Coping with smuggling in the middle Ages

The history of smuggling dates back to the Middle Ages and reached its peak in the reign of James I. Smuggling was easy because the customs officers were unable to cope with it adequately as on land they were far too few, and at sea, their ships were slow and less easy to handle. In addition, many of smugglers worked in large armed bands.

With the passing time, methods of smuggling were changing, and the smugglers no longer relied on large armed ships fighting their way through, handing over their contraband to armed gangs. Instead they sank their valuable goods near the shore, when the danger threatened, and picked them up later, or stored them in caves. When contraband was landed, it had to be hidden until it could be disposed of. Many of the old inns were very convenient for    it.

The White Horse Inn at Gorleston, Norfolk, was the headquarters of a smuggling gang. Riding officer Hacon was appointed to that area, and he went straight to the White Horse and announced that he was going to put down smuggling with a firm hand.

Captain Legatt waged fifty guineas that he would deliver 100kg of smuggled tobacco at the officer’s house without his knowledge within fourteen days. Hacon accepted the challenge and put on extra guards. There was much interest among the town people.

Several days passed and nothing happened. Ships came and went, but there was no sign of tobacco.

Once a little schooner came in. Three men came ashore in a boat. Only one of them spoke a little English and it seemed that a man on the ship was very ill. The next day a message was sent ashore that the man was dead. A funeral procession was formed because the dead man had wished to be buried there.

Meanwhile the fourteenth day was drawing to a close. People were beginning to laugh at the smugglers. Then the Captain appeared and shook hands with Hacon.

“Well,” he said. “You owe me fifty guineas, I think.

“ The boot is on the other foot* ”, said Hacon with a smile.

“I think you’ll find the tobacco ready for you at home”, said Legatt. “That poor dead sailor who wished to be buried here – well, you go home and have a look – and keep the coffin as a small present”, and he roared with laughter.

* как раз наоборот

Comprehension

Task 10. Make a glossary. Choose seven words to remember.

Task 11. Answer the questions:

1. Why was smuggling easy at that time?

2. What difficulties did customs officers have?

3. What methods did smugglers use?

4. What did Officer Hacon do when he arrived at the village?

5. What arrangement was made between Officer Hacon and Captain Legatt?

6. What measures did the officer take to prevent the smuggling operation?

7. Why was the scooner mentioned in the text?

8. Which of the two men do you think the local people supported? Why?

9. How did Captain Legatt deliver smuggled tobacco?

10. Why do you think Officer Hacon was unable to win the bet?

*     *     *

Discuss the following problem questions:

1. Have the methods of smuggling changed in any way since those times?

2. What modern methods of detecting contraband do customs officers use now?

 

III Language work

Task 12. a) Complete the sentences with the proper form of the following phrasal verbs:

to hand down       to rely on      to cope with      to keep out to pick up            to put down        to hand over    to carry out

 

1. The dog should __________ unwanted visitors ______ of the house.

2. The police and the army ____________ the violence.

3. The city council ____________ the budget next week.

4. Many people now ____________ the Internet for news.

5. I’ll take my things to the Left Baggage Counter and _______ them _____ later.

6. The judge __________ his decision.

7. The police officers were ordered to __________ their guns.

8. I ____________ the map but it was wrong.

9. Private property - ____________!

10. Customs laboratories ____________ tests for proper classification of goods.

11. Local authorities have to ____________ the problems of unemployed.

12. ____________ whatever you are doing and join the party!

13. This computer can ____________ huge amount of data.

14. The ship calls at each port on this coast _____________ passengers and mail.

15. We all have certain jobs to ____________.

16. On his retirement he _______ the business ______ to his son.

 

 

b) Try to remember the most commonly used phrasal verbs. Time limit is three minutes. Compare your list with your partner’s list.

Task 13. a) Revise the grammar rules on Comparatives and Superlatives.

 b) Copy out the adjectives from Reading 2 and complete the table.

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
easy	easier	the  easiest

 

 c) Make five sentences to compare the work of customs officers in the past and nowadays.

Task 14. a) Read and translate the text.

    When a Buick ‘Le Sabre’ entered the customs control zone, a customs officer asked the driver routine questions. Since the driver was nervous, the officer selected him for an intensive inspection. Customs drug detector dog “Bo” alerted to the presence of narcotics. The officers searched the car and found 14 heroin-filled bundles. Special agents arrested the driver and he was accused of a failed smuggling attempt.

 

b) Study the table and ask questions to the text according to the patterns:

Customs officers detained the traveler.	Customs officers detained a traveler.
Who detained the traveler?  – Customs officers did.	Who did customs officers detain?  – A traveler.
The X-ray will reveal contraband.	The X-ray will reveal contraband.
What will reveal contraband?  – The X-ray will.	What will the X-ray reveal? -Contraband.

