| Level | Topic | Speakers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficult | Sales Calls | Man – Woman | 01:49 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
Have you ever received phone calls from telemarketers trying to sell you something? If so, what was the product or service that was being advertised?
Idioms
“do something until someone is blue in the face” = do something a lot without achieving your goal
“Listen. You can talk to me about the product until you’re blue in the face, but I still won’t buy it.”
“one-track mind” = always thinking about one specific think
“Telemarketers only have a one-track mind: money, money, and more money. They never think about what customers really need.”
Listening Exercise
Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:
-
offer (verb): to provide or make available
– This hotel sometimes offers rooms on weekdays. -
subscription (noun): a payment for newspapers or magazines for a specific period of time
– I bought a subscription to the city newspaper for the rest of the year. -
flamenco (noun): a style of dancing common to traditional Spanish gypsies
– I recently joined a flamenco dance club at the university. -
trial (adjective): the process of testing something to find out about it
– My brother decided to accept a trial membership to a local health club. -
access (noun): the right to make use of something
– Only members have access to the swimming pool in the morning.
Post-Listening Exercise
Do you feel there should be laws that restrict the hours when telemarketers can call people at home? What do you think of companies that sell your personal information, including your home phone number, to other companies for business (sales) purposes?