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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

DOG THEFTS
INCREASING

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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

• Which pets are popular in your country?

• Do you have any pets? If so, what do you have?
• Are pets expensive to own in your country?
• What do you think people need to consider before buying a pet?

2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the definitions to the correct words.

1. stab (v) a. a difficult fight where two sides are trying to achieve opposite
goals
2. amateur (adj.) b. an action that is illegal, e.g., robbery

3. defend (v) c. a punishment for breaking a rule or a law

4. struggle (n) d. doing something because you enjoy it, but not for money

5. impersonate (v) e. to pretend to be someone you are not

6. offence (n) f. to quickly put a sharp, pointed object in to someone, usually a

knife
7. penalty (n) g. to stop someone or something from attacking

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Part B: Now use a dictionary and underline the best form of the word to complete the sentences.

1. Call the police! There’s been a stabbing/stabbed/stabs in the street!

2. The work done on my car was very amateur/amateurish/amateurs. I could have done better
myself.
3. There is no defending/defend/defence of his actions. He’s a terrible person.
4. I need more time. I’m going to struggling/struggle/struggled to finish my essay before tomorrow.
5. He did a really funny impersonation/impersonate/impersonating of the President. It was really
accurate!
6. I thought his speech was really offended/offence/offensive.
7. The police penalties/penalised/penalty him for driving over the speed limit.

Now answer the questions.

1. Have you ever been involved with anything on an amateur level? For example, sports, or theatre.
2. Are you able to impersonate anyone famous? or anyone you know?
3. Have you ever had to defend yourself in an argument? What happened?
4. Which subjects at school were a struggle for you?

3 Skimming for general information

Look at the following titles. Match them to paragraphs 1 – 4 (text on the next page). One of them is
not used.

1. Reasons for dognapping. a. Not used

2. An attempted robbery b. Paragraph 1

3. A shooting c. Paragraph 2

4. What is "dognapping"? d. Paragraph 3

5. The consequences of e. Paragraph 4

dog theft

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
DOG THEFTS INCREASING
Dognapping
a new crime in the pandemic
1.
Last Friday, James Cosens was walking his five-
month-old puppy, Rosie, close to his home in Wales.
While Rosie was running around, she ran close to two
men. One of them picked her up and said to James, "I
am taking your dog. If you try to take her back, I will
stab you". What the criminals didn’t know was that
James used to be an amateur boxer. Not seeing any
weapons on the men, James used his skills to fight
them off and successfully got Rosie back.
2.
Less lucky was Ryan Fischer, a dog walker in
Los Angeles. While he was walking three French
bulldogs: Koji, Gustav, and Miss Asia, two men
attacked him. Mr. Fischer tried to defend himself,
but he was shot in the struggle. The two men took
the bulldogs, but Miss Asia managed to escape. The
dogs belonged to actress and singer, Lady Gaga who
offered a no-questions-asked $500,000 reward for
their safe return. The dogs were eventually given
back, and Mr. Fischer survived, but not before
spending time recovering in hospital.
3.
So why the attacks on people walking dogs? During
the pandemic, there has been a large increase in the
number of people buying dogs. Due to the demand,
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prices have gone up: a puppy which used to cost
$700 can now be sold for four times that amount.
Greater profits have attracted criminals, with animal
thefts rising by 250% in the UK. Criminals have even
been impersonating charity officials to get to the
dogs. Dr Jane Tyson from the RSPCA, a British Animal
charity, described this method as "shocking", but
added that real officers will "always wear an identity
badge and a branded uniform".
4.
In the UK, the government is discussing making
"dognapping" a more serious offence. At present, the
maximum jail time for this crime is seven years. This,
however, may well increase. One strong argument
for an increase is the amount of emotional damage
created by the loss of a beloved dog. To many people,
dogs are members of the family. The discussion
over penalties for this crime continues, but in the
meantime, Dr Jane Tyson offers some advice. Most
dog thefts are from gardens, so do not leave them
unattended there. It’s also important to not leave
them alone outside shops or in cars.
Sources: The Guardian, BBC News, Sky News
3/5
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DOG THEFTS INCREASING

4 Scanning for details

Now quickly scan through the text and find what the following numbers represent.

1. 250%
2. $700
3. $500,000
4. 3

5 Synonyms

Read through the text and find words which are synonyms for the following.

1. guns and knives (para. 1)

2. run away (para. 2)

3. ultimately (para. 2)

4. incomes (para. 3)

5. upsetting (para. 3)

6. adored (para. 4)

7. alone (para. 4)

6 Comprehension

Look at the following statements and decide if they are True or False.

1. The two men snatched Rosie from James Cosens’ hands.

2. James knew how to fight.
3. The two men who attacked Ryan Fischer had a gun.
4. Lady Gaga offered a reward for all three of the dogs to be returned.
5. Ryan Fischer died as a result of the attack.
6. Due to demand, puppies can now cost as much as $2,800.
7. At the moment, stealing a dog in the UK could result in spending ten years in prison.
8. The best way to protect your dog from being stolen is not to leave it alone in your garden or out
in public.

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7 Talking point

Look at the following tips for preventing crime. Which do you think are a good idea and which are
not? Why?

1. Lock all of your doors at all times.

2. Buy a fake alarm for your house because it’s cheaper than a real one.
3. Always walk your dog with someone else.
4. Hide a knife in your house in case of emergency.
5. Buy a gun and keep it with you at all times.
6. Get to know your neighbours and help each other stay safe.
7. Install cameras all around your house that you can watch when you’re not home.
8. Get friendly with the local police and find out useful information.

Now discuss these questions.

• What do people do to prevent crime in your country?

• Is dognapping a problem in your country? Why/Why not?
• Is there a lot of crime connected to owning pets generally in your country?
• Do you know anyone who had a pet stolen from them? What happened?
• How would you feel if you had a pet stolen from you?

8 Extended activity/homework

Write a paragraph giving advice about what to do to prevent crime. Use the results of your conversation
in the Talking point activity to help you. Make sure you check your grammar and spelling.

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