English for customs officers

III. Make up sentence with the given Russian phrases. Ask your partner to translate them into English.

IV. What is it that never «was», never «will be», and yet «is»?

V. Explain the meaning of the following proverb in English and translate it into Russian:

Actions speak louder than words.

VI. Learn the following poem by heart:

Tobacco is a filthy weed,

That from the devil does proceed;

It drains your purse, it burns your clothes

And makes a chimney of your nose.

B. Waterhouse1

1 Benjamin Waterhouse (1754–1846) – an American physician and scientist, a pioneer in smallpox vaccination. He was the best-educated physician in Nortn America. In 1783 he formed the first faculty of the Harvard Medical School.

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UNIT 3. AT THE CUSTOMS

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

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TEXT 3.1. AT THE CUSTOMS HOUSE

Every country has its own Customs regulations, which stipulate what articles are liable to duty and what are duty-free.

Sometimes an article which falls under Customs restrictions and is liable to duty is allowed in duty-free if the traveller does not exceed a certain fixed quota. These are listed in a duty-free quota list. Customs restrictions also include a prohibited articles list. This is a list of items which may not be brought into a country or taken out of it. An official paper (from the proper authorities) giving permission to take items, which fall under special Customs restrictions, in or out of a country is known as an import or export license.

If the traveller has any item which comes under Customs restrictions he is asked to declare it. That is, he is asked to name the item, stating its value and other particulars. The declaration is made either orally or in writing on a special form. The practice seems to vary in different countries. Upon payment of duty the traveller is given a receipt. As a rule personal effects are duty-free.

It sometimes happens that a passenger's luggage is carefully gone through in order to prevent smuggling. The formalities at the Customshouse usually take some time. Only after passing through the Customs one does realize that their journey is drawing to an end or beginning (as the case might be).

EXERCISES

I. Answer the following questions:

1.What are the duties of a Customs inspector?

2.What is the meaning of the question «Have you got anything to declare» one hears at the Customs-house so often?

3.What does the phrase «I have nothing to declare» mean?

4.Do Customs restrictions vary in different countries?

5.Have you ever gone through a Customs inspection? If so share your experience.

6.What is a duty-free item?

7.What do we mean by saying that something is an item liable to duty?

8.Why is smuggling punishable by law?

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9.What does the Customs Inspected stamp stand for?

10.Can you name some of the «personal effects» one usually takes along on a journey?

II. Match the words on the left with their corresponding definitions on the right.

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III. Give English equivalents for:

попадать под ограничения, осматривать (багаж), заниматься контрабандой, таможенный сбор, таможенная декларация, таможенное управление, личные вещи, пройти таможенный досмотр, таможенные правила, таможенные ограничения.

Study the following words and word combinations from the text.

TEXT 3.2. AT THE AIRPORT

Pat arrived at the airport two hours ago to catch her plane to Tokyo. Her baggage was too heavy, so she took a trolley (a small vehicle with two or four wheels that you push or pull to transport large or heavy objects on). Baggage trolleys are provided in the reclaim hall and other key areas in the terminal building, car parks, rail station and coach station. They are operated using a coin deposit system. You will need a £1 or €1, which is refunded when the trolley is returned.

At the check-in-counter, a ticket agent looked at her ticket and her passport and her baggage was checked in (weighted on the scales). Pat's suitcases were very heavy, so she had to pay an excess baggage charge (amount of money for additional weight). After check-in the marked

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baggage is put on the conveyor belt (a continuous moving piece of rubber or metal used to transport objects from one place to another) to be loaded into the hold of the airplane.

Next she was given a boarding pass (a ticket that allows her to get on the plane). The boarding pass has a seat number written on it, and

Pat was given a window seat in the non-smoking section.

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Once your travel plans are confirmed, check the expiration date of your passport.

Make photocopies of the data page.

Leave one copy with someone at home and keep another with you, separated from your passport.

If you lose your passport, promptly call the nearest embassy or consulate and the local police; having a copy of the data page can speed replacement.

When shopping, keep receipts for all of your purchases. Upon reentering the country, be ready to show Customs officials what you've bought.

While waiting for the flight to be announced, Pat goes to the newsstand to buy a newspaper. Then she goes through the security check, where her carry-on luggage (the bags she is keeping with her on the plane) is searched. Then Pat goes into the duty-free shop where she has a chance to buy some things cheaply. The goods she buys here are cheap because they are not taxed.

