Capital punishment: for and against

The ultimate penalty is death (capital punishment). It is carried out by hanging (Kenya, for example); electrocution, gashing or lethal injection (US); beheading (Saudi Arabia); or shooting (China). Although most countries still have a death penalty, 35 (including almost even, - European nation) have abolished it; 18 retain it only for exceptional crimes such as wartime offences; and 27 no longer carry out executions even when a death sentence has been passed, in other words, almost half the countries of the world have ceased to use the death penalty. The UN” has declared itself in favour of abolition, Amnesty International actively campaigns for abolition, and the issue is now the locus of great debate.

Supporters of capital punishment believe that death is a just punishment for certain serious crimes. Many also believe that it deters others from committing such crimes. Opponents argue that execution is cruel and uncivilized. Capital punishment involves not only the pain of dying but also the mental anguish of waiting, sometimes for years, to know if and when the sentence will be carried out. Opponents also argue that there is no evidence that it deters people from committing murder any more than imprisonment does. A further argument is that, shoul a mistake be made, it is too late to rectify it once the execution has taken place. In 1987, two academics published a study showing that 23 innocent people had been executed in the United States. Research has shown that capital punishment is used inconsistently.

 

2. Закончите предложения, выбрав правильный вариант

1. In … capital punishment is carried out by hanging

a) The USA

b) China

c) Kenya

2. The UN supported …

a) the abolition of capital punishment

b) the death penalty

c) execution by lethal injection

3. In 1987 the American study that … innocent people were executed in the USA

a) 23

b) 18

c) 27

4. In Nigeria, … Irag, Bangladesh, Barbados, the United States children under 18 have been legally put to death

a) Russia

b) Iran

c) Great Britain

5. In … the aim of the penalty for theft was to frighten people from stealing

a) in modern England

b) in the 18^th century England

c) in the 18^th century Wales

 

3. Прочтите текст ещё раз и выберите правильное утверждение

1. Many European countries support the idea of capital punishment abolition

2. 18 countries of the world have abolished capital punishment

3. Every year a lot of criminals are executed in Japan

4. Opponents are sure that capital punishment diminishes the percent; of violent crimes

5. In many countries young offenders are sent to prison.

 

4. Спишите, подчеркните сказуемое и переведите следующие предложения

1. The statement was made yesterday

2. A statement is usually made the same day

3. A few bad mistakes were made in the dicta

4. A meeting will be arranged tomorrow

5. The list will be completed next-week.

6. This word is used in a different meaning

 

5. Раскройте скобки, выбрав нужный вариант

1. Moscow is the seat (in/of) federal and regional governments

2. The historical centre (at/of) Moscow is Red Square and the Kremlin

3. (In/on) the Old Slavic language the word “red” means beautiful

4. Most cathedrals were built (in/during) the period between the 15^th and 17^th centuries.

5. Twenty towers of the Kremlin were constructed (in/at) the end of the 17^th century