Task 1. Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank
1. accuse (a) to determine that someone is guilty
2. convict (b) responsible for a crime
3. civil (c) a social equal
4. guilty (d) being related to a personal dispute, not a crime
5. peer (e) to say someone did a bad thing
Task 2. Circle the word that best completes each sentence
1. The most likely (suspect / witness) in the murder was the victim’s brother, but no one actually saw the crime.
2. The new president (allegedly / guiltily) had his main opponents killed, but he denies it.
3. At one time in the United States, possession of marijuana was a minor (verdict / offense).
4. The (witness / peer) made a poor impression on the jury because he couldn’t remember many details about the crime scene.
5. Juries are instructed to arrive at a unanimous (verdict / convict), one agreeable to all members of the jury.
Task 3. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow
One of the most controversial murder cases of the twentieth century was that involving the death of Marilyn Sheppard in 1954. Her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, was accused of killing her and then injuring himself. An unlikely suspect, Sheppard was highly respected by his peers in the medical world. Still, there were odd aspects to the murder that Sheppard could not explain away. Unfortunately for Sheppard, none of his supporters actually witnessed the crime, so nobody could back up Sheppard’s claim that the real killer was a bushy-haired man whom Sheppard had chased across his lawn and fought with briefly. Sheppard was eventually convicted of the offense, but many people doubted the verdict. With aggressive help from a lawyer named F. Lee Bailey, Sheppard got a new trial. Bailey suggested many alternatives to Sheppard’s guilt, enough that the new jury could not say he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Sheppard was released from prison but died soon afterward. His son, Chip, pursued the case through several civil and criminal proceedings in an attempt to find out the truth about his mother’s murder. Late in the 1990s, new DNA analysis techniques proved that someone other than Sam Sheppard and his family had been in the house that night. Sheppard’s story about the bushy-haired man had probably been accurate all along.
1. Why was the Sheppard case unusual?
a. A husband was accused of murdering his wife.
b. The murder occurred in 1954.
c. Doubt about the guilty verdict led to a second trial.
d. The accused murderer said he didn’t do it.
2. The author of this article implies that Sam Sheppard __________
a. did not kill his wife
b. lied about the bushy-haired man
c. did not love his wife
d. married again after he got out of prison
Task 4. Translate the following sentences into the Russian language in writing
- Jordan was accusedof using a stolen credit card to buy about $300 worth of electronic equipment.
- The chief financial officer of the company allegedlytook company money for his personal use.
- In a civilsuit against his neighbor, Barney claimed that the neighbor’s dog had bitten him.
- Dean was convictedof assault after the jury saw a video of him striking another man.
- The jury found that the director was guiltyof embezzlement.
- Convicted twice of reckless driving, Victor will lose his license if he commits another serious traffic offense.
- In requiring judgment by “a jury of one’s peers,” U.S. law meant to protect lower-class defendants from the possibly biased judgment of upper-class juries.
- The police were investigating the activities of five suspectsin the liquor-store robbery.
- It took the jury only 30 minutes to reach a verdictof “guilty.”
- After witnessingthe car theft, Rodney called the police.
Task 5.
a. Read the paragraph below and underline the sentences which refer to the …
cause of problem effect of problem suggestion expected result
There has been a massive rise in the number of crimes committed by young people. This has been largely blamed on the drop in supervision by parents. As a result, there is increasing concern both for the fate of teenagers and the safety of their potential victims. One solution would be to substantially increase the number of police patrols on the streets. A heavier police presence would ensure that more offenders would be deterred, leading to greater safety for the public.