English Dialogue Lesson 4 (Ep. 9): Technology
Listen and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. Or listen right here:
If you like this lesson, please subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher for more IELTS Vocabulary lessons, and check out all of our IELTS Podcast episodes here!
English Dialogue Lesson 4 – Episode 9 Transcript
(Translations: Tiếng Việt)
Welcome to the Magoosh IELTS Podcast! This is Lesson 9. In this episode, you’re going to hear dialogue containing the vocabulary words that your teacher Eliot defined in Vocabulary Lesson 4. These are 4 words all related to technology: Device, Mobile, Innovation, and Revolutionize.
If you haven’t listened to episode 4 yet, you might want to listen to that first, so that you know the definitions of these words. I’ll put a link in the show notes.
Also, check out the show notes to get your free download: the IELTS vocabulary list, which contains these words and others that you’ll find on the test. Plus visit IELTS.Magoosh.com for more great resources to improve your IELTS band score. Use coupon code “ieltspodcast” to save 20% off your IELTS test prep!
Okay let’s get started! Listen to this dialogue between Ada and Jackie as Jackie helps Ada buy a new phone. See if you can pick out the 4 IELTS vocabulary words as you listen.
Dialogue Part 1
Ada: Hi there! I’ve just moved here from the United Kingdom…so obviously my UK phone doesn’t work anymore. I’m looking to get a new SIM card so that I can use my mobile phone here in America…or I might even be open to buying a new device altogether, depending on how much it would cost. Is that something you could help me with?
Jackie: Yes, of course! We do offer some plans that are SIM card only, depending on whether the device you’re using is compatible with our company’s SIM cards. Would you prefer a SIM card only plan, or do you think maybe it’s time for a new phone?
Ada: Are the SIM card only plans cheaper?
Jackie: Well yes. Since you aren’t paying for the price of a brand new mobile phone, the SIM card only plans tend to cost less…though we do have a couple of deals going on right now that would allow you to get a pretty great phone for much cheaper than they would normally cost brand new.
Ada: Okay, I’ll think about it. Can you tell me a little about the SIM card only plans that you offer?
Jackie: Sure, but before we get started, why don’t you let me have a look at your phone, and I can tell you if it will be compatible with any of our SIM cards. Unfortunately if it’s not compatible you’ll need to get a new device in order to use our cards.
Ada: Yeah, no problem, here’s my phone.
Jackie: …Oh yeah, this mobile is pretty old. Let me just check in back and see if we have any of the older SIM cards left in stock.
Ada: Okay, thanks.
Jackie: …I’m sorry. I don’t think we have anything that is compatible with your current phone. On the bright side, maybe it’s time for an upgrade! Would you be interested in seeing some of the newer devices that we have available?
Ada: Yeah sure, why not.
Jackie: Great, let’s start with this one…So this is the XC-500, and it’s got all your standard smartphone features, plus a high definition screen. And the developers have made some huge innovations with the voice recognition technology – basically you can set it up to respond specifically to your voice. So that’s pretty cool.
Ada: Yeah, that’s neat.
Jackie: …And then this is the Edge 5 Series, which is also a great device. It comes with a stylus and a physical keyboard, if you prefer a more revolutionized Blackberry-style phone. But see here: there’s still a touch screen and all that good stuff.
Ada: Oh neat, yeah I never quite got the hang of typing on touch screens, I think my fingers are too big or something.
Jackie: Yeah, the touch screens tend to be very sensitive – which obviously is an amazing innovation considering that touch screen technology really only became available in the last ten years…but some people definitely still prefer physical keyboards.
Ada: Okay, great. Are there any other phones that you would recommend?
Jackie: Is there anything in particular that you’re looking for in a mobile device?
Ada: Well if I’m going to be buying a new phone anyways, I would love to get one that has a really good camera – preferably one that can do high definition video. I do a lot of photography and video recordings with my current phone, and I’ve noticed that even though the picture quality is pretty good when there’s enough light, the video always turns out really pixelated and low quality. Do you have any affordable devices that have cameras specifically made for video?
Jackie: Oh, I know just the thing…Okay, so this is the G5-Pro. This phone just came out a few weeks ago, and it’s totally revolutionized the way that we take videos using mobile devices. Basically the main problem facing phone developers has been that there isn’t enough storage space on the devices to store high definition videos. So it’s not even a matter of the quality of the camera lens…there just isn’t enough space on the phone. But with the G5-Pro, they’ve made some major innovations to how we store data. Basically everything is uploaded immediately to the cloud, so space is no longer an issue. Anyways, if you’re looking for a phone with a good video camera, this is the device for you!
