Part 1: A Library Home Delivery Service
You will hear a man phoning a library to register his mother for a home delivery service.
Lời thoại bài nghe (transcript)
Librarian: Good morning, Fernbridge Library, Books at Home service. How can I help?
Richard: Oh, hello. I'm calling about my mother. She's eighty-four and she can't really get to the library any more since she had a fall last year, but she still loves reading. Someone told me you deliver books to people's homes.
Librarian: That's right. Volunteers bring a selection of books to readers who can't easily leave the house. Can I ask how you heard about us?
Richard: Well, I actually asked her doctor first, but he didn't know much about it. Then I noticed a leaflet on the counter at the pharmacy when I was collecting her medicine, and your number was on it. I did try your website, but I couldn't find the right page.
Librarian: Yes, we're working on that. Right, I can register her over the phone if you like. What's your mother's name?
Richard: Margaret Pellow. That's P-E-double L-O-W.
Librarian: Thank you. And the address?
Richard: It's 27 Ashgrove Road. A-S-H-G-R-O-V-E. It's just behind the swimming pool.
Librarian: Ashgrove Road, not Ashgrove Close? We have both in our area, and our volunteers sometimes get them mixed up.
Richard: Definitely the Road. The Close is on the other side of town, near the station.
Librarian: Lovely. And is there a phone number we can call to arrange visits? Hers rather than yours, ideally.
Richard: Yes, her landline is 01632 960418. She doesn't really use a mobile.
Librarian: Let me read that back: 01632 960418.
Richard: That's it.
Librarian: Now, one question people often ask is about cost. There used to be a charge of ten pounds a year, but the council decided to drop that last April, so the service is completely free now. The only thing we ask is that books are returned on time, though there are no fines for late returns.
Richard: Oh, that's good news.
Librarian: So, what kind of books does your mother enjoy?
Richard: For years it was crime novels, the more complicated the better. But recently she says she's had enough of murders, and she's been reading historical novels instead, anything set a few hundred years ago.
Librarian: Historical, then. And does she have any difficulty with ordinary print?
Richard: She does, unfortunately. Her eyesight isn't what it was, so large print would be best.
Librarian: No problem, we have a good collection. We also lend audiobooks. Would she be interested?
Richard: Possibly, yes. But not downloads. I set up an app on a tablet for her, and she found it far too confusing. She's still got an old CD player, though.
Librarian: Then we'll send audiobooks on CD.
Richard: How many books can she have at a time? She reads very quickly.
Librarian: Up to eight books and two audiobooks on each visit, and she can keep them until the next delivery. If she finishes early, she can ring us and we'll add more to the next bag.
Librarian: Now, deliveries are every two weeks. Our volunteer for her area is free on Mondays and Tuesdays. Which would suit her better?
Richard: I'd have said Monday, but actually she has a physiotherapy appointment every Monday morning. So Tuesday would be better.
Librarian: Every second Tuesday, then. And on the first visit, the volunteer will bring a short consent form, which your mother will need to sign so that we can keep her details on our system. We don't need any identity documents, and she doesn't need to have chosen any books in advance.
Richard: That's fine. Will the volunteer stay for a while?
Librarian: Usually for about half an hour. A lot of our readers say they enjoy the chat as much as the books. I'll ask the volunteer to phone her this week to introduce herself.
Richard: That's wonderful. Thank you so much for your help.
Librarian: You're very welcome.
