Tests Test 1 Coke and the Colonel’s wife

The US Army insists that Colonel James Hiett had no idea he might have been living together with the enemy. Since last summer, Hiett had been in command of the 200 American military personnel waging a difficult campaign against Colombia’s drug traffickers. But according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., last week, Hiett’s wife, Laurie Anne, 36, was using the mail service at the American Embassy in Bogota to send cocaine to the United States.

Court papers say the smuggling was discovered last May, when a Miami Customs official found 2.7 pounds of cocaine in a package Mrs. Hiett had sent to someone in New York. Subsequently investigators tracked down six more packages allegedly sent by Laurie Hiett – or at her request – that contained 15.8 pounds of pure cocaine, with a street value of as much as $ 230,000.

Laurie Hiett surrended to federal authorities in Brooklyn last week and was arraigned on a charge of drugs distribution. After appearing in court, she was released on a $ 150,000 bond, she still had not been indicted. Through her lawyer, she denied any wrongdoing. The papers filed in court, said she told investigators she had sent the parcels as a favor to her husband’s chauffeur, Colombian Jorge Algonso Ayala. She insisted she didn’t know what was inside.

Ayala, who was named as a co-conspirator and is still at large in Colombia, told investigators Mrs. Hiett “abused cocaine”, which he helped her buy in Bogota.

Colombian authorities have long argued that America is to blame for the drug problem. Whether the Colonel’s wife is a dupe or a doper, the charges against her haven’t done any good to the war on drugs.

TASKS

Task 1. Read the article. Choose the correct answer from the given variants.

1. Paragraph one provides information that:

a) Colonel James Hiett knew that his wife was smuggling cocaine using the mail service;

b) Colonel James Hiett had no idea that his wife was smuggling cocaine;

c) Colonel James Hiett had certain suspicions that his wife was smuggling drugs.

2. From paragraph two it is clear that:

a) smuggling was discovered last June when a New York Customs official found 2.7 pounds of cocaine in a package;

b) smuggling was discovered last May when a Miami Customs official found 2.7 pounds of cocaine in a package.

c) smuggling was discovered last May, when a Miami Customs official 3.7 pounds of cocaine in a package.

3. What is meant by “wrongdoing” in paragraph three?

a) a hero deed;

b) an illegal action;

c) being forgetful to do something.

4. What does it mean “to abuse cocaine”?

a) to buy;

b) not to like to use;

c) to deliberately use something for the wrong purpose.

5. Paragraph five informs that:

a) Colombian authorities have long argued that America cannot be blamed for the drug problem;

b) Colombian authorities have never argued that America is to blame for the drug problem;

c) Colombian authorities have long argued that America is to blame for the drug problem.

Task 2. Find expressions in the text which mean:

a) a series of actions intended to achieve a certain result

b) someone who tries to find out the truth or the causes of something

c) to make someone come to court

d) not be caught

e) someone who is tricked into becoming involved in something illegal

f) someone who takes a lot of illegal drugs

Task 3. Below are one-sentence summaries of each of the paragraphs in the article. Put the summaries in the correct order. (Two of the summaries are not used.)

a) One of the main dangers of drugs is the state of intoxication.

b) According to criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. Colonel James Hiett wife was using the mail service at the American Embassy in Bogota to send cocaine to the USA.

c) Through her lawyer, Laurie Anne denied any wrongdoing.

d) Cocaine is a white powder which is usually sniffed, but can also be injected.

e) The case hasn’t influenced the war on drugs.

f) All in all 18.5 pounds of cocaine were found in the packages allegedly sent by Laurie Hiett.

g) Her so-called co-conspirator is still at large in Colombia.

Task 4. True or false?

a) The Colonel’s wife is a dupe.

b) The Colonel’s wife is a doper.

c) Where there is smoke there’s fire.