Test 6 ( Variant e )

1. Read the text:

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

In criminal legislation death penalty is designed as a temporary measure - it is called “extraordinary”. The purpose of punishment is to correct and re-educate the convicts and prevent new crimes being committed, whereas death penalty means physical elimination of the criminal and deterrence. More severe punishment does not deter people from crime, the strictness of the penalty is not a cure against crime, the cure is in its inevitability.

A very intricate question is the public’s attention to the role of punishment in the struggle against crime. Opinion polls indicate that on the whole the population clearly overestimates the significance of punishment. The polls conducted among a large number of people in 1973-1980 testify that 26.4 per cent of the polled believe that the introduction of more severe punishment is the best way to force observance of laws.

This is not quite so. Sociological studies have shown that 11-18 per cent of the polled do not commit crimes because they fear punishment; in the case of 25-26 per cent this fear does not play a decisive role, but the possibility of having to answer is taken into account in choosing the variants of behaviour. However, punishment holds a modest place among crime-prevention means. The main thing is to eradicate the causes of crime and the conditions which generate it.

The time has come to pose the question of the complete abolition of death penalty. This will show not only the magnanimity of the society, but also its inner strength. It is time the society returned to this problem. This is necessitated by the decisive changes in the civilised world and the new approach to the value of human life. Nor is it possible to forget about horrible, tragic legal errors which sometimes surface right after the sentence has been executed. This also happens. There is a need to bear in mind both our own experience and that of other countries. It should be remembered that capital punishment has been abolished in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and many other European states, and is not used in 19 states of the USA, but also that it is still envisaged by the legislation of 127 countries.

2. Answer the questions to the text:

1. What is the cure against crime? 2. What is the best way to reduce crime? 3. What do you think are the negative sides of death penalty? 4. What do you think about death penalty?

3. Analyse the underlined in the text phenomena.

4. Insert the required articles:

1. ... discontent is ... first step in progress of ... man or ... nation. (O. Wilde) 2. Argument is ... worst sort of conversation. (J. Swift) 3. ... old believe everything, ... middle-aged suspect everything, ... young know everything. (O. Wilde) 4. They bought ... apartment for ... office in ... Regent Street. 5. They promote their goods very successfully in ... Europe and in ... Middle East.

5. Insert the required prepositions:

1. There is one more point that should be taken ... consideration. 2. The Institute spends large sums ... fundamental research works. 3. He agreed to take the department ... condition that he would have free hands in reorganising its work. 4. Your participation in that investigation is ... of the question. 5. I think you will need some time to think ... our offer. 6. I will have to work overtime tonight; I’ve got to reply ... a few letters. 7. Mr Dowel is quite satisfied ... the work of your department. 8. Your remark seems strange ... me.

6. Insert the required pronouns:

1. He is absolutely useless, he understands ... in accounting. 2. We’ll have to help him, he is not able to handle the situation .... 3. We need ... new people to generate fresh ideas. 4. She is late, ... must have happened to her. 5. He has two university degrees. - I reckon he won ... degrees on football grounds. 6. You may receive the trial records ... in the court archive ... in our library, which requires less formalities.

7. Put the verbs in brackets into correct tense forms:

1. I’m sorry, I (not/can) visit you last week, I (to have) some urgent work to do. 2. Mr Griffit wrote in his letter of May, 22 that he (to sell) his house a month before. 3. That all happened because of your pride; if you (to ask) for help, we (to help). 4. They (to have) much in common. 5. We (to start) to work on your problem as soon as you (to send) a cheque for $5,450. 6. The decision (not/to take) yet, the board still (to consider) the candidates. 7. We (to try) to find Mr Vogan’s heirs for two months; hundreds letters (to send), we (to spend) a fortune on telephone calls, but there (to be) still no result. 8. Excuse me, I (to look) for Mr Greg’s office. 9. He (to stay) in the office till 7 p.m. almost every day. 10. They (to try) to persuade him for two weeks before he at last (to agree) yesterday. 11. When I (to come) to the office at the appointed time Mr Snort (to dictate) a letter. 12. Wait! I (to help) you as soon as I (to be) through with this letter. 13. Don’t worry, all formalities (to fix) by 5 o’clock. 14. Julia said that she (to intend) to take shorthand lessons. 15. The cable informed that the delegation (to arrive) at 9.30 a.m. the next Tuesday. 16. I (to leave) for Oslo on business this Sunday. 17. If I (to promise) Mr Nigel to substitute for him, I (to enjoy) this wonderful weather at the seaside.

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Вопросы к тематическим материалам 6-го семестра:

1. What are the purposes of state punishment?

2. What are the two viewpoints on punishment?

3. What is the best way to reduce crime?

4. What arguments are used to abolish death penalty?

5. What is your viewpoint on death penalty?

6. What are the parties in a civil case?

7. How does a civil case start? What is the further procedure?

8. What are the parties in a criminal case?

9. What are the burdens in a criminal and a civil cases?

10. What are the duties of a jury in criminal and civil cases?

11. Who may be a juror?

12. How is the jury selected?

13. What is ‘voir dire’?

14. What is ‘challenging a juror’?

15. What is the difference between challenging for cause and a peremptory challenge?