Exercises
A. Determining the main idea.
Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.
The main idea of the text is that ________. ( B )
(a) computers are now widely used in the banking industry, hence the tremendous popularity of ATM's
(b) as the brain-children of sophisticated computer science and automation technology, ATM's are able to handle a variety of banking transactions efficiently and safely
(c) Americans are playing the leading role in international banking industry because of the development of ATM technology
(d) ATM's make it possible for more banks to offer round-the-clock automated service to clients
B. Comprehending the text.
Choose the best answer.
1. In the early 1970's ATM's were installed at Citibank of New York City and Banc One ________. ( B )
(a) so that the use of ATM's throughout America could be experimented
(b) so that the tellers at the banks could be reduced in large numbers
(c) but they were suspected of being a failure, which later proved untrue
(d) but they soon lost their edges as more competitors added 24-hour service
2. People use ATM's mostly to ________. ( A )
(a) withdraw money
(b) transfer funds
(c) check account balances
(d) refill envelopes
3. Which of the following is the name of a credit card company? ( D )
(a) Cirrus
(b) Plus System
(c) New York Cash Exchange
(d) American Express
4. For the ATM's outside the bank, the request of ________ may not be accepted. ( B )
(a) withdrawing money
(b) making deposit
(c) converting foreign currency to the dollar
(d) transferring funds
5. Which of the following is true? ( C )
(a) It is possible to find a lost or stolen card on an ATM by means of trial and error.
(b) When three people fail to produce the correct number, the machine will stop working.
(c) Service will be canceled if the ID code is entered incorrectly three times successively.
(d) A withdrawal of more than 200 dollars a day is likely to be considered as theft.
6. Today's machines can work with a great speed and reliability and perform a wide range of operations, but ________. ( D )
(a) they slow down the advance of ATM technology
(b) ATM technology is behind times
(c) automated teller machines can not
(d) ATM technology has hardly changed
7. In the future, ATM's will have more operations to perform, such as ________. ( A )
(a) making payments for goods bought on the installment plan
(b) delivering welfare benefits to the recipients' households
(c) instituting a pilot system in big cities
(d) printing bank statements for clients
8. ATM's will play greater roles in money matters as ________. ( A )
(a) there are more electronic financial transactions
(b) developing countries like Mexico are ready for them
(c) regional networks will be replaced by international ones
(d) the number of cash cards reaches 200 million
C. Understanding vocabulary.
Choose the correct definition according to the context.
1. But as more banks added round-the-clock automated service through ATM's, their competitors scrambled to keep pace and the machines proliferated. ( B )
(a) went out of control
(b) increased rapidly
(c) became disorderly
(d) competed sharply
2. A regional network may encompass a metropolitan area, a state, or, in a few cases, several neighboring states. ( C )
(a) consist of
(b) involve
(c) cover
(d) include
3. Only Banc One and a few other banks that pioneered ATM's continue to operate their own networks. ( D )
(a) invented
(b) set up
(c) opened
(d) launched
4. The cardholder and the issuing bank are identified both by lettering and by embossed numbers on the card. ( A )
(a) hard-pressed
(b) circled
(c) sculptured
(d) identified
5. A card bearing a Cirrus or Plus System logo can be used in all machines in those networks as well. ( C )
(a) name
(b) slogan
(c) symbol
(d) trade mark
6. The strip is made of plastic coated with metallic particles magnetized to form a pattern that stores the card's numerical data. ( D )
(a) mathematical
(b) countable
(c) numerous
(d) digital
7. The switch lies at the hub of an ATM network. ( C )
(a) slot
(b) house
(c) heart
(d) middle
8. If the numbers do not match, a message comes back to the ATM informing the customer that he or she has entered an invalid ID number. ( A )
(a) unacceptable
(b) unsuitable
(c) unreadable
(d) ineffective
9. If the account does not contain enough money, the computer sends a denial of the request. ( B )
(a) disagreement
(b) rejection
(c) denunciation
(d) refutation
10. The envelope is collected and sent to the bank by people who service the machine. ( D )
(a) wait on
(b) supply
(c) use
(d) maintain
11. This safeguard prevents anyone who might find a card from trying to crack the identification code by trial and error. ( B )
(a) break
(b) figure out
(c) hit
(d) bump
12. A coding device inside the ATM scrambles the numbers before they are sent to the switch. ( C )
(a) moves
(b) competes
(c) jumbles
(d) decodes
13. In addition, all the information on a cash card's magnetic strip is also encrypted so that someone finding a card cannot learn the cardholder's personal ID number or bank account number. ( C )
(a) scrambled
(b) switched
(c) transmitted
(d) hidden
14. The additional $900 will then be credited to your account. ( C )
(a) recognized
(b) accepted
(c) added
(d) transferred
15. As another safeguard, a computer tape inside the machine records each transaction and the number and denomination of the bills dispensed. ( B )
(a) devaluation
(b) value
(c) size
(d) quantity
16. The U.S. government even plans to deliver welfare benefits through ATM's and has instituted pilot programs in Baltimore, Houston, and several other cities. ( C )
(a) designed
(b) introduced
(c) set up
(d) organized
D. Discussing the following topics.
1. What are the advantages of automated teller machines?
答案
The availability of ATMs greatly increases the convenience of banking transactions. ATMs enable customers to operate a variety of banking transactions not only in banks, but places such as airport, office buildings, shopping malls, supermarkets, and wherever ATMs are available. Customers are even allowed to make banking transactions in other cities, states, even overseas. Moreover, ATMs provide round-the-clock automated banking service for the customers. Besides, ATMs make it possible for customers to receive bank service with more efficiency.
2. How does an automated teller machine work?
An automated teller machine works through a series of computers connected by networks. When performing a transaction, the electronic signals representing the customer's request first travel to the computer that drives the ATM. This computer checks the number on the card and sends the request to the proper regional network switch. The switch stores the identification numbers of all the banks that share the same regional network, and can identify and send the customer's request to the customer's bank. The computer in the bank that stores the personal ID numbers can identify the customer. If the numbers keyed in at the ATM matches the ID number on the card, the computer forwards the request to the computer that stores records of the customer's bank account. After checking it the computer then issues a signal approving or denying the transaction and sends it back to the ATM through the same series of computers. The ATMs will then serve you according to the message.
3. Talk about any interesting or embarrassing experience with an ATM.
（Share your ATM's stories with your classmates.）
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