BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION

Language
Match the words on the left to the definitions on the right:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

a gift
a reward
a tip
a bribe
a perk
hospitality
a favour
influence

a. Friendly and generous treatment and entertainment of guests

b. A benefit received as part of the arrangements with your employer
c. Something given willingly without payment
d. A helpful act
e. The ability to obtain favourable treatment from someone
f. Something given or received for doing something good
g. A small sum of money given to someone for their services
h. Something given or offered in return for some, often dishonest, help

Now work in pairs. Match the 8 words above to one of the following situations. If you think more
than one answer is possible, discuss the differences.
1. Your boss is retiring. The employees give her some beautiful gold earrings at her leaving
party.
2. You visit a foreign company to discuss a new contract. They pay for a 5-star hotel and your
expenses.
3. You want to build an extension to your house, but you need permission from the local
council. You give money to one of the local councillors to make sure you get permission.
4. Your sales manager increases your business by 200% in a year. You give him a new BMW.
5. After paying the salon, you give a little extra money to the hairdresser who cut your hair.
6. You get a free lunch in the staff canteen every day.
7. You use your friendship with a member of the government to make sure you get a particular
government contract.
8. You wont be home in time to pick up your suit from the dry cleaners. You ask a friend to
get it.
Reading
Read the articles below and answer this question:
All three articles involve bribery. Do they involve corruption?
Match - fixing is normal
According to a former club manager, bribery in Russias top football leagues is so shameless and
obvious that referees are known to ask for more money in the middle of games. The manager of a
St. Petersburg club during the nineties said:Ive never met a referee who didnt take money. Its
useless to play if you have no money. Apparently, there are three ways to success. You can bribe
the referee, or you can bribe the teams that play your rivals. If you can afford to do all three, the
championship will be yours.
Bribed bus driver sacked
A bus driver from Bournemouth has been sacked for taking his bus on an unauthorised route. Brian
Jeffries altered the route of the number 22 service after a passenger offered him $ 20 to drop him off
outside his house, which involved a two-minute diversion. No bus stops were missed, but one
passenger was obviously displeased and reported the incident anonymously to the bus company. Mr.

Jeffries said,I cant believe they sacked me. I was just doing someone a favour. Nobody was
delayed or inconvenienced. Whoever it was who reported me need to get a life.
Sacks of cash
The political bribery trial of the former Indian Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, started today
with evidence from an MP that he received four million rupees ( 70,000) in two sacks as payment
for supporting Mr Rao in a vote in Parliament. He did not accuse Mr Rao directly, but named other
ministers in Mr Raos government who had organised the deal.
Language
Use 8 nouns from the first exercise in these sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Her cats disappeared. Shes offering a .................................. to the person who finds it.
Could you do me a .............................? Id like some help moving this piano.
He used his................................... to make sure that his daughter got into university.
The pay is poor but thay offer good.................................. - a company car and free health
care.
The food was nothing special and the service was awful, so I didnt leave a............................
I have a feeling they want us to enjoy their............................. and then give them the
contract.
Three more politicians have been accused of taking ................................ from
businessmen in return for political influence.
I hope you will accept this................................ from all of us for your excellent service over
the years.

Discussion
Answer these questions in groups:
1. Do you think a crime has been committed in any of the three articles?
2. Can you imagine any of these things happening in your country?
3. If you were a passenger on the bus, would you have reported the driver or laughed and done
nothing?
Work in groups. What would you do in these situations? Choose a response or suggest an
alternative
1. A policeman stops your for speeding. Ske asks to see your driving licence. Would you.....
a) just give her your driving licence?
b) put some money in your driving licence and give it to her?
2. Your company is trying to win an important and lucrative government contract. The minister
in charge tells your that the contract is almost certainly yours and that he and his wife love
spending their holidays in the Pacific. Would you.....
a) do nothing and wait for a decision on who gets the contract?
b) organise a three-week holiday in Fiji for the minister and his wife?
3. A colleague at work who youre not attracted to offers to take you to your favourite opera
(or similar) after dinner at an expensive restaurant all expenses paid. Would you.......
a) feel tempted but say no?
b) pretend suddenly to like the person and say yes?