General Listening Quiz

Listen to the recording on computer sales and read along with the conversation. Review the key vocabulary and the sample sentences.

Phone Recording: Hello and thank you for calling computer technical support.

Caller: Uh, yes, I have a problem . . .

Phone Recording: Your call is important to us, and we will answer your call in the order that it was received. You are number 47 in the queue. Your approximate waiting time is 47 minutes.

Technical support: Jason, speaking. How can I help you?

Caller: Oh, I’m saved. I thought I was gonna [going to] have to wait all day.

Technical support: Okay, what’s the problem?

Caller: Yeah, well, I bought one of your laptop computers about three weeks ago, but it just isn’t running right.

Technical support: Okay, well, sorry to say, but your computer is no longer under warranty. [What?!] It ran out yesterday.

Caller: What? A three-week warranty? [Yeah, great isn’t it.]. Ah!!!

Technical support: Okay, okay, what seems to be the problem?

Caller: Well, first of all, the thing always freezes [Yeah.] and has crashed a zillion times . . . [Always.]

Technical support: Uh, sir . . .

Caller: . . . and I think the computer’s infected with spyware and the big banana trojan virus . . . [That’s normal.] That’s my biggest . . . that’s normal? . . . That’s my biggest concern.

Technical support: Oh, oh, uh, sir . . .

Caller: . . . and plus there was a ton of preinstalled, third-party programs [Yeah!] that just clutter the computer, and I’m at wit’s end trying to get this thing to work.

Technical support: Sir. I have to put you on hold.

Caller: What?

Technical support: It’s going to take us a minute or so to diagnose the problem. [Huh?!] I’m going to transfer you to our ONE technician.

Caller: One . . . one!? But . . .

Phone Recording: Thank you for waiting. Your call is important to us. You are number 84 in the queue. Your approximate waiting time is 2 hours, 17 minutes or whenever we get around to answering your call.

[ End of call and continuation of computer advertisement . . . ]

Caller and Narrator: Does this experience sound familiar? Then, do what I did. If your computer is holding you hostage and you can’t get the service you deserve, then call Turbo Command, creators of the safest and most reliable computers and operating system on the planet.

Listen, while the competition is spending all of their time trying to imitate our computer’s performance and features, our company is innovating the computer industry. So, why buy a computer that hiccups every time you turn it on when you can be the owner of the sleekest and friendliest machine ever.

Call us today or visit our website for more information, and let us introduce you to the ultimate computer experience.

• queue (noun): a list or line of phone calls to be answered (often considered British English); can also be used to describe a line of people waiting for a service 
  – The phone message says I’m number 3 in the queue, but I have been waiting for over 20 minutes to talk to someone in customer support.
• run (verb): operate or function 
  – This computer was running great yesterday, but I can’t get it started today.
• be under warranty (phrasal verb): protected by a written promise by a company to fix or replace one of its products 
  – If you’re having problems with the digital camera, send it back to the manufacturer to get a refund. The camera is still under warranty.
• run out (phrasal verb): reach the ending period of an agreement or contract
  – Sometimes, a product you buy will function perfectly long after the warranty runs out.
• freeze (verb): stop moving
  – I really hate this computer because it always freezes right when I’m trying to save important documents.
• crash (verb): stop working
  – My old computer was constantly crashing everyday, so I reinstalled the operating system to see if that would fix the problem.
• zillion (noun): a very large number
  – I’ve told you a zillion times what the problem is. Don’t you understand it now?
• clutter (verb): fill an area with things and make it messy
  – I hate some computer companies because they tend to clutter their machines with junk software most people don’t use.
• be at wit’s end (idiom): be very frustrated because you cannot solve a problem
  – To tell the truth, I’m at my wits’ end trying to figure out the problem with my computer.
• diagnose (verb): determine the nature of a problem
  – The technical support person couldn’t diagnose the software conflict even after working on it for three hours.
• deserve (verb): earn something or be worthy of some consideration
  – Our customers deserve friendly and honest service every time they walk in our store.
• imitate (verb): copy or reproduce an idea or product
  – Unfortunately, many companies can only imitate the high-quality products of other businesses .
• innovate (verb): come up with new ideas or methods
  – If you don’t innovate, your business will no longer be competitive.
• sleek (adjective): attractive
  – The company’s newest MP3 is really sleek, and it should sell well.
• ultimate (adjective): the best or most superior final one
  – The ultimate goal of our company is to be number one in our field.