71

If a third party performs the last act that causes a patient’s death (for example, giving a patient a lethal injection), euthanasia has occurred. If a person who dies performs the last act with the help of someone (for example, a person swallows an overdose of drugs that has been provided by a doctor), assisted suicide has taken place.

Is Dutch law on euthanasia compatible with international conventions guaranteeing the right for life?

The Dutch government does not go so far as forbid individuals to decide for themselves whether or not their lives are worth living. For that reason, suicide is not an offence in the Netherlands, as it is in some other countries.

Can people come from other countries to seek euthanasia in the Netherlands?

This is impossible, given the need for a close doctor-patient relationship. Granting a request for euthanasia places a considerable emotional burden on the doctor. The legal procedure for assessment of each individual case of euthanasia requires the patient to have made a voluntary, well-considered request and to be suffering unbearably without any prospect of improvement. In order to be able to assess whether this is indeed the case, the doctor must know the patient well. This implies that the doctor has treated the patient for some time.

LESSON 7

A. READING

A1. Read the text to find out information about laws in Singapore. While reading think how many parts the text may be divided into.

KEY VOCABULARY

Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world. Both local people and tourists feel safe there. Laws in Singapore are generally strict and aimed at instilling a self-disciplined society with restrictions and harsh punishment, for

72

example, caning and execution. Singapore has created a wide variety of laws and regulations against anything and everything that could possibly upset the sense of tranquility. Taxi drivers in Singapore tell an often told joke: "Singapore is a fine country. In Singapore, we have fines for everything." The joke is popular because fines are a defining element of life in Singapore. Some of the fines are for offenses that international travelers might expect, such as littering. However, the penalties for these crimes and the strictness with which they are enforced may surprise travelers. First-time offenders can be fined $500 or more. Other laws are more unique to Singapore. For example, it is illegal to use a toilet in Singapore and then not flush* it. You will also be given a fine if you are caught spitting*. The sale, importation and possession of chewing gum is banned and subject to heavy fines. First-time offenders can be fined $1,000 and repeat-offenders are fined $2,000 and given corrective work, such as cleaning a public place. The offenders are made to wear bright jackets, and sometimes, media are invited to cover the spectacle. This rule was introduced because of the high cost and difficulty in removing chewing gum from public premises. In addition to gum, other items that cannot be brought into the country without authorization from the government include bullet-proof clothing, toy guns, pistols, weapons, or spears. Chewing tobacco, toy currency, and obscene* materials are strictly prohibited. Smoking is not allowed in public buses, taxis, lifts, theaters, cinemas, government offices, and in air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centers. First-time offenders face a maximum fine of $1,000. Eating or drinking is also prohibited in Mass Rapid Transit trains and terminals. It carries a minimum fine of $500. Laws against driving while using a cellular phone are very strictly enforced. First-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000. In addition to the minor offenses that could result in a fine or community service work, the laws concerning more serious offenses in Singapore are also very tough and strictly enforced. For example, there is a mandatory caning sentence for vandalism offenses. An American teenager Michael Fay was caught vandalizing Singaporean cars in 1994 and sentenced to caning. Despite the considerable efforts of President Clinton and several other government officials, the sentence was not reversed, although the number of strokes were lessen. Fay was also fined and served a four-month prison sentence.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

*flush – спускать воду spit – плевать

obscene – неприличный, непристойный, оскорбительный

B. VOCABULARY

73

B1. Translate the following expressions using the text:

1)одна из самых безопасных стран

2)законы нацелены на воспитание самодисциплины в обществе

3)большое множество законов и постановлений

4)суровое наказание

5)нарушать спокойствие

6)люди, нарушающие закон в первый раз

7)люди, нарушающие закон повторно

8)вы получите штраф

9)подлежит большим штрафам

10)исправительные работы

11)для освещения события приглашаются средства массовой информации

12)общественные помещения (здания)

13)другие товары, которые не могут ввозиться в страну

14)обеспечивается строгое соблюдение законов

15)мелкие правонарушения

16)общественные работы

17)законы, касающиеся более серьезных нарушений

18)значительные усилия

19)приговор не был отменен

20)число ударов было уменьшено

C. DISCUSSION

С1. Do the assignments below:

1.Divide the text into several parts and provide the reasons for your dividing.

2.How many laws and regulations can you find in the text? Write them out and decide which laws you consider just, reasonable, odd, useful, wrong. Say why you think so.

3.Compare Singapore’s laws with similar regulations in your country. Which country has stricter laws?

4.Do you agree that it is reasonable to have so many fines for almost everything wrong?

D.ROLE-PLAY.

D1. “LEGISLATORS”. Divide into groups of 3-5 people. Each group should invent and introduce a new law they consider necessary and actual. Other groups should try to oppose these laws finding arguments against them. Each group may then modify or amend the law and introduce it again. The others vote for or against passing this law.

