► Ex. V. Complete the following statements.
1) Death was... 2) Death penalty was never applied as... 3) Many offenders who committed capital crimes were allowed... 4) Many offenders who were ordained priests were subject to... 5) If the offender convicted of a felony could show... he was allowed... or was subject to... 6) Anyone convicted of a felony was allowed... 7) The application of the death penalty was... 8) The judge was entitled... 9) The judge was not obliged... 10) If the judge decided... the death sentence was... 11) Many offenders who were convicted of capital crimes escaped... as a result of... 12) Executions in England were... 13) Great crowds attended... 14) Scenes of... followed... 15) It was believed that pickpockets... 16) Public opinion turned... 17) After 1868 executions were carried out in... 18) Capital murders are...
► Ex. VI. Choose one topic to speak about
a) benefit of clergy;
b) erratic application of death penalty;
c) death penalty and its execution;
d) capital crimes.
Retell the text “Capital punishment and its application”.
UNIT 34
► Ex. I. Scan through the text. Work in pairs to question the text and to give answers.
Capital punishment and its abolition. The operation of the system of capital murder created great dissatisfaction, as it led to some executions that the public viewed as unjustified, while other types of murderers escaped the death penalty. In particular, deliberate poisoners were not subject to the death penalty, but the emotional murderer who had happened to seize a gun was liable to execution. In 1965 the Murder Act abolished the death penalty for all murders and replaced it with a life sentence in all cases. The judge was given the power to recommend that the offender sentenced to life imprisonment should not be released before he had served a certain minimum period. The abolition of capital punishment in England in November 1965 was welcomed by most people with humane and progressive ideas. To them the abolition of death penalty seemed a departure from feudalism, from the cruel pre-Christian spirit of revenge: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Today public opinion in Britain has changed. People who before stated that capital punishment was not a deterrent to murder - for there have always been murders in all countries with or without the law of execution -now feel that killing the assassin is the lesser of two evils. Capital punishment, they think, may not be the ideal answer, but it is better than nothing, especially when, as in England, a life sentence only lasts eight or nine years.
Abolition - отмена; capital murder - убийство, караемое смертной казнью; dissatisfaction - недовольство; execution -приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни; view - рассматривать; unjustified - необоснованный; escape the death penalty - избежать смертной казни; deliberate poisoner - умышленный отравитель; subject / liable -подлежащий; emotional crime - преступление под влиянием аффекта; seize a gun - схватить огнестрельное оружие; abolish the death penalty - отменять смертную казнь; replace - заменять; life sentence - приговор к пожизненному тюремному заключению; release - освобождать; serve a sentence - отбывать наказание.
► Ex. II. Agree or disagree with the following statements.
1) The operation of the system of capital murder created great satisfaction. 2) The operation of the system of capital murder led to some executions that the public viewed as well-thought-out. 3) No types of murderers escaped the death penalty. 4) Deliberate poisoners were subject to the death penalty. 5) The emotional murderer was not liable to execution. 6) Capital punishment was abolished for felony crimes. 7) Life sentence was replaced with a death penalty in all cases. 8) The offender sentenced to life imprisonment should be released before he had served a certain period. 9) Murderers and rapists welcomed the abolition of capital punishment. 10) The abolition of death penalty seemed to people a great catastrophe. 11) People stated that capital punishment was a deterrent to murder.
► Ex. III. Restore the word order in the following statements.
1) The created operation of the system of capital murder great dissatisfaction. 2) The operation of the system of capital murder to some executions that the public viewed as led unjustified. 3) Some escaped types of murderers the death penalty. 4) Deliberate poisoners subject to the death penalty were not. 5) The emotional murderer liable to execution was. 6) Capital punishment was for all murders abolished. 7) Death penalty was with a life sentence in all cases replaced. 8) The offender sentenced to life imprisonment should not be minimum period released be-. fore he had served a certain. 9) Most people with humane and progressive ideas the abolition of capital punishment welcomed. 10) The abolition of death penalty to people a departure from feudalism seemed. 11) The abolition of seemed capital punishment to people a departure from the pre-Christian spirit of revenge. 12) People that capital punishment was not a deterrent to murder stated. 13) People that killing the assassin is the lesser of two evils feel. 14) Capital punishment better than nothing is.
► Ex. IV. Translate the following words and phrases from Russian into English.
Отмена смертной казни; утверждать; дохристианский; расставание; изменяться; мщение; высшая мера наказания; казаться; тяжкое убийство, караемое смертной казнью; общественное мнение; умышленный; средство устрашения; феодализм; приветствовать; гуманный; жестокий; око за око и зуб за зуб; убийца; длиться; пожизненное тюремное заключение; недовольство; приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни; рассматривать; необоснованный; избежать смертной казни; умышленный отравитель; преступление под влиянием аффекта; схватить огнестрельное оружие; отменять смертную казнь; заменять; освобождать; отбывать наказание; обоснованный.