Task 15. a) Read the introduction to the exercise.

    Being a customs officer you will frequently deal with the public. Generally, the “public” we serve are passengers, traders, ship and aircraft crews, shipping agents, etc. These people will classify anything that you do or say to them as typical for the Customs Service. You have, therefore, to meet certain standards of behavior and appearance.

    As far as behavior is concerned, the code known as “Seven C’s, is worth bearing in mind.

b) Match left and right.

1.Command attention	C	a) Never be vague. The more clearly you formulate your questions, the more precise information you will get.
2.Courtesy		b) Remember that you are the first line of defense against smugglers and revenue offenders.
3.Control the situation		c) You should aim to be the person in charge of any situation.
4.Clear questions		d) In difficult situations remain as cool as possible. This often has positive effect on irate traders, angry passengers, etc.
5.Careful examination		e) Nobody knows it all: however, the combined knowledge and experience of a group of officers will usually provide an answer to most problems.
6.Consult colleagues		f) You will frequently be handling other people’s property. You are expected to act as efficiently as possible with due tact and respect for their effects.
7. Clean hands		g) The use of such words as “Sir” or “Madam” can often work wonders.

c) Write at least five provisions for the code of behavior: - for students;

                                                                                           - for teachers

                                                                                           - for travelers.

 

Task 16. a) Study the information in the table.

adjective	meaning	opposite	noun
EFFECTIVE	successful, working in the way that was planned	ineffective	effectiveness
EFFICIENT	working well without wasting time, money, or energy	inefficient	efficiency

b) Choose the right words from the table or their derivatives to complete the sentences.

1. Training is often less __________ than expected.

2. This new device is very __________ for screening

3. You have to find an __________ way to organize your work.

4. They argued about the __________ of a controlled delivery.

5. The government is working out __________ measures to cure unemployment.

6. Much will depend on the __________ of the stuff.

7. Students have to learn to communicate __________.

8. An _________ use of natural resources is the challenge of the XXI century.

9. It would be more __________ not to confiscate contraband from the parcel now but follow it secretly to reveal all the people involved in illegal business.

10. They managed to achieve maximum __________ in combating plagiarism.

 

Task     17. Complete the text with different forms of the words in bold.

Customs laboratories: a __________ introduction  At the end of July 1882, a strange __________ arrived destined for Spain’s Prime Minister. The Spanish authorities, __________ for the Prime Minister’s life, decided to have the package examined. They first turned to the Army laboratory, and then to the School of Mine’s laboratory, but both refused to open it. __________, Gabriel de la Puerta, a __________ Spanish chemist, pharmacist, botanist and doctor, was willing to take on sensitive __________. He opened the package, __________ the bomb and started __________ its contents. This historical anecdote is just one example of the important role played by Customs laboratories. Governments ____________ science to prevent fraud and to improve their revenue ____________ over the centuries because Customs officials work was limited to visual ____________. When chemical analyses were required, local chemists or pharmacists were contracted as external ____________, but this system proved to be ____________. In the mid-19^th century authorities developed a new approach to merchandise examination and decided to set up state-owned laboratories: - The British Laboratory of the Board of Excise ________ in 1842; - The French Customs Laboratory ____________ in 1875; - The Customs Laboratory of New York ____________ in 1878; - The Analytical Laboratory of Singapore ____________ in 1885; - The Government Analytical Laboratory was established in Cape Town in1891. Although the academic, scientific, __________ and socio-political context differed from country to country, __________ of customs laboratories was a great step forward in improving the __________ of Customs service everywhere. These laboratories were a new scientific platform to provide general technical support for law enforcement activities.

history to pack to fear fortune know to assign to activate to analyze to employ to collect to examine to consult efficient to create to found to establish to set up economy to create efficient

                  

Surf the internet and find out some information about the first Customs laboratory in Russia.

Task 18. Make a written translation of the text and think about the title for it.

    The custom of Customs comes from England and dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, when the French began filling England with their wine, kings decided they were entitled to 5% of whatever wine came in. King Ethelred set up a collection post for ships sailing the Thames past King’s castle. Import duties became a fact of life.

    So, a national Customs Service was established in 1203 and a duty of 1/5 was charged on all imports and exports. All the delivered goods had to be landed at approved ports, inspected and measured, so that the correct amount of duty could be fixed and collected.

    Luxuries like silk were taxed, but so were everyday necessities such as soap and tea. The rates of duty were determined by the King. Since more articles had become liable to duty, the first known Book of Rates was produced in England in 1507.

The US Customs Service, based on the British model, was formed in 1789, and put under the auspices of the newly created Treasury. The first duty ever collected in the New World ($774.710) was paid on a cargo brought over from Italy.

IV Listening

Watch the video for the unit and fulfill the tasks suggested by the teacher.