犯罪类补充

1. Match the typ
es of punishment (1-8) to the definitions (a-g). Write your own definition for the missing one.

1 a fine

2 life imprisonment

3 an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO)

4 capital punishment

5 corporal punishment  

6 community service  

7 a prison sentence  

8 a curfew order  

A. a means of punishment that involves hitting someone

B. sentencing someone who has committed a crime to the death penalty

C. an order given by a court telling someone not to go to certain places or see particular people because they have behaved anti-socially (e.g. vandalizing public property, behaving violently in public)

D. a punishment which tells someone by law when they have to be in their home

E. working without pay to repay society

F. the maximum prison sentence which a court can issue

G. money that you have to pay as a form of punishment

2 Find words or phrases in the text which match these phrases.

1 something which we know is not good but that we still need (person 1) a necessary evil

2 people who are thinking about committing a crime in the future (person 1)

3 less serious offences (e.g. vandalism, theft) (person 2)

4 not basic needs (person 2)

5 another choice (person 2)

6 a way of (person 3)

7 have caused pain or suffering (person 4)

8 spending time together in the same situation (person 5)

9 commit crimes again (person 6)

10 set free (person 6)

11 prisoners (person 7)

12 most (crimes) (person 8)

13 not succeed (person 8)

Prison: Is it the answer?

1 The way I see it, it’s a necessary evil and one which is preferable to other more extreme measures, such as in the US, where they have capital punishment. Some people just can’t be allowed to roam free in our society. Prison sends out a strong message to would-be criminals.

Jonathan Seoul-Dobbin, South Korea

2 It doesn’t seem like much of a deterrent against petty crime, when these days many prisons let inmates have luxuries such as video games and TVs and top chefs cooking their food. But what’s the alternative? In my view, prison should be a form of punishment, not a holiday camp or a place where murderers can get a degree in psychology at the taxpayers’ expense.

Martine Ashmore, UK

3 If we are talking about prison as a means of punishment, I would have to say that I doubt it is very effective in a lot of cases. We learn by conditioning, don’t we? Is prison culture much different to the part of society that we are taking these criminals away from?

Gordon Scruton, UK

4 I do think that those who have harmed other people physically or mentally should be in prison, mainly so that the victims are safe from further harm. What’s more, if they have taken a life, they should have their freedom taken away from them for life. For other crimes such as vandalism or tax evasion, I believe we should make criminals repay the victim or society with a suitable punishment.

Joanne Willis, UK

5 I don’t think prison is a particularly good way to rehabilitate some people, as it just educates them in the ways of the criminal. For serious crimes such as sex offences and serial killers, I think it’s the best option we have. In terms of what to do with those who commit less personal crimes like fraud and theft, I really don’t feel they should be rubbing shoulders with murderers and rapists.

Sue Hodgson, UK

6 I think it’s been proven that prisons aren’t really that effective, as a high percentage of prisoners re-offend once they are released back into the community. It seems clear that another option needs to be found. The problem is that the alternatives, such as community service, are often seen as soft options.

Hamish Sutherland, UK

7 Taking away people’s freedom is just about the worst thing you can do to a man. It will most definitely not make them a better person. According to research, though, most inmates who are allowed to study never come into contact with the law again.

Jorge Bergasa, Spain

8 For the majority of crimes, prison is the best answer. For some, however, it is not. Murder and violent crimes should carry the death penalty. The reason why prison is seen to fail is because, in the UK at least, the sentences which are served are far too short and the prisons are far too soft.

Dhiren Patel, India

9 A criminal can react in a number of different ways to prison. For many, it’s an experience they never want to go through again. For others, who haven’t had much of a home, it’s a place where often they feel they belong in some way. So when they are allowed to leave, they miss the structure of prison life and find it difficult to fit in back into everyday life.

Stephanie Furness, Canada

3. This table contains collocations which can be formed with the word crime, but with the first letter missing. Complete the missing letters.

4. Match these phrases (1-8) with collocations in Exercise 6 with the same meaning.

1 minor offences       

2 reduce crime 

3 level of crime  

4 try to stop crime which already exists

5 start committing crime

6 try to stop possible future crime 

7 increasing crime

8 statistics about crime