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--- lesson 11 Not guilty |
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--- Listen to the tape then answer the question below. |
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--- What was the Customs Officer looking for? |
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Customs Officers are quite tolerant these days, |
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but they can still stop you when you are going through the Green Channel and have nothing to declare. |
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Even really honest people are often made to feel guilty. |
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The hardened professional smuggler, on the other hand, is never troubled by such feelings, even if he has five hundred gold watches hidden in his suitcase. |
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When I returned from abroad recently, a particularly officious young Customs Officer clearly regarded me as a smuggler. |
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'Have you anything to declare?' he asked, looking me in the eye.^“ |
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'No,' I answered confidently.^“ |
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'Would you mind unlocking this suitcase please?'^“ |
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'Not at all,' I answered.^ |
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The Officer went through the case with great care. |
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All the things I had packed so carefully were soon in a dreadful mess. |
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I felt sure I would never be able to close the case again. |
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Suddenly, I saw the Officer's face light up. |
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He had spotted a tiny bottle at the bottom of my case and he pounced on it with delight. |
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'Perfume, eh?' he asked sarcastically.^ |
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'You should have declared that. Perfume is not exempt from import duty.'^“ |
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'But it isn't perfume,' I said.^ |
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'It's hair gel.' Then I added with a smile,^“ |
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'It's a strange mixture I make myself.'^“ |
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As I expected, he did not believe me. |
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'Try it!' I said encouragingly.^“ |
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The officer unscrewed the cap and put the bottle to his nostrils. |
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He was greeted by an unpleasant smell which convinced him that I was telling the truth. |
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A few minutes later, I was able to hurry away with precious chalk marks on my baggage. |
