Vocabulary and Grammar

Task 14. Find the word that doesn’t fit the group and explain why.

1) bill, ticket, banknote, currency, share, coin

2) gold, platinum, silver, emerald, zinc

3) painting, drawing, explosive, manuscript, sculpture

4) metal-detector, revolver, knife, pistol, gun, rifle

5) declaration, penalty, vet-certificate, driving license, passport

6) to search, to arrest, to detain, to vaccinate, to rummage

Task 15. Study the information in the table.

noun	meaning	modifiers
QUANTITY	an amount of something that can be counted or measured	large, small, vast
AMOUNT	a quantity of something such as time, money, substance	large, considerable, small, tiny
NUMBER	a word or a sign that shows an amount or quantity	large, small, high, exact, round; odd(1,3,5),even (2,4,6);
SUM	an amount of money	large, small, modest, considerable
FIGURE	an official number that shows amount	round, single, double

b) Choose the right word.

1. Government __________ understate the problem.

2. A large ___________ of jewelry was stolen from the shop.

3. The __________ show that oil prices are rising quickly.

4. We don’t know the exact __________ of containers to be examined.

5. The customs officers discovered huge __________ of drugs concealed in the consignment of frozen seafood.

6. You will have to pay the __________ of $50 for the goods above the fixed quota.

7. A large __________ of students combine their studies with work.

8. What is your mobile _________?

9. Drug dealers had an income of six __________ or more.

10. A large __________ of money is spent on tobacco every year.

11. The __________ of people visiting this region increases in summer.

Task 16. a) Read and translate the text, use the dictionary. Choose an idiom to complete the text. a) pull the strings

b) draw the line

c) make both ends meet

d) all wool and a yard wide

e) call on the carpet

f) sell like hot cakes

Until very recent times there were few regulations, governing quality of consumer goods. Manufacturers and merchants operated on the principle “Let the buyer beware”. Standards varied widely, both in terms of quality and quantity. This was particularly true on the textile trade. It was easy for manufacturers to mix mohair or mill waste with wool, then sell the product as “first quality”. At the same time they might reduce the width of his cloth to thirty-five or even thirty-four inches.

About 1850 leading English textile makers began a reform movement. They produced cloth which they guaranteed to be free of fillers and woven full measure. As a result _______________________________________ entered common speech as synonym for “genuine”.

b) Explain the meaning of the other idioms in the list.

Task 17. a) Match left and right to make sentences.

1. The change of customs tariffs is based on	D	a) the engine volume and the date of manufacture.
2. The duty sum per item for cars depends on		b) it is best to make inquiries before you leave.
3. If payment is made by cheque, the goods		c) until the charges have been settled.
4. The warehouse operator will simply refuse to release the goods,		d) the necessity to protect home producers.
5. The customs value includes the stated price of particular goods plus any applicable shipping and handling costs		e) the better should be the packing.
6.Some countries have special regulations governing the import and export of currency, so		f) which may be added to the value of the shipment.
7. The higher the value of goods,		g) will be held until the cheque has been cleared.

b) Study the model. Find the similar example in the table above.

Model: The sooner we start doing the job, the sooner we will finish it.

c) Make 5 sentences of your own.

1. The harder you work, …..

2. The older you get, …

3. The more money a person has, …

4. …

5. …

Task 18. Express reproach (упрек) using modal verbs should/might.

Model: Why did you not follow my instructions?

You should/might have followed my instructions.

1. Why did you include the weight of the container?

2. Why didn’t you apply the proper tariff?

3. Why didn’t you ask the senior officer for assistance in valuing that thing?

4. Why didn’t you count the foreign currency in cash?

5. Why didn’t you check the supporting documents?

6. Why didn’t you use the proper method of customs valuation?

7. Why didn’t you make inquires on the exporter?

Task 19. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct Active or Passive form.

Excise duties first (to impose) in Britain in 1643 to provide money for Parliamentary forces in the Civil War. Over the years many items (to become) liable to excise duty including hair powder, male servants, tea, coffee, chocolate, beer, wine as well as spirits and tobacco.

While customs officers (to work) at ports and later airports, excise officers (to base) all over the country. The officers (to visit) local traders and (to calculate) the amount of money due. Some traders, such as candle makers and soap makers (to control) every few hours to keep track of how much (to produce). In 1909 the Board of Excise (to combine) with the Board of Customs to form the Board of Customs and Excise.

Task 20. Make a written translation of the text and think about the title for it.

The letter of credit (L/C) is the most generally used method of payment in the export trade. It starts with the buyer who instructs his bank to issue the L/C for the amount of the purchase and in favor of the seller. The buyer’s bank sends this instruction, a special printed form containing full details of the transaction, to its agent (a bank cooperating with it) in the seller’s country. On receiving the instruction, the agent bank informs the seller about the credit. The seller can now carry out the buyer’s order, knowing that when he has done so, the money will be paid at once by the agent bank. The buyer is equally secure, because the agent bank will pay on his behalf only if the conditions of the transaction are completely executed by the seller.

Task 21. Make a written translation of the text into English.

Таможенники «Домодедово» изъяли ценные часы.

Таможенники много чего видели: и крокодилов в чемодане, и героин в желудках. Но таких часов… В зелёном коридоре аэропорта «Домодедово» сотрудники таможни остановили россиянина, прилетевшего из Нью-Йорка. Когда стали осматривать его ручную кладь, в фирменной коробке с надписью «Jacob & Co» увидели наручные часы, выполненные из золота с бриллиантами (модель Rainbow Tourbillon). Мужчина, оказавшийся бизнесменом из Москвы, пожал плечами и заявил, что эти часы ему подарили в Америке, и он понятия не имел, сколько они стоят.

Суперчасы направили на товароведческую экспертизу. Эксперт дал заключение: рыночная цена часов – 54 506 250 рублей! Почти два миллиона долларов! Во всём мире только пять копий Rainbow Tourbillon, включая часы, изъятые в «Домодедово».

За уклонение от уплаты таможенных платежей бизнесмен может получить срок до двух лет. Дело в том, что товары для личного пользования, ввозимые физическим лицом авиатранспортом, таможенная стоимость которых превышает 10 тысяч евро, подлежат обязательному письменному декларированию. Такие товары облагаются таможенной пошлиной в размере 30% от их стоимости. Получается, что пассажир-контрабандист не заплатил примерно 17 миллионов рублей пошлины.

(«Комсомольская Правда»)