The U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Grammar: Passive Voice

Exercise 1. Read the text using the dictionary and making notes. Make up a list of essential words and phrases from the text.

PART I

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Over 58,000 employees are presently serving in it both nationwide and overseas.

CBP’s priority mission is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States and ensuring the security of the nation at borders and ports of entry. The agency must maintain this line of defense while allowing legitimate travel and trade that is vital to America’s economy and way of life.

CBP is responsible for apprehending individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally; stemming the flow of illegal drugs and other contraband; protecting agricultural and economic interests from harmful pests and diseases; protecting American businesses from theft of their intellectual property; and regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. trade laws.

In general, CBP has two categories of careers: Frontline Law Enforcement and Mission Critical Occupations. Most of CBP’s workforce serves on the frontline:

· Over 20,000 Border Patrol Agents protect 1,900 miles of the U.S. border with Mexico and 5,000 miles of the border with Canada.

· More than 20,000 CBP Officers ensure the Nation’s safety by screening passengers and cargo at over 300 ports of entry.

· Nearly 1,000 Air and Marine Interdiction Agents use their specialized training and high-tech equipment to prevent people, weapons, narcotics, and conveyances from illegal entry by air and water.

· Over 2,200 CBP Agriculture Specialists work to curtail the spread of harmful pests and plant and animal diseases that may harm America’s farms and food supply, and to avert bio- and agro-terrorism.

· Nearly 2,500 employees in CBP revenue positions collect over $30 billion annually in entry duties and taxes through the enforcement of trade and tariff laws. These collections provide the second largest revenue for the U.S. Government. In addition, they fulfill the agency’s trade mission by appraising and classifying imported merchandise. These employees serve in positions such as import specialist, auditor, international trade specialist, and textile analyst.

Vocabulary Notes

to ensure security обеспечивать безопасность

to maintain the line of defense (здесь) обеспечивать защиту

to stem пресекать в корне

frontline передовая, передний край

mission critical occupations должности, существующие для решения критически важных, ответственных задач

to curtail the spread сокращать, уменьшать распространение

textile analyst эксперт по текстильным изделиям

Exercise 2. Explain the meaning of the following words used in the text: priority mission; to maintain the line of defense; legitimate travel and trade; to stem the flow of illegal drugs; workforce; screening of passengers and cargo; high-tech equipment; conveyances; to avert bio- and agro-terrorism; revenue positions; auditor; textile analyst

Exercise 3.Make up questions to Part I and ask your fellow students to answer them.

Exercise 4. Scan Part I of the text and make a statement of 5-8 sentences summarizing the contents of it.

Exercise 5.Write ONE missing word to make each sentence correct.

1. All our bread made with natural ingredients using a traditional recipe.

2. The first programmable computer was invented Charles Babbage.

3. The theft of three valuable paintings from a museum in Paris is investigated by police.

4. Philip Majors, 56, been elected Mayor of Wallbridge.

5. We have been made feel extremely welcome throughout our holiday.

6. A baby tiger which escaped from a zoo yesterday found in a local park this morning.

7. I really hate asked to work at the weekend.

8. Free tickets will given away to the first 200 callers after the lines open at 7 pm.

9. It’s better to leave early to avoid caught in the rush-hour traffic.

10. Her new book has read by nearly a million people.

Exercise 6.Did you know that on August 7, 1789 the Lighthouse Servicewas established by the First Congress? This was the first non-revenue responsibility assigned to Collectors of Customs, which was tasked with the design, staffing and management of lighthouses in their Customs districts.

In this exercise, read about some historical facts of the U.S. Customs Service. Tell the class about these facts using the passivesentences. Remember to form the passive in two ways with verbs taking two objects, such asask, bring, tell, send, show, teach, promise, offer, give, pay, lend,etc.

1) 1790, January. The Government askedAlexander Hamilton to write up a plan for the advancement of American manufacturing, with the objective of reducing American dependence on foreign items, particularly in time of war. On December 5, 1791, Hamilton presented his Report on Manufactures to the House of Representatives.

