Vocabulary notes. to feed offзд. наживаться, ирон

to feed off зд. наживаться, ирон. питаться, кормиться

cutlery столовые приборы (столовые ножи, вилки, ложки)

to soar зд. резко увеличиваться возрастать

spate зд. Засилье, наплыв, большое количество

MPs члены парламента, сокр. От Member of Parlament

fresh intake of MPs новый состав членов парламента (Гос. Думы)

investigation расследование, следствие

storm in a teacup буря в стакане воды, досл. В чайной чашке

crockery посуда (тарелки, чашки и т.п.)

thief (pi. thieves) вор, воришка

to target зд. сделать объектом своего внимания, браться

house зд. Палата (парламента)

petty theft мелкая кража

paper зд. газета

tabloid таблоид, бульварная газета – малоформатная газета со сжатым текстом, иллюстрациями и броскими заголовками.

canteen столовая

would go missing each week зд. пропадали каждую неделю (время «Past Habitual» - «прошедшее обычное, привычное» используется при описании повторяющегося действия в прошлом)

no joke зд. а ведь дело-то нешуточное

to impact on staff pockets зд. «бить по карману» сотрудников; доел, воз­ действовать, влиять на их зарплату

to dock the wages (salary) урезать заработную плату; производить из нее вычеты

to go astray зд. пропадать, исчезать

all sorts of people всякого рода люди

scale масштаб; размер

in their midst зд. среди них, в их среде

to bewilder смущать, ставить в тупик; сбивать с толку

bewilderment замешательство

breakages (pi.) битая посуда; «бой»

to write off списывать; прощать

to nick разг. стащить, украсть

to be unperturbed зд. ничуть не удивляться

to slip (smth.) out зд. незаметно вынести (что-либо)', выскольз­нуть (с чем-либо)

to subscribe зд. присоединяться (к чьему-либо мнению)

carpet ковер

to help oneself (to smth.) зд. пользоваться (чем-либо) бесплатно; уго­щаться (чем-либо). Не1р yourself — Угощай­тесь!

tableware столовая посуда

Case questions:

1. What has started happening in the State Duma since parliamen­tary elections in December 2003?

2. What has an investigation by Komsomolskaya Pravda revealed?

3. What has soared in Russia's parliament hi recent months?

4. Is it just a storm in a teacup?

5. Have the thieves been identified yet?

6. Do you think the thieves will be caught one day?

7. What proves that the problem has become quite serious?

8. Why are the wages of catering staff docked?

9. What else is being nicked in Duma's canteen except cutlery?

10. Why can't metal cutlery be written off as breakages like cups and saucers?

11. Why wasn't Gennady Raykov surprised to hear about the disap­pearance of the spoons?

12. Did petty theft occur under Communist rule, too?

13. Why aren't MPs to blame, according to Sergey Glotov?

14. Who does he think the thieves are?

15. Do you agree that the absence of a souvenir shop is the main reason for this theft?

16. Do you agree that it is outsiders and invited guests who are to blame?

17. Do you agree that deputies perhaps simply help themselves to some of the State Duma's finest tableware?

Role-play:

Pretend you own a very popular bar in Pokrovskaya Street. Your bar­tenders keep telling you that wine glasses, beer mugs, and items of cutlery started to be nicked and go astray. The bartenders blame this petty theft on some customers. You want your employees to put an end to it, since you are not willing to suffer losses. You insist that they should take some urgent measures to stop this sort of nicking.

While making your decision consider the following issues:

• hiring a shopper to watch the bartenders' work;

• raising prices by 5 percent to cut off potential thieves;

• replacing beer mugs by plastic ones;

• nicking not only spoons and knives but also beer mugs;

• writing wine glasses off as breakages;

• the bar is frequented by all sorts of people;

• the bar can stretch any operator to the limit;

• bars and restaurants stand shoulder to shoulder all along this street;

• nevertheless bartenders and employees must do their best to keep customers satisfied and returning;

• it could be worthwhile to employ experts (retired policemen);

• catching the thieves red-handed;

• your close friend thinks, on the contrary, that nicking two or three beer mugs a day is nothing in comparison with the profit you are making.

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