► Ex. V. Complete the following statements.
1) The operation of the system of capital murder created... 2) The operation of the system of capital murder led to... 3) Some types of murderers escaped... 4) Deliberate poisoners were not subject to... 5) The emotional murderer was liable to... 6) Capital punishment was abolished for... 7) Death penalty was replaced with... 8) The offender sentenced to life imprisonment should not be... 9) Most people with humane and progressive ideas welcomed... 10) The abolition of death penalty seemed to people a departure from... 11) People stated that... 12) People feel that... 13) Capital punishment is better than...
► Ex. VI. Choose one topic to speak about
a) pro capital punishment;
b) con capital punishment
Retell the text “Capital punishment and its abolition”.
UNIT 35
► Ex. I. Scan through the text. Work in pairs to question the text and to give answers.
Capital punishment and its constitutionality. In the United States, where the existence of the death penalty is primarily a matter of state law, capital punishment was permitted by many states for murder and in some states for offenses such as rape and kidnapping. Executions were common; between 150 and 200 persons were executed each year in the decade before World War II. In the postwar years the number of executions declined to about 50 each year by the late 1950s. During the 1960s doubts grew as to whether the application of the death penalty was constitutional. These doubts led to a complete cessation of executions for a decade, until the Supreme Court of the United States settled the constitutional issues in 1972. The Supreme Court enacted that the death penalty itself did not violate the Constitution but that the manner of its application in many states did. Some states enacted legislation that if there was no discretion in the application of the death penalty, there could be no question of discrimination in its application. [Discretion is the ability and right to decide exactly what should be done in a particular situation. Discrimination is the practice of treating one particular group in society in an unfair way.] Other states enacted legislation that provided for the death penalty to be imposed only after a special hearing, at which matters of mitigation and aggravation were to be considered, so that the discretion would be exercised in a systematic rather than an arbitrary manner. The constitutionality of these new laws was - considered by the Supreme Court in 1976, which decided that laws making the application of the death penalty automatic I were unconstitutional but that those providing a framework for i the exercise of discretion were constitutional.
VOCABULARY
| cessation | прекращение | provide for | предусматривать |
| constitutional issue | вопрос, имеющий конституционное значение | mitigation | смягчение |
| enact | предписывать в законодательном порядке, постановлять | aggravation | усиление |
| discrimination | неодинаковое отношение | exercise of discretion | осуществление усмотрения |
| enact legislation | принимать законы | arbitrary | произвольный |
| discretion | усмотрение | framework | правовые рамки |
► Ex. II. Agree or disagree with the following statements.
1) The existence of the death penalty is primarily a matter of the Supreme Court in the United States. 2) Capital punishment was permitted by many states for theft. 3) Capital punishment was permitted in some states for hooliganism. 4) Executions were uncommon in the United States. 5) The Supreme Court decided that laws making the application of the death penalty automatic I were constitutional. 6) The Supreme Court decided that laws I providing a framework for the exercise of discretion were unconstitutional.
► Ex. III. Restore the word order in the following statements.
1) The United States existence of the death penalty is primarily amatter of state law in the. 2) Capital was permitted punishment by many states for murder. 3) Capital punishment in some states for rape and kidnapping was permitted. 4) Executions common in the United States were. 5) The Supreme Court decided that laws automatic were unconstitutional making the application of the death penalty. 6) The Supreme Court decided that laws were constitutional providing a framework for the exercise of discretion.
► Ex. IV. Translate the following words and phrases from Russian into English.
Существование смертной казни; правонарушение; изнасилование; похищение человека с целью выкупа; приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни, казнить; сомнения; применение смертной казни; конституционный; неконституционный; полное прекращение; вопрос, имеющий конституционное значение; предписывать в законодательном порядке; неодинаковое отношение; принимать законы; усмотрение; предусматривать; смягчение; усиление; осуществление усмотрения; произвольный; правовые рамки; закон штата; разрешать; тяжкое убийство.
► Ex. V. Complete the following statements.
1) The existence of the death penalty in the United States is...
2) Capital punishment was permitted by... for... 3) Executions were... in the United States. 4) Doubts grew as to whether... 5) The Supreme Court of the US settled... 6) The Supreme Court enacted... 7) Some states of the US enacted legislation that... 8) Other states of the US enacted legislation that... 9) Special hearing considered some matters of... 10) The Supreme Court decided that laws making... 11) The Supreme Court decided that laws providing...
► Ex. VI. Choose one topic to speak about death penalty:
a) its existence in the US;
b) its constitutionality;
c) its unconstitutionality.
Retell the text “Capital punishment and its constitutionality”.
CHAPTER X
