ESL之日常生活 08 Buying Stamps at the Post Office

08 Buying Stamps at the Post Office

GLOSSARY 1

stamp – a small piece of paper that is put on an envelope so that it can be sentthrough the mail* When they sent the wedding invitations, they used stamps with pink hearts andwhite roses.

denomination 2 – the amount of money that a piece of paper is worth; the value ofa bill, certificate 3, or stamp* Please take $200 out of the bank account in these denominations 4: 1 at $50, 2at $20, 6 at $10, 7 at $5, and 15 at $1.

Priority 5 Mail – a fast mail service offered by the U.S. Postal 6 Service* Priority Mail is faster than regular mail, but it is also more expensive.

rate – cost per piece; the amount of money that one must pay for a service* The rate for a telephone call to India is $0.08 per minute.

first-class – standard mail service with the U.S. Postal Service; high-quality;good service or the best service* First-class seats on the train are bigger and more comfortable than other seats.

domestic 7 – within one country; not international* Domestic flights leave from gates 1-29, and international flights leave fromgates 30-50.

book – a piece of paper that is covered in stamps and is folded several times sothat it lies flat* There are only two stamps left in this book.  Can you please go to the postoffice this afternoon to buy another one?

roll – a long, thin piece of paper or film that is rolled in a circle or curled 8 to makea tube shape* Javier likes to take pictures, so he took ten rolls of film when he went to Alaska.

envelope – a folded piece of paper that one puts a letter into and then closes with glue so that it can be mailed* Be sure to put your address in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope, andthe stamp should be in the upper right-hand corner of the envelope.

delivery 9 – the process of taking a letter or package to the person or business it is being sent to* This Chinese restaurant offers free delivery for orders of $35 or more.

Express Mail – a very fast mail service offered by the U.S. Postal Service thatdelivers letters and packages in one or two days* Ford 10 wanted to send the book as quickly as possible, so he paid extra forExpress Mail service.

postcard – a rectangular 11 piece of paper with a photograph on one side and roomto write a message and an address on the other side so that it can be mailed* I received a postcard from my parents with a beautiful picture of RehobothBeach, where they’re spending their vacation.

curious – wanting to know something; eager to ask questions about something* Gustavo is curious about everything.  I think he asked the tour guide more than20 questions this morning!

design – the way that something is made or decorated; the way that somethinglooks* Millie chose to make curtains out of fabric 12 with a geometric design.

commemorative – remembering an important event; in remembrance ofsomething important that happened in the past* The United States made commemorative coins for the country’s 200thanniversary.

standard – normal; basic; regular; not special* Standard Internet service costs $29.99 per month, but you can pay more tohave a faster speed or a special email address.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  How much does Tamika’s book of stamps cost?

a)  $0.41b)  $0.20c)  $8.202.  The least expensive way to send a letter that doesn’t need to arrive for sevendays should be sent using which mail service?

a)  First class.

b)  Priority Mail.

c)  Express Mail.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

stampThe word “stamp,” in this podcast, means a small piece of paper that is put on anenvelope so that it can be sent through the mail: “Have you seen the new stamps with pictures of great sports players?”  A “stamp” is also a piece of plastic that is dipped into ink (a colored liquid) and then pushed against a piece of paper sothat the design is put on the paper: “In many countries, the doctor’s stamp mustbe on the prescription 13 to make it legal.”  The verb “to stamp” means to push thestamp against the piece of paper: “Please stamp the date on the envelopes whenyou receive them.”  The verb “to stamp (one’s) foot” means to put one’s footdown on the floor very hard so that it makes a loud noise: “The child was very angry, yelling 15 and stamping his feet to get his parents’ attention.”

rollIn this podcast, the word “roll” means a long, thin piece of paper or film that is rolled in a circle or curled: “Many people put a roll of stamps inside a small plastic box so that they can take out one stamp at a time.”  A “roll” can also be a small,round piece of bread for one person: “Do you want butter or jam for your roll?” The verb “to roll” means to move by turning over and over: “The ball rolled downthe hill.”  The verb “to roll” can also mean to make something move by turningover and over: “Can you please roll the ball over here?”  The verb “to roll over”

means to turn one’s body while lying down so that one is resting on another side:

“Gertie wakes up whenever her husband rolls over in bed.”

CULTURE NOTEThe United States Postal Service (USPS) is the standard mail service whenAmericans want to send a letter.  However, people can choose to use other mailservices when they need faster or other types of service.  People often use theseother services when they want to send a package.  Some popular nongovernmental mail services include UPS (United Parcel Service), FedEx (FederalExpress), and DHL. All of these companies offer different types of services with different “deliverytimes” (the amount of time needed to deliver something).  “Ground service” is usually the slowest and least expensive way to send a package.  Things are sentby cars, trucks, busses, and trains, but not by airplanes.  The companies alsohave “express services” that may have delivery times of two or three days, and“overnight” services where packages arrive the next morning or afternoon.

