Vocabulary

AN ARREST

• Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage.

theft	pleaded	fingerprints	witnesses	evidence	found
arrest	oath	investigate	sentence	charge	cell
detained	fine	court	magistrate	handcuff

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.

LAW AND PUNISHMENT

• Put each of the following words and phrases in its correct place in the passage.

detective	plain clothes	jury	warders	coroner
verdict	solicitor	trial	inquest	death penalty

13. If you want legal advice in Britain, you go to a __________.

14. At the end of the __________, the judge ordered the twelve men and women of the __________ to retire and consider their __________, guilty or not guilty.

15. Men or women who look after prisoners in prison are called prison officers or __________.

16. If a person dies in unusual circumstances, an __________ is held at a special court, and the judge is called a __________.

17. A policeman who investigates serious crime is called a __________. He wears _________, not uniform.

18. In some countries murderers are executed but other countries have abolished the _________.

LAW BREAKERS

• Match each person on the left with the correct definition on the right.

an assassin a hooligan a stowaway a thief a hijacker a robber a smuggler a traitor a gangster a deserter a bigamist a drug dealer

causes damage or disturbance in public places hides on a ship or plane to get a free journey takes control of a plane by force & makes the pilot change the course murders for political reasons or a reward buys and sells drugs illegally is someone who steals is a member of a criminal group steals money etc. by force from people or places marries illegally, being married already is a soldier who runs away from the army brings goods into a country illegally without paying tax betrays his or her country to another state

W hen people do wrong, how should they be punished?

Look at the list and put these actions in order, with the one you consider to be most serious first, and the least serious last. Decide what punishment is suitable in each situation.

1. A man was driving a car and a child ran out into the road. Although he tried to stop, he hit the child, who was killed.

2. A seven-year-old boy took his friend’s bicycle and hid it where it could not be found.

3. A woman was bitten by her husband for many years, and then one day, she attacked him with a kitchen knife and killed him.

4. A teacher sold a group of students a copy of the examination paper in advance and was then discovered by the head of the school.

5. Two teenagers went into a shop after school and stole three bars of chocolate.

6. A woman made a serious mistake on the firm’s computer, but blamed the error on her colleague, who was dismissed.

7. Two visitors to Britain brought a dog into the country from overseas, although they knew it was against the law.

Two Armed Raiders Killed in Shoot-out with police

Police marksmen shot dead two armed robbers and wounded another yesterday, after a chase through North London. The three men had sprayed bullets and gunshots at the police officers, wounding one in the ankle, in their attempt to escape after an unsuccessful raid on a post-office. It was the fourth occasion in two years that police have shot dead armed robbers. Commander John O’Connor said that his officers had acted ‘correctly and courageously’. They had prevented any members of the public from getting hurt in the gun battle. The incident has been justified by police as the inevitable response to armed robbery.

The incident began just before 9 a.m. when the three men, who the police suspected of specializing in ramming security vehicles, pushed a steel girder out of the back of their van and, reversing at high speed, used it as a battering ram to smash through the rear doors of the post office. Although the three, in balaclavas and motorcycle helmets, got into the post office, they failed to reach the area where the valuables were kept. They had chosen the wrong doors. They abandoned their attempt at robbery and drove off in a stolen car. Police who had been secretly observing them, gave chase but the robbers abandoned the car after driving into a side-street. Commander O’Connor said that the robbers then tried what he described as ‘a classic ploy’. They ran down an alleyway so that the police car could not follow them. The alley leads to a footbridge over a railway line and they had left a getaway car on the other side of the bridge. When the robbers got on to the bridge they opened fire. Commander O’Connor said, ‘My officers shouted a warning ‘Armed police! Drop your weapons and surrender!’ but the robbers continued firing and police officers returned fire.’ He denied suggestions that officers were waiting for the men and ‘staking out’ the stolen getaway car. The robbers continued firing, spraying bullets everywhere. In all, about thirty shots were fired. Some bullets hit parked cars and spent cartridges still littered the scene several hours later.

Mr Paul Duego, who lives nearby, said, ‘During the shooting, one old man was right in the middle of it. He turned back and said, ‘What are they doing – are they shooting a film?’ He was completely oblivious to what was really happening.’ Tony Dewsnapp, aged 48, a married man, died at the scene. James Farrel, 52, also married, died in hospital. The third man, who has not been named, has shoulder and leg wounds but is not in a serious condition. The robbers were armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a Colt 45 revolver and a Luger pistol. Commander O’Connor said that the police regretted incidents involving loss of life and extended sympathy to the dead men’s families.

