This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod series on teleconferences—meetings that take place over the phone. 这是有关电话会议问题的两段商务英语播客的上半部分。

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，我们在办公室里面有个虚拟在全球交流的虚拟小队。电话会议有大量的优势，包括节省了短途的出差费用和组织会议的花销。

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，电话会议也有它的劣势。特别是参与者们相互看不见。当交谈时，称呼他们的名字和他们同事的名字有助于大家彼此的了解。还有消除了背景的噪音，可以清晰地娓娓道来。在这两集中，我们将学习和电话会议有关的词汇。同时学习专业和机智地解决所有遇到的问题。

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，我们将听到克雷格和艾尔莎。克雷格是星传媒的新雇员，一个电脑和打印机的生产商。他刚毕业，须要学习如何开电话会议，因此他向在人事部门工作的艾尔莎求助。

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?