Starting Up

Exercise 1. Study the following scheme and comment on it.

Word Study

Exercise 2. Study the following words and word-combinations:

Customs regulations – таможенные правила;

Customs restrictions – таможенные ограничения;

Customs duties – таможенные пошлины;

to be liable to duty – подлежать оплате таможенных пошлин;

to be duty-free – быть свободным от уплаты пошлины; не подлежать оплате таможенных пошлин;

to declare something – сделать заявление о наличии вещей, облагаемых пошлиной (их стоимости, количестве, весе и т.д.);

personal effects – личные вещи;

to examine baggage/ luggage – досматривать багаж;

to smuggle – заниматься контрабандой;

to go/ pass through the Customs examination – проходить таможенный досмотр.

Exercise 3. Read the text below to answer the following questions:

1. What do Customs formalities include?

2. What does the passenger fill in while he is still on board the plane?

3. What questions does he have to answer?

4. Does he state the purpose and length of his visit?

5. When do officials check the passenger’s passport and visa?

6. Where is the passenger’s luggage examined?

7. What does the passenger list in the Customs declaration form?

8. What articles are usually brought in duty-free?

9. Which articles are dutiable in the country you’ve visited?

Text 1 At the Customs

Landing formalities and Customs regulations are about the same in all countries.

While still on board the plane the passenger is given an arrival card to fill in. He fills in his name, country of residence, purpose and length of visit, and country of destination.

After the passenger has disembarked, Immigration Control officials check his passport and visa (to see if they are in order). In some countries they check the passenger’s certificate of vaccination.

When these formalities have been completed the passenger goes to the Customs for an examination of his luggage.

The passenger is required to fill in a Customs declaration form. He must list all dutiable articles. He is to name an item stating its value and number. Personal effects may be brought in or taken out duty-free.

It is obligatory that a passenger’s luggage is carefully gone through in order to prevent smuggling. The Customs inspector may ask you to open your bags for inspection. After you pass through all Customs formalities he puts a stamp on each piece of your luggage.

Exercise 4. Match the words and their definitions.

1) vaccination	a) an endorsement made upon a passport denoting that entry permission has been granted
2) effects (pl.)	b) the worth of something in money or as compared with other goods
3) smuggling	c) the act of vaccinating; inoculation of vaccine
4) value	d) responsible, subject or exposed to something
5) stamp	e) limitations; rules that strictly control what you are allowed to do and in what quantity
6) border	f) a number of things to be presented for checking
7) restrictions	g) an official mark set upon things chargeable with some duty or tax (showing that the duty is paid)
8) visa	h) belongings, personal property
9) dutiable	i) illegal import or export without payment of duties
10) list (of articles)	j) the dividing line between two countries; frontier

Exercise 5. The following sentences describe what you do when you go to an airport to catch a plane, but they are in the wrong order.

Read them carefully and put them in the right order.

____ You go to the departure lounge.

____ You get a trolley.

____ You arrive at the airport.

____ You go to your gate.

____ You go to the check-in desk.

____ You go to the duty- free shop.

____ You get a boarding card.

____ You board the plane.

____ You check in your luggage.

____ You look at the departure board to see if your flight is boarding yet.

____ The board tells you which gate to go.

____ You go through passport control.

Exercise 6. Say how you are to behave when:

1. you have lost the keys to your bags and the Customs inspector asks you to open them;

2. you have misplaced your boarding card;

3. you have too many cigarettes with you (or too many presents);

4. you have only personal belongings with you.

Exercise 7. Read the text below to give the English equivalents for:

посадочный талон; объявление о посадке; плата за излишки (превышение нормы провоза) багажа; зал отправления; досматривать (багаж); заниматься контрабандой; багажный отсек самолета; ручная кладь; весы; магазин беспошлинной торговли; стойка регистрации; проходить проверку безопасности; успеть на самолет; выход на посадку.

Text 2

Jane arrived at the airport two hours ago to catch her plane to London. At the check-in counter a ticket agent looked at her ticket and her baggage was checked in, i.e. weighed on the scales. Jane’s suitcases were very heavy, so she had to pay an excess baggage charge (amount of money for extra weight).

Next she was given a boarding card (a special card that allowed her to get on the plane). The boarding card had a seat number written on it, and Jane was given a window seat in the non-smoking section. Her suitcases were labeled and sent off to be loaded into the hold of the airplane.

While waiting for the flight call Jane went to the kiosk to buy a newspaper. Then she went through the security check where her carry-on luggage (the bags she was keeping with her on board the plane) was searched.

In the duty-free shop Jane had a chance to buy some things cheaply because they were not taxed.

In the departure lounge Jane joined the other passengers who were sitting and waiting for their flight call. After a few minutes Jane heard the announcement: “Flight 124 to London is now boarding at Gate Four”, – and she proceeded to the flight gate to board the plane.

Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps.

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

2. You have to get a ______ card 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 the plane.

Exercise 8. Rewrite the sentences below translating the Russian parts into English:

1. Jane had to pay an плата за провоз багажа сверх нормы because her чемоданы were very heavy.

2. After a few minutes she proceeded to the выход на посадку to board the plane.

3. At the стойка регистрации a ticket agent looked at her ticket and her багаж was checked.

4. In the зал отправления Jane joined the other пассажиры who were waiting for their объявление о посадке в самолет.

5. She went through the security проверка where her ручная кладь was searched.

6. The посадочный талон had a seat number written on it.

7. Her чемоданы were labeled and sent off to be loaded into багажный отсек самолета.

Exercise 9. Read the text below to fill in the gaps using the words from the box.

cash, airport, departure, paintings, channel, arrival, declaration, drugs, valuables