Bite Sized English

This entry is part of a series about fraud. This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

We’ve been talking about fraud and identity theft all week, so you can probably guess what I’m talking about today. But, here’s how the story starts: I get a surprising email from my bank, and pick up the phone to make a phone call. . .

After You’ve Heard the Recording
Okay, I had what might be considered an ‘innocent’ run-in with identity theft—or maybe it was ‘only’ credit card fraud—but it was enough to make me paranoid. Where do you think that the theif could have gotten my credit card information? What do you think I should do to make sure it never happens again?

December 4th, 2009 | Tags: credit card fraud, fraud, identity theft | Category: English Three, listening | Comments (1)

This entry is part of a series about fraud. This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

My name is Toby. I don’t think it’s possible to really steal my name. . . after all, if you did, wouldn’t that mean I was left here, nameless? And that’s just not possible. But, it’s possible for you to take my name—and probably my birthday, my social security number and maybe other personal data—to use my name by pretending to be me.

Who knows what you could do with my name: spend my money, borrow money, get married. . . lots of stuff. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone getting married under a stolen name.) When that happens, it’s possible that I could lose a lot of money. . .and maybe even wake up married.

When this happens, this is called identity theft. My identity is stolen. Today we’re going to talk about different kind of identity theft. (Because I don’t know much about this, I got my information from the Wikipedia page, if you want to read it there.) We’re going to talk about:

• Financial Identity Theft

• Criminal Identity Theft

• Medical Identity Theft

After You’ve Heard the Recording
Do you worry about this happening to you? Do you think it’s very possible? What do you to protect your identity from theft?

December 3rd, 2009 | Tags: fraud, identity theft | Category: English Two, Vocabulary, listening | Comments (3)

This entry is part of a series about fraud! This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

I like to teach English that’s happy and positive. Because, well, that’s the way I try to see the world. Unfortunately, though, that’s not always how things are. And so, today we’re going to talk about two words that I hope you never really need.

For today’s recording you’re going to need thevocabulary words honest and dishonest. And, of course, truth and lies. It’s pretty simple, really: truth refers to something that’s a fact, something that’s true, or information that’s real. A lie, on the other hand, is a ‘fake fact.’ A lie is when someone tells you something that they know isn’t true, it’s ‘fake information.’ We all know people we can trust to tell us the truth: these are honest people. And, unfortunately, we know people whom we can’t trust to tell us the truth: these are dishonest people.

Now, you have the vocabulary to listen to today’s recording. The vocabulary you’ll learn in the recording is:

• Deceit – Deception

• Fraud

After You’ve Heard the Recording
I hate to ask this question, because I hope the answer is no, but do you have a story about deceit or fraud? Have you ever deceived anyone? Have you ever been the victim of fraud?

December 2nd, 2009 | Tags: deciet, fraud | Category: English Two, Vocabulary, listening | Leave a comment

This entry is part of a series about shopping. More shopping all week! This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

I like to shop online, but how safe is it? A lot of my students would never pay for anything over the Internet, because they’re worried that someone might be able to intercept their credit card or bank information and take all their money.

I don’t have much money to take, so I never really worried about it. To me, being able to buy books in English on Amazon—when there isn’t a single book store in Dresden that has them—is definitely worth the risk. After all, what good is money if you can’t find the things you want to buy?

Even my mother—who I think is the most old-fashioned person in the world—is starting to shop more and more online. She says that the stores near her house just don’t have the things she wants to get, and so she has to shop online.

But, what happens if someone does get your credit card number? Is it possible for someone to take all your money? What about privacy? Are you worried that the government or your neighbors will know where and how you spend your money?

How safe do you think it is to shop online?

December 1st, 2009 | Tags: fraud, internet | Category: English One, Topic, spoken | Leave a comment

This is a post in a series about Thanksgiving. It’s a good week to be thankful! This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

It’s black Friday. Are you frightened? No, it’s not Friday the Thirteenth and it’s not the darkest day of the year (that’s in December.) What’s so black about today?

You might know about black Tuesday, and think that you’re supposed to jump out of a building today. You’re not. What are you supposed to do on black Friday? Well, if you’re crazy—and my mother and sister both are—you’ll shop today. Insanity.

Today is black Friday in the U.S., and if you still don’t know what black Friday is, don’t worry. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

After You’ve Heard the Recording
Is there a similar day to this in your country? Is there a ‘Christmas shopping season?’ When does it start? Do you like shopping during this season? Most people tell me that they hate shopping at Christmas. . . so, why do you think they don’t do their shopping earlier?

November 27th, 2009 | Tags: black friday, thanksgiving | Category: English Three, listening, phrases and idioms | Leave a comment

This is a post in a series about Thanksgiving. It’s a good week to be thankful! This entry is available as a Adobe Acrobat file for printing or use in a class. This entry includes a listening exercises. You can dowload the MP3 or play it using the button below. (MP3)

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and I have to say that this is my favorite of all the American holidays. It has nothing to do with the Thanksgiving story, and everything to do with spending time with my family, and looking at the bright side of life for a weekend.

All but one of my brothers and sisters will be together today with my parents at my parents house, and you can bet we’ll be eating a lot. And we’ll be telling old stories and driving my wife crazy. But none of that is why this is my favorite holiday. To find that out, you’ll just have to listen to the recording.

November 26th, 2009 | Tags: thanksgiving | Category: English Three, listening | Leave a comment