Meeting 8:

Brigid McConville: `Everyone needs a guardian angel

Task 1: Reading

Which of the following offences are the least and the most serious?;

Assault

Burglary

Fraud

Mugging

Murder

Robbery

Shoplifting

Smoking pot

A. Put back the missing lines:

1. Good. Out of the ghetto came a band of 13 Bronx teenagers dedicated to the fight against crime. They began riding
2. murdered and on average day 226 were mugged. Few lives remain untouched; in recent survey seven out of ten

For years, New York's East Side has bore the brunt of the city spiralling crime rate. Last year, 1,821 people were
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

respondents said that fear of crime was the worst aspect of living in New York. But Evil in the City never quite triumphs over
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subway, like the notorious muggers' express line between Bronx and Queen's to protect commuters from violence.

B. Put back the missing words:

incarnate thwarted look-alike wields convictions

Their leader was Curtis `Rock' Sliwa, a stern and swarthy Al Pacino ________________ and assistant manager of a Bronx hamburger restaurant. They originally called themselves The Magnificent Thirteen, because, says Sliwa, what we were doing was truly magnificent.' Now he ____________ undisputed authority over 700 Guardian Angels in New York and has started chapters in 18 other American cities. Curtis is the darling of the media, hero of the public. American citizen _______________ and pure gall to city officials. They resent the popularity of what they see as a publicity-mad, para-police force in his city. Curtis claims (but can't prove)that the Angels made 142 citizen's arrests, saved two lives, and __________ many other potential rapes, assaults and muggings. He also maintains that his organisation gets a better rate of _______________ than the widely detested police force.

C. Put back the missing lines:

1. Hispanic and most of the remainder are black. Forty three of them are women. The Police department accuse the Angels of

2. although trained in martial arts, and many of them look younger than the minimum age of 16. Their patrols cover parks,

The Angels, unlike the police, reflect the ethnic make-up of the local communities. Two-thirds of the New York volunteers are
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refusing to co-operate, but Curtis says he has to avoid the police stigma. A cop with a gun and a stick has a duty to stop you smoking pot and playing your radio loud. How can they get respect? The Angels have a different style. They are unarmed,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ streets, subways and housing estates. If they catch a felon they can make a civilian arrest (they are reputedly none too gentle with suspects), but their main aim is to act as a deterrent to crime.

D . Put back the missing lines:

1. are no longer willing to wait in the time-honoured tradition of scrimping and saving. In the Sliwa analysis crime has nothing

2. Gunsmoke,' explains Curtis. `There are good guys and bad guys and they all have guns.' He is nostalgic for America his

Yet radical as they have been in effect, the Angels' methods and mentality are strictly traditional. Through self-help, good citizenship, and plenty of media coverage, they are re-enacting the American myths of film and fable: `This town is like _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ grandparents told him about where people took care of each other and walked their neighbourhood streets without fear. Curtis thinks that the rot set in the 60's when everyone was 'doing their own thing.' Since then if Americans want they take. People

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to do with the politics of poverty. He argues that greed and dishonesty now infect street criminals and bank presidents alike.

E. Put back the missing lines:

1. her block were murdered in one year. She maintains that `thanks' from the public is better than a five dollar bill. What we get

2 is hierarchical and its membership exclusive. Candidates must have a recommendation from another Angel before going

Discipline, dedication and adherence to the work ethic: there are the qualities he requires from Angels in the battle against social chaos. All volunteers must be either employed or in school and must have a clean criminal record. The Angels' structure
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ through the rigorous interview and training process. The work is hard: two four-hour patrols a week is the minimum requirement and there are no material rewards. Why do they do it? Lis Evers, 23-year old second in command, joined up after five people in _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ out of it is feeling of satisfaction, respect and recognition.

Task 2: Vocabulary check

Look at the paragraphs and find words or phrases which mean the same as:

• Suffered the worst effects of (A) _________________

• Well-known for something bad (A) _______________

• With a dark complexion (B) ____________________

• Holds power (B) _____________________________

• Personified (B) ______________________________

• Source of bitterness (B) ________________________

• Obstructed, frustrated (B) ______________________

• Attacks (noun) (B) ____________________________

• Asserts, argues (B) ___________________________

• Composition(C)_______________________________

Task 3: Reading comprehension

Now complete these statements by choosing the answer which you think fits best:

1. In the article as a whole we learn that the Guardian Angels are mostly concerned with

a. protecting subway commuters

b. preventing violent crimes

c. arresting violent criminals

d. bringing crime to public notice

2. The reaction of the city authorities to the Guardian Angels is

a. favourable

b. unfavourable

c. mixed

d. neutral

3. Curtis feels that the police are not respected because they

a. carry unnecessary weapons

b. victimise the younger generation

c. are often concerned with trivial offences

d. are not representative of the population

4. If attacked, Guardian Angel is likely to

a. use physical force as a defence

b. draw a weapon in extreme cases

c. call for the help of the police

d. put up no violent resistance

5. Curtis believes that the reason for the high crime rate lies in

a. the influence of violence seen on television

b. the failure of the police to convict criminals

c. the decline in public morality in recent years

d. the social problems caused by high unemployment

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