74

How many laws have you passed?

E. TIME FOR FUN

E1. Try to do the second quiz just for fun. You can find the right answers at the end of this module.

1.In Scotland, you may not be in possession of a cow if you are…

-naked

-over 65 years old

-alone

-drunk

2.In France, what can you not call a pig?

-Charles DeGaulle

-Napoleon

-Gerard Depardieu

-Jerry Lewis

3.In Haifa, Israel, it is forbidden to bring to the beach…

-alcohol

-bears

-food

-pigs or bacon products

4.In Finland, you must have a license for which of the following?

-a computer

-a house pet

-a television

-a tomato plant

5.In Singapore, it is illegal to do this in an elevator:

-to talk

-to sneeze

-to pee

-to cough

6.How many years is a “life sentence” in Australia ?

-50 years

-1,000 years

-100 years

-25 years

7.In Canada it is illegal to kill a sick person by doing what to them?

-making them tired

-tickling them

-frightening them

75

-kissing them

8.In Italy, a man may be arrested for wearing…

-hat

-the spaghetti sauce from his dinner on his shirt

-skirt

-red clothes

9.In China, to go to college you must be…

-a Chinese citizen

-rich

-male

-intelligent

10.Until 1824 anyone in England who unsuccessfully attempted suicide faced…

-10 to 20 years in prison

-the death penalty

-life in prison

-exile and loss of all possessions

11.In Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing…

-underwear

-shirt

-hat

-gloves

12.In Switzerland, it is illegal to do this after 10 pm if you live in an apartment:

-watch TV

-sing

-flush your toilet

-have sex

LESSON 8

A. REVISION

A1. Which word do the following sentences define? Chose the right

76

3. Sum of money (to be) paid by citizens to the government for public

10. To prevent someone from having something that they need or want: a) damage b) deprive c) require d) disperse

11. To tell someone about possible problem or danger so that they can avoid

A2. Write a prefix that makes the following words negative. Example:

77

A3. Write out from the box the words with the same meaning as the words below:

Admire, analyze, argue, arise, authorized, begin, bizarre, capitulate, come from, confront, contemporary, contribute, counter (v), curious, current, deliver, examine, explore, fresh, give up responsibility, honour (v), insignificant, late, lawful, leave, licit, look into, odd, peculiar, permissible, present-day, protest, provide, queer, quit, recognize, regard (v), resist, retire, rightful, sanctioned, singular, small, speak against, study, trivial, unfamiliar, unimportant, value (v)

A4. Choose the right word.

Means of social control in Cambodia.

At the community level in Cambodia, social control is damaged/ provided/ banned through socialization from childhood into norms of proper custom/ issue/ conduct and through use of informal sanctions such as gossip* or ostracism*. Individuals seek to avoid the “embarrassment” or “shame” of improper law/behaviour/ prohibition, as well as to earn religious merit by following the major Buddhist taxes/ fines/ rules of conduct (do not lie, steal, drink alcoholic beverages, fornicate, or kill living creatures). Certain kinds of obligations/harassment/ misbehaviour are thought to bring punishment/ amendment/ abuse from supernatural beings, usually in the form of illness. Although police and law courts exist, many people avoid using them except when absolutely permissible/ compulsory/ necessary. Within the community, open confrontation/ euthanasia/ recruitment between individuals is rare because cultural norms discourage aggressive anger and conflict.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*gossip – болтовня, разговоры, сплетни, слухи ostracism – остракизм, бойкот, изгнание из общества

B. TRANSLATION

B1. Translate the following text in writing.

Euthanasia.

Formerly called “mercy killing”, euthanasia means to facilitate someone else’s death intentionally but also compassionately. Euthanasia is

78

illegal in Britain, but overseas steps have been taken towards legislation in the Netherlands, the US state of Oregon and the Australian Northern Territory. Debates over the ethics of euthanasia involve questions concerning a doctor’s Hippocratic oath, parallels with abortion and suicide, religious beliefs, uncertainties over the motives of relatives, and the individual’s right to an easy, painless death.

Orthodox religion condemns euthanasia as the unwarrantable curtailment of God-given life. The law doesn’t accept euthanasia either. It denies the validity of “living wills” and threatens with severe penalties (that are, however, rarely inflicted) those who assist their follows in terminating their life, even when acting only on an explicit, formally recorded request. The euthanasia movements commands considerable support and will probably make further headway as Britain becomes an increasingly secularized society.

C. CASES

C1. Read the cases, recall what laws were people breaking, in what countries and at what time did the situation take place?