Many of these private companies also offer “pick-up services,” meaning that they send people to one’s home or office building to “pick up” (get) the package.  Incontrast, if you want to send something using USPS, you have to go to the postoffice and wait in line to send it, or drop the letter or package into a “mailbox” (alarge container outside where letters and packages are put so that USPSworkers can get them once or twice a day and take them to the post office).

Many companies have “account numbers” with these private companies.  They write their account numbers onto the “mailing slip” (the piece of paper that shows who a package is from, who it should be sent to, and how quickly it needs toarrive) and then they receive a bill once a month so that they can pay for all ofthe things they sent during that month.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 274: BuyingStamps at the Post Office.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 16 274.  I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com and take a look at our premium 17 courses.  Theseare additional 18 courses that you may be interested in.  You can also download aLearning Guide for this episode on our website.

This episode is called “Buying Stamps at the Post Office.”  Let's go!

[start of story]

Clerk:  Can I help you?

Tamika:  I’d like to buy some stamps.

Clerk:  In what denomination?

Tamika:  I’m not sure.  I need them for sending regular letters and for Priority Mail.

Clerk:  The current rate for sending a first-class letter is 41 cents.  With first-classservice, your letter will get there in three to seven days for domestic mail. Tamika:  For the first-class stamps, how many come in a book or a roll?

Clerk:  There are 20 in a book and 100 in a roll.  To send a Priority Mailenvelope, you can get $4.05 stamps, and delivery is usually in two to three days. How many would you like of each? Tamika:  I’ll take one book of the stamps and four Priority Mail stamps.  Can I buy stamps to send an Express Mail envelope, too?

Clerk:  You can.  Those are $14.40 each.

Tamika:  Could you add one of those, too?  And how much is it to send apostcard?  I don’t need any stamps for those today, but I’m just curious.

Clerk:  It’s 24 cents to send a postcard.  Okay, that’s a book of 41-cent stamps,four Priority Mail stamps, and one Express Mail stamp.  Anything else?

Tamika:  Could I pick the design of the first-class stamps?

Clerk:  Yes.  You can choose from these commemorative ones or the standardflag design. Tamika:  I’ll take the commemorative ones.

Clerk:  Your total comes to $38.80. Tamika:  Here’s $40.

Clerk:  Here’s your change and your stamps.  Have a nice day.

Tamika:  Thanks.  You, too.

[end of story]

Our dialogue is between Tamika and the person who works 20 at the Post Office,who we would call a “clerk” (clerk).  The clerk says to Tamika, “Can I help you,”

and Tamika says, “I’d like to buy some stamps.”  A “stamp” is a little piece ofpaper that you stick on, or put on, an envelope or a package or a postcard, thatallows you to send that letter or package through the national and internationalmail system.  Every country has its own mail system – its own stamps.

The clerk asks Tamika, “In what denomination?”  “Denomination” (denomination)refers to the amount of money that a paper – a piece of paper – is worth. Stamps come in different denominations; they have different money values thatwe put on them.  Also, we use this term “denomination” for money – regularmoney – pieces of paper have different denominations: $1, $5, $10, and so forth 21. So, it's the value of a stamp or a bill or some other piece of paper.

Tamika says she's not sure what denomination she needs.  She tells the clerk “Ineed them for sending regular letters and for Priority Mail.”  In the U.S., we havea special service called “Priority Mail.”  Priority Mail is a little bit faster service, butstill part of the normally 22 slow government Postal Service that we have, thatalmost every country has, I think.  Everyone likes to complain about how slow themail is, and Americans are no different.  They complain all the time!

Priority Mail is supposed to be faster, and you more money for it.  Normally, thepackage or letter will arrive in two or three days if you send it Priority Mail.  Or, itwill never arrive at all, either one!

The clerk says, “The current rate for sending a first-class letter is 41 cents.”  The“rate” (rate) is how much it costs per letter or per piece; it's the price, in otherwords.  So, the price for sending a first-class letter is 41 cents.  “First-class” is thenormal, regular type of mail that you send.  It's the standard mail service – it's notthe fastest; it's not the slowest.  The term “first-class,” when we use it anothersituations, usually means very high quality or the best. The clerk says that “With first-class service, your letter will get there in three toseven days for domestic mail.”  “Domestic” (domestic) in this case refers to withinone country, not international.  It's the opposite of international, which would bebetween countries.  We use that term “domestic” for mail; we also use it forairline flights: “Are you taking a domestic flight,” or trip, “or an international flight.” Domestic would be within the United States, if you are in the United States ofcourse, and international would be from the U.S. to another country.

