Unit 1 the work of a customs officer

What is the English for «таможня», «таможенник»?

customs [kΛst∂mz] - import duties;

the Customs - the department of government that collects import duties.

It has other functions too.

House

Zone

Customs Enclosure - office/place where passengers, cargo, transport

Hall complete formalities and wait to be released

Check point from customs control;

Warehouse

a customs officer - a person who works for the Customs;

the Russian Customs Academy - an educational institution where

young people study to qualify for

the job at the Customs

* * *

a custom - a tradition;

a customer - a client;

“A customer is always right.”

Text 1

Task 1. Read and translate the text

Customs officers are multi-skilled and can move through different work areas. Some work areas involve working in shifts or overtime, indoors or outdoors. Most officers wear uniform and work closely with public. Customs officers must be competent and correctly apply customs laws and regulations when they:

• examine passengers and their baggage at different ports of entry ;

• clear cargo and transport means at check-points and warehouses;

• process documents and collect duties;

• interdict the traffic of smuggling.

Customs officers use a wide range of tools and technology, such as computers, metal detectors, X-ray machines and scanners. There are also canine enforcement teams where dogs are trained to detect narcotics, explosives and currency.

Thousands of passengers pass through international airports every day. Many of them are questioned, some are searched and some are punished with penalties if they break laws. This work requires attention, concentration and sometimes intuition. Travelers are often tired or upset and they can be difficult to deal with. To act with diplomacy at all times and stay calm however provoked is an important part of the job.

The Customs Service involves law enforcement, and the staff must display the highest personal and professional conduct in fulfilling their duties. Team work is essential to successful operation of all departments of the Customs. Moreover, Customs officers cooperate with other law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Border guards, Tax Police, Federal Security Bureau (FSB), etc.

There are career prospects within the Customs where the staff can work at different areas to learn more and to move to another level.

Working on the text

Task 2. Put the words into the correct column according to the pronunciation.

search, punish, technology, machine, shifts, check, professional, , charge

technique, merchandise, commercial, chemicals, precious, purchase, champagne, Asia

[k]	[t∫]	[∫]
technology	search	punish

Task 3. a) Mark the stress in the Russian words and compare it with the English words. Tick the pairs of words with different stressed syllables.

officer

passenger

academy

baggage

metal

control

document

uniform

contraband

competent

police

офицер

пассажир

академия

багаж

металл

контроль

документ

униформа

контрабанда

компетентный

полиция

b) Read the English words again.

c) Put the English words into alphabetical order.

Task 4. Give the English equivalents of the following:

таможенник; форма; законы и правила; пошлины; контрабанда; технические средства; валюта; штраф; правоохранительная деятельность; перспектива; таможенный пост; персонал; взрывчатые вещества; кинологическое подразделение

Task 5. Find in the text the synonyms to the following words:

- to check

- contraband

- goods

- a fine

- department

- employees

- passenger

- inspector

Task 6. Find in the text the words that may follow these verbs:

- to work

- to deal with

- to use

- to act

- to be involved in

- to apply

• to wear

• to detect

• to train

• to clear

• to collect

• to cooperate

Task 7. a) Match left and right to make word combinations and translate them:

metal

team

law

border

work

check

guard

areas

enforcement

point

detector

work

b) Make sentences using these word combinations.

Task 8. Answer the questions:

1. Where do customs officers work?

2. Do customs officers work indoors or outdoors?

3. Do customs officers work in shifts or overtime?

4. Do they wear uniform?

5. What do they deal with?

6. What tools and technologies do they use?

7. What are customs officers’ responsibilities?

8. Do they have to meet a lot of people? What people?

9. Does the job require any special skills or traits of character?

10. Does the Customs cooperate with any other state bodies?

Task 9. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Я работаю на таможенном посту.

I work at a customs check-point.

2. Обычно мы работаем в дневную смену.

We usually work in a day-shift.

3. Таможенники, как правило, носят форму.

Customs officers wear uniform.

4. Мы проверяем документы, груз и транспортные средства.

We examine documents, cargo and transport means.

5. Мы используем современные технологии, а также бригады кинологов для эффективного контроля пассажиров.

We use modern technologies and canine enforcement teams for effective passengers control as well.

6. Наша цель – выявлять контрабанду.

Our aim is to detect smuggling.

7. Таможенники досматривают грузы в таможенной зоне.

Customs officers examine transport means at Customs zone.

8. Когда я провожу досмотр багажа, я стараюсь быть предельно внимательным.

When I examine a baggage I’m trying to be very attentive.

9. Они защищают экономические интересы страны.

They protect economic interests of our country.

10. Наши клиенты хорошо говорят по-английски.

Our clients speak English well.

11. Мы начисляем пошлины на ввозимые товары.

We charge a duty on imported goods.

12. Таможенники сотрудничают с Налоговой инспекцией и другими правоохранительными органами.

Customs officers cooperate with the Tax Inspectorate and other enforcement agencies.

13. Таможенники должны знать законы и правила, чтобы грамотно их применять.

Customs officers should be aware of the laws and regulations in order to correctly apply them.

14. При прохождении таможенного контроля пассажиры должны отвечать на вопросы сотрудников таможни о своём багаже и предъявить его для досмотра.

