15. Read these true stories and complete the sentences with one of the verbs break in, break into, burgle, mug, steal, rob in the correct form. Use all the verbs at least once.

1. Two policemen were parked outside the garage of Colin Baggs, a suspected car thief. They had let their windows steam up and were waiting to see what he would do. After a long wait when nothing happened, they decided to drive away. However, before they had time to start their car, Mr. Bagg …… their car.

2. An American, Homer Lawyer, had decided to …… a bank in Miami. He gave a cashier a note asking for cash and then ran off with a sack full of money. It was the bank manager who noticed later that Mr. Lawyer had written his name and address on the back of the note.

3. Kenneth Beverley was …… an office in Cardiff, Wales, when he knocked over a dictating machine, which switched itself on. Later he was arrested when police recognised his voice on the tape.

4. Two teenagers …… a grocery shop in Yeovil, England, in April 1984. They found what they thought was a cash-box, pulled it from the wall, and ran into the street. Suddenly the box started to make a noise which they couldn’t stop. They had …… the burglar alarm.

5. A doctor was walking through a street in Brisbane, Australia, when he saw a man trying to …… an old lady who was shouting for help. He ran towards the man and grabbed his shoulders. Suddenly the director of the television film stepped forward to protect the actor.

6. In February 1981, a young Soviet burglar found an empty flat in Baku on the Caspian Sea. The owners were away on holiday. He …… and feeling very tired, had a hot bath, and then drank a few vodkas. Finally he decided to play the piano and started to sing in a very loud voice. The police arrived after the neighbours complained about the noise.

16. Read the newspaper article about mobile phone crime (a), then complete the text beneath it (b) with active verbs instead of passives.

Look after your mobile phone or a thief will!!

Theft of mobiles on the increase.

A A nationwide crackdown on mobile phone crime in Britain is being carried out by the police. A police spokesperson said it was believed that 50% of all street crime involved the theft of a mobile phone. Over 73,000 mobile phones are thought to have been stolen in Britain last year – that’s 200 a day. Many of them are exported by gangs to Europe, Asia and Africa. Stolen phones can be blocked by the phone networks for use in Britain, but SIM cards can easily be replaced by thieves to make phones usable abroad. The spokesperson added that an international database will be set up by the phone companies to make all stolen handsets useless, whatever their destination.

B Police (1)……. a nationwide crackdown on mobile phone crime in Britain. A police spokesperson said they (2) …… that 50% of all street crime involved the theft of a mobile phone. Police (3) …… that over 73,000 mobile phones were stolen in Britain last year – that’s 200 a day. Gangs (4) …… many of them to Europe, Asia and Africa. The phone networks (5) …… stolen phones for use in Britain, but the thieves can easily (6) …… SIM cards to make phones usable abroad. The spokesperson added that the phone companies (7) …… an international database to make all stolen handsets useless, whatever their destination.