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UNIT 8
Text A
PRE-READING TASK
Exercise 1
Before reading the passage, think about the questions.
1. Who is the painter of "the Mona Lisa", the world famous painting?
A. Vincent van Gogh.
B. Leonardo da Vinci.
C. Claude Monet.
D. Frans Hals.
2. Where did the painter of "the Mona Lisa" come from?
A. England.
B. Italy.
C. France.
D. Poland.
Now read the passage and check your answers.
The Crime of the Century
1 On Tuesday August 11th, 1911, a young artist, Louis Beraud, arrived at the Louvre in Paris to complete a painting of the Salon Carre. This was the room where the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, was on display. To his surprise there was an empty space where the painting should have been. At 11 o'clock the museum authorities realized that the painting had been stolen. The next day headlines all over the world announced the theft.
2 Actually the Leonardo had been gone for more than twenty-four hours before anyone noticed it was missing. The museum was always closed on Mondays for maintenance. Just before closing time on Sunday three men had entered the museum, where they had hidden themselves in a storeroom. The actual theft was quick and simple. Early the next morning Perrugia removed the painting from the wall while the others kept watch. Then they went out a back exit.
3 Nothing was seen or heard of the painting for two years when Perrugia tried to sell it to a dealer for half a million lire. Perrugia was arrested on December 13th. Perrugia claimed he had stolen it as an act of patriotism, because, he said, the painting had been looted from the Italian nation by Napoleon. Perrugia was imprisoned for 7 months. It seemed that the crime of the century had been solved.
4 But had it? Perrugia was keen to claim all responsibility for the theft, and it was twenty years before the whole story came out. In fact Perrugia had been working for two master criminals, Valfierno and Chaudron, who went unpunished for their crime. They would offer to steal a famous painting from a gallery for a crooked dealer or an unscrupulous private collector. They would then make a copy of the picture and, with the help of bribed gallery attendants, would then tape the copy to the back of the original painting. The dealer would then be taken to the gallery and would be invited to make a secret mark on the back of the painting. Of course the dealer would actually be marking the copy. Valfierno would later produce forged newspaper cuttings announcing the theft of the original, and then produce the copy, complete with secret marking. If the dealer were to see the painting still in the gallery, he would be persuaded that it was a copy, and that he possessed the genuine one.
5 Chaudron then painted not one, but six copies of the Mona Lisa, using 400-year-old wood panels from antique Italian furniture. The forgeries were carefully aged, so that the varnish was cracked and dirty. Valfierno commissioned Perrugia to steal the original, and told him to hide it until Valfierno contacted him. Perrugia waited in vain in a tiny room in Paris with the painting, but heard nothing from his partners in crime. They had gone to New York, where the six copies were already in store. They had sent them there before the original was stolen. At that time it was quite common for artists to copy old masters, which would be sold quite honestly as imitations, so there had been no problems with US Customs. Valfierno went on to sell all six copies for $300 000 each. Valfierno told the story to a journalist in 1914, on condition that it would not be published until his death.
6 Does the story end there? Collectors have claimed that Perrugia returned a copy. It is also possible that Leonardo may have painted several versions of the Mona Lisa, or they might be copies made by Leonardo's pupils. There has been a lot of controversy and argument about a 450-year-old painting, but after all, maybe that's what she's smiling about.
