USB Reading Workshop – ENGLISH 7

Name:ELIANA OSORIO, ISABELLA CIFUENTES, VALENTINA ROMERO Date: 13/03/2023__________

Teacher:LUISA VERGARA Group: ______________

BEFORE READING
A. Look up the following words in your dictionary.
murder - rate - spike - curb - deadly - trend - grim - climb (v) - overall - burglary - robbery
theft - despite - confidence - focus (v) - precinct - gang - wound - shoot

MURDER: Asesinato
RATE: Tasa
SPIKE: Dispararse
CURB: Frenar
DEADLY: Mortal
GRIM: Severo/ Siniestro
CLIIMB: Escalar
OVERALL: En general
BURGLARY: Robo
ROBBERY: Robo / Hurto
THEFT: Robo
DESPITE: A pesar de
FOCUS: Enfoque
PRECINCT: Comisaría
GANG: Pandilla
WOUND: Herida
SHOOT: Disparar

B. Discuss the following questions:

1. What are the worst problems in your city in terms of safety, health and transportation?
For us, the worst problem in the city is transportation; they provide bad service, there is a lot of traffic, and it
is very unsafe. Next is insecurity; you can't walk down the street at ease because you can easily be robbed.

2. Have you or anybody you know ever had any awful experience about crime?
Yes, a friend of mine was waiting for mine at the bus stop near the house when two men on a motorcycle
approached her and pulled a gun and stole all her belongings.

3. Do you live in a safe or unsafe neighborhood? Why is it safe or unsafe?

We live in a safe, additional neighborhood, there is always a watchman on the block, and we have never been
robbed.

WHILE READING
Read the text and write the correct forms of the verbs in parentheses in each case:
The murder rate in New York City has spiked (spike) an alarming 20% in the first two months of the year, prompting
NYPD brass to rethink (rethink) the strategy to curb the deadly trend.
Since January 1st, 54 murders have been(be) recorded in the city, up nine from the same period a year ago, according
to the grim stats released Monday. Shootings have also climbed (climb) 20% — with 149 so far in 2015 compared with
126 in the first two months of 2014. But overall, crime has dropped (drop) 11% in most major crime categories,
including burglary, robbery, domestic violence, grand larceny and auto theft. The bump in killings came (come) despite
a 12-day span over the first two weeks of February when no murders were recorded. NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton
said (say) the rise in killings and shootings should not be taken as indications of “the bad old days roaring back.”

“This is something that we’ve got our arms around, something we have every confidence we can identify motives and
basically focus on that,” Bratton said Monday. Breaking down the deadly data, Bratton said most of the killings and
shootings have been concentrated in five of the city’s 77 police precincts. The department hopes to curb the violence
by beefing up patrols in the troubled precincts — which include (include) the 46th Precinct in the Bronx, the 102nd
Precinct in Queens and the 67th, 63rd and 75th Precincts in Brooklyn. “At this stage of the game, this is not (be not) a
precursor of the worst to come,” Bratton said. “My sense is we have (have) a pretty good handle on it.”

The city would record 324 murders by year’s end at this pace, which would be less than the 328 murders across the
five boroughs in 2014, the lowest since 1963. The murder count for 2013 was (be) 335. At least 19 of the slayings this
year were (be) the result of robberies, burglaries, gang warfare or drug dealing. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert
Boyce said each of the seven drug-related murders this year involved (involve) marijuana dealers being targeted.
“These are (be) not turf battles. These are ripoffs of marijuana dealers,” Boyce said. At least eight murders were
attributed to domestic violence, including that of a 3-year-old Brooklyn boy allegedly beaten to death last week by his
belt-wielding aunt. A dozen other slayings were sparked by various disputes, while four were reclassified as murders
after the victims Died (die) from wounds suffered before the start of the year. Motives in at least nine murders
remained unknown. One killing was deemed an accident and one justified, cops said.

The new data sent (send) shivers down the spine of Roger Lazo, 30, who is raising (raise) a 7-year-old daughter in the
46th Precinct in the Bronx. “These guys shoot (shoot) at each other and they don’t care if they are (be) near a school.
Kids get hit,” Lazo said. “It makes me worry for her.” Luis Gesto, 54, a postal worker who also lives (live) in the 46th
Precinct, said it’s hard not to notice (notice) a jump in shootings and murders. “You walk out of your house and see a
TV news truck outside and think to yourself, ‘Another murder,’” Gesto said. “Everybody has (have) guns around here.”
Taken from: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/murders-20-2015-year-to-year-comparison-nypd-article-1.2134509

AFTER READING
A. Answer the following questions in COMPLETE sentences:
1. How many murders have been recorded in the city since January 1st?
A total of 54 murders have been recorded since January 1st.

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2. How much has crime dropped in most major crime categories?
For the mayor crime categories, the crime has dropped 11%

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3. Who said the rise in killings and shootings should not be taken as indications of “the bad old days roaring
back”?
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said that.
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4. Where have most of the killings and shootings been concentrated?
The most conflictive zone that have the higher quantity of murders and shoots are the Bronx, Queens and
Brooklyn

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5. What does the police hope to curb?
The police hope to curb the violence.

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6. How many murders would the city record by year’s end?
The city would record 324 murders by year's end.

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7. Where does Luis Gesto live?
Luis Gesto lives in the 46th Precinct.

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B. DISCUSSION: Describe a common problem related to crime in your city. Be sure to write in COMPLETE sentences.

In Cali the biggest problem is the increase in high-impact crimes such as homicide, cell phone theft, robberies with the
use of traumatic weapons and fire, citizens feel insecure in the streets, restaurants and in other public places, due to
the constant threat of armed people who mobilize on motorcycles and those who intimidate them to steal their
belongings.