Comprehension check

Ex. 1. Translate paragraphs 3, 5 in writing.

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

Ex. 3. Mark the following sentences as true or false:

1. A burglary can happen while the owner is somewhere near.

2. The owner of the house should immediately phone the police.

3. Foot and fingerprints, tool marks are not important evidence.

4. It is not necessary to make a list of stolen things.

5. It will be easier to find your things if they have been marked with your post code and address.

6. It's only the owner's job to prevent another burglary.

7. The owner should not tell anybody that his house has been left empty.

Ex. 4. Read and choose the correct alternative for the following questions:

1. When do most burglaries happen?

   1. on a weekday afternoon;

   2. when the owner is at home;

   3. at night.

2. What should the owner of the house do if the burglar is still around?

1. enter the house and fight the burglar;

2. shout loudly;

3. do not enter the house and ring the police.

3. What can the police use as evidence?

1. carpets and furniture;

2. finger and footprints;

3. special forensic techniques.

4. How can a list of stolen things help?

1. for any insurance claim;

2. for taking photographs;

3. for writing a description of things.

5. Who can help you to secure your house?

1. your neighbours;

2. opportunist thieves;

3. the police.

Text 4. Keep your car safe

1. Apart from your home, your car is probably your most valuable¹ possession. it's also your most vulnerable.

2. Car thefts and thefts from cars – typically of radios and cassette players- account for² over a quarter of all recorded crime. Together they impose costs on everyone – the cost of the police time taken up in dealing with the offences, the cost of taking offenders through the criminal justice system, and the cost to motorists of increased insurance premiums³.

3. Over 460.000 cars are reported missing in Britain each year and many of these are never recovered. Many of those which are found have been damaged by the thieves. A stolen car is also far more likely to be involved in an accident than the same car driven by its owner; car thieves are often young and sometimes drunk.

4. Yet car crime can be cut drastically if motorists follow a few simple rules to keep thieves out of their cars in the first place. Cars are a sitting target⁴ for the criminal. Expensive, attractive and mobile, they are often left out on the streets for long periods at a time. The police estimate⁵ that 70 – 90 per cent of car crime results from easy opportunities. Surveys have shown that approximately one in five drivers do not always bother to secure their cars by locking all the doors and shutting all the windows. If opportunities like these did not exist, criminals would have a much harder time.

5. Most car thieves are opportunist unskilled petty⁶ criminals; many are under 20. So make your own car a less inviting target, to discourage thieves from trying. Of course, the primary responsibility for coping with car crime rests with the police and the courts. But there are so many ways that you can help reverse the trend⁷.

Notes: 1) ценный; 2) рассматривать как; 3) страховые взносы; 4) цель, мишень; 5) оценивать; 6) незначительный; 7) повернуть тенденцию в противоположное направление.