Lesson 6  Smash-and-grab
The expensive shops in a famous arcade near Piccadilly were just opening. At this time of the
morning,the arcade was almost empty. Mr Taylor, the owner of a jewellery shop was admiring a new
window display.
Two of his assistants had been working busily since 8 o'clock and had only just finished. Diamond
necklaces and rings had been beautifully arranged on a background of black velvet. After gazing at
the display for several minutes, Mr Taylor went back into his shop.
The silence was suddenly broken when a large car, with its headlights on and its horn blaring,
roared down the arcade. It came to a stop outside the jeweler's. One man stayed at the wheel
while two others with black stockings over their faces jumped out and smashed the window of
the shop with iron bars. While this was going on, Mr Taylor was upstairs. He and his staff began
throwing furniture out of the window. Chairs and tables went flying into the arcade. One of the
thieves was struck by a heavy statue, but he was too busy helping himself to diamonds to notice
any pain. The raid was all over in three minutes, for the men scrambled back into the car and it
moved off at a fantastic speed. Just as it was leaving, Mr Taylor rushed out and ran after it
throwing ashtrays and vases, but it was impossible to stop the thieves. They had got away with
thousands of pounds worth of diamonds.