EXAMINING THE SHIP BY THE CUSTOMS

1. Read the text and try to guess the meaning of the new words and phrases from the context.

It is required that the Master of the ship shall report his vessel to the Customs House within 24 hours of arrival in a foreign port. That means that the captain is to fill up the blank form of the captains declaration or report list and to hand it over to the customs together with certain ship papers. Usually the following papers are required for entering inwards: ship register, certificate of pratique, bill of health, manifest of cargo, list of stores, search note and others.

As a matter of fact, all the formalities connected with clearing in and clearing out are fulfilled by the ships agent.

The customs officers come aboard the ship to search or rummage the vessel for unentered goods and to see if there are any prohibited goods or goods liable to duty

It is well known that each country imposes import duties on certain goods brought into the country.

To prevent smuggling such goods as spirits, wines, cigarettes, tobacco, perfumes, cameras and others, the customs officers request the captain to give the ships store bond on dutiable goods kept aboard for the use of the ships crew and passengers.

The customs officers sometime leave for the crew only a certain quota and place under seal the surplus stores.

Before any cargo is allowed to be shipped the vessel must be entered outwards. This is done by the master who signs the Entry outward form which is delivered to the customs.

Leaving the port the ship must have: the clearance label with seal, the victualling bill, the port clearance and the bill of health.

2. Role-play the following dialogues and then work out and perform dialogues of your own.

2.1. Dialogue 1

CO = Customs Officer; SM = Second Mate

CO: According to your cargo manifest, Hold No.2 contains only transit goods, doesnt it?

SM: Yes, Thats right.

CO: Well have to seal that hold up.

2.2.Dialogue 2

CO = Customs Officer; C = Captain

CO: We are under duty to search your vessel. Have you got any prohibited goods aboard?

C : What do you mean by prohibited goods?

CO: Here is a list of prohibited goods. Will you be kind enough to look it through?

C : So far as I can see, all the items have been accounted for in my report list, except, perhaps, the cameras.

CO: I have your list of stores. These you may keep for your crews needs. Ill only ask you to sign the ships store bond. Well have also to place some of your store-rooms under seal.

C : All right. What about the cameras? They are property of the ships crew; they do not belong to the ship.

CO: It doesnt matter. You know, it is prohibited to sell cameras here without paying the import duty. So, please, make up a list of all the cameras which you have on board. Here is the blank form.

C : What particulars must I fill in?

CO: Fill in please the name of your ship, the date of her arrival, and then in these columns the name of the persons who have cameras. Use block capitals, please.

2.3.Dialogue 3

CO: Ill ask you kindly, Sir, to let us seal up the radio room.

C : Well, sit down please. Ill send somebody for the radio officer to show you up to the radio room. Is there anything else I can do for you?

CO: You see tobacco, cigarettes and spirits above the quota must be stored under seal in a separate place.

C : Ill call our Chief Steward presently. He will attend to this business. Shall I sign any documents for you?

CO: Yes, Sir. As soon as we finish rummaging well make out a search note, which you are to sign. After that the Customs will issue the inward clearing bill.

C: Must we pay export duty on the victuals which we want to buy here for the ships crew?

CO: No, of course not. But you must get from the Customs a special document, which is called Victualling Bill.You will need this bill when clearing out.

C: How must I get this bill?

CO: Oh, you neednt worry about that. Your agent will arrange this business.

3. VOCABULARY

Words and phrases

To fill up = a completa

Blank form = formular

Report list = declaratie de sosire

Ships papers = documentele navei

Ship register = certificatul de registru

Manifest of cargo = manifestul incarcaturii

List of stores = lista de provizii si materiale din cambuza

Search note = nota de perchezitie

To search = a cauta, a verifica

To rummage = a perchezitiona

Unentered goods = marfuri nedeclarate

To smuggle = a face contrabanda

Entry outward = declaratie la plecare

Victualling bill = lista de provizii

Port clearance = permis de plecare

Particulars = detalii. amanunte

Block capitals = litere de tipar

Victuals = provizii, alimente

Goods liable to duty/dutiable goods = marfuri supuse taxelor vamale

To impose import/export duty on = a impune taxe vamale de import/export

To place the stores under seal = a pune bunuri sub sigiliu

The ships store bond = bunuri scutite de vama, folosite in exclusivitate de echipaj

To clear in (wards) = a trece prin vama la sosire

To clear out (wards) = a trece prin vama la plecare

To enter the vessel inwards = a indeplini formalitatile vamale la sosire

To enter the vessel outwards = a indeplini formalitatile vamale la plecare

To make up a list = a intocmi o lista

4. Reading Comprehension

4.1. Read the text again and answer the following questions

1. To whom shall the master report his ships arrival in port?

2. Within how many hours should he do so?

3 .What blank form is he to fill in?

