Text 4. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (The FBI)

I. Read and translate the text.

The FBI is an agency of the Department of Justice responsible for investigating violations of Federal laws. It was formed in 1908 as a Bureau of Investigation; the word "federal" was added in 1935. The FBI investigates not less than 200 categories of federal crimes. It is asked to investigate over 36 000 serious crimes a year, including suspicious deaths and murders. It has over 30 000 people on its staff, among them special agents, linguists, scientists, IT specialists, and others.

The FBI has 15 departments, the largest of them being the CID - the Criminal Investigations Division.

One of the main tasks of the FBI is to fight organised crime which dominates gambling, drug-traffic, racketeering and other spheres of making easy money. The FBI also locates and apprehends escaped federal prisoners (fugitives) and deserters from the Army, investigates ethnic crimes, electoral fraud, corruption in the government, kidnapping, bank holdups, serial murders, and many others.

The FBI has a large collection of fingerprints, which helps identify criminals all over the country.

The FBI Laboratory provides analysis of material evidence which plays a vital role in criminal investigations.

The FBI has an effective Communications system which provides contact between the FBI headquarters and its numerous agencies.

The Crime Records Division has information on crime from all parts of the country.

The FBI trains highly qualified agents and provides instructors for the country's police schools.

Vocabulary

agency to investigate violations of laws organised crime gambling drug-traffic racketeering to locate smb. to apprehend smb. fugitive fingerprints to identify smb. material evidence crime records ethnic crimes electoral fraud kidnapping holdup serial murders

управление; отделение расследовать нарушение законов организованная преступность азартные игры, гэмблинг торговля наркотиками рэкет установить местонахождение кого-л. задержать кого-л. беглец отпечатки пальцев устанавливать личность кого-л. вещественные доказательства уголовный архив преступления на этнической почве мошенничество на выборах похищение людей ограбление серийные убийства

II. Answer the following questions.

1 An agency of what department is the FBI?

2. What was the original name of the organisation?

3. People of what professions are on the staff of the FBI?

4. What is the structure of the FBI?

5. What is the largest and most important department of the FBI?

6. What crimes does the FBI fight?

7. What facilities for effective work is the FBI provided with?

8. Who does the FBI train?

III. Match the following.

1. division 2. to fight crime 3. racketeer 4. gambler 5. a fraud 6. serial murderer 7. corruption 8. vital 9. highly qualified 10. apprehension

a) важный b) игрок в азартные игры c) мошенник d) коррупция e) высококвалифицированный f) задержание g) рэкетир h) серийный убийца i) бороться с преступностью j) отдел

Lesson 4. Investigation

Text 1. A letter from Alex

I. Read the letter and do the task following it.

Hello, Steve,

Thanks a lot for your last letter. I hope you are doing well in your exams. I have already taken tests in criminology and criminal law, and next month I am to take exams in 5 more subjects. For my last lesson of English this term, I need some material on investigation, and I’ve borrowed some information from various sources, trying to make the texts as short as possible. Could you look them through, when you have a minute to spare, and say if you approve of my choice of the material or not?

Thank you in advance. Next term, I’ll have an optional course in English, and I’ll need texts about the history of law. I’ll surf the Net and, maybe, I’ll be able to collect some interesting and informative material.

I hope you’ll have an enjoyable rest in summer and write to me about your impressions when the summer vacations are over. Have a good time!

Yours,

Alex.

II. Find in the text of the letter equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.

1. заранее

2. хорошо сдавать экзамены

3. источники

4. как можно короче

5. просмотреть

6. свободная минута

7. одобрить выбор материала

8. факультатив

9. содержательный

10. летние каникулы

Text 2. Physical Evidence

I. Read and translate the text.

Physical evidence is of great importance in criminal investigation. It can either clear a suspect or prove his guilt. The most important phases are the finding, the collecting and the preservation of physical evidence.

Physical evidence is something that can be measured, photographed, analysed and presented in court. Evidence that can't be duplicated is of particular importance, for example, a fingerprint.

Arriving at a crime scene, the investigating officer should do all in order to protect the crime scene and prevent anybody from touching any object. After a preliminary survey, he should show the photographer which photos to take. After that, imprints are cast. Then the fingerprint man removes the objects with fingerprints to a safe place.

All evidence should be marked, packaged and transported to a laboratory.

Vocabulary

physical evidence to clear a suspect to prove smb's guilt to present in court to duplicate a fingerprint to protect the crime scene a preliminary survey to take photos to cast imprints the fingerprint man to mark evidence to package evidence

вещественные доказательства снять подозрения с подозреваемого доказать чью-л. вину представить на суде сделать копию, дубликат отпечаток пальца оберегать место преступления предварительный осмотр места происшествия делать фотоснимки делать слепки дактилоскопист промаркировать улики упаковать улики

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the importance of physical evidence in criminal investigation?

2. What are the most important phases of criminal investigation?

3. What is physical evidence?

4. What kind of physical evidence is of particular importance?

5. What is the main aim of the investigating officer when he arrives at a crime scene?

6. What does the photographer do at the crime scene?

7. What is done by the fingerprint man?

8. What are the final operations?

III. Find in the text English equivalents to the following Russian words
and word combinations.

1. быть очень важным

2. сбор вещественных доказательств

3. представлять особую важность

4. сохранить вещественные доказательства

5. прибыть на место преступления

6. переправить в безопасное место

7. подозреваемый

8. вина

9. этап расследования

10. измерять

Text 3. Fingerprints

I. Read and translate the text.

Fingerprinting is the best means of identification. Fingerprints help in identifying a criminal, a victim, or a dead person. Fingerprinting is simple and reliable because the skin pattern is an individual and permanent characteristic that doesn't change with the time.

The method of fingerprinting is called dactyloscopy. This method appeared at the end of the XIX century and has been greatly improved since that time. The offender's fingerprints are often found at the scene of the crime. But the prints can be easily destroyed through careless handling. Fingerprints are often left on chairs, tables, telephones and other objects.

Theoretically, fingerprints can be forged. But a forgery can be detected with the help of a hand-lens or photographic enlargement.

Vocabulary

fingerprinting to identify a criminal a victim the skin pattern to destroy the fingerprints careless handling to forge fingerprints to detect hand-lens photographic enlargement

дактилоскопия установить личность преступника жертва преступления узор кожного рельефа уничтожить отпечатки пальцев неосторожное обращение подделать отпечатки пальцев обнаружить ручная лупа фотоувеличение

II. Answer the following questions.

1. Who do fingerprints help identify?

2. Why is fingerprinting considered to be the best means of identification?

3. What is another name for fingerprinting?

4. How old is dactyloscopy?

5. What objects are fingerprints most often left on?

6. Why is it important to handle fingerprints carefully?

7. Can fingerprints be forged?

8. How can forgery be detected?

III. Find in the text English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations.

1. средство

2. надёжный

3. постоянный

4. со временем

5. усовершенствовать

6. подделка

7. с помощью