Wessex Police

Stolen car report

Date: 23d October

Time: Between 8 p.m. and 10.15 p.m.

Place: North Street, Watermouth

Make: Ford

Model: 1989 Cortina 1600L

Colour: Metallic green

Registration: AXY744V

Owner: Anthony James Cowley

Occupation: Teacher

Owner’s report

I parked the car in North Street, outside Tesco supermarket. I locked the doors. I went to the ABC Cinema in High Street, about 200 yards from the supermarket. The film started at ten past eight, and I left the cinema at five past ten. When I got back to the parking space the car wasn’t there. I rang the police at twenty past ten. I left my camera in the car.

A.J.Cowley

Task 24. Complete the police interview; when possible use tag-questions.

Policeman: Well, Mr. Cowley, this is your report, isn’t it?

Mr. Cowley: That’s right.

Policeman: Well, I just want to check the information. OK?

Mr. Cowley: Of course.

Policeman: You are Anthony James Cowley, aren’t you?

Mr. Cowley: Yes, I am.

…

Task 25. Read and translate the text.

A million motorists leave their cars full up with petrol and with the keys in the ignition¹ every day.

The Automobile Association (AA) has discovered that cars are left unattended for an average of three minutes – and sometimes considerably longer – as drivers buy drinks, sweets, cigarettes and other things – and then pay at the cash till², providing³ the car thief with a golden opportunity.

In an AA survey⁴, carried out at a busy garage on a main road out of London, 300 motorists were questioned over 3 days of the holiday period. Twenty four percent admitted that they “always” or “sometimes” leave the keys in their cars. This means that nationwide, a million cars daily become easy targets⁵ for the opportunist thief.

For more than ten years there has been a bigger rise in car crime than in most other types of crime. An average of more than two cars a minute are broken into, vandalized or stolen in the UK. Car crimes account for⁶ almost a third of all reported offences. Although there are highly professional criminals involved in car theft, almost ninety percent of car crime is committed by the opportunist. Amateur⁷ thieves are aided by our own carelessness.

The AA recommends locking up⁸ whenever you leave the car – and for however short a period. A partially open sunroof or window is a further come-on to thieves. There are many other traps⁹ to avoid. The Home Office has found little awareness among drivers about safe parking. Most motorists questioned made no efforts to avoid parking in quiet spots away from street lights – just the places thieves love. The AA advises drivers to park in places with people around – thieves don’t like audiences¹⁰.

Leaving valuables in view is an invitation to the criminal. Many car thieves would investigate a coat thrown on a seat. Never leave any documents showing your home address in the car. If you have a garage, use it and lock it – a garaged car is at a substantially less risk.

¹ignition /Ig'nISn/ - зажигание

²a cash till /'kxStIl/ - касса

³to provide /prq'vaId/ - обеспечивать, предоставлять

⁴survey /'sE:veI/ - обследование, обзор

⁵target /'tRgIt/ - мишень, цель

⁶to account for /q'kaVnt/ - объяснять

⁷amateur /'xmqtq/ - дилетант, любитель

⁸to lock up /"lPk'Ap/ - запирать

⁹trap /trxp/ - ловушка

¹⁰audience /'Ldiqns/ - публика, зрители

Task 26. Make up a list of recommendations for careless drivers to avoid car thefts; use the modal verbs must, should.

Pattern: You shouldn’t leave your car with the key in the ignition.

You must park your car in places with people around.

Task 27. Translate the following derivatives into Russian.

1. attend (v) – следить, заботиться  attended, unattended;

2. vandal (n) – вандал, хулиган  vandalize, vandalism;

3. care (n) – внимание, осторожность  careful, carefulness, careless, carelessness;

4. question (n) – вопрос  questioned;

5. part (n) – часть  partial, partially;

6. value (n) – ценность  valuable, valuables;

7. opportunity (n) – случай, возможность  opportunist;

8. profession (n) – профессия  professional, professionally;

9. aware (a) – сознающий, понимающий  awareness;

10. garage (n) – гараж  garaged.

Task 28. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense forms; translate the text into Russian.