A. Ye. Boldyreva
Training your vocabulary
(For intermediate and
Upper-intermediate students)
Одесса – 2009
Учебно-методическое пособие «Training your Vocabulary» предназначено для студентов II курса отделения перевода факультета романо-германской филологии ОНУ им. И.И.Мечникова. Оно также может быть использовано широким кругом лиц, совершенствующих свои навыки владения английским языком.
Рекомендовано Ученым советом факультета РГФ ОНУ им. И.И.Мечникова
CONTENTS
Crime and Punishment…………..………………………………………….…4
Food and Cooking…..………………………………………………………...15
Expressions with ‘put’……………………………………………………. …..22
Shopping…………………………………………………………………….…24
Collocations with ‘make’, ‘do’, ‘have’, ‘take’……….………………….……..27
Money…………………………….………………………………………..…...31
Numbers………………………….………………………………………..…...38
Writing a CV……………………….……………………………………....…..41
The Weather………………….………………………………………….…….43
Global Problems……….………………………………………………………47
Expression with ‘get’…………………………………………………………. 51
The Press and Media…………………………………………………………54
Animals…………………………………………………………………………56
Housing…………………………..……………………………………….……64
1. Crime and punishment
A Make sure you know the difference between the verbs: steal and rob. The object of the verb 'steal' is the thing which is taken away, e.g. they stole my bike, whereas the object of the verb 'rob' is the person or place from which things are stolen, e.g. I was robbed last night. A masked man robbed the bank. 'Steal' is irregular: steal, stole, stolen.
Ex.1. Put the right form of either rob or steal in the sentences below.
Last night an armed gang................................. the post office. They
................................. £2000.
My handbag ................................. at the theatre yesterday.
Every year large numbers of banks ........……………….
4 Jane................................. of the opportunity to stand for president.
B Here are some more useful verbs connected with crime and law. Note that many of them have particular prepositions associated with them.
to commit a crime or an offence: to do something illegal
to accuse someone of a crime: to say someone is guilty
to charge someone with (murder): to bring someone to court
to plead guilty or not guilty: to swear in court that one is guilty or otherwise.
to defend/prosecute someone in court: to argue for or against someone in a trial
to pass verdict on an accused person: to decide whether they are guilty or not
to sentence someone to a punishment: what the judge does after a verdict of guilty
to acquit an accused person of a charge: to decide in court that someone is not guilty (the opposite of to convict someone)
to fine someone a sum of money: to punish someone by making them pay
to send someone to prison: to punish someone by putting them in prison
to release someone from prison/jail: to set someone free after a prison sentence
to be tried: to have a case judged in court.
C Here are some useful nouns.
trial: the legal process in court whereby an accused person is investigated, or tried, and then found guilty or not guilty
case: a crime that is being investigated
evidence: information used in a court of law to decide whether the accused is guilty or not
proof: evidence that shows conclusively whether something is a fact or not
verdict: the decision: guilty or not guilty
judge: the person who leads a trial and decides on the sentence
jury: group of twelve citizens who decide whether the accused is guilty or not
D Crime prevention
What can governments do to fight crime (= take action to stop crime)? These things happen in some countries, although many people may think they are not a good idea. Translate the sentences below into Russian paying attention to the words in bold.
Police carry (= have) guns.
Police are allowed to (= are permitted to) stop anyone in the street and question them.
The courts give tougher punishments for crimes committed than in the past (e.g. bigger fines or longer prison sentences than in the past).
There is capital punishment (= death, e.g. by electric chair or hanging) for some crimes.
What can individuals do to prevent a crime from happening (= stop a crime happening)?
Here are things some people do to protect themselves and their property (= home and land), although you may not think they are all a good idea
Don't walk along dark streets late at night (e.g. midnight) on your own (= alone)
Lock all doors and windows when you go out.
Don't wear expensive jewellery.
Leave lights on at home when you go out.
Fit (= install) a burglar alarm (= a machine which makes a noise if someone enters your home).
Make sure your money is safe, e.g. wear a money belt.
Carry a mace spray. (This is a chemical and if you spray it in someone's face, it is very unpleasant. In some countries you are allowed to carry this type of spray.)
Put money and valuables (= valuable possession) in a safe (= a strong metal box, which is very difficult to open or break).
Keep a gun in your house for self-defence (= to protect yourself if someone attacks you).
