Exercise 20. In pairs or small groups, discuss the questions and exchange your ideas with the class.

1. What opportunities does a career in Customs provide?

2. What is the most important point in dealing with a passenger?

3. Why is psychological training important for Customs officers?

4. A successful Customs officer:

needs to know……

must be aware of……

should be able to……

should be skilled in……

should have: “a feel for figures”, “an analytical mind”, “ a sense of order”.

5. When selecting a career of a Customs officer a person has several decisions to make.

Exercise 21. Fill in the following table using the prompts below.

Use the dictionary if necessary. Working for Customs requires:

Interpersonal skills	Practical skills and mind abilities	Physical characteristics	Other personality characteristics
sociable	experienced	strong

 

observant, attractive, pleasant to deal with, well-bred, well-read, honest, persistent, independent, firm, tactful, reliable, serious, efficient, industrious, capable, just, good-natured, resolute, strong-willed, brave, sympathetic, decisive, supportive, emotional, kind, fair, authoritative, friendly, athletic, broad-shouldered, self-disciplined, neat, witty, polite, noble, demanding.

Exercise 22. In pairs or small groups, discuss thephysical requirements for Customs officers and some of their working conditions.

Exchange your ideas with the class.

Depending on the nature of the work to be performed, there are some special requirements, for example:

-sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time while conducting inspections and examinations;

-using physical force and tools to ensure the safety of officers, clients and members of the public;

-viewing computer screens and using a keyboard on a daily basis;

Occasionally using X-ray and gamma-ray machines, microscopes and black-light equipment to detect contraband and forged or counterfeit documents, etc.

It is not possible to predict what situations may occur at remote locations or main worksites.

Examining people, personal effects, shipments and conveyances may require:

-wearing cumbersome/protective clothing;

-being outside in bad weather conditions;

-conducting marine rummage examinations, etc.

 

Exercise 23. Render the text in English using the following words and word-combinations:

мундир, китель – tunic

гражданская война – civil war

символика – symbolics

фуражка – peaked cap

кадуцеи – caduceus

красноармеец – Red Army man

форма – uniform

цветовая гамма – colour spectrum

образец – sample

император – emperor

головной убор – headwear

парадный – full-dress

повседневный – casual

герб – crest

знаки различия – insignia

представительский – representative

погоны – straps

Text 4

Российский таможенный мундир

Российский таможенный мундир был утвержден 23 августа 1827 года. Таможенная форма многократно менялась, дополнялась новыми элементами и меняла цветовую гамму.

В период гражданской войны изменялась форма и таможенная символика. Но сохранился главный символ – перекрещенные кадуцеи (жезлы Меркурия), которые располагались на фуражках и на пуговицах формы. Многие сотрудники таможни носили форму красноармейцев.

В 1924 году была принята первая советская таможенная форма для работников Главного таможенного управления. Цвета форменной одежды таможенников - черный и белый.

В 1943 году форма должностных лиц была вновь изменена, она походила на образцы эпохи императора Александра III.

В 1946 году были введены кители нового образца черного цвета с подшитым белым воротничком. Форма стала подразделяться на парадную и повседневную. Эмблема на головные уборы представляла собой герб СССР без жезлов Меркурия.

В 1951 году года вводится новая форма одежды и знаки различия. Таможенная форма стала более разнообразна по составу.

Позднее цвет формы стал серо-голубым.

 

С 1992 года были установлены четыре основных вида форменной одежды: представительская, повседневная, оперативно-служебная и специальная.

Современная форма обладает рядом несомненных преимуществ перед формой таможенных служащих предшествующих периодов. Возврат темно-зеленого цвета формы, введение символики дореволюционного периода, таможенного флага образца 1827 года – традиции российской таможенной службы.

Exercise 24. Answer the following questions:

1. Has the Customs uniform gone through many alterations during the history?

2. What was the design of the Customs uniform during the Civil war?

3. What is the modern version of the Customs uniform?

4. Why was the uniform re-designed several times?

5. Does modern uniform combine the styles of the old and the new?

6. Will you have to wear a uniform if you join the Customs?

 

Focus on Grammar

Exercise 25. Insert the article (the, a, an) if necessary.

1. Excuse me. Could you tell me ____way to ____Customs Academy?

2. Her parents have ____small farm in ____Yorkshire.

3. He missed ____train. That was ____reason he arrived late.

4. Don’t smoke in ____cinema. It’s forbidden.

5. ____ plane didn’t fly because of ____storm.

6. Last year he worked for ____big company in ____Brussels, ____company employs over 4000 people.

7. She sometimes gets ____letters from her friends abroad.

Exercise 26. Choose the correct tense forms of the verbs in brackets.

1. The Customs officer usually (examine) passengers’ baggage.

2. He (read) the passengers’ declarations every day.

3. The Customs officer (look) through the passenger’s Customs form at the moment.

4. My friend (be) a Customs officer.

5. Customs officers still (search) passengers for illegal goods.

6. At first I (register) my luggage.

7. Mr. Grey (put) his suit-case into an X-ray machine now.

8. Last week they (go) to Moscow on business.

Exercise 27. Supply ‘to be going to’ or Present Continuous for these sentences:

1. We (eat) at a restaurant tonight.

2. They (drive) to Manchester tomorrow morning.

3. Who (tell) him the news?

4. Hurry up! We (miss) the train.

5. How many people (arrive) today?

6. I (go) to the seaside next weekend.

7. Who (come) to John’s party later?

8. Our friends (meet) us before the concert yesterday.

9. We (move) into our new house next month.

10. She (visit) Great Britain before.

Exercise 28. Open the brackets using Present Simple or Future Simple.

1. I (not send) the parcel until I (hear) from you.

2. As soon as they (phone) me, I (contact) you.

3. I (see) you before I (fly) to Moscow.

4. They (send) you the money before they (leave).

5. When I (talk) to him, I (give) him the news.

6. She (visit) her parents before she (go) to the airport.

7. I (finish) this when I (be) at the office.

8. She (do) her homework before she (go) out.

9. After I (visit) the hospital, I (go) and see her parents.

10. I (phone) Mary when we (get) to St. Petersburg.

11. I (call) you as soon as we (sign) the contract.

12. He (not do) anything before you (tell) him to.

13. You (be) very surprised when you (meet) him.

Exercise 29. Use the possessive case.

Example: the toys of the children - the children’s toys.

1. The room of the students.

2. The declaration of the passenger.

3. The new club of the workers.

4. The birthday of my sister Ann.

5. The boats of the fisherman.

6. The opinion of the lawyer.

7. The offer of the seller.

8. The conclusion of the expert.

9. The house of my friend.

10. The bag of the tourist.