Lesson 12 Banks and their customers 银行和顾客

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

Why is there no risk to the customer when a bank prints the customer's name on his cheques?

When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time, either in cash or by drawing a cheque in favour of another person. Primarily, the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor-who is which depending on whether the customer's account is in credit or is overdrawn. But, in addition to that basically simple concept, the bank

5 and its customer owe a large number of obligations to one another. Many of these obligations can give rise to problems and complications but a bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.

The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else. When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn 10 by himself. He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque on which its customer's signature has been forged. It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skilful one: the bank must recognize its customer's signature. For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques. If this facilitates forgery, it is the bank which will lose, not the

15 customer.

GORDON BARRIE and AUBREY L. DIAMOND The Consumer Society and the Law

National Westminster Bank at Queen St. in Cardiff

Unit 2 Lesson 12

New words and expressions 生词和短语

current (1.1) / 'kʌrənt/ adj. 通用的, 流行的 complication (1.6) $/{n}_{1}$ kɒmplɪ'keɪʃən $/n$ . 纠纷 account (1.1) $/{\theta }^{\prime }$ kaʊnt $/n$ . 账户 debit (1.9) /’debɪt/ v. 把 …… 记入借方 cash (1.2) $/\mathrm{k} \approx \int /n$ . 现金 specimen (1.10) / spesimin/ $n$ . 样本

cheque (1.2) /tfek/n. 支票 forge (1.12)/fo:dz/v. 伪造 debtor (1.3) /’det $\partial /n$ . 借方 forgery (1.12) $/$ ’fɔːdʒəri/ $n$ . 伪造(文件,签名等)

creditor (1.3) /’kredɪtə/ $n$ . 贷方 adopt (1.13) $/{\sigma }^{\prime }$ dopt/v. 采用 obligation (1.5) /| ɒblɪ'ɡeɪʃən/ n. 义务 facilitate (1.14) $/f{\partial }^{\prime }$ slɪteɪt $/v$ . 使便利

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 open a current account, 开一个活期账号。

2 draw a cheque in favour of ..., 开一张以 …… 为收款人的支票。

3 who is which depending on ... is overdrawn, 这是现在分词短语 depending on ... is overdrawn 的独立主格结构。who is which 是分词短语意思上的主语, which 代表 debtor or creditor。

4 give rise to, 引起。

5 be loaded against..., 与 …… 不利。

参考译文

任何人在银行开一个活期账户, 就等于把钱借给了银行。这笔钱他可以随时提取, 提取的方式可以是取现金,也可以是开一张以他人为收款人的支票。银行与储户的关系主要是债务人和债权人的关系。究竟谁是债务人谁是债权人,要看储户的账户是有结余还是透支。除了这一基本的简单的概念外,银行和储户彼此还需承担大量义务。其中许多义务往往引起问题和纠纷。但是储户不能像货物的买主那样来抱怨法律对自己不利。

银行必须遵照储户的嘱托办事,不能听从其他人的指令。比如,储户首次在银行开户时,嘱咐银行他的存款只能凭他本人签字的支票来提取。他把自己签名的样本交给银行, 对此有一条非常严格的规定: 银行没有任何权利或理由把储户的钱让伪造储户签名的支票取走。即使伪造得很巧妙, 也不能付款, 因为银行有责任辩认出其储户的签名。因此,某些银行已采用把储户姓名印在支票上的作法。这种做法对储户毫无风险。如果因这种作法出现了伪造的话, 受损失的将不是储户, 而是银行。

Comprehension 理解

Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.

1 What is meant by the statement that 'the banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor'? (II.2-3)

2 Quote a sentence from the second paragraph which illustrates this statement: 'a bank customer ... cannot complain that the law is loaded against him.' (11.6-7)

3 Why does a customer give the bank specimens of his signature when he first opens an account?

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: cash (1.2); primarily (1.2); debtor (1.3); creditor (1.3); in credit (1.4); concept (1.4); give rise to (11.5-6); specimens (1.10); forged (1.12); facilitates (1.14).

Unit 2 Lesson 12

The paragraph 段落

A Write a sentence in your own words expressing what you consider to be the main idea in the first paragraph of the passage.

B Which of these sentences best expresses the main idea in the second paragraph? Give reasons for your choice:

1 The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else.

2 The bank must honour a cheque even when the signature on it has been forged.

3 The bank must always recognize its customer's signature.

C The following sentences have been taken from the second paragraph (lines 8-15). Arrange them in their correct order. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1 The bank must obey its customer's instructions, and not those of anyone else.

2 For this reason there is no risk to the customer in the practice, adopted by banks, of printing the customer's name on his cheques.

3 It makes no difference that the forgery may have been a very skilful one: the bank must recognize its customer's signature.

4 If this facilitates forgery it is the bank which will lose, not the customer.

5 He gives the bank specimens of his signature, and there is a very firm rule that the bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque on which its customer's signature has been forged.

6 When, for example, a customer first opens an account, he instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself.

Key structures 关键句型

A Note the way these two sentences have been combined:

When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money. He may demand repayment of ${it}$ at any time.