Translation tip: The word ‘lawyer’ has a general meaning denoting ‘any person who is legally qualified’. Its Russian equivalent is ‘юрист’, not ‘адвокат’. In their turn lawyers can work as solicitors, barristers, judges, etc.
Ex.2. Translate into Russian.
The police
They do a number of things. When someone commits a crime (= breaks the law and does something wrong / illegal / against the law) the police must investigate. If they find the person responsible for the crime, they arrest them. At the police station, they question them and if they are sure the person committed the crime, the person is charged with the crime. The person must then go to court for trial.
The court
In court, the person charged with the crime (now called the defendant or the accused) must try to prove that they did not commit the crime; in other words prove that they are innocent (not guilty). The jury listens to all the evidence and then makes their decision.
Punishment
If the defendant is convicted of the crime (= the jury decides that the defendant is guilty), the judge will give the sentence. For example, if a person is convicted of murder, the sentence will be many years in prison. The person then becomes a prisoner, and the room they live in is called a cell.
For crimes that are not serious (often called minor offences, e.g. illegal parking), the punishment is usually a fine.
Ex.3. Expand your vocabulary. Synonyms. Translate the following into English each time using synonymic expressions.
1 Полиция допросила подозреваемого (2вар.)
2 Подсудимый заявил о своей невиновности (2вар.)
3 Если вы нарушаете закон, будьте готовы ответить за это (5вар.)
4 Преступник скрылся с места преступления (4вар.)
5 Суд заслушал свидетельские показания (2вар.)
6 Он был освобожден досрочно два месяца назад (2вар.)
7 Судья приговорил его к двум годам лишения свободы (2вар.)
8 Суд присяжных вынес вердикт (2вар.)
LAW BREAKERS
Ex.4. Match each person on the left with the correct definition on the right.
(a) an arsonist attacks and robs people, often in the street
(b) a shoplifter sets fire to property illegally
(c) a mugger is anyone who breaks the law
(d) an offender breaks into houses or other buildings to steal
(e) a vandal steals from shops while acting as an ordinary customer
(f) a burglar kills someone
(g) a murderer deliberately causes damage to property
(h) a kidnapper steals things from people's pockets in crowded places
(i) a pickpocket gets secret information from another country
(j) an accomplice buys and sells drugs illegally
(k) a drug dealer takes away people by force, demanding money for their
return
(l) a spy helps a criminal in a criminal act
(m) a terrorist uses violence for political reasons
Ex.5. Instructions as above.
(a) an assassin causes damage or disturbance in public places
(b) a hooligan hides on a ship or plane to get a free journey
(c) a stowaway takes control of a plane by force & makes the pilot
change course
(d) a thief murders for political reasons or a reward
(e) a hijacker is someone who steals
(f) a forger makes counterfeit (false) money or signatures
(g) a robber is a member of a criminal group
(h) a smuggler steals money etc. by force from people or places
(i) a traitor marries illegally, being married already
(j) a gangster is a soldier who runs away from the army
(k) a deserter brings goods into a country illegally without
paying tax
(l) a bigamist betrays his or her country to another state
(m) a fraud or conman steals from his own company
(n) an embezzler pretends or claims to be what he is not
Ex.6. Complete the following table
Crime |
Criminal |
Verb |
theft mugging robbery pickpocketing shoplifting burglary safecracking kidnapping blackmail swindling fraud smuggling drugdealing (=drug-trafficking) embezzlement forgery joy-riding hi-jacking terrorism assault arson rape bribery murder assassination manslaughter massacre carnage pogrom genocide euthanasia (= mercy killing) – – – – |
– – – – –
– gangster hooligan bandit vandal |
|
Ex. 7. Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage below.
theft fine evidence |
arrest court charge |
detained witnesses handcuff |
pleaded sentence found |
fingerprints magistrate investigate |
oath cell
|
A policeman was sent to (a) ______ the disappearance of some property from a hotel. When he arrived, he found that the hotel staff had caught a boy in one of the rooms with a camera and some cash. When the policeman tried to (b) _________ the boy, he became violent and the policeman had to (c) _______ him. At the police station the boy could not give a satisfactory explanation for his actions and the police decided to (d) ______ him with the (e) _____ of the camera and cash. They took his (f) ____ , locked him in a (g)_____ , and (h) ____ him overnight. The next morning he appeared in (i) ___ before the (j) ____ . He took an (k) ____ and (l) _______ not guilty. Two (m) _______ , the owner of the property and a member of the hotel staff, gave (n) ____ . After both sides of the case had been heard the boy was (o) ____ guilty. He had to pay a (p) _______ of £ 50 and he was given a (q) _______ of three months in prison suspended for two years.
