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(В целом) people all over the world use (законные средства) to regulate their relations. Nowadays there are more and more attempts to internationalize (правовые стандарты). When the law helps people (достичь соглашений) across different barriers, it (рассматривается) as a good thing. However when it (включать) time, money and (неспособность людей) to cooperate informally, the law seems to be an (зло), but a necessary one.

Task 6. Agree or disagree with the following statements using the conversational formulas. Give your reasons.

I think it is true. The text tells us that… To my mind, it is false because …

I completely /absolutely agree/disagree with the fact that…, because… I think it’s true /false, because it’s said in the text that…

I agree/disagree with the statement, because…

The statement is true/false, because, the text says that…

1.We usually think about the legal implications of everyday activities.

2.Few of us would risk making transactions without first seeking legal advice

3.People all over the world are becoming more and more accustomed to using legal means to regulate their relations with each other

4.When you buy a train ticket a lawyer may tell you it represents a contract with legal obligations

5.Even though the TV set fails to work and the owner of the shop didn’t return your money or replace the TV set, we don’t start thinking of taking legal advice.

6.All transactions in modern society are very complex.

7.Nobody should have basic knowledge of law.

8.The defendant accuses a plaintiff

9.The court may listen to the testimony of one party.

10.You may not sue against the person who didn’t pay his debt.

Task 7. Answer the following questions.

1.Were there any laws when the world was at a very primitive stage of development?

2.Why do we need rules and regulations nowadays?

3.Do we notice some laws? Why?

4.When do we start thinking about the legal implications of our everyday activities?

5.In what cases do people seek legal advice?

Task 8. Make a summary of the text “Law and society”, using the following expressions:

This text explains ….

The main aim of the law is to … That’s why we have to…. Besides law is necessary to…

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Finally, we need laws to…

To sum it up, the law has…

UNIT 2: CAUSES OF CRIME (Part 2)

Task 1. Read the following list of causes why people break the law. Enumerate them 1-6 (1 – the most widespread reason, 6 –the least widespread reason).

People break the law…

a)because they are mentally ill;

b)because they can’t control their emotions, for example greed, anger, jealousy, etc;

c)because they’re poor;

d)for money;

d) because they take the law into their own hands.

Task 2. Read the American criminologist Paul Fisher’s report “Why do people break the law”. Enumerate the causes of crime in the order they are presented in the report. Do your points of view coincide?

WHY DO PEOPLE BREAK THE LAW?

Why do people break the law? What are the most common causes of crime? The research shows that most people break the law for money. They steal, rob and kill because they want to get other people’s money or property. These offenders are not always poor. They just want to be rich and live a better life.

The second most typical cause is poverty. Poor people often turn to crime to get money for themselves and their families.

A lot of people become offenders because they can’t control their emotions. Some individuals become irritable, angry, selfish or jealous. Unfortunately, this often happens to those who try to settle disputes after they’ve drunk too much alcohol.

Fourth, young people often break the law because they are bored and have nothing to do. They think that breaking the law is cool.

The next cause is mental illness. Sometimes mentally ill people commit the most horrible and violent crimes and police have difficulty in finding and catching maniacs and serial killers.

Finally, there are people who take the law into their own hands. These people are usually law –abiding citizens who in extreme situations punish the offenders in their own way without the police and courts.

Task 3. Match the word or the word phrase to its synonym:

Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the suitable words from the list below: valid, transactions, legal obligations, challenge, legal means, break down, lawyers, courts of law, disagreements.

1.A law should be used when informal ways of settling disputes _______ .

2.In the opinion of a lawyer, a ticket is a contract with _______ _______ .

3.Some ______ are so complex that none of us would make them without consulting a lawyer.

4.In the United States, precise written contracts, _______ and _______

______ are a part of daily life.

5.In Japan people use informal ways of solving ________ .

6.It is interesting that people all over the world try to use _______ _______

to regulate their relations.

7.Highly paid lawyers provide that the contracts of multinational companies are _______ .

8.Nowadays Russian people have an opportunity to ________ the decisions of their governments in courts.

Task 5. Read the dictionary definitions. Guess the meaning of the underlined words and translate them. Use the dictionary if necessary.

1.If someone is convicted of a crime, they are found guilty of that crime in a law court.

2.An adult is a mature, fully developed person. An adult has reached the age when they are legally responsible for their actions.

3.If someone is a part-time worker or has a part-time job, they work for only part of each day or week. The opposite of part-time is’ full-time’.

