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Presenter: Hello, everyone. My name’s Sheila Carter and I’m here to
tell you about telecommunications in the UK. Let’s start off with public telephones.
Some public telephones in the UK are coin-operated and others are
card-operated. To use a card-operated telephone, you need either a credit card
or a special phonecard. Phonecards come in values of ￡2, ￡5, ￡10 and ￡20,    Q11
and you can buy them from newsagents, post offices and supermarkets. The
amount of time you get with each card depends on where you are calling:
long-distance calls will use up your card faster than local calls. Most card-operated
telephones have a display panel telling you where and how to insert
your card, when to dial and when to hang up. If you are using a phonecard,
the display will also show you how much money you have left on your card.        Q12
  Let me tell you about some sounds you might hear on the phone. Before
you dial, pick up the receiver and listen for a continuous high-pitched
hum. This is the dialling tone. After you dial, if the number you want is available,           Q13
you will hear a repeated double ring. If it’s busy, you will hear the engaged
tone—a repeated single note. If a number is unavailable—that means                     Q14
it’s not in use at all—you will hear a steady tone. When your money or card
is about to run out, you will hear a series of rapid pips.
  Now—telephone numbers. Telephone numbers in the UK are usually
written like this: 0171 693 5876. The first three to five numbers in the series
are the codes you need to dial if you are outside that particular area. For
example, 020 is the code for London and 0161 is for Manchester. If you are
inside the Manchester area, you ignore the 0161 and just dialthe rest of the
number. When telephoning the UK from overseas, ignore the first 0 of any
number. Useful numbers to know are the emergency services—999. Be ready
to tell the operator where you are, what number you are calling from, and
what kind of emergency it is. The domestic operator—100. Dial this number              Q15
if you want to reverse the charges for a call, so the person you are calling
pays, or make a person-to-person call, so that you only pay if you reach the
exact person you want to talk to. Directory enquiries in the UK—118. Call                Q16
this number to find out a UK telephone number if you have no telephone directory
handy. This call is free from public pay phones, but not from private
phones. The international dialling code is 00. To call overseas, dial 00, then
the country code, then the number. Country codes, as well as national codes
in the UK, are listed at the front of most telephone directories. International                Q17
operator—155. Most places in the world can be dialled direct from the UK,
but if you need to call a more hard-to-reach place, dial 155. This is also the
number to reverse the charges for an international call, so the person you are
calling pays, or make an international person-to-person call, so that you only
pay if you reach the exact person you want to talk to. International directory
enquiries—153. If you do not know the country code or the number of a person
you want to call overseas, dial 153 to find out.
  Mobile phones are very popular in the UK, and a number of packages
are available. With pay-monthly plans, you sign a contract with a mobile          Q18
phone network or a service provider and agree to use the network’s service
for a minimum period, usually 12 months. You choose a tariff—a fee structure-from
a range of choices offered by the network. The network or service
provider bills you monthly for your calls and services. With pre-paid plans,                Q18
you sign a contract with a network or a service provider and pay for a minimun
of 12 months service in advance, at a cheaper rate than for monthly
plans. If you use the phone more than the agreed amount, the network or service
provider bills you monthly for the extra time/calls. With pay-as-you-go                  Q19
plans, which are the most expensive, you buy credit—in other words, talking       Q20
time—in advance, as you like, either direct from the network or in the form
of vouchers. You use the phone until the credit runs out. No contracts or bills
are involved.