations which have been mentioned here, large department stores oil companies and car rental firms also offer the use of their own credit card.
However, such credit cards can only be used to purchase the particular products or services of the aforesaid companies. A new trend in the issuing of credit cards is the CO-BRANDING system which involves firms or companies (this could be a large department store) issuing VISA, ACCESS or MASTERCARD credit cards which contain the appropriate licence number, thus acting as agents for the credit card companies.
Holders of the card plus cheque arrangements (e.g. EUROCHEQUE) as well as the holders of credit cards are expected to soon be able to use the POS (point-of-sale) scheme. By using their PIN number they will be in a position to affect payments directly using the dispenser.
Apart from the fact that credit cards are a convenient method of payment which provide a high degree of security (in the case of theft the maximum loss is £35 (approximately) for the holder), credit card companies have now developed a wide range of services which go far beyond the payment of articles and the withdrawing of money at the cash dispenser. When using the MASTERCARD, VISA or ACCESS system, the customer can choose an arrangement which entitles him or her to a wide range of insurance services which cover the most important areas of risk especially when travelling abroad. Naturally, the fully comprehensive services which are offered involve a higher charge for the customer. These services range from the insurance of articles which have been purchased using the credit card up to the cover against sickness, accidents and general medical treatment.
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Additionally, credit cards can be used to carry out telephone calls without the use of cash and are accepted as a deposit for a rented car without having to part with a cheque or hard currency. Indeed, the services offered are too numerous to be listed here, but make a holiday abroad a much more convenient and safer enterprise.
The use of credit cards can have its disadvantages. More conservative bank customers may be wary of such new developments and shy away from the use of a system which may appear to tempt them into a more unconsidered spending behaviour. Certainly, the convenience of a card can make buying easier and reduce the barriers which would have existed if the customer had paid in cash or by cheque. It would seem of utmost importance to advise customers on the use of such cards and to make them aware of the great advantages to be had when using them wisely and correctly.
Questions:
1. What are the main advantages of credit cards compared to cash or the card/cheque system?
2. What different types of credit cards are to be found?
3. What do you understand by a deposit for a rented car?
4. Why is a credit card a particular advantage for travelling abroad?
5. What are the dangers when using a credit card?
6. List up a number of tips which could be used to assist the customer in using the card to his best advantage.
Active Words and Phrases:
| bank credit card | interest charge | ||
| travel credit card | installment | ||
| entertainment credit card | withdraw money | ||
| charge | card holder | ||
| run an account | affect payment | () | |
| monthly statement | insurance services | ||
| incurred amount | deposit | , |