New Words
artist
n. a person who practices any of the fine arts, esp. painting 艺术家,美术家
painting
n. a painted picture (一幅)油画
display
n. a show or exhibition 展示,陈列
v. 1.陈列，展览
2.显示，表现
authority
n. 1.(复数)当局,官方
2.the right, responsibility, or power to influence 权(力), 权威
headline
n. 1. a main point of broadcast news (复数)新闻广播提要
2. the newspaper heading 报纸的标题
theft
n. (the act or, an instance of) stealing 偷窃,失窃
maintenance
n. 1.维修，保养
2.维持，保持
storeroom
n. a room used for storing things, esp. in a house 贮藏室
exit
n. a way out 出口
dealer
n. a trader 商人,贩子
lira
n. 里拉(意大利货币单位)
arrest
v. to seize (someone) by the authority of the law 依法逮捕,拘捕
patriotism
n. 爱国主义，爱国心
Italian
a. 意大利的
n. 意大利人，意大利语
loot
v. 掠夺，抢劫
imprison
v. to put or keep in or as if in prison 关押,监禁
keen
a. 1. 热衷的, 渴望的
2. 激烈的，强烈的
unpunished
a. not punished 未受惩罚的
gallery
n. a room or building for the display of works of art (艺术作品的)陈列室,陈列馆
crooked
a. (of a person or his actions) dishonest 不诚实的,欺诈的
unscrupulous
a. 肆无忌弹的，无耻的
bribe
v. 向...行贿，收买
n. 贿赂
attendant
n. a servant 服务员
original
a. 1. not copied 非仿制的
2. first or earliest 起初的, 原来的
n. that from which copies can be made 原物,原作品,原文
forge
v. to make a copy of something in order to deceive 伪造
persuade
v. to make someone believe or do something by talking to him 使相信,劝说
genuine
a. real; truly what it is said to be 真正的,真实的
paint
v. to make a picture (of) 画,绘画
panel
n. 油画板
antique
a. 1.古式的
2.古老的,古代的
forgery
n. 伪造品，赝品
varnish
n. 1.光泽，光泽的表面
2.清漆
crack
v. to break with or without completely separating into parts 使裂开
commission
v. 委托，指使
n. 佣金，回扣
vain
a. without the desired result 徒劳的, 无效的
partner
n. 合伙人，合作者
imitation
n. 仿制品，仿造品
version
n. 形式，变体，版本
controversy
n. (an) argument about something over which there is much disagreement 争议,争吵
argument
n. a disagreement 争论
Phrases and Expressions
on display
展览,陈列
to someone's surprise
使某人感到意外
keep watch
放哨,守望
hear of
听到,听说
come out
(真相等)被发现,透露
in vain
徒劳,白费力
in store
储存着,准备着
on condition (that)
在...的条件下,如果
Proper Names
Louis Beraud
路易斯.贝劳德
the Louvre
罗浮宫(法国巴黎)
Paris
巴黎(法国首都)
the Salon Carre
卡雷沙龙
the Mona Lisa
蒙娜莉莎
Leonardo da Vinci
列奥纳多.达.芬奇
Perrugia
佩鲁吉亚
Napoleon
拿破仑
Valfierno
瓦尔菲尔诺
Chaudron
肖德龙
Text B
PRE-READING TASK
Exercise 1
Read the first paragraph of the passage and then answer the questions.
1. What is the role of the fingerprints in criminal charges?
2. What is the problem of the fingerprints presented here?
Now read the passage and check your answers.
The Finger of Suspicion
1 Fingerprints, one of the great deciders of innocence or guilt in criminal charges, are now in the dock themselves. This is because of a growing number of claims from defendants that their "prints" have been "lifted" and planted at scenes of crimes. And these allegations are being taken seriously by lawyers, judges and policemen because it is possible to move a fingerprint from one spot and place it elsewhere.
2 With one of the cornerstones of evidence now being placed in doubt a committee of criminal lawyers is carrying out an inquiry into fingerprinting. The investigation has been ordered by Justice, the prestigious legal organisation, and a report is due early next year. Last night a spokesman for Justice said: "There are an increasing number of cases where people are claiming their prints have been transferred and put on incriminating objects. We are not aiming to establish if these allegations are true or not, but we are questioning current fingerprinting methods as part of a general investigation into scientific evidence. Some of Britain's top criminal lawyers are worried about this increasing number of claims."
3 How can a fingerprint be transferred? A fingermark left on a greasy glass or some other smooth surface can be "lifted" with a strip of adhesive. It can then be deposited on another, perhaps incriminating object. Accusations about "planted prints" were first put up at an Old Bailey IRA bomb trial nine years ago -- without success. Fingerprints at the scene of a crime used to be dusted down with fine powder, photographed for identification purposes, then the pictures and the objects carrying the prints were produced in court.