Ex.8. Put one of the following words in each space in the sentences below.
before in to of with from
He was sentenced _____ five years.
She got a sentence ______ six months.
He was accused ______ murder.
She's been charged ______ theft.
He appeared ______ court ________ handcuffs.
They were brought _____ the judge.
The jury reached a verdict ______ guilty.
He was released ________ prison.
Ex.9. Fill the gaps with suitable words.
I have never ... the law and ... a crime.
In Britain it is ... the law to drive a car without insurance.
If you park illegally you will have to pay a ... .
The police were fairly sure the man committed the crime, but they knew it would be difficult to ... it in court.
The jury must decide if the accused is innocent or ... .
In order to reach their decision, the jury must listen carefully to the ... .
If the accused is ... of murder, the ... may be at least ten years in prison.
He has been in trouble with the police once before, but it was only a minor... .
Ex.10. Answer the questions.
Who investigates crimes?
Who sentences people?
Who lives in cells?
Who decides if someone is innocent or guilty?
Who defends people and presents evidence?
Who commits crimes?
Ex. 11. Translate into Russian.
Overspeeding, drunken driving, traffic offence, perjury, slander, libel, flogging, money laundering, alibi, motive (for), clues, scene (spot) of the crime, forensic scientists, reject (turn down) an appeal, sue, lawsuit, nationwide hunt, attenuating circumstances, aggravating circumstances, cast doubt on, throw the blame on.
Ex.12. Fill the blanks in the paragraph below with one of the verbs.
One of the two accused men .............................. (1) at yesterday's trial. Although his lawyer .................................(2) him very well, he was still found guilty by the jury. The judge .................................(3) him to two years in prison. He'll probably...................................................... (4) after eighteen months. The other accused man was luckier. He .................................(5) and left the courtroom smiling broadly.
Ex. 13. Put each of the following words in its correct place.
detective plain clothes jury warders coroner verdict solicitor trial inquest death penalty
If you want legal advice in Britain, you go to a ______ .
At the end of the ____, the judge ordered the twelve men and women of the ____ to retire and consider their ____, guilty or not guilty.
Men or women who look after prisoners in prison are called prison officers or ________ .
If a person dies in unusual circumstances, an ______ is held at a special court, and the 'judge' is called a _________.
A policeman who investigates serious crime is called a ________. He wears ________ not uniform.
In some countries murderers are executed but other countries have abolished the ________ .
Ex. 14. Read the following text and choose the correct alternative in each pair.
Last year my house was broken into and (1) robbed / stolen. I immediately informed the police. A police officer came to the house and asked me to make a list of what had been (2) robbed / stolen. I told him my neighbours had seen someone suspicious at the time of the (3) forgery / burglary, so they had to go to the police station and (4) make /do a statement. About a month later the police contacted me to say they had arrested a (5) defendant / suspect. When the case came to court, I went to (6) give / tell evidence. Of course, the man (7) admitted / pleaded not guilty. The (8) jury / lawyer decided there was not enough proof to (9) try / convict him, and he was (10) let off / let go.
Ex. 15. Trial. If you commit a crime you may be:
accused, arrested, charged, convicted, interrogated, paroled, sent to prison, suspected, tried
Put these actions in the correct order.
Ex. 16. Translate into English.
быть виновным в убийстве, предстать перед судом за убийство, совершить преступление, обвинить в краже, расследовать, арестовать, (сторона) обвинение, (сторона) защита, соучастник, подсудимый, подзащитный, выйти из тюрьмы, оправдать, осудить, преступник, невиновный, принести клятву, штраф, камера, снять отпечатки пальцев, надеть наручники, мелкое правонарушение, хладнокровное преднамеренное убийство, орудие убийства, угон транспортного средства, кража из магазина, похищение людей, торговля наркотиками, шантаж, изнасилование, контрабанда, кража со взломом, показания свидетелей, улики, доказательства.
Ex. 17. Fill in the missing words in the sentences below. Choose from the following:
arrested remanded in custody defence
solicitor evidence barrister