IELTS Vocabulary – Crime and Policing

Exercise 1 – Choose which of the crimes completes the following sentences
1. Young people need activities to keep them off the streets and deter them from committing petty crimes like ______1________ and graffiti.

2. The man’s actions turned over 500 hectares of forest into ash and cinders, so he was convicted of _____2______.

3. _______3_________ is a big worry for many consumers who make purchases online. The thought of someone taking out loans and credit cards in your name can be terrifying.

4. _______4_________ gangs control much of the ________5_________ and _________6_________ around the world, and the two crimes are very oftencontrolled by the same people.

5. The woman was given a ten-year-sentence after being convicted of _____7_________ for killing a cyclist whilst she was_____8__________. The woman was found to be four times over the legal limit.

6. One of the major problems in Latin America is ______9______ and corruption amongst public officials. In many cases, you need to pay extra if you want things to be done in an timely or efficient manner.

7. Many people argue that Portugal is a good example of how not prosecuting for personal ______10_________ is more effective at reducing addiction and overdose rates than giving out harsh sentences to users.

Should police in your area be more or less strict in your local area?

I think police in my area should be stricter with low level crimes like _________1__________ to public property because I think that would deter people from _____2__________ because they would be worried about going to ___3_______ again. I also think that _____4_______ should hand down tougher sentences for guilty ______5______ to remove criminals from the streets.

Is your country a safe country?

Unfortunately my country is quite dangerous because we have a big problem with_____6_______ and the production of illicit substances. Something else that makes it unsafe is the_______7________ amongst police and public officials. Aside from being corrupt, the police here rarely _____8_______ people for any crime so the overall____9_________ rate is extremely low.

Exercise 3 – Answer the IELTS sample questions by choosing the correct word to complete the sentenceDo you think criminals can change?

Yes I think criminals can change as long as they are helped to ________1__________ upon their release. Many people ______2________ initially because of traumatic events in their childhood or because of poverty. I think that helping people get over these problems will prevent them from ____3____________ when they get out of jail. I also think that handing down ________4________ does not _________5___________ because most criminals do not expect that they will get caught when they commit an_______6___________.

What is the best way to keep communities safe?

I think that the best way to make communities safe is for the police and judges to get ___7______ and show _____8________ by following the ____9______and handing out the toughest sentences possible for all offenses, no matter how minor. I think this is the only effective way _____10_____ ___people from committing crimes.