Unit 24 :
Cards Declined

 Intermediate

Summary

To know the pros and cons of owning a credit card.

  • Brain Storm : Share your ideas with your teacher. Try to make sentences.

Do you have a credit card? Why? Or why not?

Vocabulary

Repeat these words/ phrases after your teacher.

  • issued (v)
  • expired (v)
  • limit (n)
  • activated (v)
  • strange (adj)
  • declined (v)
  • insert (v)

Dialogue 1

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Crispin

Christine

Hi, I’d like to pay for these shirts.

Great! How would you like to pay?

With my credit card please?

Ok, you can insert your card when you’re ready.

Oh, it said it didn’t go through.

Give it another try. Sorry, there’s another error message. Maybe your card expired?

Actually, they just issued me a new card.

Did you activate it? Or maybe you’re over your limit?

I activated it before I left, and it’s a brand new card. Can I try it once more?

Of course…. Sorry, it didn’t go through again. But this time it says to contact your bank.

That’s really strange!

Did you notify your bank you were going to be traveling?

Ah, that’s what it is. I travel enough I should know better. I’ll use cash instead.

 

Let’s practice

Word Definition

  1. place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing, especially with care.

     a. insert           b. inset

  1. unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand.

    a. strange         b. Stange

  1. make (something) active or operative.

    a. relative          b. activate

Dialogue 2

Role-play Dialogue 2  with your teacher.

Kevin

Kaye

The total for all these items comes to $36.78.

Take my VISA.

There is something wrong with your card.

What’s going on?

Your card was declined.

That can’t be right!

Would you like me to try another card?

 

 I don’t have another one.

What about cash?

I didn’t bring cash with me today.

I’m sorry, but you can’t take the items until you can buy them.

 I’ll come back for them tomorrow.

Let’s Practice

Choose the correct answer.

  1. Pain is the body’s way of telling that

    a. Something’s wrong           b. Something’s out

2. It is a general way of saying hello when people greet you.

    a. What’s wrong?             b. What’s going on?

3. That can’t be right is the same as

    a. I don’t believe it            b. It’s okay.

Discussion：

Share your idea with your teacher. Try to make sentences.

  1. Name eight benefits and drawbacks of credit cards?
  2. Can credit cards encourage people to buy more? Why or why not?
  3. Do you worry about security when using your credit card?
  4. Do you trust credit card companies? What are the major issues?