Why did the customs official begin to get angry?
Luckily he appeared to conclude that I was just incredibly stupid. ‘Sir,’ he enquired more specifically. ‘Are you carrying any items of fruit or vegetable?’ ‘No, sir, I’m not,’ I answered at once, and gave him the most respectable look I believe I have given anybody in my life. I left him shaking his head. I am sure that for the rest of his career he will always be telling people about the idiot who thought he was a greengrocer.
Why do you think the author gave the customs official a very respectful look?
The same thing happened another time when I was talking to my neighbor about a disastrous airline trip which had left me stranded overnight in Denver. ‘Who did you fly with?’ he asked.
What does the question really mean?
‘I don’t know,’ I replied. ‘They were all strangers.’ He looked at me with an expression of panic.
‘No, I meant which airline you had flown with,’ he said. Soon after this my wife ordered me to stop making jokes with him, as our conversations were giving him migraine.
Why didn’t his neighbor understand his answers?
b) Make a glossary. Choose seven words to remember.
c) Answer the questions:
1. What do you think these people’s problem was?
2. What should people do to avoid misunderstanding?
3. Can you remember any situations like that which happened to you?
Vocabulary and Grammar
Task 11.Make as many word combinations as you can:
| CUSTOMS | officer |
Task 12.Put the following nouns into the correct column:
news, luggage, goods, money, belongings, progress, clothes,
advice, headquarters, resources, cash, valuables, furniture,
equipment, premises, police
| nouns used only in the singular | nouns used only in the plural |
| news | goods |
Task 13.Find the word with the most general meaning in each line:
1) contract, certificate, license, document, declaration
2) computer, telephone, equipment, fax-machine, Xerox
3) control, examine, inspect, check
4) terminal, station, port of entry, airport
5) suitcase, rucksack, handbag, box, baggage
6) camera, X-ray machine, technology, metal detector, fiberscope
7) transport, aircraft, train, truck, ship
8) duty, payment, penalty, fine, tax
9) passenger, customer, broker, trader
10) ask, answer, explain, consult, inform, communicate
Task 14. Put the words in the correct order.
1) they/ uniform/ always/ wear.
2) don’t/ English/ speak/ at work/ I.
3) he/ abroad/ on business trips/ goes/ often.
4) passenger’s baggage/ customs/examine/ officers.
5) contraband/ find/ we/ sometimes.
6) with/am/ polite/ customers/ I/ always.
7) you/ do/ computer/ special/ use/ programs?
8) like/ outdoors/ doesn’t/ to work/ she.
9) on the night shift/ do/ work/ you/ often?
10) work/ machine/ doesn’t/ X-ray/ this.
11) passengers/ customs/ through/ pass/ always/ control.
12) help/ to detect/ drugs/ dogs.
13) check-point/ modern/ our/ got/ computers/ has.
14) department/ that/ duties/ and/ collects.
15) business/ customs officers/ health/ protect/ public/ and.
Task 15.Find as many words from the topic as you can.
| A | B | N | G | P | O | L | I | C | E | T | T |
| Q | L | A | W | A | A | C | T | W | E | E | O |
| T | Y | R | U | S | I | O | E | P | A | C | O |
| C | S | C | U | S | T | O | M | S | F | H | L |
| O | A | O | G | E | A | F | H | J | K | N | L |
| M | P | T | U | N | I | F | O | R | M | O | L |
| P | P | I | Z | G | R | I | X | C | V | L | I |
| E | L | C | B | E | P | C | A | R | G | O | C |
| T | Y | S | N | R | O | E | R | M | Q | G | E |
| E | S | D | C | U | R | R | E | N | C | Y | N |
| N | D | U | T | Y | T | R | A | F | F | I | C |
| T | A | X | W | A | R | E | H | O | U | S | E |
Task 16.Make a written translation of the text and think about the title for it.
“I saw an advertisement for *HM Revenue and Excise and thought that it sounded really interesting. I joined HM Revenue and Excise as an administrative assistant doing general support work. I did that job for three years. When I got my promotion to administrative officer, I worked on the project which involved the simplification of the paperwork for the import and export of goods. I had to handle telephone enquiries. It was very challenging work and there was never a dull moment. After two years I applied for the Investigation division and was fortunate enough to get the job. It was a good opportunity to broaden my experience. My current job as a control officer is tough, but very interesting. The main part of my job is to help traders to understand the regulations and to ensure if they are following the correct procedures. I feel that I am part of the Team and that what I am doing is worthwhile.
*Before 2005 the department was called HM Customs and Excise.
Speaking
Task 17.Think of a profession. Try to guess what professions your partners have in mind. The following YES/NO questions may help you:
1. Do you work indoors / outdoors?
2. Do you work in shifts?
3. Do you wear uniform?
4. Do you deal with …?
5. Do you use any special tools?
6. Do you meet a lot of people?
7. Do you have to speak foreign languages?
8. Do you have to go on business trips?
9. Do you need any special skills/education?
10. Is your profession prestigious / well-paid?
Task 18.Complete the sentences.
