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Idioms:
put your mind to it: have a strong will to accomplish what you want; be determent
give it a shut: try
day-to-day: every day or every other day
on day-to-day-basis: regularly
user-friendly: easy to use
it is up to you: it depends on you
Stacy: Are you now working part-time?
Denis: Yes, I have a part-time job now.
Stacy: Tell me about it. I need a part-time job, too.
Denis: I work for the City Bank as an online customer service rep from home.
Stacy: Online rep from home? What'd you do?
Denis: Just about everything a customer service rep does, except that I work from home using my computer. I answer customer's questions on the phone.
Stacy: Wow! That sounds convenient. Where are your customers located?
Denis: We have customers from everywhere in the United States, Europe, and China.
Stacy: Do your customers speak to you from their computers, too?
Denis: Not necessarily. Some have computers and we speak from computer-to-computer then. Some use their regular telephones or cell phones, but I always speak with them from my computer only.
Stacy: Please excuse me if I sound a dummy here. They call you at your computer using their cell phones? Don't they need a computer as well?
Denis: No, they don't as long as they have a telephone or high-end mobile phone, or a black-berry.
Stacy:What? What's blackberry?
Denis: Well, black berry is a hand-held wireless computer which has all the features of a computer. It supports email, mobile telephone, text-messaging, internet faxing, web-browsing, and other wireless information services.
Stacy: Just a hand-held computer does all that?
Denis: Yes. Computers have become smaller and smaller yet more powerful today.
Stacy: I've learned something new today. But I cannot take a job like yours as an online customer rep. Can I?
Denis: Perhaps you can. It's all up to you, Stacy. Why not give it shut. The good news is computer technology becoming increasingly user-friendly nowadays. If you put your mind to it, you'll learn it one-two-three.
customer service rep: compound noun. customer representative; the person who serves customers
part-time: working less than 40 hours a week
located: past tense of the verb locate: to reside or to operate (in this conversation)
not necessarily: adverb It is not so as we expect; It may be different than what we expect.
computer-to-computer: network of computers in which a two-way communication between two computers are provided
high-end: adjective. expensive powerful such as computers
low-end: adjective. inexpensive, low-power such as computer
hand-held: adjective. a device used by hand, generally electronic devices
blackberry: noun. a hand-held high-tech and powerful computer computer as big as palm
increasingly: adverb. more and more
wireless information services: communication devices such as computers, cell phones, iphones communicate without wire connection. The connection is based on a high-fie radio waves.
People's Names:
Stacy: female name
Denis: male name
Exclamation Marks:
Wow: shows surprise about something so great
Well: shows hesitation to respond with an exact answer
put your mind to it: have a strong will to accomplish what you want; be determent
day-to-day: every day or every other day
on day-to-day-basis: regularly
it is up to you: it depends on you
Answer the questions below. Make complete sentences.
1. What is the topic of this conversation?
2. How these two individuals are different?
3. How does Internet technology influence Denise's life?
5. Name two banking transactions everybody is involved on day-to-day basis in your country?
4. Do you use a bank for day-to-day transactions, such as paying for bills or credit cards?
6. Is online banking becoming common in your country?
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