Comprehension check

Ex. 1. Translate paragraphs 2, 3 in writing.

Ex. 2. Put 8-10 questions on the text so that they will cover its content.

Ex. 3. Choose the headings and match them to the right paragraphs:

1. organised crime;

2. international character of the Mafia;

3. problems for the justice;

4. how the Mafia operates;

5. white-collar crime.

Ex. 4. Read and choose the correct alternative for each of the following sentences:

1. White-collar crime is crime committed by …

1. poor people;

2. rich people;

3. wealthy people during their business activity.

2. The biggest theft in American history was …

1. the robbery of a bank;

2. the robbery of an armoured car;

3. a funding fraud.

3. It is very … to unravel white-collar crime.

1. easy;

2. difficult;

3. impossible.

4. Embezzlers in the USA steal …

1. as much as bank robbers;

2. nine times more than bank robbers;

3. twice as much as bank robbers.

5. Organised crime provides illegal goods and services that are …

   1. in public demand;

   2. vitally important for everybody;

   3. of no use to the society at all.

6. The Mafia gets enormous profits from …

1. drug dealing and gambling;

2. labour unions;

3. their social activity.

7. Organised crime is …

1. an Italian monopoly;

2. Chinese gang organization;

3. organization of different nationalities throughout the world.

Text 3. Someone is burgled every two minutes in the uk

1. Just 30 seconds can be all it takes. A burglar can enter your home, grab the most valuable portable items¹ – and escape. Often these fast raids² happen while the owner is at home, perhaps in another part of the house or in the garden, leaving the front door or a window open. Or they may just have gone out to pick up the children from school and thought it 'wasn't worth' the trouble of shutting and locking the windows for that short time. The fact is that majority of burglaries occur between 2 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. on a weekday.

2. Ring the police if you think the burglar is still around. Your call will show up on a screen at the local police station and an officer should be with you within minutes. If you see or hear obvious signs of entry (noises inside, jammed front door, or the door locked from the inside), and suspect³ the burglar may still be in the building, don't enter. Make your emergency⁴ call from a phone box or from a neighbour's house. If you are sure the burglar has gone, call the local police station rather than the emergency number. Ideally have the number readily to hand near the phone.

3. Don't destroy evidence. The police will take an impression of a damaged door, to check against records of tool⁵ marks. They may also take finger and footprints⁶,in an attempt to link⁷ the crime with known burglars or suspects.

Avoid⁸ touching anything the burglar may have touched. Walk around the edge of carpets as much as possible – dust impressions of the burglar's shoe marks can be lifted and identified by special forensic⁹ techniques. The fingerprint powder the scene-of-crime officers will use can normally be removed later from work tops and everyday glass and china by washing in warm, mild detergent¹⁰. Most furniture can be cleaned with a good quality furniture polish. Ask the officers not to dust any delicate furniture or possessions if you think the powder may affect them in any way.

4. Make a list of stolen items. You will need this for the police and for any insurance claim¹¹. It will help you if you have already taken photographs and written a description of your most valuable items – such as jewellery, video, CD player and CDs, hi-fi, camera, mobile phone and computer, including any detail of manufacturer and model numbers. Items you have marked with your post code and house number will be easier for the police to return to you if they are found.

5. Prevent it happening again. The police may arrange for a Crime Prevention Officer to call who can give free advice on such measures as security lock, timing light switches and alarm system, and may recommend reliable firms who can install them. Remember that opportunists thieves are always on the look out for signs that a property is vulnerable¹², so make sure you don't advertise the fact that your house is empty. There is plenty of information available¹³ these days on how to prevent it happening to you – so make sure you take precautionary¹⁴ steps now, before it's too late.

Notes: 1) предметы; 2) налёты; 3) подозревать; 4) срочность; 5) инструмент; 6) отпечаток; 7) связать, соотнести; 8) избегать; 9) судебный; 10) моющее средство; 11) страховое заявление; 12) уязвимый; 13) доступный; 14) предупредительный.