2)1875. After the Civil War, various states began passing their own immigration laws, which led to the Supreme Court ruling that enforcement of immigration laws is a federal responsibility.

3) 1882. The Chinese Exclusion Act cuts off legal immigration from China and outlawsgranting of citizenship to the Chinese. This law places tremendous pressures on the Collectors of Customs and Customs Agents, who were charged with enforcing this law.

4) January 1, 1892. The Ellis Island Immigration Station in NY harbor opened. The wood building burns to the ground in 1897, so they moved all immigrant processing to the U.S. Customs Barge Office adjacent to Battery Park in lower Manhattan.

5)1970. U.S. Congressauthorizedfunds for planning and constructing the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

6) 1996. the Customs launched their first website, www.customs.treas.gov

7) November 25, 2002. President George W. Bush signedthe bill creating the department of Homeland Security (DHS).

8) 2004. CBP unveils new highly sophisticated radiation portal monitors that scan cargo shipments in Jersey City, N.J. to better prevent the smuggling of radiological materials used in nuclear and radiological dispersal devices through U.S. seaports.

Exercise 7. Read Part II of the text using the dictionary and making notes.

PART II

Studies conducted in the late 1960s revealed an urgent need for high-quality, cost-effective training by a cadre of professional instructors using modern training facilities and standardized course content. Congress responded by authorizing funds for planning and constructing the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

In 1970, the FLETC was established and began training operations. In the summer of 1975, the FLETC relocated from Washington, D.C., and began training at Glynco, Georgia. Glynco is the headquarters site and main campus for the FLETC and houses the senior leadership of the organization.

Since its inception in 1970, the FLETC has invested heavily in renovation, expansion, acquisition, and new construction to meet the ever increasing training needs of the federal agencies(akaPartner Organizations).

Today, the FLETC serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for 90 United States government federal law enforcement agencies.

They train those who protect their homeland. The FLETC also provides tuition-free and low-cost training to state, local, campus and tribal law enforcement agencies.

CBP officers are federal law enforcement officers empowered to exercise the authority and perform the duties provided by law and Department of Homeland Security regulations, including making arrests, conducting searches, making seizures, bearing firearms, and serving any order or warrant.

CBP officers have full law enforcement powers on and off duty. CBP officers stop criminal activities – such as drug trafficking, child pornography (including on computers, cell phones, and other electronic media), weapons trafficking, and money laundering – by inspecting vehicles and trucks; and prevent the illegal entry of individuals, the smuggling of prohibited goods, and other customs and immigration violations. Officers are armed with Heckler & Koch P2000 pistols chamberedin .40 S&W, expandable batons, and oleoresin capsicum pepper spray.

In accordance with Public Law 110-161, CBP officers are covered under special law enforcement retirement, and all candidates must be referred for selection for this position before reaching their 37th birthday.

Vocabulary Notes

training facilities учебное оборудование

course content содержание курса, дисциплины

inception начало, отправная точка

aka от also known as также известный под именем

tuition плата за обучение

trafficking торговля запрещённым товаром (наркотиками, оружием, людьми и т. д.)

money laundering отмывание, легализация денег

oleoresin capsicum pepper spray газовый баллончик

law enforcement retirement ранний уход на пенсию (для служащих в правоохранительных структурах)

Exercise 8. Read these passages from Wikipedia to learn more about CBP officers’ arms and ammunition. If necessary, use any computer translation system. Discuss the details with another student. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Customs_and_Border_Protection)

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, crowd control, and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears.

The .40 S&W (10×22mm Smith & Wesson) is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's reduced-velocity 10mm Auto cartridge which could be retrofitted into medium-frame (9mm size) automatic handguns. It uses .40 inch (10.16mm) diameter bullets ranging in weight from 105 to 200 grains (6.8039 g to 13 g).

The Heckler & Koch P2000 is a German semi-automatic pistol introduced late in 2001 and intended primarily for law enforcement, paramilitary, and commercial markets. It is based around the technology used in the USP Compact pistol. The P2000 was designed specifically with improved ergonomic characteristics; it has features that reduce the handling related stresses, while at the same time increasing user handling and shooter comfort.

A truncheon or baton (also called a cosh, billystick, billy club, nightstick, sap, blackjack, stick) is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal. They are carried for forced compliance and self-defense purposes by law-enforcement officers, correctional staff, security-industry employees and (less often) military personnel. Other uses for truncheons and batons include crowd control or the dispersal of belligerent or non-compliant targets.

A truncheon or baton may be used to strike, jab, block, bludgeon and aid in the application of armlocks. Sometimes, they also are employed as weapons by criminals and other law-breakers because of their easy concealment. As a consequence, they are illegal for non-authorized civilian use in many jurisdictions around the world. They have a common role to play, too, in the rescuing of trapped individuals—for instance, people caught in blazing cars or buildings—by smashing windows or even doors.

Exercise 9.Make up questions to Part II and ask your fellow students to answer them.

Exercise 10. Make an outline of Part II in 5-8 statements. Compare your outline with that of another student.

Exercise 11.Read the paragraph. Discuss the possibility of changing the verbs in boldface into passive.Mention the agent where necessary.

January 2013 was a National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and it is an opportunity to reflect on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) leadership in providing training for combating human trafficking nationwide.

At the FLETC, we have developed and delivered video, web-based and in-person human trafficking trainings to provide federal, state, and local law enforcement the tools and strategies they need to identify human trafficking victims and prosecute offenders. The FLETC developed and delivered a web-based training specifically for state and local law enforcement to educate them on how to differentiate human trafficking (compelling another to commit acts of commercial sex or forced labor), from human smuggling (voluntarily agreeing to illegally cross the US border), how to recognize the signs of human trafficking during routine duties, and the immigration relief available to trafficking victims.

Exercise 12. Test your knowledge of Customs terms by reading some news article on one of the official Customs sites. Tell the class the story you’ve read.

Exercise 13. Read Part III of the text using the dictionary and making notes.

PART III

Officer candidates attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, in Glynco, Georgia for 20 weeks of paid training. Candidate training consists of basic law enforcement skills, including Anti-Terrorism; Detection of Contraband; Interviewing; Cross-cultural Communications; Firearms Handling and Qualification; Immigration and Naturalization Laws; U.S. Customs Export and Import laws, Defensive Tactics and Driving; Crime Investigation Site; Arrest Techniques; Baton Techniques; Examination of Cargo; Bags and Merchandise; Border Search Exception; Entry and Control Procedures; Passenger Processing; and Officer Safety and Survival.

Those candidates selected for duty locations requiring Spanish may receive an additional 6 weeks of Spanish Language training. Officers who additionally serve on CBP's Special Response Team are trained for an additional six weeks with the U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit in Artesia, New Mexico.

CBP Officers may begin their careers in any region for which they apply. The duty region is selected during the application phase, and generally cannot be changed once selected. Proficiency in Spanish is a duty requirement only for those stationed along southern border regions, although it is not a requirement before being hired.

The CBP Officer position is categorized as a "critical-sensitive" position in law enforcement. (Sensitive or critical-sensitive position is connected with matters affecting national security, especially through access to classified information).
For this reason, officer candidates must undergo a single scope background investigation before being appointed. In addition, officer candidates must undergo drug and medical examination, polygraph examination, physical fitness test, and video based interview during the pre-appointment phase.

Vocabulary Notes

Special Response Team отряд быстрого реагирования

proficiency (здесь) хорошее знание

"critical-sensitive" position

national security национальная безопасность

classified information секретная информация,

single scope background investigation проверка биографических данных

during pre-appointment phase до назначения на должность

Exercise 14. Explain the meaning of the following words used in the text: priority

Exercise 15.Make up questions to Part III and ask your fellow students to answer them.

