At around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, a shocking robbery took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris. A group of thieves, disguised as maintenance workers, used a mechanical ladder to enter the Gallery of Apollo through a high window. In less than four minutes, they stole eight priceless 19th-century French royal jewels. No one was injured, but the museum was quickly evacuated, leaving many tourists confused. Security at the Louvre is known to be very strict, so this daring heist surprised many people. The last time something similar happened was in 1911, when the famous painting “Mona Lisa” was stolen by a museum employee and recovered only two years later. Investigators are now working hard to identify the robbers, and President Emmanuel Macron has promised they will be caught. Many people are asking for tighter security measures at the museum, saying this theft seemed far too easy for such an important and protected place.
Vocabulary:
• heist (noun): a planned robbery, especially of money or valuable items.
• thief (noun): a person who steals something.
• jewel (noun): a valuable stone used in jewelry.
• disguised (adj): wearing clothes or makeup to hide who you are.
• evacuate (verb): to make people leave a place for safety reasons.
• investigator (noun): a person who tries to find out the truth about a crime.
• track down (phrasal verb): to find someone after searching.
• security (noun): protection from danger or crime.
• priceless (adj): so valuable that its price cannot be calculated.
• gallery (noun): a room or building for showing art.