• Find a word or phrase in the text that in context has a similar meaning to:

1. men who shoot accurately

2. bravely

3. unavoidable reaction

4. crashing into

5. large metal bar

6. going backwards

7. gave up

8. narrow street

9. started shooting

10. watching and waiting

11. unaware

12. were sorry about

13. offered

• Answer the following questions. You will have to ‘read between the lines’ to produce some answers.

1. What incident happened in North London?

2. Were the police justified in using guns?

3. How did the robbers prepare for the raid?

4. How did they feel when they got into the post office?

5. What did the robbers say to each other when they were inside the post office?

6. How did the robbers react when they saw the police?

7. How much did the police know in advance?

8. Where were the armed police? Describe their actions. Why did they have to shoot the robbers?

9. Describe the reactions of the old man.

10. What were the consequences of the shooting?

• Find English equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

1. не допустить, чтобы пострадал кто-нибудь из людей

2. неизбежный ответ на вооруженное ограбление

3. специализироваться на ч-л.

4. разворачиваться на большой скорости

5. ценности

6. отказаться от попытки ограбления

7. броситься в погоню

8. классическая уловка

9. сдаться

10. отрицать предположения

11. всего (в итоге, в целом)

12. cнимать кино

13. cовершенно не осознавал, что происходило на самом деле

14. сожалеть о том, что инцидент повлек за собой гибель людей

15. выразить соболезнование семьям погибших

• Summarize the text.

• Read the two articles on the issue of bus – related vandalism

Boys questioned after bus attack

Two boys aged 14 and 16 have been questioned by police about an alleged assault on a school bus driver on Tuesday morning.

The incident happened when the bus stopped to pick up pupils in the village of Groeslon near Caernarfon, Wales.

The driver, who works for Silver Star Coaches, was treated for a dislocated shoulder and facial injuries.

North Wales Police and Gwynedd Council are investigating the incident. The boys were later released on bail.

The bus was en route to Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, Penygroes, when the incident happened.

The headmaster Dewi Jones stressed that it was not a school-related incident.

"It is very, very unfortunate that this incident happened on a school bus and that the school has been dragged into this as this incident is nothing to do with the school itself," he said.

Silver Star Coaches chief executive Elfyn Thomas said steps would now be taken to ban those involved from the company's buses.

"This is a very unusual incident. It is unacceptable behaviour and we are working to secure all our drivers safety," he added.

A Gwynedd Council spokesman said the incident was "extremely unfortunate and serious."

"In general, conduct on school buses is good and incidents of this kind are extremely rare."

"However, this is a serious incident and the education authority will be conducting a full investigation to establish what exactly took place and how incidents of this kind can be avoided in the future," the spokesman added.

P olice search for bus attacker

Police said it was an unprovoked attack

Police in Edinburgh are trying to trace a man who carried out a series of unprovoked attacks on teenage passengers on board a bus.

The assaults took place on the top deck of a number 11 bus as it was travelling through the city centre on Thursday afternoon.

The man first punched and kicked a teenager and then later attacked two school pupils, hitting them in the face and asking for a fight.

A police spokesman said both incidents were unprovoked and appealed for witnesses.

The first attack took place around 1515 BST when a 19-year-old man boarded the bus in Lothian Road.

He went up to the top deck of the bus and was approached by the attacker, who began kicking and punching him before asking him for his watch.

After the teenager handed over the watch the attack continued until he managed to break free.

Then four schoolboys got on the bus in Morningside Road in the city and went up to the top deck. Two of the boys, both aged 17, were assaulted by the man and suffered facial injuries.

The man is described as white, with spiky hair and a goatee beard. He is thought to be aged in his mid twenties.

He was wearing a navy blue shirt, jacket and stone washed jeans.

A police spokesman said: "This was an unprovoked attack on three people who were minding their own business. We would appeal to anyone who may have seen this man on the bus or recognises his distinctive description to contact us."

• Answer the following questions.

1. Who is involved in the incidents?

2. What injuries did the victims get?

3. Were any private possessions taken by the attackers?

4. What steps are being taken?

5. How are the incidents accounted for?

• Find English equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

1. вывихнутое плечо и повреждения лица

2. выпущены под поручительство

3. втянуты, вовлечены в это происшествие

4. запретить виновникам происшествия пользоваться автобусом

5. провести полное расследование

6. нападения

7. обратиться к свидетелям с просьбой о помощи

8. передать что-либо другому

9. отличительные черты, особые приметы (человека)

• Summarize the articles.