When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money, repayment of which he may demand at any time. (II.1-2)

Combine the following sentences using which:

1 The bank has no right or authority to pay out a customer's money on a cheque. Its customer's signature on it has been forged. (II.10-12)

2 The source is very reliable. I obtained this information from it.

3 We have certain principles. We should act on them.

B Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: The banker-customer relationship is a relationship of debtor and creditor.

We can say: The banker-customer relationship is that of debtor and creditor. (II.2-3)

Rewrite these sentences using that of:

1 I am not referring to our policy but to the policy of our opponents.

2 The only system I know which will help you to remember what you have heard at a lecture is the system of keeping notes. Unit 2 Lesson 12

C Compare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: He instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques which have been drawn by himself.

We can say: He instructs the bank to debit his account only in respect of cheques drawn by himself. (II.9-10)

Rewrite these sentences in the same way:

1 The exhibition consists entirely of pictures which have been painted by young children.

2 The report on education which has been prepared by a government committee will soon be published.

3 According to the regulations, income which has been earned overseas will be taxed.

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 current (1.1) - currant

I can't keep up with current fashions.

Corinth produces some of the world's finest currants.

2 lend (1.1) - borrow

Can you lend me £20 please? I’ll pay it back tomorrow.

Can I borrow $\pounds {20}$ from you please?

3 in favour of (1.2) - for the sake of

Are you in favour of the death penalty?

They both endured a bad marriage for years for the sake of the children.

4 whether (1.3) - weather

I don't know whether you've heard the news.

What's the weather like today?

5 loaded (1.7) - laden

The camera has a sensor that flashes when a film has not been correctly loaded.

The poor woman was so laden with household shopping, she could hardly step up to get on the bus.

6 else (1.8) - other

Take this back and exchange it for something else.

There must be other ways of approaching this problem.

7 specimen (1.10) - example

The research collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew has six-and-a-half million dried plant specimens.

The fall of Rome in 410 AD is an example of how even the greatest empires decay.

8 customer (I.11) - client

During the sales, the department stores are full of customers.

Small clients demand the same service from their bank as large clients.

9 cheque (1.11) - check

You can pay by cheque if you want to. (British English)

You can pay by check if you want to. (American English)

10 adopted (1.13) - adapted

We have adopted the same sort of assembly methods they use in Japan.

We have adapted the assembly system they use in Japan to suit our circumstances here.

11 print (1.14) - type

I'll print these letters on my laser printer.

I'll ask my secretary to type those letters for you.

Unit 2 Lesson 12

B Explain the meaning of the word account in these sentences:

1 When anyone opens a current account at a bank, he is lending the bank money. (1.1)

2 I can't settle my account until next month.

3 How do you account for his change of attitude?

4 He gave an interesting account of his travels in China.

5 Please don't go to all this trouble on my account.

6 Trains were delayed on account of the bad weather.

C Note how say has been used in the sense of for example in this sentence: A bank customer, unlike, say, a buyer of goods, cannot complain that the law is loaded against him: (II.6-7) Write two sentences using say in this way.

D Note that the verb obey is not followed by a preposition:

The bank must obey its customer's instructions. (1.8)

Write sentences using the following verbs: enter, discuss, reach, and leave.

E Write sentences using the following words and phrases:

in addition to (1.4); a large number of (1.5); unlike (1.6); in respect of (1.9); for this reason (1.13).

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 When you have a bank account, you _____

(a) can’t draw any money if you’re overdrawn

(b) must always be in credit

(c) can draw money without notice

(d) can't pay money to anyone else

2 One of the obligations a bank has to a customer _____.

(a) is that it can't take instructions from other people

(b) is that it can avoid complications and problems

(c) it must pay money to the customer even if he is seriously overdrawn

(d) it must print the customer's signature

3 If someone forged your signature and drew money from your account _____

(a) you would lose your money

(b) you wouldn't lose your money

(c) the bank wouldn't lose any money

(d) the bank would always pay money to the forger

4 Which of these statements is true?

(a) It doesn't matter to a customer if the bank prints his name on cheques.

(b) Banks never print the names of customers on cheques.

(c) It's easy to forge a signature on a cheque which prints a customer's name.

(d) Banks always lose money when they print customers’ names on cheques.

Unit 2 Lesson 12 Structure 句型

5 He may demand repayment of _____ at any time. (ll.1-2)

(a) you (b) them (c) it (d) some

6 The bank becomes a creditor if the _____ is overdrawn. (1.4)

(a) account of a customer's (b) account of a customers'

(c) account of a customer (d) customers' account

7 The bank _____ obey its customer's instructions. (1.8)

(a) is necessary to (b) may (c) can always (d) is obliged to

8 Banks print names on cheques _____ risk to their customers.

(a) without (b) without no (c) without some (d) without none

Vocabulary 词汇

9 When a customer is overdrawn, he has _____ money _____ the bank. (II.1-4)

(a) lent ... to (b) lent ... from (c) borrowed ... from (d) borrowed ... to

10 If you are a debtor, someone _____ . (1.3)

(a) has lent money to you (b) has borrowed money from you

(c) owes money to you (d) will receive money from you

11 The bank must _____ its customer's instructions. (1.8)

(a) follow (b) obey to (c) hear (d) listen

12 He gives the bank _____ of his signature. (1.10)

(a) examples (b) samples (c) copies (d) types _____. 75