Language focus

Put the verb in brackets into the correct form, present simple, past simple or present perfect.

It is obvious to everyone that, in a community such as the one in which we live, some kind of law is necessary. When the world was at a very primitive stage, there was no such law. But, for a very long time now, members of every community have made laws for themselves in self-protection.

Every day of our lives we are restrained and guided by law. It protects us while it restricts us. Sometimes it punishes us. It determines the registration of our births and the distribution of our possessions at death. It tells us how fast we can drive and how long we must attend school.

Every country tryes, therefore, to provide laws which will help its people to live safely and as comfortably as possible. This is not at all an easy thing to do, and no country is successful in producing laws which are entirely satisfactory. But we are far better off with the imperfect laws which we have, than if we had none at all.

Vocabulary tasks

A Match the English words and expressions with their Russian equivalents.

1 law g закон

2 settle a dispute h урегулироватьспор

3 negotiations broke down f переговоры сорвались

4 consult the police b обратиться в полицию

5 lawyer c юрист

6 court a суд

7 accident d несчастный случай

8 legal implication e юридически подразумеваемое положение