4. If you own something, it is your property

5.If you have an account with a bank or a similar organization, you have an arrangement to leave your money there and take some out when you need it.

6.A guarantor is a person who gives a guarantee.

7.If you give your consent to something, you give someone permission to do it.

8.When you vote, you indicate your choice officially at a meeting or in an election, for example by raising your hand or writing a piece of paper.

9.When a person is tried, he or she has to appear in a law court and is found innocent or guilty after the judge and jury have heard the evidence.

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10.A mortgage is a loan of money which you get from a bank in order to buy a house.

11.If you apply for something such as a job or membership of an organization, you write a letter or fill in a form in order to ask formally for it.

12.A vehicle is a machine with an engine, for example a bus, car, or truck that.

Task 6. What kinds of civil and criminal crimes do you know? Decide whether the following crimes are civil or criminal ones:

Think of any other types of crimes and decide whether they are civil or criminal ones.

Task 7. Think of possible punishments for crimes in Task 6.

The following kinds of punishment may help you: Bail / to release somebody on bail

A jail sentence

To send somebody to the penitentiary / jail A penitentiary term

A term of imprisonment (life, from 25 years to a few months imprisonment) Hard labor

Manual labor

Community service (e.g. in hospital, etc.) Probation / to place an offender on probation Parole / to release somebody on parole

To fine somebody, etc.

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Task 8. Get ready to tell the class about the role of law in the modern society and the causes of crime. While speaking, use the following expressions and linking words:

I would like to begin with… Additionally…

I’d just like to say … As I see it …

The way I see it …

There’s one more thing to be noted. Moreover …

What’s more …

I might as well add that …

One/another/ a further/the main/the greatest advantage/disadvantage of … All things considered I must say that …

To sum up …

Task 9. In groups of 4-5 discuss the following questions:

1.How do you understand the statement “Law: a necessary evil”?

2.What informal ways of settling disputes do you know? (Name at least 5–6).

3.Why do people nowadays prefer to use legal means to regulate their relations with each other?

4.Is it necessary for common people to have a basic knowledge of the law? Why? (Give your reasons).

5.If you were a lawyer in South America, how would you try to stop governments from destroying the rainforests?

6.Why do attempts to internationalize legal standards increase? Do you think that legal standards should be the same in the whole world? (Give your reasons).

While speaking, use the following expressions:

Expressing opinion

I believe / think / suppose / reckon / consider / guess … In my opinion / to my mind …

As far as I’m concerned … My view / opinion is that … As I see / view it …

All things considered I must say that … Generally speaking …

Linking words

On the one hand … On the other hand … First(ly) / Second(ly)/ Third(ly) … Then … Next … Finally / Lastly …

Moreover / Furthermore / Also / Besides this / In addition to … All in all / To sum up / in conclusion …

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UNIT 3: LAW AND JUSTICE

Warming-up activity

Task 1. Discuss the following questions with your groupmates.

1)How do you understand the word justice?

2)Are all laws always fair (=just) to all people?

3)Read the following Cultural Note taken from “Dictionary of English Language and Culture”: Justice is often represented by a woman who has her eyes covered, and has scales in one hand and a sword in the other. This represents the idea that justice should treat everyone equally, examine (or ‘weigh’) all the evidence, decide whether it shows that the person is guilty or not, and punish those who are guilty. In London there is a famous Statue of Justice on the Old Bailey, the main court for criminal cases in London.

What do you think of such representation of justice? Do Russian people have any symbols of justice?

4)What is the notion “justice” to you?

While speaking, the following words and word combinations can help: justice 1) справедливость; 2) правосудие

to provide/do justice

to administer justice/laws

to escape justice to depend on sth to murder smb to steal sth

according to law/rules compulsory for everyone requirements of a fair trial

open hearing impartial court equality before the law to state arguments relationship between to support one another

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The law and morality support one another. Most people don’t steal because they know that stealing is dishonest and punishment for stealing reinforces them in this view. It is sometimes difficult to draw a line between morality and law. For example, in the modern world adultery is clearly immoral but not illegal. Blasphemy is still a crime in England, but many people don’t consider it illegal.

Unfortunately, no legal system can always provide justice. Some cases go wrong, judges can make mistakes, people who should win their cases lose; and people who should lose them, win. Individuals or organizations who can hire the best lawyers have an advantage over others. People with political connections and money often escape justice. Sometimes the law is unjust or its administration is unfair. A miscarriage of justice often makes people take the law into their own hands. They judge and punish other people themselves. This ‘vigilante justice’ is certainly against the law.

