What makes people commit crimes? Do you agree? Add some more reasons.

• Social conditions: poverty and drug/alcohol addiction
• Homeless teens steal in order to eat
• The gap between the living conditions of different classes
• The rich commit crimes for the sake of easy money and to be wealthier
• Young people often grow up without any firm idea about the difference between right and wrong, because parents are too busy working to guide their children
• The police may also be to blame. There are cases when the offender may not be punished at all or may be given a fine

 

STUDENT CARD

Give a 2-2.5 minute talk on the topic “Crime and Punishment”.

Remember to say:

• what types of crime you know
• why people commit crimes
• what types of punishment you know

Answer the question: “What is the criminal situation in the place you live?”

VOCABULARY EXERCISES

Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap.

The young man lived in a slum area of the city all his life and it was just a matter of time before he was in (1)…………….. with the law. At school, which he hardly ever attended, not only did he (2) ……………….the school property but he was also a bully, frightening and beating up other children. When he was fifteen, he was (3)……………….. for breaking into a local shop. At the age of sixteen, he was (4)……………. with assault. He got off with two years’ (5)…………………… for this and was set free. Within six months, he was back in (6)…………… after he had been arrested for stealing cars. This time, he was (7)…………………. to two years in prison. After his release, he again turned to crime. This time it was bank robbery. At his trial he pleaded (8)……………..., despite the fact he had been caught red-handed. He was found (9)……………………. and the judge sentenced him to ten years (10)………………

School sociologists blame his background, while others say he was just bad.

 

1. A problems B defense C trouble D court
2. A mug B vandalize C thieve D rob
3. A accused B charged C sentenced D arrested
4. A charged B accused C released D suspected
5. A punishment B bail C probation D fine
6. A court B probation C jail D trial
7. A punished B accused C committed D sentenced
8. A guilt B suspicious C innocent D free
9. A suspicious B guilty C illegal D against
10. A prison B probation C offence D imprisonment

Complete the word patterns with words from the box.

Accuse charge suspect apologize get away let off sentence blame

1. _____________ somebody with a crime.
2. _____________ somebody ____________ with a warning.
3. _____________ somebody of (doing) something.
4. _____________ somebody of (doing) something.
5. _____________ with a crime.
6. _____________ somebody for a crime.
7. _____________ somebody to time in prison.
8. _____________ for (doing) something.

 

WORD FORMATION

Fill in the spaces in the following text using a suitable form of the words given in brackets.

The ________________ (systematize) of fingerprints reached Britain in 1901 and proved

­­­­­­_____________ (use). In 1930, Scotland Yard set up its first _______________ (classify) system to enable officers to compare fingerprints found on the scene of crime with those of___________________ (crime) known to the police. Fingerprint technology has advanced __________ (great) since then. Different types of powder are used to____________ (strong) the impression of the fingerprint before it is taken. Another ______________ (revolutionary) has been in the way that fingerprints are identified. Today, the first _______________ (searching) is done by the computer, which then produces a ________________ (select) of possible matches. The final ____________________ (identify) however is done by police experts.

 

 

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in bold

1. Most ____________ (crime) are eventually caught by the police.

2. There was an investigation into the ___________ (fail) of the police to catch robbers.

3. The woman was able to give a very detailed _________________ (describe) of her attacker to the police.

4. I accept that _______________ (poor) is connected to crime, but not all poor people become criminals.

5. The accused man walked free from the court because there was no _____________ (prove) that he committed the crime.

6. The government is trying to ___________________ (low) the age at which young children can be sent to prison.

 

 

Fill in the spaces in the following text using a suitable form of the words given in brackets.

 

The unlucky burglar

This is a true story about a rather unfortunate ____________ (crime). He was an ____________ (extreme) persistent burglar, who was busy robbing an empty house when he was suddenly and _____________ (expected) disturbed by the ____________ (arrive) of the two people who lived there. After a short, angry _____________ (argue) with the couple, he managed to push past them and escape into their back garden. ___________ (lucky) for him, he found the garden was _____________ (complete) surrounded by high fences at the sides, and a wall at the end. Although he had no ______________ (know) of what was on the other side, he decided to get over the wall. Showing great ______________ (athlete) ability, he ran at the wall and was _____________ (succeed) in getting over it – but when he landed on the other side he found to his _____________ (amaze) and horror that he was standing in the local prison yard.

 

A TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION