فرنلیش - FCE listening about crime novel

1 Talk about a crime which has been in the news recently. Say what you know about the facts of the crime and, where relevant, the investigation and the trial.

1 Match the crimes in the box with each of the people in sentences 1-8. The first one has been done for you.

burglary mugging drink-driving shoplifting identity fraud trafficking internet piracy vandalism

Question No. / 8

1 A young man attacks another and robs him of his wallet. mugging

2 A 78-year-old woman steals a scarf from a department store.

3 A 14-year-old sets fire to litter bins and breaks car windows.

4 A driver stops to sleep in his car; he has had three glasses of wine.

5 A criminal gang earns millions from buying and selling drugs.

6 A group of teenagers illegally distributes films online.

7 A man has tricked people into emailing him their bank details; he uses this information to take money from their accounts.

8 A journalist breaks into the town hall to steal documents that will prove the mayor is guilty of corruption.

1 Look at the following types of decisions which can be taken by courts. Put them in order from the least to the most severe.

2 Decide what punishment, if any, should be given to the person or people in exercise A1 above. Discuss your ideas using some of the language of agreement and opinion in the Useful language box.

You will hear an interview with a crime writer. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer (A, B orC).

With us today is local crime writer, Justin Blakelock. Justin, perhaps I should begin by asking you why you decided to write crime fiction rather than any other genre?
Whenever I'm asked that question, people think I'm going to say it's because I've always loved reading crime novels. Well, I have, but I'm actually much more of a science fiction fan than anything else, and that's the kind of thing I was writing when I first started out as an author. But then my editor - an ex-policewoman curiously enough saw elements of crime writing in my work and she gently pushed me in that direction.
And was it her idea to set your novels here in Brighton?
No, that was mine. Firstly, because I love the place so much and, despite the crime theme, I do try to show it in a positive light. But also, even though I'm writing fiction, I want my stories to be as real and accurate as possible. And because I grew up in this area, because I know it so well, it makes sense for me to set them here. There are too many novels that lack credibility because they're set
in fictional places, or they're set in real places which are not accurately described.
You show two versions of Brighton in your books, don't you?
That's right. To the visitor, Brighton seems a very peaceful city. It has this gentle, calm exterior -the very solid seafront buildings and pleasant shopping streets. But like many other cities it has its darker, more criminal places - the rundown buildings and areas that the tourist rarely sees. And that's also true of many of the characters I create. At first, they seem to be very gentle, very pleasant people, but there's something darker, more criminal hiding below the surface.
And how about your protagonist, Detective Inspector George Trent? He's a little more straightforward, isn't he?
Yes, yes he is. He does have the occasional moment when he surprises everyone - if not, he'd be too dull. But essentially, what you see is what you get with George. He's very scruffy, slightly overweight, and completely disorganized. He doesn't worry about things like dressing up or combing his hair - he thinks he's good enough as he is, he's very comfortable with the way he looks. And that's really what makes him such a likeable character, I think.
Yes, he's not attractive, but he's very human, isn't he? Now, Justin, you have a very popular website. Can you tell us about that?
Yes, sure. Well, the original idea behind the site was to get my name out there more and promote my books. But it gradually evolved into a blog - usually articles aimed at crime writers who were just getting started. And then other established authors began reading and commenting on my posts, and now it's effectively become a forum, a kind of debating club.
Can you give us an example of the kind of advice you give?
Well, I've just posted a list of things you should remember to include in a crime novel So for example, make sure your detectives have enough paperwork to keep them busy. Real detectives have loads to do, so your fictional ones should be doing their fair share too. To be honest, it's the kind of thing writers ought to pick up themselves by watching what goes on in a police station. There's absolutely no substitute for that. But it's good to compare notes and for every ten pieces of advice I give, you can read twenty more in the comments from other writers who've done their own research. It's a support service, a secondary source.
And a very useful one. Now Justin, your last book, Western Road, is currently being made into a film. You must be delighted.
Yes, I am. More or less. The American producers wanted to move the action to Chicago, but I made it a condition that it had to be filmed in Brighton with British actors. I only wish I'd insisted on having more control over the script. It moves too fast for my liking. But that's the film world for you - what can you do?
Not much, I guess. Justin, thank you for coming in. Good luck with ...

1 a Read extracts 1-5 from the listening script, then choose the correct alternatives in sentences a-d.

Question No. / 4

2 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

1 I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were speaking so quietly.

TOO

They were speaking hear what they were saying.

2He couldn't see over the wall because he was so small.

ENOUGH

He was see over the wall.

3 We'll need more eggs if we want to make an omelette.

ENOUGH

There us to make an omelette.

4I didn't go into the bar because it was too crowded.

TOO

I didn't go into the bar because people.

enough money too much noise too difficult old enough strong enough too many people