Vocabulary

abuse n злоупотребление

anarchy n анархия

argue v утверждать, доказывать, аргументировать, приводить доводы; it is

argued утверждается

assertion n утверждение

clear-thinking adj здравомыслящий

commit crime v совершить преступление

common sense n здравый смысл

concept n понятие

confusion n смешение

consider v определять, полагать, считать, принимать во внимание, учитывать;

consideration n соображение

consistent adj последовательный, непротиворечивый

defined by law установлено законом

descriptive adj описательный

desert v оставлять, покидать; бросить (семью)

doctrine n доктрина, учение

economics n экономика

enforce v обеспечивать соблюдение или исполнение, принудительно проводить

в жизнь;enforced принудительно примененный, обеспеченный правовой санкцией

establish v устанавливать

to a large extent в значительной мере

framework n система, правовые рамки, пределы, каркас, остов

guide v руководить, вести; be guided by руководствоваться

implement v провести в жизнь, осуществить

implementation n исполнение; implementation of justice отправление

правосудия

impose v налагать (обязательства), предписывать, устанавливать, возлагать,

навязывать

inherit v наследовать

interaction n взаимодействие

justice n правосудие, справедливость

law n право, закон

law of gravity закон всемирного тяготения

lobby (in Parliament) n кулуары, лобби; lobbying агитация в кулуарах,

закулисная обработка членов парламента; лоббирование

mercy killing n убийство из сострадания, эйтаназия, умерщвление неизлечимых

больных

minority n меньшинство

motive n мотив, повод

nation n государство, нация, народ

necessarily adv обязательно

notion n понятие, представление

painful illness болезнь, сопровождающаяся мучительными болями

penalty n наказание

phenomenon n явление; phenomena n pl явления

precise adj точный

prescriptive adj предписывающий

pressure group n инициативная группа, группа влияния

propose v предлагать, выдвигать

public laws n публичные законы (касающиеся всех)

retain v удерживать, сохранять

revolutionary n революционер

ridicule v осмеивать

rule n норма, правило

skill n искусство, умение, ловкость, мастерство; skilled (highly trained)

квалифицированный

solely adv исключительно, только

tend v иметь тенденцию, склоняться

well-being n благополучие, благосостояние

within their power в пределах их полномочий / власти; в их компетенции

Reading tasks

A Comprehension check.

1 Give your own example of a descriptive law and a prescriptive law.

2 Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text.

a Social customs and rules are both enforced by governments.

b Many laws reflect social customs.

c Unlike social customs, laws are usually international.

d In all societies relations between people are regulated by customs and traditions.

e The speed limits imposed on a driver is an example of a prescriptive law.

f In general it is very easy to escape justice.

g Both customs and rules are enforced by governments.

B Answer these questions.

1 What does the word “law” refer to?

2 What is a descriptive/prescriptive law?

3 What is understood by prescriptive laws in all societies?

4 What is the difference between a custom and a law?

5 Do governments have any motives in making laws?

6 What are four possible influences on a government when it is making a law?

7 What considerations are governments guided by in law-making?

8 What does common sense have to do with laws?

9 Why do some laws appear to differ from common sense?

10 What kind of institutions are governments?

11 Are the laws nationally oriented?

Language focus

A Translate the following expressions into Russian paying special attention to the past participle.

1 laws made by the governments

2 customs used by people

3 relations regulated by …

4 laws accepted by the society

5 laws enforced by the police and courts

6 crimes ignored by the police

B Combine these three parts into sentences using the suitable modal verb.

		a obey the laws
	must	b protect people
1 Citizens	should	c go to school every day
2 Children	have to	d behave properly
3 The police	ought to	e be attentive
		f know the customs of the country

C Put the verb into the correct form, present, future, past simple or present perfect.

The fact that English law 1) _______(function) without major revolutions for upwards of nine hundred years is one of the great stabilizing factors of the English legal and political traditions. Of course there has been constant change throughout the centuries. But because change 2) _______(be) gradual most people 3) _______(feel) a sense of security in their personal and political lives. As time 4) ______(pass), however, it 5) ______(become) necessary to adopt rules governing the conduct of individuals toward one another. Certain laws were enacted. The purpose of law 6) ______(be) to bring some measure of order, of predictability into what would otherwise be the chaos of community living. It 7) ______ (give) protection to property. It 8) ______(ensure) that individuals’ rights are guaranteed by rules laid down in advance. Law is defined as any rule that society 9) _______(enforce).

Law generally 10) ______(represent) the developing common morality of human beings. There 11) ______(be) a close relationship between law and morality. Law not only 12) ______(have) its origin in morality, but also is easier to enforce when citizens 13) ______ (yield) to government for moral reasons.