Tamika says, “For the first-class stamps, how many come in a book or a roll?” The expression “how many come in” means how many are there.  When I buy that, how many will I get?  She's asking about the quantity – the number ofstamps that she will get in either a book or a roll (roll). In the U.S., you can buy stamps in what's called a “book,” which is a piece ofpaper that has many different stamps, and the stamps are folded up severaltimes.  A “roll of stamps” is when you have a long, thin piece of paper that is rolled up in a circle, and you can also buy stamps that are in that form.  It's thesame stamp; it's not a different kind of stamp, it's just a different way of buyingthe stamp.  You can have them all in one long piece of paper that is rolled up intoa circle, or you can buy them on a flat sheet that is folded up.  “Roll” has a coupleof different meanings in English; take a look at our Learning 19 Guide for someadditional explanations.

The clerk says that there are 20 stamps in a book and 100 stamps in a roll.  “Tosend a Priority Mail envelope,” he says, “you can get $4.05 stamps, and delivery is usually in two to three days.  An “envelope” (envelope) is the piece of paperthat you put a letter in; it's the container that holds the letter.  Usually, you writethe address on the front of the envelope and put the stamp in the corner of theenvelope.

Priority Mail stamps cost a little more than $4, and delivery is usually in two tothree days “delivery” (delivery) means the process of taking the letter or thepackage to the person.  So, delivery is getting the letter or the package to theperson that you want.

Tamika says, “I’ll take one book of the stamps,” meaning the first-class stamps,“and four Priority Mail stamps.”  She then asks, “Can I buy stamps to send anExpress Mail envelope, too?”  “Express Mail” is the fastest service you can buy through the government Post Office in the United States.  Usually, your letter willget there the next day.  It costs more money, of course.  It costs about $14.40 ifyou want the letter to arrive the next day.

You can also send your letters and packages through private companies that areusually more reliable.  They usually have better service than the governmentPost Office.  But you can also send an, what we would call, “overnight letter,”

meaning a letter that will be delivered the next day through the U.S. PostalService.

Tamika asks how much it is – how much it costs – to send a postcard (postcard –one word).  A “postcard” is a rectangular piece of paper, with usually aphotograph on one side, and on the other side there is room to write a shortmessage.  You can buy postcards of famous places – pictures of famous places. People often do this when they are on vacation.  You can send me a postcardnext time you're on a good vacation!

Tamika says, “I don’t need any postcard stamps today, but I’m just curious.”  “Tobe curious” (curious) means you want to know something; you are interested insomething.

The clerk tells Tamika that the postcard stamps are 24 cents.  Tamika asks if shecan pick the design of her first-class stamps.  The “design” (design) is the way that they look; the way something appears.  The U.S., like many countries, sells many different kinds of stamps with different pictures on them, and sometimesyou can choose which one you want if you go to the Post Office.

The clerk says, “You can choose from these commemorative ones or thestandard flag design.”  A “commemorative stamp” is a stamp that remembers animportant event or an important person.  Many stamps will have famous peopleon them.  Usually in the U.S., the rule is that you have to be dead before you canbe put on a stamp.  So you will, for example, not be able to buy the JeffMcQuillan stamp, I hope, for many, many years!

The “standard flag design” is the normal, most popular currently 23, stamp designthat we have.  When we say something is “standard,” we mean it's normal; it's regular; it's not special.  And right now, if you buy a stamp in the U.S. for a firstclass letter, most of them have the American flag on the stamp.

Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of story]

Clerk:  Can I help you?

Tamika:  I’d like to buy some stamps.

Clerk:  In what denomination?

Tamika:  I’m not sure.  I need them for sending regular letters and for Priority Mail.

Clerk:  The current rate for sending a first-class letter is 41 cents.  With first-classservice, your letter will get there in three to seven days for domestic mail. Tamika:  For the first-class stamps, how many come in a book or a roll?

Clerk:  There are 20 in a book and 100 in a roll.  To send a Priority Mailenvelope, you can get $4.05 stamps, and delivery is usually in two to three days. How many would you like of each? Tamika:  I’ll take one book of the stamps and four Priority Mail stamps.  Can I buy stamps to send an Express Mail envelope, too?

Clerk:  You can.  Those are $14.40 each.

Tamika:  Could you add one of those, too?  And how much is it to send apostcard?  I don’t need any stamps for those today, but I’m just curious.

Clerk:  It’s 24 cents to send a postcard.  Okay, that’s a book of 41-cent stamps,four Priority Mail stamps, and one Express Mail stamp.  Anything else?

Tamika:  Could I pick the design of the first-class stamps?

Clerk:  Yes.  You can choose from these commemorative ones or the standardflag design.  

Tamika:  I’ll take the commemorative ones.

Clerk:  Your total comes to $38.80. Tamika:  Here’s $40.

Clerk:  Here’s your change and your stamps.  Have a nice day.

Tamika:  Thanks.  You, too.

[end of story]

The script 14 for this podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 24 2007.