UNIT 4
THE SYSTEM OF LAW IN RUSSIA
Reading and vocabulary
I. Skim the text for general understanding. Pay attention to the words in bold. Write them out into your personal vocabulary
Law is a system of rules established by the state.
The main aim of law is to consolidate and safeguard the social and state system and its economic foundation.
One important distinction made in all countries is between private-or civil-law and public law. Civil law concerns disputes among citizens within a country, and public law concerns disputes between citizens and the state, or between one state and another.
The system of law in our country consists of different categories of law.
Constitutional law is a leading category of the whole system of law. Its principal source is the country`s Constitution. It deals with social structure, the state system, organization of state power and the legal status of citizens.
Administrative law is closely connected with constitutional law but it deals with the legal forms of concrete executive and administrative activity of a government and ministries.
Criminal law defines the general principles of criminal responsibility, individual types of crimes and punishment applied to criminals. Crimes are wrongs which, even committed against an individual are considered to harm the well-being of society in general. Criminal law takes the form of a criminal code.
International law regulates relations between governments and also between private citizens of one country and those of another.
Financial law regulates the budge t, taxation, state credit and other spheres of financial activity.
Civil law is connected with relations in the economic sphere of life, with relations involving property, its distribution and exchange. The right of property is the central institution of civil law.
The rules of employment law include the legislation on the employment of industrial and office workers and regulate matters arising from employment relations.
II.Scan the text and answer the questions.
1. What is law?
2. What is the main aim of law?
3. What categories of law does the system of law in Russia consist of?
4. What is the principal source of constitutional law?
5. What category of law is closely connected with constitutional law?
6. What is the central institution of civil law?
7. What does criminal law define?
8. What form does criminal law take?
9. What is civil law connected with?
10. What rules does employment law include?
III. Scan the dialogue. Where does the conversation take place? What do they discuss?
DIALOGUE
Chaiman: Good morning, everybody. We have two points on the agenda today. Point 1 is our visit to Moscow to get acquainted with the work of a local court. We have been offered a quite interesting programme. You all have it. Do you want to put forward any proposals or amendments? Well, who`d like to start the ball rolling?
Personnel Manager: May I begin? First of all I am strongly for the cooperation which seems to be mutually beneficial. Being Personnel Manager I would like to know more about their labor regulations.
Chairman: All right, John. We`ll notify our Russian colleagues about that. Who`s netx?
Company Secretary: As far as I am Company Secretary and deal with most legal matters, I`m interested in structure of their legal department and its activities such as contracts, insurance, compensation, guarantees, and so on.
Chairman: I think it is all on the programme.
Company Secretary: Yes, but I`d like to discuss it in detail.
Chairman: All right. And now let us discuss Point 2: coordinating the activities of the various departments of the company.
Personnel Manager: I have a suggestion. Let us vote on this issue. I think we are all in favour.
To study the language of the meetings watch http://www.englishvideolesson.com/560-1-unit-9-in-the-meeting.html
Grammar and Practice
Past Indefinite (Regular Verbs)
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | |
| Long form | Short form | ||
| I worked You worked He worked She worked It worked We worked You worked They worked | I did not work You did not work He did not work She did not work It did not work We did not work You did not work They did not work | I didn`t work You didn`t work He didn`t work She didn`t work It didn`t work We didn`t work You didn`t work They didn`t work | Did I work? Did you work? Did he work? Did she work? Did it work? Did we work? Did you work? Did they work? |
Spelling
| love – loved like – liked | |
| Time Expressions with Past Indefinite | |
| yesterday last week (month, year) | an hour (month, year) ago |
I. Write the Simple Past of the following verbs:
| 1. watch - watched 2. clean........... 3. stop............ 4. arrive.......... 5. return.......... 6. cook............ | 7. walk.......... 8. visit........... 9. work.......... 10. look.......... 11. like........... 12. iron........... | 13. play.......... 14. study......... 15. love........... 16. open.......... 17. start.......... 18. water......... | 19. climb......... 20. stay........... 21. call............ 22. kiss........... 23. tidy........... 24. wash.......... |
II. Make the sentences negative and interrogative:
1. They go to the library every day.
2. He works at the English laboratory every day.
3. We got excellent marks at the exams.
4. She liked to work in the evening.
5. We translated the text yesterday.
6. They finished the experiment a week ago.
III. Ask questions using the questions words given:
Model: He graduated from the University last year. (When?)
When did he graduate from the University?
1. He visits us on Sundays. (Who?)
2. He visited us on Sundays. (Who?)
3. Ann spent her winter vacation in Kiev. (Where?)
4. The delegation arrives in the evening. (When?)
5. Our students took part in the meeting. (Where?)
6. She taught English at school. (Where?)
IV. Answer the following questions:
1. Where do you study?
2. Did you live in Chelyabinsk last year?
3. Did you take part in the conference a year ago?
4. When did you pass your entrance examinations?
5. Where does your friend study?
6. What are your parents? Where did they study?
7. Did you go to the theatre yesterday?
8. When did you finish school?
9. Do you often see your school-friends?
