Important words and expressions from the dialogue:

Will the contents be covered up to ₤250? – The contents are worth ₤250. Will the Post Office pay the full amount if the letter is lost?

Surcharge – the extra charge Text 4. Sending Letters (b)

Nowadays, most people send letters abroad by air mail. It’s cheaper to use surface mail, which goes by land and sea, but it takes very much longer for the letters to arrive. If you are sending a letter abroad or inland which you want to arrive very quickly, it’s probably a good idea to send it Express.

Valuable goods for an inland destination or abroad can be sent by Registered Mail. This means that the contents of the letter or package can be insured by the Post Office. The sender pays for this insurance according to the value of the contents of the letter or package.

Finally, if you want to be sure that the letter you send does arrive, you can send it Recorded Delivery. This means that the receiver signs a receipt on delivery. Recorded Delivery is often used for documents that are important, but have little or no financial value. You cannot send letters abroad by Recorded Delivery: it is only an inland service.

Read the passage again and decide whether you would send the following by Express, Recorded Delivery, or by Registered Mail:

1. a roll of film with your holiday photographs on it;

2. a letter with information which is urgently needed for an important meeting

3. a small but valuable gift for your friend’s birthday.

Text 5. Telegrams

A.Bill Marsden told Ron Howells to send Foster a telegram, asking him to tell them what he was doing in Hong Kong, and to inform them of the details of his future arrangements. Here is the full text of the message that Howells wanted to send:

It is important that we have information on your activities. Could you send us urgently details of your present activities and your future arrangements? The information we have received so far is not adequate. We hope every thing is going well.

Ron Howells

When he sent the telegram, it looked like this:

Important we have more information. Send full details of all your present activities and future arrangements. Information received so far not adequate. Hope all ok. Howells

Notice that Howells has shortened the message, leaving out all “unimportant” words. The message still makes sense.

In telegrams you can very often leave out:

pronouns: “I left London yesterday” can become Left London yesterday;

the verb “to be”: “Sadrina is in London “ can become Sadrina in London;

prepositions: “I’m arriving in Singapore on Monday” can become Arriving Singapore Monday.

But always make sure that the message is clear:

Sadrina is coming to London on Wednesday. I’m going to Hong Kong on Thursday.

This cannot be shortened to:

Sadrina coming London Wednesday. Going Hong Kong Thursday,

because this looks as if Sadrina is going to Hong Kong.

Here are some more examples.

Original message:

Can you send me ₤100 as soon as possible? I am staying in Bali until Thursday, then going to the Seaview Hotel in Hong Kong.

Telegram:

Send ₤100 soonest; staying Bali till Thursday, then going to Seaview Hotel Hong Kong.

(soonest means “as soon as possible”. It is only used in telegrams).

Telegram:

Arrived Singapore yesterday. Visited Sadrina offices. Sadrina in Manila. Send further instructions.

The original message was:

I arrived in Singapore yesterday. I have visited the Sadrina offices, but Sadrina is in Manila. Can you send me further instructions?

B.Now you work out the full message from these telegrams.

1. Returned Manila Sunday.

2. Need further details. Send to Tourist Hotel soonest.

3. Broken leg. Unable to travel two weeks. Please send ₤500 medical fees. Inform wife. Returned May 29.