Listen and fill in the spaces.

Plastic cards are the UK’s ____________________________ goods and services, according to a new report by APACS, the body that monitors payments in Britain. Spending on plastic cards overtook cash in 2004 and has ____________________________. British consumers’ love of plastic means that spending on credit and debit cards ________________________ decade. ________________________ total consumer spending is now charged to cards. Plastic transactions increased to a record $600bn last year. APACS director of communications Sandra Quinn said: "The last 10 years ________________________ the popularity of plastic, with debit cards showing particularly strong growth." She added: "Consumers ________________________ plastic cards bring, and today most retailers and supermarkets take plastic, as do an increasing number of professional service providers."

Last year saw new ‘smart card’ technology ________________________ card payments. However, these technological advances have not stopped an ________________________, which is responsible for the rising mountains of debt British people now have. In ________________________ year almost 17,000 people were declared bankrupt – a 10 percent rise on the previous year. There is also ________________________ regarding the opportunities plastic creates for fraud. In 2006, conmen stole almost a billion dollars using stolen cards and personal information. Soon, people will be carrying a single card in their wallet ________________________ credit cards and other financial transactions. This is ________________________ society, but one that might increase personal debt and credit card fraud.

1. Do you think credit cards are more convenient than cash?
2. What are the dangers of using credit cards and cash?
3. Do you think it is too easy to get lots of credit cards?
4. Are people in your country dependent on credit?
5. Why do you think plastic is becoming increasingly popular?
6. What are the differences between debit and credit cards?

man (con artist number 2) enters. He examines the violin and says he will pay an outrageously large amount for the violin (for example $50,000), leaving his business card for the old man (con artist number 1) to call if he's interested. Now, the victim (the restaurant owner) thinks that he can make a lot of money. So, when the old man (con artist number 1) comes back to pay for his meal, the restaurant owner offers to buy the violin. Of course, when the restaurant owner then tries to contact the other con artist (con artist number 2) to sell him the violin, the man has disappeared.

The free pet scam

For this scam, the con artist places a classified ad in a newspaper offering a very cheap or free animal (usually an animal that is hard to get or very expensive). If asked, the con artist explains that he is going to move away from the area. The con artist says that all he wants is for the victim to pay for the shipping costs (which are very high) in order to send the animal to the victim. The victim does so, but, of course, never actually receives the pet.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 913