VII. Translate the sentences from English into Russian.

1. As to the courts, in cases where the death penalty was the likely sentence juries would often acquit a defendant for whom they had some sympathy, regardless of the strength of the evidence.

2. In the late eighteenth century there was quite literally a prison fleet – of prison ships known as hulks.

3. Having survived three efforts to hand him, Lee’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

4. Penal servitude consisted of three stages: separate confinement; associated labour (this took place in three gradually improving stages, with prisoners eventually being taught trades); and release on license.

5. Convicts who would previously have been transported to America were now kept in prison, working at such useless tasks as carrying heavy stones backwards and forwards across the prison yard.

6. In early times a superstitious belief in omens, ghosts, witchcraft and like was very common.

7. This method of escape from execution became known as benefit of the clergy, and the verse became known as the “neck verse”, because many people – even those who couldn’t read – learned it off by heart and in that way saved their neck.

VIII. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.

1. sought-after; 2. span; 3. executioners; 4. confessed; 5. defence of insanity; 6. convicted; 7. found; 8. hanging; 9. suffered; 10. High treason; 11. drawing; 12. sentenced; 13. transportation for life; 14. quartering; 15. acquit; 16. benefit of the clergy; 17. sentence;

1. As for those who ___________or who were ________ guilty, the punishment that may be ________ must seem totally barbaric.

2. In medieval England the average life _____ was much lower.

3. Some executioners were given star status, and being an ________ was a highly ________occupation.

4. The man was tried and ________ despite his attempted _______.

5. The English devised the penalty of “______, ______, and ______” it was reserved for cases of ______.

6. He was _____ to death but later the sentence was commuted to ________.

7. The method of escape from execution became known as _________.

8. In cases where the death penalty was the likely ______ juries would often _____ a defendant for whom they had sympathy.

IX. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate prepositions and adverbs from the box.

of(2), at (3), in(4), just, hardly, for(2), actively, to, after, about

1. We find that terrible things are still happening to people convicted ____crime – punishments which take us straight back_____ the Dark Ages.

2. As we look ______ punishments we must appreciate that, ______ a sense, life was much cheaper than it is today.

3. The average life span ____ the medieval England was _______ over 30 years.

4. ____ early times a superstitious belief _____ omens, ghosts, witchcraft and the like was very common.

5. _____ one time the gallows were given the name “Gregorian tree”, _____ three successive hangmen.

6. If beheadings were bungled, hangings were ____ scientific affairs.

7. This was usually reserve _____ cases of High Treason, although it did not seem difficult ______ imaginative lawyers to find some way to ensure that anyone who offended the monarch might be found guilty _____ this crime.

8. He was eventually hanged at Tyburn ______ the presence of 20,000 spectators.

9. He didn’t ______ campaign, but stirred the public conscience with his writings _____ the cruelties of the day.