Case 1

John Smith, a pub owner in London, was fined for a sum of £500 because he had let the pub visitors stay for the night to celebrate a birthday of one of them. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I just wanted to help people and earn some money. Now I’ll have to close the pub as the fine is really huge”, regretted the poor publican.

Do you think the law was fair? What might the reason for introducing such regulation have been? Can this law be applicable now? (Give arguments to ground your point of view)

Case 2

Nigel Jones,45, initiated a legal case against his wife Susan, 27. When the judge read his claim, she and all clerks of the court were first astonished, then couldn’t stop laughing for almost half a day. It turned out that Mr. Jones was dissatisfied with the change in his spouse’s appearance that was carried out without his permission. “I got married to another woman”, explains Mr. Jones. “She used to wear it long and looked really lady-like. Now she looks like a teenage boy”, he continues. Judge Reed is at her wit’s end: being absolutely absurd, the claim still has all legal grounds.

What was the change that Mr. Jones was so dissatisfied with? What do you think about the claim? What relationships in the family can these people have? What should the judge do?

79

Case 3

The principal of Charity school dismissed Miss Carter, one of the teachers. The only reason for that snap decision was that he once saw her walking hand-in-hand with a young man. Miss Carter wanted to explain that it was her cousin but the decisive principal just refused to listen. He said that he believed his eyes only.

What was the reason for the dismissal? Was it fair? Who would you believe in that situation? (Give reasons)

Case 4

In the recent interview Hugo Sallivan, 85, a famous restaurateur, confessed that the starting capital for his business was earned illegally. When he was a teenager his father was secretly importing whisky into the country. The small business was successful for half a year, then the father was arrested and sentenced to a jail term. After that misfortune Hugo inherited the “family business” and developed it successfully. He was clever enough to stop at the right time and afterwards opened a café by a petrol station in his native town. In five years he owned 12 cafes throughout the state, in ten years – a chain of fast food cafes in many states of the country. Later he invested in various sphere of business, including a chain of most fashionable restaurants in many large cities of the world.

Name the crime Hugo’s father was arrested for. Should Mr. Sallivan be punished for his illegal activity? (Give arguments to ground your answer) What is your attitude to the law they were breaking?

80

7) tax 8) originated

F1. The answers to Quiz 1 “Dumb American laws” :

1.to sing

2.a lion

3.an ice-cream cone

4.to drink milk (actually, it is against the law not to drink the milk)

5.a Santa suit

6.a box of candy

81

7.to tie a giraffe

8.to whistle

9.all of these

10.get it drunk

11.$20 fine

12.skunks

Lesson 5.

E2.

1.If Pete knows his flat is used to take drugs and does nothing about it he could be prosecuted.

2.Membership of a religious group does not override the Drug Laws. He is at risk of arrest for being in possession of a controlled drug.

3.The shopkeeper is breaking the law, not Mary. Mary is being stupid with her health.

4.Yes. Although there is no intention to profit personally, he still commits the offence of supplying drugs to his friends.

Lesson 6.

A1. a) assassination; b) homicide; c) murder; d) manslaughter; e) suicide; f) euthanasia

82

I. Учебники и учебные пособия:

1)Cunningham S., Moor P. Cutting Edge (Intermediate)

2)Greenall S. Reward (Upper-intermediate)

3)Side R., Wellman G. Grammar and Vocabulary for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency. Longman, 1999.

4)Антрушина Г.Б. и др. Лексикология англ. языка. М.,2000.

5)Долгина Е.А. Краткая грамматика англ. языка. М.,1999.

II.Словари и справочники:

1)Longman Essential Activator, 1997.

2)The American Heritage Dictionary. Laurel, 1983.

3)The New English Penguin Dictionary, 1986.

4)The Macmillan English Dictionary, 2003.

5)Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Oxford, Moscow, 1982.

6)Chamber’s Dictionary of Quotations. New York, 1999.

7)Бенсон М., Бенсон Э., Илсон А. Комбинаторный словарь англ.

языка. М.,1990.

8)Карпентер Э. Часто смешиваемые слова. М.,2003

9)Новый большой англо-русский словарь: в 3-х т./ Апресян Ю. и

др. М.,1993

10)Кунин А.В. Англо-русский фразеологический словарь. М.,1984.

11)Гринбаум С., Уиткат Дж. Словарь трудностей англ. языка.

М..1990.

III.Прочие источники:

1)The Encyclopedia of World’s Cultures. New York, 1999.

2)The Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture. London, New York, 1999.

3)Kennedy I. Treat me right: Essays in medical law and ethics. Oxford, 1991.

4)www.answers.com

5)www.cannabisnews.com

6)www.clearwisdom.net

7)www.dumblaws.com

8)www.ethical-perspectives.be

9)www.euthanasia.com

10)www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/world/the_law.html

11)www.minbuza.nl

12)www.talktofrank.com