What if laws are unjust? What if we think that the administration of the law is unfair? We don’t always agree with the laws we live by. In fact, we don’t always know laws. However, we must live by these laws. If we feel that a law is unfair, we have the right to appeal against it or work to change it. We do not have the right to break it.

Task 3. Fill in the correct prepositions, then choose any three and make sentences:

to rebel _______ the rule of somebody

to use one’s power _______ selfish purposes to carry ________ trade

to draw _______ a constitution to agree ________ the wording to go _______ effect

to speak _______ freely ________ important issues the right _______ a jury trial

to deprive somebody ________ life, liberty.

Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the suitable words or word combinations from the list below:

the Supreme Court, government, associate justices, the federal judiciary, interpretation, chief justice, appealed, approved, Supreme Court Justices, declare, unconstitutional, decisions.

The third branch of _________, in addition to the legislative (Congress) and executive (President) branches, is _______ _______. Its main instrument is

________ ________, which watches over the other two branches.

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The Supreme Court consists of a _______ _________ and eight _______

_______. They are nominated by the President but must be _________ by the Senate. Once approved, they hold office as ______ ______ ______ for life. A decision of the Supreme Court cannot be _________ to any other court. Neither the President nor Congress can change their _________.

Most of the cases involve the _________ of the Constitution. The Supreme Court also has the “power of judicial review”, that is, it has the right to

_________ laws and actions of the federal, state and local governments

_________.

Task 5. Choose the correct answer to the question. Several answers can be correct.

1. Why is justice a difficult concept?

A.Nobody likes justice.

B.Moral rules are compulsory for everyone.

C.People have different ideas of justice.

D.Justice depends on many factors.

2.What do ‘rules of justice’ build on? A. They build on laws.

B. They build on basic moral principles.

C. They build on the Bible and other religious codes of behavior. D. They build on traditions of society.

3.What does ‘justice according to law’ involve?

A.It involves a legal system that has the right to administer law.

B.It involves punishing people who break the law.

C.It involves taking the law into your own hands.

D.It involves criticizing immoral behavior.

4.Which requirements of a fair trial does the concept of natural justice refer to? A. It refers to an open hearing.

B. It refers to equality before the law. C. It refers to basic moral values.

D. It refers to an equal chance for each side to state arguments.

5.What is the relationship between morality and law?

A.Morality and law are independent of each other.

B.Morality and law usually go together.

C.Immoral things aren’t always illegal.

D.The law always punishes immoral behavior.

6. Why is it illegal to take the law into your own hands? A. It is illegal because it is immoral.

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B.It is illegal because it is unfair.

C.It is illegal because you can’t punish other people for crimes.

D.It is illegal because only the state can administer justice.

7. According to the author, what can you do if the law is unfair?

A.You can break the law.

B.You can appeal against the law.

C.You can work to change the law.

D.You can take the law into your own hands.

Task 6. Fill in the gaps in the summary of the text with the suitable information.

This text deals with different 1)….. of justice. The English word ‘justice’ has several 2)…..

Firstly, it means fair and moral treatment of people. Although the ideas of justice can be quite subjective, most societies agree on the basic moral 3)….. Another meaning of justice is ‘justice 4)….. law’. It involves a legal system that judges and pushes people for 5)……There is also a concept of 6)….. justice. It refers to basic requirements of a fair trial, such as an open hearing, an impartial court, equality before the law and giving each side an equal chance to state its arguments. Finally, there is ‘7)….. justice’. People take the law into their own hands to punish offenders themselves. It is against the law.

According to the author, the law and 8)…..usually support one another. In conclusion, the author says that we don’t have the right to 9)…..

even if we don’t like it.

Task 7. Render the main idea of the text “Law and Justice” having completed the following sentences:

1.The text deals with ….

2.Firstly, justice means …..

3.Although the ideas of justice can be quite subjective …..

4.Another meaning of justice is …..

5.It involves a legal system that…..

6.There is also a concept of …..

7.It refers to the basic requirements of …..

8.Finally, there is …..

9.According to the author …..

10.In conclusion, the author says that…..

Task 8. Read the information on the subject “You and the law”. In the right column write the age when Russian young people have the same rights.

A guide to what you can do from the ages of 10 to 21.

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