Making a telephone call 

When you make a telephone call you lift the receiver. Then you dial the number. If you don’t know the number you can look it up in the telephone directory. If you can’t find it there you can call directory inquiries.

Making a call to a place far away is called a long-distance call. For most countries in Europe you can phone direct; first dial the international code-number.

If you don’t have enough money you can ask for a person-to-person call and have the charges reversed. This means that the receiver of the call has to pay for it.

When there is a difficulty with connection the operator may tell you to hold the line. If the person we want to call is already speaking to someone, the number is engaged.

When you call a friend and somebody else answers the phone, you can leave a message or, it may mean that you have dialled a wrong number.

lift the receiver – поднять трубку

dial the number – набрать номер

telephone directory – телефонный справочник

directory inquiries – справочная

long–distance call – международный звонок

person–to–person call – телефонный разговор по предварительному заказу

reverse charges – предъявить счёт за междугородный разговор вызываемому абоненту

hold the line – не вешать трубку

number is engaged – номер занят

leave a message – оставить сообщение

wrong number – неправильный номер

Choose the correct answer.

1.   If you don’t remember the number, you can look it up in the telephone …

a) dictionary        b) directory           c)  index         d) register

2. His phone must be out of order. We’ve been unable to … him.

a) arrive at          b) meet               c) reach            d) transmit

3. Would you … a minute, please? I’ll try to connect you.

a) hold on           b) keep on           c) stay on         d) stop on

4. My telephone is … so I’ll have to ask my neighbor if I can use his.

a) off duty        b) off limits         c) out of use     d) out of order

5. I phoned him this morning but when I said who I was he …

a) rang up         b) hung up         c) shut down     d) shut up

6. The telephone operator said she would put the caller … when the line was free.

a) forward           b) in                c) through         d) up

7. I let the telephone ring several times before I … the receiver.

a) took out          b) raised up       c) lifted away    d) picked up

8. I was in the middle of phoning Pete when we were …

a) cut down         b) cut off            c) cut in            d) cut up

9. In the middle of the call the line went …

a) dead               b) deaf                c) dumb           d) flat

10. I’ve tried ringing four or five times, but I still can’t … that Warsaw number.

a) get on to      b) go on to    c) get through to  d) go along with

Answers: 1 b; 2 c; 3 a; 4 d; 5 b; 6 c; 7 d; 8 b; 9 a; 10 c.

reach smb – дозвониться к кому-либо

hold on – не вешать трубку              

out of order – в нерабочем состоянии

hang up – повесить трубку, отключиться    

put through –  соединить (по телефону)   

pick up the receiver – поднять трубку

cut off – разъединять (телефонную связь)

The line went dead. – Связь прервалась.

get through to – связаться c