Unit XIII

Public Phones in England

The Post Office used to be in charge of both the postal service and the telephone service,
which is why post boxes and call boxes (telephone booths) were both painted the same deep
red colour. However this marriage of communication services was broken up in 1981 and the
private British Telecom (BT) company now runs the phone service. In trying to gradually
upgrade equipment, BT is replacing those much-loved and traditional sturdy call boxes with
what it hopes will be vandal-proof ones. These new metal contraptions have no doors, which
makes it no great pleasure to phone someone on a cold, windy day from a noisy street. Many
people would prefer BT to turn their attention more quickly to improving the quality of the
telephone connections. Often lines seem to be plagued by crackling noises, fading signals, or
voices in the background; the connection may improve if you dial the number again.
International calls can deteriorate to the point where you can barely hear the other person,
although sometimes they are much clearer than local calls.
The older-style dial pay phones (in red call-boxes) are steadily being replaced by new pushbutton versions. The new pay phones allow you to use a wide range of coins, which means
you don't have to carry around a sack of 10 pieces to make a long distance or international
call. If you use the older ones you have to lift the receiver and dial the number you want. If
someone answers, you will hear a series of rapid pips. If you push your coin into the slot, the
pips will stop. When your time is up, the pips will start again. You just have to feed in more
coins if you want to continue the call.
If you use the new ones you will have to put your money in before dialling. While you talk, a
digital display tells you how much money you have left so that you can insert more before
your time runs out. Any coin that hasn't been used at the end of your call will be returned
(except partially used coins). At airports and large train stations you may find pay phones that
don't require any coins. They take major credit cards, and tend to be more expensive. A new
invention of BT is the Phonecard which can be used only in call boxes that carry a green
Phonecard sign. They come in a specified number of 10p units (20, 40, 100 or 200) and can be
bought at post office and from many newsagents. As you talk, the digital display tells you
how many units you have left on the card. One problem with all pay phones is that you have
to estimate how much money to insert as rates vary with the time of the day and the distance
of the call in any case.

Questions:
1. Why were post boxes as well as call boxes both painted the same deep red colour?
2. When was British Telecom established?
3. What are new call boxes like?
4. What is the difference between the old ones and the new ones?
5. Can you use a call box with your credit card?
6. What is the Phonecard?
7. Is it difficult to estimate how much money to insert?
8. How often do the rates vary?

Change from Active into Passive:

1. People broke up the marriage of communication in 1981.
_______________________________________________________
2. New push-buttons versions are steadily replacing the older style dial pay phones.
____________________________________________________________________
3. Any coin which you havent used at the end of your call , they will return to you.
____________________________________________________________________
4.You can use a phone card only in call boxes that carry a green phonecard sign.
__________________________________________________________________
5. People can buy phonecards at post offices and from many newsagents.

Join the Conditionals to make sense:

If someone answers

You just have to feed in more coins

If you use the old call boxes

.
If you want to continue the call

the pips will start again

If you use the new call boxes

you will hear a series of rapid pips.

you have to lift the receiver and dial the number

If you push your coin into the slot

you will have to put you money in before dialling

If your time is up

the pips will stop.

Rearrange this jumbled dialogue between two colleagues and put these expressions into the
blanks: could you possibly, I was wondering if, Im afraid, go ahead, Ill, Shall I
B: Well, ____________________ I cant tomorrow. Im not coming into the office.
A: ________________________ write it down for you?
B: Yeah, ______________________
A: ___________________________ if you could phone these people in Spain for me.My
Spanish is atrocious.
B: Sure. _____________________________ do it first thing.

B: Yes. Otherwise Ill forget! When do you want me to phone them?

A: Well, ____________________________ do it the day after tomorrow?
A: Could I ask you a favour ?
B: No problem. Just tell me what you want to say.
A: Tomorrow.

Complete the sentences with a suitable preposition of time:

1. Easter falls ___________________ 5 April this year.
2. Hell be back _____________ an hour time.
3. He took copious notes all ______________ the meeting.
4. Ill see you ________________ 6 oclock and make sure youre ____________ time!
5. The government privatised massively _____________ the 1990s.
6. The financial year runs ____________________ April ________________ 31March.
7. We arrived just _______________ time to see the opening ceremony.
8. This project could take us into 2010 and _______________
9. You have to send in your tax declaration _______________ 15 March at the latest.
10. I dont know what time shell arrive; _________________ 3 oclock I guess, or a bit later.