Exercise 16. Scan Part III of the text and make a summary in 5-8 sentences.

Exercise 17. Study the following chart.

The door is locked. I'm interested in Art. He's worried about losing his job. Sue is married to Alex.

When the passive form is used to describe an existing situation or state, it is called the "stative passive" or “non-progressive passive”. In the stative passive: - no action is taking place; the action happened earlier; - there is no by-phrase; - the past participle functions as an adjective. Many stative passive verbs are followed by prepositions other than by.

Common Stative Passive Verbs with Prepositions

be accustomed to	be annoyed with	be provided with	be divorced from
be addicted to	be associated with	be satisfied with	be exhausted from
be connected to	be bored with, by	be composed of	be protected from
be dedicated to	be covered with	be frightened of	be dressed in
be devoted to	be crowded with	be made of	be interested in
be engaged to	be done with	be terrified of, by	be involved in
be limited to	disappointed with	be scared of, by	be located in
be married to	be equipped with	be tired of	be known for
be opposed to	be filled with	concerned about	be prepared for
be related to	be finished with	be excited about	be qualified for
be acquainted with	be pleased with	be worried about	be remembered for

Exercise 18.Complete the sentences with appropriate prepositions.

1. Our academy soccer team was very excited about going to the finals.

2. I'm not acquainted _____ that man. Do you know him?

3. Mark Twain is known _____ his stories about life on the Mississippi.

4. A person who is addicted _____ drugs needs professional medical help.

5. Could I please have the dictionary when you are finished _____ it?

6. His car is equipped _____ air conditioning and a sun roof.

7. Gandhi was committed _____ nonviolence. He believed in it all of his life.

8. The large table was covered ____ every kind of food you could imagine.

9. I turned off the TV because I was tired _____ listening to the news.

10. The choices in that restaurant are limited ____ pizza and sandwiches.

11. The suspect container was filled _____ toys for the holiday sale.

12. The community is protected ____ the harmful pests and diseases thanks to the DHS officers’ efforts.

13. The port of entry was crowded ____ shoppers on the eve of the holiday.

14. I think you're involved ____ too many activities. You don't have enough time to

spend with your friends.

15. We finished packing our cases at last, and we are finally prepared ____ our holiday trip.

16. I was very disappointed _____ that movie. The whole first hour was devoted _____

historical background, with a cast of thousands fighting endless battles. I was bored ___ it before the plot took shape.

17. A: Are you still associated ____ the Green Peace?

B: I was, until this year. Are you interested _____ working with them?

A: I think I'd like to. They are dedicated _____ saving our nature of crisis, and I admire the work they have done. Can you get me some information?

18. We are worried ____ gadgets that don’t encourage students to read books.

19. I’m so scared ____ flying! I will hardly be able to keep you company for the trip!

20. Today we are all accustomed _____ buying things on Internet.

Exercise 19.Make up 5 sentences with stative passive verbs and prepositions consulting the chart of Exercise 17. Use the active vocabulary of Module 3.

Exercise 20.Write a short essay on Working for Customs.

First, you start with the introduction where you simply tell the reader what you are going to talk about. Secondly, take each of the topics you listed in your introduction and write a paragraph or two about each topic. Thirdly, in your conclusion simply summary the main points that you discussed in the body of the paper.

Exercise 21. Prepare for the Round Table on Module 3. Compose a presentation on any of the following topics:

1. The most important events in the CBP’s history;

2. CBP’s priority mission;

3. The U.S. and Russian Customs Service responsibility;

4. CBP officers’ training system;

5. Current Issues of World Customs, and the like.

Exercise 22.Think about any changes in your town/ city at different times in your life. Write at least two passive sentences describing the changes.

1. Changes when you were a child.

2. Recent changes.

3. Changes taking place at the moment.

4. Likely or possible future changes.