October 25 – Day of the Customs Officer of the Russian Federation

 

Customs officers of the Russian Federation celebrate the anniversary of their professional holiday on the 25^th of October. It was introduced by the state in 1995.

The Russian Customs Service demonstrates its readiness to support law-abiding and “transparent” participants of foreign trade.

Hi-tech technologies play an important role in ensuring Russia’s security. Therefore, the Russian Customs Service has some priorities in detecting contraband by search and screening.

In 2005, the system of electronic declaration was introduced. Customs Service activities related to protection of intellectual property take on special significance.

Exercise 14. Translate the following sentences:

1. День таможенника стали праздновать с 1995.

2. Таможне отводится большая роль в российском государстве.

3. Таможня защищает права собственности.

4. Таможенники поддерживают законопослушных участников ВЭД.

5. Приоритетной задачей таможни является защита безопасности государства.

Exercise 15. Speak on the role of Customs using the following phrases: professional holiday, means of control, means of communication, to provide communication, intellectual property, special significance, law-abiding travellers.

Exercise 16. Translate into Russian.

Customs organizations worldwide mark International Customs Day (ICD) each year on the 26 of January. This marks the day of the first official meeting of the Customs Co-operation Council, now known as the World Customs Organization.

Exercise 17. Read the text below to find the English equivalents for:

хитроумные вопросы; неуклюжий, неловкий; ‘чутье’ таможенника; интуиция на обнаружение нелегальных товаров; нефтяные танкеры; таможенный инспектор досмотровой группы береговой охраны; контрабандные спиртные напитки.

Text 3

The Customs Officer

The Customs Department was formed many hundreds of years ago to collect duties and taxes and stop smugglers bringing illegal goods into the country. Officers spent their time riding around the coast looking for boats that were used to bring in brandy and Albanians from France.

A good officer will get something called a “Revenue Nose” to help him spot a smuggler. Each officer is issued with a list of cunning questions to stop a smuggler in his tracks.

Customs officers are trained to deal with awkward passengers. This is called confrontation. Have you ever told anyone that they have been caught in possession of an ugly wife and seen their reaction?

Officers are trained to be able to climb and jump. Sometimes they have to leave vessels after they have sailed.

Officers enjoy searching people for illegal goods. This can be upsetting for people and particularly amusing for the officer.

There is little equipment issued to an officer to help him carry out his duties. Sometimes, on oil tankers, officers are required to enter rooms where there are no lights.

This officer is using his experience to make sure that there are no dangerous gases present that could suffocate (задыхаться, душить) him if he breathed them in.

Coast Preventive Men are on the lookout for smugglers who come ashore during the daylight hours. These men are the eyes and ears of the department and are highly motivated.

At airports officers sometimes run out of time and get stuck on aircraft that have to leave and go to foreign countries. This is very inconvenient as they are away for several days at a time.

Officers are required to go undercover to check that pubs are not selling smuggled spirits. Each officer is trained to identify the difference between home produced drink and that brought in from abroad. This takes much practice and training sessions regularly.

(Abridged from “A Lady bird “Easy Reading” book.

People at Work. Customs Officer”)

Exercise 18. Match theEnglish word-combinations (from Text 3) with their Russian equivalents.

1) to carry out one’s duties	a) работать с трудными/неуправляемыми пассажирами
2) to get stuck on aircraft	b) ходить в штатском (тайно, с целью проверки)
3) to deal with awkward passengers	c) ввозить в страну нелегальные товары
4) to search people for illegal goods	d) уметь взбираться наверх и прыгать
5) to run out of time	e) обнаружить (распознать) контрабандиста
6) to collect duties and taxes	f) застревать на борту авиалайнера
7) to go undercover to check	g) выполнять свои обязанности
8) to bring illegal goods into the country	h) вдыхать опасные газы
9) to be able to climb and jump	i) быть ограниченным во времени
10) to spot a smuggler	j) обыскивать людей на предмет контрабанды
11) to breathe dangerous gases in	k) взимать пошлины и налоги

Exercise 19. Complete the phrases from Text 3 using prepositions. Make up sentences of your own.

a) to bring goods……the country;

b) to look……..boats bringing brandy;

c) to list ………cunning questions;

d) to deal………. awkward passengers;

e) to be caught…….possession …….illegal drugs;

f) to be amusing ……..the officer;

g) to be run……. …….time.

 

Talking Points