For customs control passengers must answer the questions of customs officers about their luggage and present it for inspection.

Text 2

Task 10. a) Read and translate the text:

Danger! Sense of humor failure.

(by Bill Bryson)

Here’s my tip of the week. Don’t make jokes in America. Even in experienced hands, a joke can be a dangerous thing. I came to this conclusion recently while passing through Customs and Immigration at Logan airport in Boston. As I approached the last immigration official, he said to me, ‘Any fruit or vegetables?’

What does this question mean? Why did the official ask it?

I considered for a moment. ‘Sure, why not?’ I said. ‘I’ll have four pounds of potatoes and some mangoes, if they are fresh.’

Instantly, I could see that I had misjudged my audience. He looked at me with one of those slow, dark expressions that you never want to see in a uniformed official, but especially in a US Customs and Immigration officer.

Why did the customs official begin to get angry?

Luckily he appeared to conclude that I was just incredibly stupid. ‘Sir,’ he enquired more specifically. ‘Are you carrying any items of fruit or vegetable?’ ‘No, sir, I’m not,’ I answered at once, and gave him the most respectable look I believe I have given anybody in my life. I left him shaking his head. I am sure that for the rest of his career he will always be telling people about the idiot who thought he was a greengrocer.

Why do you think the author gave the customs official a very respectful look?

The same thing happened another time when I was talking to my neighbor about a disastrous airline trip which had left me stranded overnight in Denver. ‘Who did you fly with?’ he asked.

What does the question really mean?

‘I don’t know,’ I replied. ‘They were all strangers.’ He looked at me with an expression of panic.

‘No, I meant which airline you had flown with,’ he said. Soon after this my wife ordered me to stop making jokes with him, as our conversations were giving him migraine.

Why didn’t his neighbor understand his answers?

b) Make a glossary. Choose seven words to remember.

c) Answer the questions:

1. What do you think these people’s problem was?

2. What should people do to avoid misunderstanding?

3. Can you remember any situations like that which happened to you?

Vocabulary and Grammar

Task 11. Make as many word combinations as you can:

CUSTOMS	officer

Task 12. Put the following nouns into the correct column:

news, luggage, goods, money, belongings, progress, clothes,

advice, headquarters, resources, cash, valuables, furniture,

equipment, premises, police

nouns used only in the singular	nouns used only in the plural
news	goods

Task 13. Find the word with the most general meaning in each line:

1. contract, certificate, license, document, declaration

2. computer, telephone, equipment, fax-machine, Xerox

3. control, examine, inspect, check

4. terminal, station, port of entry, airport

5. suitcase, rucksack, handbag, box, baggage

6. camera, X-ray machine, technology, metal detector, fiberscope

7. transport, aircraft, train, truck, ship

8. duty, payment, penalty, fine, tax

9. passenger, customer, broker, trader

10) ask, answer, explain, consult, inform, communicate

Task 14. Put the words in the correct order.

1. they/ uniform/ always/ wear.

2. don’t/ English/ speak/ at work/ I.

3. he/ abroad/ on business trips/ goes/ often.

4. passenger’s baggage/ customs/examine/ officers.

5. contraband/ find/ we/ sometimes.

6. with/am/ polite/ customers/ I/ always.

7. you/ do/ computer/ special/ use/ programs?

8. like/ outdoors/ doesn’t/ to work/ she.

9. on the night shift/ do/ work/ you/ often?

10) work/ machine/ doesn’t/ X-ray/ this.

11) passengers/ customs/ through/ pass/ always/ control.

12) help/ to detect/ drugs/ dogs.

13) check-point/ modern/ our/ got/ computers/ has.

14) department/ that/ duties/ and/ collects.

15) business/ customs officers/ health/ protect/ public/ and.

Task 15. Find as many words from the topic as you can.

A	B	N	G	P	O	L	I	C	E	T	T
Q	L	A	W	A	A	C	T	W	E	E	O
T	Y	R	U	S	I	O	E	P	A	C	O
C	S	C	U	S	T	O	M	S	F	H	L
O	A	O	G	E	A	F	H	J	K	N	L
M	P	T	U	N	I	F	O	R	M	O	L
P	P	I	Z	G	R	I	X	C	V	L	I
E	L	C	B	E	P	C	A	R	G	O	C
T	Y	S	N	R	O	E	R	M	Q	G	E
E	S	D	C	U	R	R	E	N	C	Y	N
N	D	U	T	Y	T	R	A	F	F	I	C
T	A	X	W	A	R	E	H	O	U	S	E

Task 16. Make a written translation of the text and think about the title for it.

“I saw an advertisement for *HM Revenue and Excise and thought that it sounded really interesting. I joined HM Revenue and Excise as an administrative assistant doing general support work. I did that job for three years. When I got my promotion to administrative officer, I worked on the project which involved the simplification of the paperwork for the import and export of goods. I had to handle telephone enquiries. It was very challenging work and there was never a dull moment. After two years I applied for the Investigation division and was fortunate enough to get the job. It was a good opportunity to broaden my experience. My current job as a control officer is tough, but very interesting. The main part of my job is to help traders to understand the regulations and to ensure if they are following the correct procedures. I feel that I am part of the Team and that what I am doing is worthwhile.

*Before 2005 the department was called HM Customs and Excise.