Most shoplifters agree that the January sales offer wonderful opportunities for the hard-working thief．With the shops so crowded and the staff so busy, it does not require any extraordinary talent to help you to take one or two little things and escape unnoticed. It is known, in the business, as “hoisting”．

But the hoisting game is not what it used to be．Even at the height of the sales, shoplifters today never know if they are being watched by one of those evil little balls that hang from the ceilings of so many department stores above the most desirable goods．

As if that was not trouble enough for them, they can now be filmed at work and obliged to attend a showing of their performance in court．

Selfridges was the first big London store to install closed-circuit videotape equipment to watch its sales floors．In October last year the store won its first court case for shoplifting using an evidence a videotape clearly showing a couple stealing dresses．It was an important test case  which encouraged other stores to install similar equipment．

When the balls, called sputniks, first make an appearance in shops, it was widely believed that their only function was to frighten shoplifters．Their somewhat ridiculous appearances, the curious holes and red lights going on and off, certainly make the theory believable．

It did not take long, however, for serious shoplifters to start showing suitable respect．Soon after the equipment was in operation at Selfridges, store detective Brian Chadwick was sitting in the control room watching a woman secretly putting bottles of perfume into her bag．

 “As she turned to go,” Chadwick recalled, “she suddenly looked up at the ‘sputnik’ and stopped. She could not possibly have seen that the camera was trained on her because it is completely hidden, but she must have had a feeling that I was looking at her．”

“For a moment she paused, but then she returned to counter and started putting everything back．When she had finished, she opened her bag towards the camera to show it was empty and hurried out of the store．”

1．January is a good month for shoplifters because ________．

　   A．they don’t need to wait for staff to serve them

　   B．they don’t need any previous experience as thieves

　   C．January sales offer wonderful opportunities for them

　   D．there are so many people in the store

2．The case last October was important because ________．

　   A．the store got the dresses back

　   B．the equipment was able to frighten shoplifters

　   C．other shops found out about the equipment

　   D．the kind of evidence supplied was accepted by court

3．The woman stealing perfume ________．

　   A．guessed what the sputniks were for

　   B．was frightened by its shape

     C．could see the camera filming her

       D．knew that the detective had seen her

4．The woman’s action before leaving the store shows that she ________．

　   A．was sorry for what she had done

　   B．decided she didn’t want what she had picked up

　   C．was afraid she would be arrested

       D．wanted to prove she had not intended to steal anything

Most shoplifters agree that the January sales offer wonderful opportunities for the hard-working thief. With the shops so crowded and the staff so busy, it does not require any extraordinary talent to help yourself to one or two little things and escape unnoticed. It is known, in the business, as “hoisting”.

    But the hoisting game is not what it used to be, even at the height of the sales, shoplifters today never know if they are being watched by one of those evil little balls that hang from the ceilings of so many department stores above the most desirable goods.

    As if that was not trouble enough for them, they can now be filmed at work and forced to attend a showing of their performance in court.

Selfridges was the first big London store to fix closed-circuit video-tape equipment to watch its sales floors. In October last year the store won its first court case for shoplifting using as evidence a videotape clearly showing a couple stealing dresses. It was an important test case which encouraged other stores to fix similar equipment

When the balls, called sputniks, first make an appearance in shops, it was widely believed that their only function was to frighten shoplifters. Their somewhat ridiculous appearance, the curious holes and red lights going on and off, certainly make the theory believable.

It did not take long, however, for serious shoplifters to start showing suitable respect. Soon after the equipment was in operation at Selfridges, store detective Chadwick was sitting in the control room watching a woman secretly putting bottles of perfume into her bag.

    “As she turned to go,” Chadwick recalled, “she suddenly looked up at the ‘sputnik’ and stopped. She could not possibly have seen that the camera was trained on her because it is completely hidden, but she must have had a feeling that I was looking at her.”

    “For a moment she paused, but then she returned to shelves and started putting everything back. When she had finished, she opened her bag towards the camera to show it was empty and hurried out of the store.”

1．The sputniks hanging from the ceiling are intended ________

     A．to watch the most desirable goods

B．to make films that can be used as evidence

     C．to frighten shoplifters by their appearance

D．to be used as evidence against shoplifters

2．The case last October was important because _________

       A．the store got the dresses back

B．the equipment was able to frighten shoplifters

       C．other shops found out about the equipment

D．the kind of evidence supplied was accepted

3．The woman stealing perfume _________

     A．guessed what the sputniks were for          B．was frightened by its shape

     C．could see the camera filming her             D．knew that the detective had seen her

4．The woman’s action before leaving the store shows that she _______

       A．was sorry for what she had done    

       B．didn’t want to take what she had picked up

       C．was afraid she would be arrested

       D．wanted to prove she had not intended to steal anything