Unit 6.

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 = declaraie de sosire
Ships papers = documentele navei
Ship register = certificatul de registru
Manifest of cargo = manifestul ncrcturii
List of stores = lista de provizii i materiale din cambuza
Search note = not de percheziie
To search = a cuta, a verifica
To rummage = a percheziiona
Unentered goods = mrfuri nedeclarate
To smuggle = a face contraband
Entry outward = declaraie la plecare
Victualling bill = lista de provizii
Port clearance = permis de plecare
Particulars = detalii. amnunte
Block capitals = litere de tipar
Victuals = provizii, alimente
Goods liable to duty/dutiable goods = mrfuri 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 vam, 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 ndeplini formalitile vamale la sosire
To enter the vessel outwards = a ndeplini formalitile vamale la plecare
To make up a list = a ntocmi o list

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
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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.
Ill see you tomorrow,

She said she was there on holiday.

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
Dont touch my camera.
I wont be late.

REPORTED SPEECH
He told me not to touch his camera.
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.
7.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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

11. You can go home.