4 To whom is this declaration handed over?

5. What papers are required to enter a vessel inwards?

6. Who fills in all these formalities?

7. Why do the customs officers come aboard?

8. What should they search for?

9. How do we call the money which we pay on the imported goods?

10. What goods are often smuggled into a country?

11. What document do the Customs request from the ship to prevent such smuggling?

12. What is usually done with the surplus stores?

13. When should a vessel be entered outwards?

14. How is a vessel entered outwards?

4.2.Read the dialogues again and answer the questions.

4.2.1. Dialogue 1

1.Why was the customs officer going to seal up Hold No 1?

4.2.2. Dialogue 2

Why did the customs officer come on board?

Were all the items included in the captains report?

Whose property were the cameras?

Did it matter whether the cameras belonged to the ship or to the crew?

What did the customs officer say about selling cameras?

What blank form did he give the captain to fill in?

What particulars was the captain to fill in the form?

4.2.3. Dialogue 3

1. Why did the customs officer come to the ship again?

2. What did the captain say about the radio-operator?

3. What else did the customs officer want to seal up?

4. Who was to attend to the sealing up of the storeroom?

5. Who was to sign the search note?

6. Was the ship to pay export duty on the victuals they had bought at the port?

7. Who was to obtain the Victualling Bill?

5.GRAMMAR. Reported Speech

5.1. Introduction

When we want to report what someone said, we can use direct speech or reported speech.

In direct speech, we give the exact words that the person said, and we use quotation marks (or)

Direct speech: Annie said, Im hungry.

In reported speech, we change some of the words that the person said and we do not use quotation marks.

Reported speech: Annie said (that) she was hungry.

Annie says (that) shes hungry.

When we use a past reporting verb (e.g. Annie said), the tense in the reported speech normally changes (e.g. Im changes to the past: she was).

But when we use a present reporting verb (e.g. Annie says), the tense does not change (e.g. Im stays in the present: shes)

5.2. Say and tell

5.2.1. After tell we normally use a personal object (e.g. Sarah, me, us) to say who is told. We normally use say without a personal object. Compare:

I said I was going home. I told Sarah I was going home.

He says he can speak French. He tells me he can speak French.

5.2.2. If we want to put a personal object with say, we use to.

I said to Sarah that I was going home.

5.2.3. in a few expressions we can use tell without a personal object e.g. tell a story, tell the time, tell the truth, tell a lie.

5.3. Reported statements

5.3.1. Tense

5.3.1.1.when the reporting verb is in the past (e.g. he said, you told me), the tense in reported speech normally moves back:

Verbs in the present change into the past.

SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

Im going home. He said he was going home.

I want to stop. You told me you wanted to stop.

I dont like tea. She said she didnt like tea.

Sally has finished. You said that Sally had finished.

Verbs already in the past, change into the past perfect or they do not change.

I spoke to them. I said I had spoken to them I said I spoke to them.

We arrived late. They said they had arrived late They said they arrived late.

Verbs already in the past perfect, do not change.

I had seen the film before. I told you I had seen the film before.

Modal verbs

Note the past forms of these modal verbs: can-could; will-would; shall-should; may-might.

SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

I can swim. He said he could swim.

I will be at home. He said that he would be at home.

We may go by train. They told me they might go by train.

The past modals of could, would, should and might do not change in reported speech.

You could be right. I said you could be right.

You should see the film. They told me I should see the film.

Must either does not change or takes the past form (of have to) had to.

I must go. He said he must go .He said he had to go.

5.3.1.2. We do not always change tenses in reported speech when we use a past reporting verb. If we report something that is still true now, we sometimes use the same tense as the speaker.

SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

The population of London is around He said that the population of London is around

9 million. 9 million.

I live in Brighton. She told me that she lives in Brighton.

But even when something is still true, we often change the tense in reported speech.

He said that the population of London was around 9 million.

We always change the tense when there is a difference between what was said and what is really true.

She said that she was 18 years old, but in fact shes only 16.

5.3.2. Pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.

5.3.2.1. Pronouns (e.g. I, me) and possessive adjectives (e.g. my, your) often change in reported speech. Compare:

Direct speech: Sue said: Im on holiday with my friend.

Reported speech: Sue said she was on holiday with her friend.

When we talk about Sue, we say she, not I, and when we talk about Sues friend, we say her friend, not my friend.

5.3.2.2. People use words like here, now, today to talk about the place where they are speaking and the time they are speaking. If we report these words in a different place or at a different time, they often change, For example:

SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

Here there

This that/the

Now then

Today that day

Tonight that night

Tomorrow the next day/the following day

Yesterday the day before/the previous day

Next Monday the following Monday

Last Monday the previous Monday

Compare:

Im here on holiday. She said she was there on holiday.

Ill see you tomorrow, He said he would see me the next day.

The way these words change depends on the situation. For example, if someone was speaking yesterday and they said Ill see you tomorrow, we could now say : He said he would see me today.

5.3.3. That

We often use that to join a reported speech clause to the rest of the sentence.

I said that I was feeling tired.

You told me that you would be careful.

After say and tell (+person), we often leave out that, especially in an informal style

I said I was feeling tired.

You told me you would be careful.

5.4. Reported questions

5.4.1. Tenses, adjectives, pronouns, etc. in reported questions change in the same way as in reported statements.

. SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

What are you doing? The policeman asked the men what they were doing.

How is your brother? She asked how my brother was.

5.4.2. In reported questions, the word order is the same as in statements (e.g. they were doing, my brother was), and we do not use a question mark. We do not use the auxiliary verb do/does or did either.

What do you want? I asked what she wanted.

Where does she live? They asked where she lived.

Why did you say that? He asked why Id said that.

5.4.3. When there is no question word (e.g. what, where, why), we can use if or whether to introduce a reported question.

Are you cold? I asked if he was cold.

Do you want a drink? She asked if I wanted a drink.

Can you speak German? They wanted to know whether I could speak German.

5.4.4. After ask we often use an object (e/g/ Ken, me0 to say who was asked.

I asked Ken if he was cold.

He asked me why Id said that.

5.5.Using the to infinitive in reported speech

5.5.1. We often report orders, requests, warnings, advice and invitations using the structure verb+object+to infinitive.

. SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

Get out of my room She told the man to get out of her room.

Could you carry some bags, Mike? I asked Mike to carry some bags.

Stay away from me. He warned them to stay away from him.

You should phone the police. She advised him to phone the police.

Would you like to have dinner with us? They invited me to have dinner with them.

5.5.2. We often report offers, promises and threats using the structure verb+to infinitive.

.

SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

Can I help you? The woman offered to help me.

Ill be careful. You promised to be careful.

Ill hit you She threatened to hit me.

5.5.3. In negative orders, promises etc. we use not to+infinitive.

. SPEAKERS WORDS REPORTED SPEECH

Dont touch my camera. He told me not to touch his camera.

I wont be late. You promised not to be late.

6. Grammar- progress test``

Review of reported speech

Frank was driving home last night when a police car stopped him. Read what Frank says happened. What do you think were the actual words that the policeman and Frank said?

First of all the policeman told me..1..to switch off my engine. Then he asked me..2..where I was going. When I told him ..3I was going home, he asked me4where I lived. So I gave him my address. Then he asked me5where I had just come from. I said6I had been at a friends house all evening. Then he asked7to see my driving licence. When I gave him my licence, he told me8to get out of the car. Then he wanted to know9if it was my car. I told him 10I had bought it last year. After that he went back to his car and spoke on the radio for a short time. Then he told me11I could go home.

Progress test answer-key

Switch off your engine, please.

Where are you going?

Im going home.

Where do you live?

Where have you just come from?

Ive been at a friends house all evening.

Can I see your driving licence, please?

Get out of the car, please.

Is it your car?

I bought it last year

You can go home.