4 However, since 1973 a new method of taking prints has been generally used in Britain. Police experts now use a strip of adhesive tape to "lift" a print which is then produced in court as evidence. Before 1973 the object on which the prints were found-a bottle, dagger or a gun -- used to be shown in court as well. This is no longer necessary. As a result criminals are claiming that their prints have been "lifted" and planted elsewhere. There have been two successful claims in the United States, though this line of defence has failed in Britain.
5 According to the ex-chief of Scotland Yard's fingerprint department, Mr Harold Squires, who is now an independent defence witness: "More than 55% of the cases I now get are making these claims. But so far I have not seen any fingerprint evidence that proves the allegations to be true. Petty crooks are always accusing the police of lifting their prints and planting them at the scene of a crime. "According to ex-Chief Superintendent Squires, lifting a mark and transferring it to another object "requires great skill and trouble". He added: "It's almost impossible but it can be done. It can usually be easily detected by someone like me, but there is a chance that even I may not be able to tell."
6 Mr Squires sees the new line of defence as an attack on the police by desperate men. He would like the old method of photographing prints and producing them together with the object pictured to be generally used again.
New Words
suspicion
n. the feeling that a person has when he suspects 怀疑
fingerprint
n. a mark made by fingers when pressed on a surface 指纹
innocence
n. 1.清白,无罪
2.单纯,幼稚
guilt
n. 犯罪，有罪
charge
n. a statement that a person has done wrong, esp. that he has broken the law 指控,控告
v. 1.控告，指控
2. 要(价), 收(费)
dock
n. (刑事法庭的)被告席，犯人栏
defendant
n. a person against whom a legal action is brought 被告,被告人
allegation
n. a statement, esp. one made without proof (指无证据或有待证实的)陈述,说法
lawyer
n. a person who practices law 律师
cornerstone
n. foundation 基础
inquiry, enquiry
n. 1.质询，调查
2.询问，探问
investigation
n. the careful and thorough inquiry 调查
prestigious
a. 有威望的，有声望的
legal
a. 法律上的，合法的
organisation
n. 组织，机构
spokesman
n. a person who speaks or is chosen to speak officially for a group 发言人,代言人
transfer
v. to (cause to) move from one place to another 搬,使移动
incriminate
v. 1. to indicate as guilty 暗示(或显示)...有罪,牵连
2. to charge with crime 控告
establish
v. 1. to cause people to accept a belief, claim, custom, etc. 使被接受,确立
2. to set up; begin 建立,设立
fingermark
n. a mark, e.g. on a wall, made by a dirty finger 指痕
greasy
a. 油污的
adhesiven. 粘合剂，粘胶
a. 粘的
deposit
v. to lay or put down 放,置
accusation
n. 指控，指责
bomb
n. 炸弹
trial
n. 1. 审讯，审判
2. 试，试验
powder
n. dry material made up of fine particles 粉,粉末
identification
n. 鉴定，确认
court
n. a place where law-cases are held 法庭,法院
dagger
n. 匕首
ex-chief
n. 前任首领，前任领导
petty
a. 1. small, unimportant 小的,不重要的
2. on a small scale 小规模的,小型的
accuse
v. to say that someone has done wrong, or has broken the law 指控,控告
superintendent
n. a police officer above a chief inspector in rank (等级较高的)警官
detect
v. to discover existence or presence of 查出,查明
desperate
a. 1.胆大妄为的, 无法无天的
2.绝望的
Phrases and Expressions
in the dock
受到谴责,处于被动局面
in doubt
不能肯定的,不确定的
used to
(过去)常常
dust down
(把粉末)撒于
as a result
作为结果,因此
so far
迄今为止
accuse ... of
指控,控告
Proper Names
Old Bailey
老贝利(英国伦敦中央刑事法院的俗称)
IRA
爱尔兰共和军(the Irish Republican Army的缩写)
Scotland Yard
伦敦警察厅
Harold Squires
哈罗德.斯夸尔斯(人名)
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