Vocabulary

abolition n отмена, упразднение

administer v отправлять (правосудие); исполнять

assassin n убийца (по политическим мотивам или по найму)

bias n дискриминация; предубеждение; v оказывать влияние

capital punishment n смертная казнь; syn. death penalty

corporal punishment n телесное наказание

counterpart n противная сторона

departure n отступление; отход (от прежней правовой нормы)

divine adj божественный

execution n 1 исполнение; 2 приведение в исполнение приговора к смертной казни

expository execution показательная казнь

fornication n блуд

homicide n убийство; лишение человека жизни

infliction of death penalty назначение смертной казни

life imprisonment n пожизненное заключение

long-term imprisonment n долгосрочное тюремное заключение

revenge n месть, возмездие syn. retribution

secular adj светский

sentence to death v приговаривать к смерти

sexist adj женоненавистнический

warrant n свидетельство

Reading Tasks

Answer these questions.

1 Why was capital punishment imposed so frequently in ancient societies?

2 What is the usual alternative to the death penalty?

3 How have the attitudes towards capital punishment changed in Britain since the abolition of death penalty in 1965?

4 Is imprisonment effective for revolutionaries and terrorists? Why?

5 How have Americans treated the problem of death penalty?

6 What factors may hamper the fair administration of justice in capital

cases?

Vocabulary tasks

A Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and expressions related to punishment.

1 возмездие

2 долгосрочное тюремное заключение

3 отбывать срок в тюрьме

4 отмена смертной казни

5 пожизненное тюремное заключение

6 показательная казнь

7 приговаривать к смерти

8 телесные наказания

B Write an appropriate question for each answer below.

1 No, capital punishment is not only a retribution for the offence committed but also a form of prevention of crimes.

2 No, capital punishment is not yet prohibited in Russia.

3 A form of capital punishment depends on the gravity of the crime committed and the personality of a criminal.

4 A penalty must be imposed by the court.

5 The rights of the convicted persons are restricted.

6 There are some supplementary penalties that may be imposed on the convicted persons.

7 Capital punishment is permitted only in exceptional cases.

8 The list of crimes which can be punished by a sentence of death is defined by law.

C Continue the table below with the following words and expressions describing polar views. The first few are done for you.

for	against
proponent to argue in favour of smth.	opponent to argue against smth.

• con

• objection to smth.

• defender

• pro

• supporter

• to accept smth.

• to admit smth.

• to agree to/with smth.

• to confirm smth.

• to consent to smth.

• to contradict to smth.

• to deny smth.

• to disagree with smth.

• to object to smth.

• to oppose smth.

• to reject smth.

D What is your personal understanding of the following famous statements? Make a list of examples from history to illustrate these statements. Use the words and expressions from C to support the following opposite points of view:

FOR

AGAINST

1. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!” — We should admit this Biblical principle. It is eternal!… 2. “Let the punishment fit the crime.” –Those who steal should be deprived of their property, … those who kill should be deprived of their own lives’!... 3. “The pain of the penalty should outweigh only slightly the pleasure of success in crime.” J. Bentham 4. 5. “The primary purpose of the punishment which society inflicts is to redress the disorder caused by the offence.” Pope John Paul II 6. 7. “Whosoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.”

1. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!”- This is a cruel pre-Christian spirit of revenge. We are civilized now – let’s give it up and be humane!... 2. “Let the punishment fit the crime.” – We can not accept fixed punishments for crimes. Circumstances should be taken into account. 3. 4. “It is much more prudent to acquit two persons, though actually guilty, than to pass sentence of condemnation on one that is virtuous and innocent.” Voltaire 5. 6. “An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation.” C.S.King 7.

E Describe the current attitudes to the following problems using the expressions from C . Make up no fewer than 5 sentences.

• International terrorism

• Environment

• Artificial intelligence

• Drugs

• Political correctness