Students learn about warranty issues on a tractor, revise the vocabulary of farming and mechanics, practice their listening skills with the video and speaking skills through a roleplay.
The Bottom Line: Tractor Trouble
- Put the words below back into the text:
coverage, spreading, bought, sell, baling, reliable, dealer, warranty, hydraulics, repairs, worse, owner, have to.
Tractor trouble. A young dairy farmer who said his work is already struggling to survive is dealt another blow to his bottom line. The new tractor that he recently __________ 1 for close to $ 75.000. He says is basically unusable and the issues which should be covered under __________2, he says, he couldn’t get fixed. That’s why he turned to me, to help get the bottom line. In every field, there is one item critical to the task at hand. And in this field, it is … the tractor.
What exactly would you be using this tractor for here on this farm?
Hum, _________3 hay, __________4 manure, feeding the cows.
Jeremy Corona grew up on the farm. He’s run his own Corona Extra Farm for the last few years. It’s a one-tractor farm so when he needed a new tractor, he wanted to buy it new.
I need something that’s gonna be __________5.
So he went with this beauty. A brand new Case International tractor from a local _________6. Total purchase price: close to 75 grand. His paperwork shows that it was sold with a Case factory warranty. The company’s website stipulates that includes 24 months or 2 years of full machine _________7. It took effect when he bought the tractor in August 2011 and ran right through the end of August this year and it turns out, he says, he would need it.
It functions really good for the first about year and then it started by the spring of the following year, it started acting a little bit weird. We had some problems, so they came out and worked on it.
But that work, Corona says, wouldn’t be enough. By the fall of 2012, he tells me, the transmission blew, the odd gears went and __________ 8 were needed again.
I had them come out and they worked on it and the guy said ‘there is no more damage you can really do’ so he said to keep it running.
And that’s what he did right through the winter but this time, Corona says the problems got _________9. He says he tried to have the dealer fix it once more but this is where his fight started running out of gas.
I called I talked to the service manager. He was real good, he said we’ll get it right in and then that afternoon the _________ 10 called up and he said I’m not working on it.
Corona says Case told him his case was closed and the dealer didn’t ________11 do the work even though, Corona says, he was trying to get it done within his two-year warranty.
It should be covered right till then, the engine, transmission, ___________ 12 and stuff.
So if this doesn’t work, what does that mean for you here.
Probably means for me to _______ 13 out and call it quits.
- Vocabulary:
Match the words in bold in the transcript to their translation in French
un producteur laitier
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bénéfice
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acheter (acheté)
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une garantie
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faire des balles de foin
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étaler du fumier
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un concessionnaire
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prendre effet
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un rapport de vitesse impair
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un dégât
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une usine
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avoir besoin
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le foin
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devoir
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pire
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être couvert par
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l’année suivante
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le prix d’achat
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vendre (vendu)
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un directeur
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fiable
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des réparations
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le propriétaire
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son dossier
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inutilisable
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- Grammar. Past simple, passive, need and have to. Translate the following extract from the transcript
A brand new Case International tractor from a local dealer. Total purchase price: close to 75 grand. His paperwork shows that it was sold with a Case factory warranty. The company’s website stipulates that includes 24 months or 2 years of full machine coverage. It took effect when he bought the tractor in August 2011 and ran right through the end of August this year and it turns out, he says, he would need it. Corona says Case told him his case was closed and the dealer didn’t have to do the work even though, Corona says, he was trying to get it done within his two-year warranty.
- Speaking:
A
You are the TV presenter and you are meeting a Case International representative in order to get the dealer to fix Corona’s tractor within the tractor warranty.
Be prepared to explain the situation and the farmer’s viewpoint. You will need to provide some convincing arguments and negotiate a deal.
|
B
You are a Case International representative and you are meeting the TV presenter.
You know that she will try to get you to agree to repair a tractor that is not currently covered by the warranty.
Be prepared to reject her arguments and negotiate a deal to avoid any negative publicity for your brand and the dealer.
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More articles on English for Mechanics:
Fixing Tractor Hydraulics: Listening Activity to Learn English for Mechanics
Tractor Transmission: Mechanics Vocabulary Quiz
Tractor Troubleshooting Vocabulary Speaking Lesson
Tractor Buying Facts: Reading Activity and Oral Presentation Skills Practice
Tractor Troubleshooting English for Mechanics Listening Lesson
Cécile Sohier
