This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod series on teleconferences—meetings that take place over the phone. 這是有關電話會議問題的兩段商務英語播客的上半部分。

Nowadays, we have virtual teams interacting across the globe in virtual meetings without having to leave the office. Teleconferences offer a host of advantages, including minimal travel and meetings costs. 今天，我們在辦公室里面有個虛擬在全球交流的虛擬小隊。電話會議有大量的優勢，包括節省了短途的出差費用和組織會議的花銷。

However, teleconferences do have their challenges, especially since participants cannot see each other. It's helpful for people to introduce themselves, use their names and their colleague's names when speaking, minimize background noise, and speak slowly and clearly. In these two episodes, we'll learn vocabulary associated with teleconferences. We'll also learn ways to professionally and tactfully handle any issues that come up. 但是，電話會議也有它的劣勢。特別是參與者們相互看不見。當交談時，稱呼他們的名字和他們同事的名字有助于大家彼此的了解。還有消除了背景的噪音，可以清晰地娓娓道來。在這兩集中，我們將學習和電話會議有關的詞匯。同時學習專業和機智地解決所有遇到的問題。

Today, we'll listen to Craig and Elsa. Craig is a new hire at StarCom, a computer and printer manufacturer. He's fresh from university and needs to learn how to do a teleconference, so he asks for help from Elsa, who works in HR.
今天，我們將聽到克雷格和艾爾莎。克雷格是星傳媒的新雇員，一個電腦和打印機的生產商。他剛畢業，須要學習如何開電話會議，因此他向在人事部門工作的艾爾莎求助。

Listening Questions:

1) What types of equipment are needed for a teleconference?
2) What is the purpose of a passcode?
3) What are three problems Elsa mentions that can often occur during a teleconference?