Answers:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

П)

12)

Task 2.

Match each word or phrase on the left with its definition on the right.

1) judge	a) an official decision made in a court of law, especially about whether someone is guilty of a crime
2) jury	b) a legal document that says who you want to give your money and property to after you die
3) verdict	c) the person or group of people who have been officially accused of a crime or offence in a court of law
4) interpret	d) money, property etc that you receive from someone who has died
5) pass a sentence	e) to give a punishment
6) federal	f) an action that breaks a law, agreement, principle etc
7) try a case	g) a group of 12 ordinary people who listen to the details of a case in court and decide whether someone is guilty or not
8) the accused	h) part of a country, one of the areas with limited law­making power
9) witness	i) an official in control of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
10) inheritance	j) someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened
11) civil	k) to explain the meaning of something
12) violation	1) relating to the people who live in a country
13) will	m) relating to the central government of the USA
14) state	n) to examine and judge a legal case or someone who is thought to be guilty of a crime in a court
Answers:
1) 2) 3) 4)	5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 14) 13) 14)

Task 3.

Answer the following questions.

1. When did the USA begin to develop its judicial system?

2. When was the Constitution written?

3. What did the US Constitution establish?

4. Does a judicial branch of government operate independently alongside the executive and legislative branches?

5. What was created by the Judiciary act in 1789?

6. The federal and the state judiciary are independent of each other, aren't they?

7. What court decisions does the Supreme Court review?

8. What kind of matters do federal courts have the power to decide?

9. Can county courts deal with both criminal and civil cases?

10. What do the lowest state courts specialize in?

11. What jurisdiction has the lowest federal court?

12. Who are federal judges appointed by?

13. How many jurors comprise a jury?

14. What is a jury's obligation during the trial of criminal cases?

15. Each state has from one to four district courts, doesn't it?

16. How many judges can work in a federal court?

17. What do people do when they believe that the decision of a lower court is unjust?

18. Do three or nine judges try cases in the Court of Appeal?

19. Are there twelve Appellate Courts in the USA?

20. Where is the US Supreme Court situated?

21. What is the Supreme Court Building famous for?

22. What does the US Supreme Court consist of?

23. What jurisdiction has the Supreme Court?

24. Can the Supreme Court change the Constitution?

25. What are the functions of the Judicial Conference of the USA?

Task 4.

Complete the text with the appropriate words or word-combinations, given below in the box. Each word can be used only once.

a) legal rights	b) an impartial jury	c) federal	d) justice	e) freedoms
f) the provision	g) the legal profession	h) lawyer	i) the law	j) courts

1. Issues of crime and ... have always held Americans' attention. 2. Americans are accustomed to bringing their claims for justice to ... . 3. There are few countries where so many people treat ... as part of their everyday lives. 4. Local, state, and ... courts handle approximately 12 million cases a year. 5. The sheer number of Americans employed in ... is overwhelming. 6. There is one ... for every 440 Americans, whereas in Japan there is one lawyer for every 10,000. 7. Americans' claims for justice rest on ... of the United States Constitution. 8. Citizens have the right to be judged in a speedy and public trial by ... . 9. If someone feels that these or other ... have been violated, he or she may bring the case to court. 10. Most of the rights and ... that Americans enjoy are guaranteed in the first ten amendments or "Bill of Rights" of the Constitution.