1. Mark the statements below as true or false.

1. In order to join some club, you mustn’t pay anything.

2. To create an aura of respectability they may be called "investment clubs" or "gifting clubs".

3. Statistics shows that about 80 percent of people who put up the money get a return.

4. Only young people are victims of local pyramid club schemes.

5. Telephone contact among circle members is maintained through weekly conference calls.

6. All women at these advisory meetings knew that the clubs were illegal

7. Punishment for participating in an illegal pyramid scam in Missouri carries a range of one year of imprisonment.

8. Organizers of another pyramid scam, uncovered in Texas, invited recruits to "Jubilee Celebration" meetings where they were asked to contribute $2,000 "in the name of God" in exchange for a chance to earn $16,000 if they recruited eight others.

9. Participants at the meeting carried driver's licenses from as far away as Washington state and Alaska.

10)The meetings were held in public halls and hotels and there were no any invitations.

2. Choose the right word or word-combinations from the text.

1. Once the pyramid reaches a certain stage, there are always too many people to be paid off, and pyramid ... .

a) succeeds c) collapses

b) disappears d) exists

2. Peer ... of this sort is a key factor in recruitment.

a) interest c) force

b) work d) pressure

3. In fact ... informational meetings are key to achieving mass hysteria and widespread within a shot period of time.

a) useful c) promotional

b) interesting d) modern

4. Nobody who states that their contribution is a gift has any legal ... against the recipient of the gift.

a) question c) discussion

b) problem d) claim

5. At some of the meetings it was stated by promoters, that they had contacted the ... office.

a) lawyer’s c) judge’s

b) Attorney General’s d) jury’s

3. Match the following English expressions with their Russian equivalents.

1) to recruit somebody 2) privileged club 3) to move up into the next level 4) to get a return of money 5) downfall of schemes 6) the main goal 7) to provide security 8) to exchange ideas 9) charity 10) to conclude

a) получить возврат денег b) обмениваться идеями c) благотворительность d) подниматься на следующий уровень e) вербовать, набирать f) элитный клуб g) провал схем h) делать выводы i) обеспечить безопасность j) основная цель

4. Complete the sentences. Use the text if necessary.

1. You will likely first get involved in a local pyramid club when ... .

2. It is typical of locally-based pyramid schemes ... .

3. Modeled on the success of home party sales, a series of "ladies only" pyramid schemes, which are known by the names ... .

4. The key to the downfall of such schemes is that ... .

5. Avoiding law enforcement aside, the influence one person has on another is greatly enhanced when ... .

6. One industrious advisor who gives opinions on the legality of the schemes to groups being investigated by authorities, bases his argument on ... .

7. Eight Missouri women were ordered to pay ... .

8. The clubs and networks gained popularity in St. Francois after ... .

9. At four meetings held in Texas it's estimated ... .

10)Once people were told that they could "harvest" thousands of dollars in profits in exchange ... .

5. Explain in English the meaning of the following words and expressions.

1. Scheme’s promoter

2. Promotional informational meetings

3. Initial investment

4. Punishment

5. To confiscate

6. Give antonyms to the next words from the text.

legal, attractive, popular, success, poverty, to achieve, punishment, private

7. Ask 10 questions to the text.

8. Make up a short summary of the text.