English for customs officers

Are you travelling alone?

Do you need a doctor?

What is your occupation?

What has taken you aback?

What is your wife's name?

Is it real turquoise in your ring?

Is your suitcase very heavy?

How much do you earn per hour?

Where did you buy your ticket?

Do you use any drugs?

Is this all your baggage?

III. Find the odd ones out. Compare and discuss your answers with your classmates.

In addition to clothing, toilet articles and other articles of an obviously personal nature, the following shall, in particular, be considered to be personal effects (only 7 items):

IV. Study the following. Discuss with your partner what important «warnings» are missing in the list.

GENERAL SAFETY WARNING!

When handling suspected material (chemicals):

never taste or sniff suspected material;

keep away from sources of ignition and heat (e.g. motors, lighters, direct sunlight, hot plates);

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wear safety goggles and suitable gloves;

handle the material at a well ventilated place;

take special care when transporting the material.

V. Roleplay this conversation.

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VI. Speculate about the following.

1.Where admission, free of import duties and taxes, is claimed in respect of goods in a traveller's unaccompanied baggage, the Customs authorities may require proof that the person concerned is in fact arriving from abroad.

2.Non-residents who are only passing through the country are not allowed greater facilities.

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3.Tents and other camping equipment are not considered to be personal effects.

4.The personal effects of non-residents cannot be granted temporary admission.

5.The Customs authorities should require a Customs document and security for the temporary admission of non-residents' means of transport for private use.

6.Fuel carried in the normal tanks of the means of transport shall be admitted free of import duties and taxes.

7.Travellers shall be permitted to export goods for commercial purposes, subject to compliance with the necessary formalities and payment of any export duties and taxes chargeable.

8.Transit passengers who do not leave the transit area are required to pass through the Customs control.

9.The proportion of consignments to be physically examined by Customs should be kept to a minimum.

10.Nothing creates delays and high costs in today's Customs procedures.

VII. Translate the following conversations into English.

A

Таможенник: Приготовьте, пожалуйста, ваш багаж для досмотра.

Пассажир: Мне показывать весь багаж?

Таможенник: Да, таковы наши правила. Иногда пассажиры скрывают нелегально провозимые вещи в одежде, игрушках, книгах. Наша обязанность предотвращать контрабанду. А это что такое?

Пассажир: Это образцы тканей, которые я везу на выставку.

Таможенник: У вас есть на них декларация?

Пассажир: К сожалению, у меня только разрешение от моей фирмы.

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Таможенник: В таком случае я вынужден задержать ваш багаж до тех пор, пока вы не предъявите декларацию.

B

Таможенник: У васестьвещи, подлежащиедекларированию?

Пассажир: У меня есть несколько предметов из золота, которые я везу в качестве подарка своим друзьям.

Таможенник: Согласно нашим таможенным правилам вы можете ввозить в нашу страну золотые изделия, но вы обязаны указать их в декларации.

Пассажир: Мне нужно платить на них пошлину?

Таможенник: Нет, если стоимость товара не превышает 1500 евро. Таким образом государство защищает свой рынок.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

I. Fill in the gaps with the English equivalents of the words in brackets.

Reference words: baggage; cargo; circumstances; Customs; Customs inspectors; differences; job; passenger; prohibited; revenue; situation; unaccompanied, procedures.

CARGO-PROCESSING

Usually when people think of (таможня) they think of (пассажир) processing. That is our public image. But most of the (доход) and the largest enforcement actions occur in (груз) processing.

(Таможенники) speak of «working cargo» as if it were a distinctly different (работа) from «clearing» (пассажиры). They are alike in the sense that we are actually only interested in the things being imported, whether it is (багаж) or (груз). They are also alike in the same

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admissibility or dutiability of items: if an item is (запрещен) in (багаж) then it is (запрещен) in (груз); if it is free in (багаж) then it is also free in (груз). Nevertheless there are (различия). The major (различие) is that the things imported in (багаж) accompany а (пассажир), while all cargo is (несопровождаемый). It is brought into the country by a carrier. Some of the exemptions in passenger processing also apply in cargo situations, but others do not. Detailed (процедуры) will vary according to the (обстоятельства), but the fundamental patterns of (груз) processing are identical in every (ситуация).

II. Agree or disagree.

EXAMPLES OF GROUNDS FOR DETENTION

1.Mr. Brown was found to be wearing a body belt containing a resinous substance, suspected to be cannabis resin. Brown claims he thought it was glue. The officers doubt this. Detention is necessary to secure or preserve evidence and to obtain evidence by questioning.

2.A search of the detainee's baggage in the Green Channel revealed a quantity of a white powder, suspected to be cocaine, hidden in a shampoo bottle. Detention is not necessary.

3.Mr. Black was stopped in the Green channel and found to be in possession of pornographic videos. He also admitted to having additional videos at home. Detention is not necessary.

4.Mr. White was stopped in the Green channel. He claims to be here for 3 days to buy car parts. He travelled on a cash paid ticket and has £50 sterling and a cheque for £5,000. He appears to have little knowledge of cars and parts and does not have contacts in this field in this country. He is due to return to Nigeria on Monday and as today is Friday seems to have little time to cash the cheque and carry out his planned intentions. The officer suspects that due to the unrealistic intentions revealed by questioning, the story is a cover to conceal the possibility that he may be carrying goods of Customs interest, in particular, drugs internally. Detention is not necessary.

III. Fill in the gaps with the right word.

Reference words: checked, checks up, control, examination, inspection, investigation, search, supervise, surveillance, test, verified.

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1.A … tower is a building at an airport from which air traffic is watched and directed.

2.Customs stopped us and … our bags for alcohol and cigarettes.

3.Police said there would be a full … of the incident.

4.I thought it was paint at first, but on closer … I realized it was dry blood.

5.The police conducted an exhaustive … of the premises but they failed to find any drugs.

6.… is a way of discovering what someone or something can do or is

like.

7.These figures in the contract are surprisingly high and they'll have to be ….

8.Customs had a suspicion that the certificate was a forgery, but on closer …, it seemed okay.

9.To … means to watch over at activity or job to make certain that it is done correctly.

10.If the inspector … on you and finds you've been falsifying your statements you're going to be in trouble.

11.The police are using an electronic … system to catch drivers who commit motoring offences.

IV. The lines in the following conversations are in the wrong order. Rearrange them, then practice the conversations in pairs.

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DO IT FOR FUN

I. Define the following Customs terms. Try to memorize them.

II. Fill in the table «False Friends». Consult the dictionary if necessary.

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