Guided Conversation

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions about the text:

1. Why was Mr. Colwell writing to the branch manager of his bank?

2. What complaint did he have to make?

3. What mistake had the bank made?

4. What had Mr. Colwell been assured of by Mr. Smith?

5. Why did Mr. Colwell have to write this letter after he had been assured that no overdraft charge would be made?

6. What is the main idea of the closing paragraph of the letter?

7. What does Mr. Colwell expect his bank to do about the present circumstances?

Exercise 2. Retell the letter in the third person.

Exercise 3. Imagine the conversation between Mr. Colwell and the branch manager, which had taken place prior to Mr. Colwell’s letter, and act it out with your partner.

Exercise 4. Write a letter of apology to Mr. Colwell from the branch manager of the National Savings Bank.

Follow Up Activities

Exercise 1. Give full answers to the given questions.

1. Do you like to receive letters? Are you a good correspondent?

2. On what occasions do we send greetings telegrams and postcards?

3. Can we buy stamps anywhere else than a post office? Can we get them out of machines in book form? Why are stamps performed? Is it to make it easier to tear them apart?

4. How long does a letter from Moscow take to reach Vladivostok (a) by surface mail? (b) by air mail?

5. What’s a postmark? What can you learn from a postmark?

6. What happens to a letter you’ve posted but forgotten to stamp?

7. What different reasons might people have for making stamp-collecting a hobby? Are there any series of postage stamps issued in Russia which are specially designed to attract stamp collectors? Describe any series you know of.

8. Does it take much time to have one’s letter or parcel registered?

9. Do our post offices run a special home-delivery service? Is there an extra fee for that?

10. Have you ever sent anything by book post? By parcel post? When and what was it?

11. How do we send money (a) by post and (b) by telegraph?

12. Have you ever sent a telegram by phone? How is it done?

13. Is your local savings bank far from your place? Do you keep your money in it?

14. What other ways of saving money are there besides a savings bank account?

15. Have you ever opened a bank account in your name? If you have not what type of account do you think suits you best?

Exercise 2. Talking points. Express your attitude about the following:

1. Writing letters is a real art.

2. Communication via e-mail brings people closer to each other.

3. E-mail is surrogate communication because it is cold and impersonal.

4. E-mail is death of written language.

5. Stamps teach people history and geography, art and technology.

6. Old stamps are a good investment because they cost nowadays much more than their original value.

7. Registered letters and insured parcels are seldom lost or taken to the wrong address.

8. Post offices offer a wide choice of services.

Exercise 3. Talking points. Express your attitude about the following:

1. Keeping money in a savings bank is very convenient because it helps you to realize your plans (e.g. go on a trip, make an expensive purchase, etc.)

2. Each type of account offered by banks has its advantages and disadvantages.

3. The procedure for opening an account is easy and hassle-free.

4. Bank services other than account openings are very convenient too.

5. The bank statement serves many purposes.

6. An overdraft is a very unpleasant situation.

7. Sometimes making complaints about a bank service becomes necessary.

8. Many young couples have a joint account from which both husband and wife can withdraw money.

Exercise 3. Describe an interesting occasion connected with the work of the post office.

Exercise 4. Tell your group-mate about the postal and/or bank service in your city. Compare your experiences and present your results to the group. This exercise can be arranged in sub-groups of three people.

Exercise 5. Exchange your experiences in sending different things by post.

Exercise 6. Make up a polylogue acting out in it different life situations connected with the work of the post office or a bank.