CRIME

1) law-abiding citizens = people who respect and obey the law

The judicial system is set up to benefit law-abiding citizens.

2) the judicial system= the system connected with the court of law, judges and their decisions
The UKs judicial system is the basis of the legal system used in most Commonwealth countries

3) be bound by sth. = have an obligation to do sth. because of a law, a rule or a promise

Elsewhere, in uncontrolled airspace, pilots are bound by fewer regulations.

4) pass new legislation= pass a new law or a set of new laws

Britain has passed new legislation to regulate research on human cloning

5) uphold an ordered society= keep social order and safety

Some people argue that the death penalty is essential for upholding an ordered society.

6) curb lawless behaviour = stop or control illegal conduct

The police will aim to curb lawless behaviour without using excessive force

7) be tempted into... = be persuaded to do sth. unwise or immoral

Those at the bottom of society may be more likely to be tempted into a life of crime as a solution to their
problems.

8) juvenile delinquency= crimes committed by young people

Rates of juvenile delinquency are on the rise

9) legal age = the age at which a person is allowed to do a particular thing or is held responsible
for an action

Bethany could not get a drivers license because she was not of legal age.

10) disciplinary action = action intended to punish people who do not obey rules
If you take things belonging to the company without permission you will face disciplinary action.

11) career criminal = a person who makes a living from crime

The career criminal was convicted of four charges.

IELTS speaking and writing Corner Page 1

 12) random crime = unorganised crime
The father believed that his daughter was the victim of a random crime.

13) be suspicious = make others feel a person cannot be trusted

If you see anything suspicious, you should report it to senior employees.

14) deter sb. from doing sth. = prevent or discourage sb. from doing sth. against the law
The government is bringing in stricter laws to deter drivers from speeding,

15) aid and abet sb. = help sb. to do sth. illegal

He was accused of aiding the abetting the offender in the commission of the crime.

16) convict = a person who has been declared guilty of a crime and sent to prison
Prison life may bring some convicts the constant threat of violence.

17) be convicted of... = be declared guilty of a particular crime

He has been convicted of robbery.

18) bring sb. to justice = to make sb. have a trial

The people who are guilty of serious offences should be brought to justice.

19) legal proceedings = the actions taken, usually in court, to settle a legal matter
Legal proceedings may be initiated for any misuse of such confidential information

20) have proliferated = have quickly increased in number or amount

Online crimes have proliferated in society during the last 5 years.

21) crime prevention = the act of preventing crime

Neighborhoods watch groups have been an effective means of crime prevention.

22) brutality= extreme violence .

Seeing so much brutality may harden these young people to it.

23) fall victim to sth. = to be hurt or damaged because of sth.

Ethan fell victim to a very rare disease.

IELTS speaking and writing Corner Page 2

 24) be hopelessly addicted to... cannot stop eating or doing sth.
The kid has become hopelessly addicted to horror films

25) be preoccupied with... = thinking about or doing sth. too much

Hes been preoccupied with sports, which has affected his grades.

26) online fraud= getting money online by deceiving people

It can be very expensive to be unaware of the most common online fraud activities.

27) white-collar crime= crime committed by people who work in offices

White-collar crimes are not victimless. They can destroy companies or cost investors millions of dollars.

28) harden sb. against society= make sb. hold a grudge against others
Jail terms may harden a convict against society as a result of the brutalising treatment he/she receives.

29) domestic violence= violence that takes place in the home between family members
Domestic violence is violence that happens between family members in home

30) vandalism= the act of deliberately damaging or destroying things, especially public property

Vandalism is a major problem in this school.

31) stand trial= be brought to a court of law to have ones case examined and judged
The team will stand trial for illegal border-crossing,

32) be charged with... = be accused of...

He was charged with using the companys money for his own purposes.

33) repeat offender= a person who repeats an offence

The offender was sentenced to a harsher punishment for his second crime.

34) rehabilitate prisoners= help sb. to live a healthy or useful life again
The prison service should try to rehabilitate prisoners so that they can lead normal lives when they leave
prison.

35) pickpocket= a person who steals things from peoples pockets

I had my wallet stolen by a pickpocket this morning.

IELTS speaking and writing Corner Page 3

 36) property crime= theft, shoplifting or burglary
This part of town has been plagued property crimes for years

37) a scam= a dishonest way to get money

Retired people are often the victims of marketing scams.

38) crack down on sth. = deal with illegal behaviour in a more severe way
The police are cracking down on illegal parking.

39) stamp out sth. = prevent sth. bad from continuing

A variety of measures were taken by the government to stamp out bird flu.

crime(s)/criminal act(s) n. misdemeanour (or misdemeanor )

commit (or perpetrate) a crime misdemeanant n.

the crime rate/the incidence of crime felony (or heinous crime/agitious crime) n.

rampant adj. a felony charge

break (or violate/disobey) the law track down/hunt down/capture

out the law be brought to justice

disregard n.& v. law enforcement agencies

disregard for (or of) ... (e.g. a total disregard imprison (or incarcerate) sb.
for (or of ) the
imprisonment n.
public rules
life imprisonment
criminal/offender/culprit/perpetrator/convict/inm
ate n. false imprisonment

accessary (or accessorycriminal; jail/prison n.

accessary/accomplice to a crime cell n.
rst-time offender restrict ones freedom
hardened/repeat criminals punishment/penalty n.
revert to crime death penalty/capital punishment
petty crime reform/rehabilitate criminals

IELTS speaking and writing Corner Page 4

stringent adj. deterrent effect

lenient adj. deter sb. from doing sth.

innocent adj. a threat to...

juvenile delinquency threaten v.

criminal tendency trauma n.

impulsive adj. traumatic experience

resent society; hold a grudge against society traumatise ( or traumatize

circumstance n. victim n.

consequence n. law-abiding citizens

preventive measure(s) abide by (or comply with/obey) the law

Many people today are worried about cybercrime such as hacking and identity theft.What problems
does cybercrime cause, and what solutions can you suggest for ordinary people and businesses to
take?

Cybercrime is a cause of widespread concern today, as so many people use technology to store and
transmit sensitive data. There are a number of problems that people suffer as a result of these crimes,
but also some straightforward measures we can take to protect ourselves.

Perhaps the worst problem stemming from this is the financial impact. If someone has his or her bank
account emptied, or has false credit lines created under their name, they are potentially liable for large
sums of money. Even if they can avoid the consequences, their bank or finance company has to cover the
losses, which can damage their performance. A further problem is the way in which these stolen funds are
used to subsidize other crimes, such as drug distribution or even terrorism. Once the money enters the
criminal networks, we have no way of knowing how it will be used. Finally, there is the problem of
anxiety and stress caused to the innocent victims of these crimes. The initial shock is often followed by
months or years or legal wrangling, paperwork and a sense of insecurity.

Turning to possible solutions, probably the most effective measure is to improve personal security,
ranging from passwords to the shredding of documents. This denies the criminals the raw materials to
work with. Secondly, we should raise awareness of the risks among the elderly or the very young two
groups who are often specifically targeted via publicity and public education. Ultimately, however, it
is the financial companies who can make the greatest contribution, by increasing their security and
detection systems ideally in partnership with the police.

Overall, the problems caused are both financial and social, and the solutions should involve coordinated
action by individuals, corporations and the state.

Band 9

IELTS speaking and writing Corner Page 5