In the departure lounge Pat joins the other passengers who are sitting and waiting until it is time for their flight to depart. After a few minutes Pat hears the announcement: Flight 215 to Tokyo now boarding at Gate Four, and she goes to board (get on) her plane.

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I. Fill in the gaps to make the sentences complete.

1.When you arrive at the airport you first go to the ... counter.

2.You have to have a ... pass so that you can get on the plane.

3.After the security check, you wait in the ... lounge.

4.You can buy many things cheaply at the ... shop.

5.When you hear the announcement, you go to the ... to board your plane.

II. Fill in the table giving English and Russian equivalents to the following words.

check-in-counter

Билет

Багаж Излишек, превышение (багажа)

load (v)

Тележка

hold (n)

Посадочный талон

departure lounge

Магазин беспошлинной торговли

gate conveyor belt

Весы

to check in

Объявление

security check carry-on luggage

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

I. Supply prepositions or adverbs where necessary.

1. It is the porters who always carry the passenger's luggage … the hold of a ship or … the luggage-van of a train … the Customs-house … an inspection.

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2.This is duty-free according … our Customs regulations.

3.Do you know whether there are any restrictions … imported cameras in this country?

4.Personal effects are usually duty-free if one does not exceed … a certain quota.

5.In a number of countries furs do not fall … Customs restrictions.

6.Customs duties are taxed both … imported as well as exported goods.

II. The following statements are grammatically incorrect. Find the mistakes and correct them.

1.On the Customs-house a passenger's luggage are carefully gone into Customs inspectors. (3 mistakes)

2.Sometimes Customs inspector carefully search under the passenger's belongings to prevent smuggling. (2 mistakes)

3.There are a 150 % duty about this article. (2 mistakes)

4.As soon as one's luggage cleared the Customs, special stamps are pasted onto it. (2 mistakes)

5.It took me about two hour to go through all the formalities on the Customs-house. (2 mistakes)

III. Translate into English.

1.Я не знаю, что разрешается провозить беспошлинно.

2.Вы не превысили норму. Эти вещи не подлежат обложению пошлиной.

3.У меня нет вещей, подлежащих декларированию.

4.Я не знал, что на эти предметы распространяются таможенные ограничения.

5.Эти предметы подлежат таможенному обложению в размере 100 процентов их стоимости.

6.При переезде через границу вы обязаны заявить об имеющейся у вас на руках иностранной валюте.

7.Я вас прошу как можно скорее осмотреть мой багаж. Мой самолет вылетает через час.

8.ВотлицензияМинистерстваторговли навывозэтогоаппарата.

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IV. Match the phrases (1–10) with their definitions (a–j).

On arrival in most countries as a foreigner you have to show your passport, (1) a landing card and often (2) a Customs declaration form. You may need a visa and (3) a vaccination certificate, depending on the

(4) entry restrictions. Customs carry out (5) spot checks / random checks on a person's luggage. They use (6) sniffer dogs to search for drugs and explosives. In most cases, you have to (7) clear Customs at the (8) port of entry. Genuine refugees may try to seek (9) political asylum. Customs officers also look out for illegal immigrants, some of whom may be (10) economic migrants.

V. Rewrite the sentences using phrases and collocations from the above exercise instead of the underlined words.

1.You'll have to show a paper proving that you have had injections for tropical diseases when you enter the country.

2.People entering from war-torn countries often ask for permission to stay to avoid political oppression in their own country.

3.You have to take your baggage through Customs if you arrive on an international flight at San Francisco airport, even if you are flying on within the USA.

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4.You have to fill in a paper saying how much money you're bringing into the country before going through Customs control.

5.Some of the people were people who were poor and travelling hoping to find jobs, rather than genuine political refugees.

6.Passenger to airline cabin attendant: Could you give me one of those papers for filling in my passport number and personal details

before we arrive, please?

7.At the airport the security guards had those special dogs that can smell drugs.

8.You'll need a visa; the rules about who can enter the country are very strict.

9.You have to fill in the city where you first entered the country in this box here.

10.Customs carry out checks done without warning.

VI. Act as an interpreter. Roleplay the conversation.

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