1. The Customs is the state body which …
2. The duties of the customs officer include …
3. If you want to be a customs officer you should …
4. A person can’t be a customs officer if …
Task 19.Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a customs officer.
| advantages | disadvantages |
| It is prestigious… | Customs officers have to work in shifts … |
Task 20.Get ready to speak on the topic. Use the vocabulary ofthe unit.
Communication activities.
Task 21. What sort of personality characteristics are most important for:
- a customs officer / - a flight attendant? Mark three of the following:
decisive stable sympathetic
independent brave authoritative
emotional strong friendly
self- disciplined kind fair
supportive firm reliable
Compare your choices with your partner.
Task 22.If you were unemployed would you take a job in:
a factory a hospital a Customs warehouse
a bank a shop a scientific research centre
a bakery a library an Internet café
a restaurant a theatre the Customs Academy
a school an airport a police station
See if your answers are the same with your partner’s and if you answered «maybe» say what it would depend on. What jobs would you hate to do and why?
Task 23. What would be your ideal job?
§ What are the most important aspects of job satisfaction for you?
§ Describe some personal and physical qualities that a person needs for this job?
§ What qualities are essential for this job? Cross out the ones you think you don’t possess and therefore may have to work on.
Discuss your answers to these questions with your partner and give an
explanation for your choice.
Task 24. Think of any job and imagine it is yours. Imagine 5 things you did yesterday as part of your job and write them down. Read out your story to your partner. See if he can guess what your job is.
Task 25. Discuss with your partner the following: what sort of personal characteristics do you think are the most important for a customs officer? Mark three of the following (using one for the most important, then two and three).
decisive
sympathetic
empathetic
attentive
emotional
authoritative
clever
sad
loyal
friendly
strong
kind
generous
independent
stable
brave
tall
honest
strict
serious
blue-eyed
self-disciplined
melancholy
Task 26. Role -play.
a) You are a customs officer. Answer these questions for a school leaver interested in a career in the Customs.
1. What qualities does a Customs officer need?
2. Why do you think it is a difficult science to study?
3. Which subjects should I study if I want to be a Customs officer?
4. What career opportunities are there for someone who has studied Customs matters?
5. Do all Customs officers do the same kind of the work?
6. What type of work is being done in Customs in Russia?
7. Why do some people say career prospects in the Customs Service are very good?
8. Why do you say a career in the Customs Service could be very exciting in future?
b) Discuss your answers in class.
Task 27.Group work. In groups decide on a job vacancy, e. g. a customs officer, a dog handler, a customs broker, etc. Three students then role play the job interviewers. One is sympathetic, one aggressive and one is neutral. The other students role -play the applicants. Several people are interviewed for the same job. The interviewers then discuss them, comparing their abilities. The group can decide who gets the job.
VOCABULARY
| the Сustoms | таможня |
| the Customs Service | таможенная служба |
| customs warehouse | таможенный склад |
| customs check-point | таможенный пост |
| to work in shifts / overtime | посменно / сверхурочно |
| indoors /outdoors | в помещении / на открытом воздухе |
| to wear uniform | носить форму |
| competent | компетентный |
| law, legal act | закон |
| to apply | зд. применять |
| regulations | правила |
| to clear | зд. оформлять |
| cargo | груз |
| to deal | иметь дело с чем/кем-либо |
| transport means | транспортное средство |
| tools | инструменты, приспособления |
| technology | высокотехнологичное оборудование |
| metal detector | металлоискатель |
| X-ray machine | рентген-аппарат |
| canine enforcement team (К-9) | бригада кинологов |
| drug detector dog | собака, обученная находить наркотики |
| explosives | взрывчатые вещества |
| currency | валюта |
| to pass through | проходить через |
| to process documents | оформлять документы |
| to inspect syn. to examine, to search, to check, to control, to rummage | досматривать |
| to punish | наказывать |
| penalty, fine, | штраф |
| to require | требовать |
| to break law | нарушать закон |
| traveler, passenger | пассажир |
| to detect | обнаруживать |
| to collect | взимать |
| to charge, to impose | налагать |
| duty | пошлина |
| personal and professional conduct | личные и профессиональные качества |
| to interdict | предотвращать, задерживать |
| smuggling, contraband | контрабанда |
| fair trade | честная торговля |
| traffic of smuggling | провоз контрабанды |
| career prospects | перспектива карьерного роста |
| staff, employees, personnel | штат; сотрудники |
| essential | существенный, неотъемлемый |
| the Russian Customs Academy | Российская таможенная академия |
| Border guards | пограничная служба |
| Tax police | налоговая полиция |