On Duty


 

 

Vocabulary

Exercise 1. Before you read: Predicting

Discuss the following questions:

  1. What qualities do you think a police officer needs when dealing with a hostage situation?

  2. What challenges do security services face when monitoring a person who may pose a threat?

  3. What information would you expect to find in a news report about a hostage crisis?

 

Exercise 2. Reading for gist

Read the text and choose the best summary.

Which option best summarises the article?

 

Exercise 3. Reading for detail: True or false?

Decide whether each statement is True (T) or False (F) according to the text. Correct the false statements.

1. The attacker had never attracted the attention of the police before the attacks.

2. The attacker first stopped a car and shot its passenger.

3. The police officers who were attacked were inside their barracks.

4. The supermarket was located in Carcassonne itself.

5. The gendarme volunteered to exchange places with the hostages.

6. The gendarme used his phone to communicate instructions to the hostages.

7. The attacker demanded the release of a suspect connected with the 2015 Paris attacks.

8. The authorities had discovered clear evidence that the attacker was planning an attack.


Exercise 4. Understanding the sequence of events

Put the following events in the order in which they occurred, from 1 (first) to 6 (last).

A. Lakdim entered the supermarket and opened fire.

B. Lakdim stopped a car and killed its passenger.

C. The gendarme volunteered to replace the hostages.

D. Lakdim attacked four police officers who were jogging.

E. Security forces stormed the supermarket after hearing a gunshot.

F. Lakdim drove to Trèbes, where the supermarket was located.

 

Exercise 5. Vocabulary in context

Match the words and expressions from the article (1–8) with their meanings (A–H).

Word or expression

Meaning

1. surveillance

A. A person who is held against their will to force others to do something

2. radicalism

B. To take control of a place by entering it suddenly and forcefully

3. culminated in

C. The act of closely observing a person or situation

4. hostage

D. A period of being kept apart from other prisoners

5. wounded

E. Extreme political or religious beliefs that may support major change or extreme action

6. stormed

F. Reached its most important or final stage in an event

7. solitary confinement

G. Injured, especially by a weapon

8. proximity to

H. Being near or close to someone or something


Exercise 5B. Use the vocabulary

Complete each sentence with a word or expression from Exercise 5. Change the form if necessary.

  1. The incident __________ a three-hour hostage crisis.

  2. The police kept the suspect under __________ for several months.

  3. Two officers were seriously __________ during the attack.

  4. The officers __________ the building after hearing a gunshot.

 

Exercise 6. Reading between the lines: Inference

Answer the questions in complete sentences. Use evidence from the article to support your answers.

  1. Why might the fact that Lakdim had been monitored by security services raise questions about the effectiveness of the surveillance system?

  2. What does the gendarme’s decision to exchange places with the hostages suggest about his character and professional values?

  3. Why was leaving his mobile phone line open an important decision?

  4. What can we infer from the fact that the attacker was under surveillance but the authorities had not identified clear signs of an imminent attack?

  5. Why does the journalist mention the release of Salah Abdeslam and his connection to the November 2015 Paris attacks?

 

Exercise 7. Reference words and cohesion

Identify the person or thing referred to by the words in bold.

  1. “He was known to police for petty crimes and drug-dealing.” — He refers to __________.

  2. “He added: ‘He was already under surveillance when he suddenly decided to act.’” — He in “He added” refers to __________.

  3. “The gunman agreed to the swap, so the gendarme stayed with him…” — him refers to __________.

  4. “That gendarme left his mobile phone line open…” — That gendarme refers to __________.

  5. “Abdeslam is in solitary confinement in a French prison as the investigation into the Paris attacks continues.” — the Paris attacks refers to the attacks that took place in __________.

 

Exercise 8. Critical thinking and discussion

Discuss the questions. Support your ideas with reasons and examples.

  1. Should security services be held responsible when a person they have monitored later carries out an attack? Why or why not?

  2. What risks did the gendarme take when he volunteered to replace the hostages?

  3. How might journalists report on a terrorist attack in a way that informs the public without causing unnecessary fear?

  4. Which is more important in preventing attacks: gathering intelligence, community cooperation, or increased security measures? Explain your choice.

 

Exercise 9. Writing: A summary of the article

Write a summary of 120–150 words describing the main events and their consequences.

Your summary should include:

  • The background information about the attacker.

  • The sequence of attacks and the supermarket hostage situation.

  • The gendarme’s actions and the outcome.

  • The questions raised about the effectiveness of surveillance.

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