Ada: Wow, that sounds like just what I’m looking for!
Jackie: Amazing. And more good news – this phone falls under a promotion we’re doing right now, so if you sign up for a plan with us that includes this device, we’ll give you fifty percent off for the first six months!
Ada: Okay, that sounds really good, I’d definitely be interested in doing that.
Jackie: Do you want me to go over some of the different phone plans with you, and we can figure out which one best suits your needs?
Ada: Yeah, absolutely!
Midroll
Before we find out which phone plan Ada will choose, let’s pause for a word from Magoosh.
Do you want a great IELTS score?
Magoosh can help!
Here’s what you’ll get with Magoosh:
In-depth video lessons that cover concepts, pitfalls, and shortcuts
Over 200 practice questions to help you prepare for your exam
24/7 email access to a team of smart and fun remote tutors ready to answer your questions
So, are you ready to improve your score and get into your dream program? Great! We’re ready to help you. Visit us at ielts.magoosh.com and use coupon code “ieltspodcast” to save 20% off your IELTS test prep. That’s it!
Now back to the story!
Dialogue Part 2
Jackie: Okay, so we have three different types of mobile phone plans for the G5-Pro. All the plans have slightly different features, but the biggest difference is the amount of data you’ll be getting – and obviously the price of the plan. Do you have an idea of how much data you use in a month?
Ada: Hmm, not really. Even though I have a smart phone, I don’t think I’ve had a phone plan that included data before. I would just connect to the WiFi if I wanted to use any of those features.
Jackie: Do you want to stick with a no-data plan? Or would you be interested in trying out a plan with a little bit of data?
Ada: I mean…if it’s affordable then it would be great to have a plan with data. Especially for stuff like the GPS. It’s such a hassle to have to look up the maps ahead of time. And I’m sure I’ll be getting lost a lot since I’m new to this area.
Jackie: Yeah, the GPS is a great feature. And being able to look up maps while on the go will really revolutionize the way you get around. Plus, the good news is that the GPS app actually uses relatively little data. So even if you use the GPS on a daily basis, you probably wouldn’t need a plan with more than one gigabyte of data a month.
Ada: [laughs] Yeah, I have no idea how much a gigabyte is.
Jackie: Don’t worry, most people don’t. So one gigabyte of data would allow you to send or receive about 1,000 emails or browse the Internet for about 20 hours every month.
Ada: Wow, that’s a lot!
Jackie: Yes, and that’s actually the smallest amount of data on a monthly plan that we offer – besides no data of course.
Ada: What’s your plan with the most data?
Jackie: Our plan with the most data offers 16 gigabytes worth of data. So that’s 320 hours of Internet browsing a month. It’s actually an amazing deal, because it only costs $10 more than our next largest data plan, which is only 4 gigabytes a month.
Ada: How can people even use 16 gigabytes in a month…that’s like…what, ten hours a day? No one could possibly be on their phone that much.
Jackie: Well it’s actually easier than you think. Say, for example, you are downloading files, or streaming video…those kinds of activities require a lot more data than just scrolling through Facebook. But you’re right, 16 gigabytes is a lot of data. What we’ve found is that most people who go for this plan actually are using their phones as mobile hotspots for their computers and other devices.
Ada: What does that mean?
Jackie: Well, a mobile hotspot is basically a secure WiFi network. But instead of the WiFi coming from a box that’s installed in your house and connected to cables in the ground, the WiFi is coming directly from your phone, using your data plan.
Ada: Wow, so you’re saying that I could connect my computer to the Internet through my phone anywhere that I had phone service?
Jackie: That’s right! Mobile hotspot technology has totally innovated how we connect to the Internet, especially for people who work on their computers. Whereas before now you would have to go to a library or coffee shop to work, with this data plan you can access the Internet from almost anywhere you want!
Ada: Okay, that actually sounds really amazing. How much does that plan cost per month?
Jackie: It’s $50 per month, but with our promotion it would only cost you $25 a month for the first six months.
Ada: Wow, that’s such a good deal! Sign me up!
Outro
So how did you do? Did you hear and understand all of the vocabulary words? If you need more practice, check out the show notes for a transcript of this episode so that you can follow along and listen again.
Oh and by the way! We’re looking for volunteers to help us translate the show transcripts from English to your first language. If you are interested, please email me at [email protected] with the subject line “translation,” and let me know what language you can translate into!
Thanks for listening! If you like our show, help us out by leaving a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, it helps people find us! And don’t forget to hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss the next lesson. Until next time! This is Naomi at Magoosh, wishing you happy studying!
Leave a Reply