Communicative Activities
Task 1. Does crime really pay?
Read these extracts from a book entitled Criminal Records and answer the questions.
Hopeless hold-ups
I. Two old ladies were walking in a Hamburg cemetery when a thief grabbed their suitcase. He ran away, unaware that he had stolen a dead cat! Later, the ladies explained that at the time of the incident they were on the way to bury their pet. They were convinced that the authorities would not let them, and they had decided to bury it after dark.
Do you think the first thief was surprised when he opened the suitcase? Why/Why not?
II. Everything was going smoothly as Raymond Burles tried to rob a Paris bank. He pointed a gun at the cashier and told him to hand over the money. Burles scooped £4,000 into a canvas holdall and zipped it up. Then he backed to the door ordering everyone to freeze. To his surprise no one took any notice – the staff and customers all jumped on him and pinned him to the floor. It was at this point that Burles realized that he had zipped up his gun in the bag along with the money.
Why was Burles arrested so easily?
III. Between the lines: «It’s hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who’s learning to play the violin». That’s what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.
1. What facts does the story give you?
2. What has happened?
3. Why did it happen?
4. What are the possible relationships between the violin player and the woman? 5. How would you describe the woman’s mood?
6. What other information can you suggest?
Improve your writing: Writing a story.
1. Various past tense forms are used:
a) The past progressive is used to set the scene. E.g. Two old ladies were walking in a cemetery.
b) The simple past tells the events in the story. E.g. Later, the women explained…
c) The past perfect can be used without after to show that an event happened earlier than another event in the past. E.g. He realized that he had zipped up his gun in the bag.
2. The use of expressions like when, then, after and later help to make the sequence of events clear. When and while are used when one action happens at the same time as another or when an action occurs during a longer one.
E.G. When/While they were talking in the cemetery, a thief stole their bag.
When is also used when one action follows another.
E.G. When she pressed the button, the lift stopped.
After is often followed by a perfect tense.
E.g. I'll see him after you've finished. I saw him after he had finished.
Write 3 short compositions describing each of the above mentioned crimes.
Task 2. FATAL MISTAKE?
Put the words below in order to make a newspaper headline: dead, pronounced, says, was, fine”, who, am, feeling, “I, woman.
The headline comes from a news story. Work with a partner and write five questions that you would expect to be answered in the article. Compare with another pair and add to your list.
Read the newspaper article below and look for the answers to your questions.
The woman who came back from the dead said yesterday that she felt fine as the doctor who declared her dead apologised. Dorothy Turner, who is still recovering in hospital, looked pale but was able to walk unaided as she appeared with her husband, Stan, at a news conference. She refused to comment on her experience and would only say, «I'm fine, thank you».
Her solicitor, William Evans, said that Mrs Turner, 61, had attempted suicide with an overdose of tablets at her home on New Year's Eve. Michael Lloyd, her doctor, wrongly declared her dead. Mr Evans said: «Dorothy and Stan Turner have had the opportunity of reflecting carefully over the recent traumatic events and the various options open to them. They have decided not to make any formal complaint to the Family Health Services Authority or the General Medical Council. They have also decided that they do not wish to institute legal proceedings. Obviously the doctor in question made an error of judgement, but luckily the error has not had fatal consequences».
He added: «The family are just extremely grateful and relieved that Dorothy is alive and making very good progress. Dorothy unfortunately suffers from epilepsy. As a result, she was not able to drive. Because of her increasing years, she was no longer able to walk into the village, some distance from her home. She felt very lonely and isolated and started to suffer from depression. On New Year's Eve it came to a head. She could not face going on She took a large quantity of her epilepsy tablets and also some sleeping tablets. She climbed into bed and just drifted off to sleep».
Mr Evans said Mr Turner had found his wife in the early hours of New Year's Day. He had called the ambulance service who arranged for a GP to attend the home. Dr Lloyd examined Mrs Turner and told Mr Turner she was dead. The doctor then called an undertaker.
John Thompson, the undertaker and a family friend, spotted a vein twitching, then heard her snore, soon after she was delivered to the hospital mortuary at about 4.30 am. An emergency resuscitation team was called and she was taken to an intensive care ward. After three days in intensive care Mrs Turner was transferred to a general ward. Mr Evans said that Mrs Turner and her husband wished to thank all hospital staff, wellwishers, and the undertakers for their «timely alertness».
(The Times)
1. Role-play. Present the described events in the courtroom as if you were Dorothy Turner or Stan Turner or Michael Lloyd or John Thompson or William Evans. Start your speech with the words «I swear to tell you the truth and nothing but the truth». One person in the role of the judge should pass a verdict.
2. Write either Michael Lloyd’s or John Thompson’s or Mr Turner’s witness statement about what happened.
A witness statement (a combination of facts, hypothesis and relevant details) is a report written to give necessary information about an incident to the police.