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UNIT 1.3 Customs Areas

Starting Up

Exercise 1. Use your knowledge to answer the following questions:

1. What type of work is being done in Customs?

2. What qualities does a Customs officer need?

3. What are the main duties which the Customs officer performs?

4. Do Customs recruit regularly?

Exercise 2. Think of some more reasons why people are interested in a career in Customs. Use the following:

to earn living, to have career opportunities, to get promotion, to continue family tradition, to have an interesting job, to have a highly motivated area of job, etc.

Word Study

Exercise 3. Give the Russian equivalents for:

fiscal aspects, increasing emphasis, consumer protection, risk management techniques, modern IT techniques, application of legislation, illicit traffic in drugs, organized crime, national duties, protection of the environment, examination equipment, agricultural control.

Exercise 4. Learn the following word-combinations paying attention to prepositions:

to focus on

in recent years

emphasis on

for the purpose of

based on modern techniques

under the responsibility

to fight against

Exercise 5. Match the notions: ‘ security’, ‘consumer’, ‘ risk’, ‘ benefits’, ‘ laboratory’, ‘drug’ with their definitions.

1…….positive result;

2…….to put smth important in danger;

3…….protection from danger;

4…….the ordinary person who buys and uses goods and services;

5…….a specially equipped room for doing experiments and other exploratory work;

6. …...a substance one takes as a habit for pleasure or excitement.

Reading and Speaking

Exercise 6. Read the text and say what unusual roles Customs perform.

Text 1

Previously, Customs focused on the fiscal aspects of Customs work that is collecting Customs duties. But in recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of Customs controls for purposes such as security, safety, protection of the environment, consumer protection, cultural and agricultural controls.

This means Customs controls must be quick, effective and based on modern risk management techniques.

Customs are also involved, under their national responsibilities, with many activities relating to the fight against illicit traffic of drugs, pornography and organized crime as well as supporting the work of other services (police, immigration, etc.).

Exercise 7. Explain the following statements; give your own arguments:

1. New technologies are used to improve the work at the Customs.

2. There are non-traditional areas in which Customs are involved.

3. New Customs responsibilities increased the workload of Customs officers.

Exercise 8. In pairs, look at the table below and evaluate your potential for a career in Customs:

Exercise 9. Get ready to speak on the main duties of a Customs officer.

Exercise 10. Describe the character traits which the Customs officer must possess.

Choose from: honest, observant, competent, fair, strong, polite, strict, businesslike, emotional, reasonable, intuitive, generous, self-disciplined, clever, decisive, etc.

Exercise 11. Read the text below to answer the following questions:

1. When did Steve join the Customs?

2. Why does Steve like his job?

3. What unusual roles does he perform?

4. Is Steve’s job significant?

5. Is the atmosphere at his department pleasant?

Text 2