IV. At first read the definitions of the nouns that are always countable. Then analyse the examples of their usage in the context in Chapter 21.
ACT – 1. action [C] one thing that you do: ▪ a thoughtless act; 2. law also Act [C] a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament or Congress: ▪ an act of Parliament
…the Children Act 1989. (p. 277)
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 abolished this rule. (p. 278)
ALLEGATION – [C; usually plural] a statement that someone has done sth wrong or illegal, but that has not been proved: ▪ Mr Singh has strongly denied the allegations of sexual harassment.; ▪ an allegation that senior government figures were involved
…if the person accused of abuse or ill-treatment denies the allegation? (p. 283)
CASE – 7. law/crime [C] a) a question or problem that will be dealt with by a law court: ▪ She is keen to avoid a court case.; b) all the reasons that one side in a legal argument can give against the other side: ▪ The court ruled that we had a case (=had enough good arguments to go to a law court).; c) an event or set of events that need to be dealt with by the police in order to find out if a crime has been committed and who committed it: ▪ Homicide detectives investigated the case.; ▪ a murder case; 16. person [C] someone who is being dealt with by a doctor, a social worker, the police etc: ▪ The department deals with over 40,000 welfare cases each year.
CHECKLIST – [C] a list of things that you must think about, or that must remember to do
…includes a useful checklist of things… (p. 284)
CONTRACT – [C] 1. an official agreement between two or more people, stating what each will do: ▪ This is a contract between employer and employee.; 2. subject to contract if an agreement is subject to contract, it has not yet been agreed formally by a contract: ▪ The clauses discussed below are subject to contract.; 3. informal an agreement to kill a person for money: ▪ They put a contract out on him and he's in hiding.
Make binding contracts upon which he or she can be sued… (p. 277)
JURY - plural juries [C] 1. a group of 12 ordinary people who listen to the details of a case in court and decide whether someone is guilty or not; 2. a group of people chosen to judge a competition
…he or she will be tried in the Crown Court by a judge or jury. (p. 280)
V. Insert articles if necessary.
It required judges to determine that adoptive parents had “sufficient ability to bring up the child” and that “it is fit and proper that such _____ adoption should take effect.”
In the United States the practice of ____ interracial adoption, which primarily involved African American and Native American children and white parents, was a subject of considerable controversy during the 1970s.
The library was bequeathed with the whole of the kingdom of Pergamum to the Roman people in 133 BC, and Plutarch records _____ allegation that Mark Antony gave its 200,000 volumes to Cleopatra, to become part of the Alexandrian library.
Fiduciary, in law, a person who occupies a position of such power and _____ confidence with regard to the property of another that the law requires him to act solely in the interest of the person whom he represents. Examples of fiduciaries are agents, executors and administrators, trustees, guardians, and officers of corporations.
Raw clays are often blended to obtain a more uniform _____ consistency.
______ magistrates' court in the United States is sometimes called ______ police court, handling minor criminal matters, traffic offenses, and small civil claims.
In 1975 a federally sponsored study of such ______ crime in the United States concluded that the total volume of activities controlled by _____ organized crime amounted to more than $50,000,000,000 per year.
The police must bring an arrested person before a magistrate within 36 hours, but the magistrate can authorize _____ further detention without charge for up to 96 hours.
______ capital punishment was abolished by the state of Israel for all offenses except treason and crimes against humanity, and Pope John Paul II condemned it as “cruel and unnecessary.”
Under the British and some other systems of military law, if a commanding officer has it in mind to award _____ punishment beyond a certain degree of severity (usually including deprivation of liberty), he must first offer the accused the option of being tried by a court-martial.
Owing to the endurance of social traditions or religious convictions that are still quite different in many parts of the world, there is much less harmony between the rules on _______ personal status, family matters, and succession.
The National Bank of Denmark (Danmarks Nationalbanken) is the only bank of issue and enjoys _____ special status as a self-governing institution under government supervision.
The Geneva Conventions call for the humane treatment of noncombatants, and they prohibit murder, mutilation, and ______ cruel or degrading treatment.
In the United States, jury verdicts must be unanimous; if the jury is unable to agree, ____ new trial before another jury can be held.
In continental systems, the court decides, on the basis of _____ single comprehensive trial, both on the guilt or innocence of the defendant and on the penalty if he is found guilty.
Thus, legal negligence involved something of personal moral shortcoming; the person who was held liable had been guilty of ethical as well as ___ legal wrong.
Many children suffer ____ racial abuse at school.
As it was her first offence, she was only given _____ caution.
We must proceed with ______ extreme caution.
Meanwhile, the Senate voted but failed to get _____ two-thirds majority on the balanced budget and flag desecration amendments.
It's the third time that he's been convicted of ____ drug offence.
Davies claimed that he did not know he was committing ____ offence by accessing the website.
The court has issued ______ order blocking the sale of this drug.
They can't dismiss you just like that - they have to give you _____ written warning first.
Two of the prisoners were publicly beaten, as _____ warning to the others.
Getting people off ______ welfare and into paying jobs is a major national priority.
Maxwell could face _____ prosecution for his role in the robbery.
The President is expected to name ____ new Supreme Court justice within the next few days.
The judge remarked that ignorance was not ____ valid defence.
___ best defence is ____ offence.
VI. At first read the definitions of the noun that is always plural. Then analyse the examples of its usage in the context in Chapter 21.
POLICE – [plural] 1. the people who work for an official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law: ▪ Police surrounded the courthouse.; 2. the police - the official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law: ▪ Quick! Call the police!
…the police are not the only people involved. (p. 279)
…and that the police questioning is entirely fair. (p. 279)
…and the police if they had been aware… (p. 282)
The child will first be interviewed by the police about what happened. (p. 283)
…the police have been called. (p. 284)
Speaking
Exercises