15. A) Read the article and choose the best title. Discuss your choice with your groupmates.

Andrew Cooper stayed at the world’s most expensive hotels, flew first class all over the world and bought the best clothes money can buy. However, yesterday Cooper exchanged his five-star hotel room for a cell after he was sentenced to six months in prison.

Unemployed Cooper, 23, from Cardiff in south Wales, had conned twenty-five credit card companies and banks before he was caught last December. He had used stolen account numbers to buy designer clothes, jewels and plane tickets on the Internet. When he was arrested, police found a £ 12,000 watch which he had bought only a week before.

Cooper’s life of crime finally came to an end when he was caught by detective Wendy Abbott. She had first investigated him four years ago when he was using the name Mr. Conway. After yesterday’s trial, Ms. Abbott said “It was a difficult investigation because a lot of his crimes were committed on the Internet. He got away with his crimes for a long time because he used five different names and was always travelling.”

The court heard that Cooper had ‘a long history of dishonesty’: he was asked toleave school because he had stolen andsold exam papers. When he was twenty,he had deceived several wealthy peopleinto giving money to a non-existentcharity for sick children. However, thejudge explained why she had decided to give him a short sentence. “You are ayoung man and I want to give you asecond chance. I hope that your time inprison will be a short. sharp shock andthat you will change your behaviour,” she said.

Cooper’s legal representative said, “At the time of the crimes my client was animmature person. He lived in a fantasyworld and he thought that he could buyfriends. But, of course, he didn’t makeany true friends. Today, he is a lonelyand rather unhappy young man. I think he has learned his lesson.”

After the judge had sentenced Mr. Cooper, his parents said, “Andrew is agood son. He has done some silly things but he isn’t violent. He’s learned thehard way that he must be honest.”

1. International businessman in prison

2. Mr. Conway arrested

3. Con artist goes to prison

4. Burglar sentenced to six months

b) Put the sentences about Andrew Cooper’s life in order. Check up the results in the group.

1. He was given a prison sentence.

2. He bought an expensive watch.

3. He tricked people into giving money to a fictional charity.

4. The police arrested him for using stolen credit cards.

5. He was taken to court.

6.He sold exam papers.

c) Choose the correct answers. Check up the results in the group.

1. The judge sent Andrew Cooper to prison for

a) staying in hotels.

b) buying expensive clothes.

c) using the Internet.

d) stealing money.

2. Ms. Abbott caught Cooper

a) after a long time.

b) because he had stolen exam papers.

c) because he used lots of names.

d) when he used the Internet.

3. Cooper had been dishonest since he

a) was a teenager.

b) worked for a charity.

c) got a computer.

d) passed his exams.

4. The judge gave him a short sentence because

a) his crimes weren’t serious.

b) he was an immature person.

c) she knew he wouldn’t commit more crimes.

d) she wanted to help him.

5. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper say their son’s behaviour was

a) clever.

b) innocent.

c) sociable.

d) stupid.

2. Discuss in the group whether Andrew Cooper deserves the punishment imposed by the judge or whether it’s too lenient / severe.

2. Write an article of 350-400 words about a crime describing its nature, pointing out some facts from a criminal’s background and explaining the judge’s choice of a sentence. Use the direct speech to present the opinions of the interviewed.