Faculté de DROIT

2023-2024

LANGUE ANGLAISE
BDROI1140 - Syllabus

The LAW English Team

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 2
 Table of Contents

I Introduction to the Course ................... 4

1. Course description and objectives ............ 4 VIII Politics and Humans Rights .............. 108
2. Planning 2023-2024................................ 15 1. Reading 1: Taliban Takeover ................. 108
3. Assignments ........................................... 17 2. Reading 2: Afghanistan, What’s Changed
112
II Language and Pronunciation Help ...... 20 3. Reading 3: Assange Extradition Hearing 114
1. Language Tips to Guide a Discussion ....... 20 4. Reading 4: George Floyd-Style Killing .... 116
2. Language Tips to Express Your Opinion ... 21 5. Listening Exercises ................................ 118
3. The language of persuasion .................... 23 6. Group Exercise on the Readings ............ 118
4. The False Friends .................................... 25
5. The Connectives ..................................... 29 IX School and Education ....................... 120
6. The International Phonetic Alphabet ...... 37 1. Reading 1: Finland’s Education System .. 120
2. Video: Finland’s Schools........................ 123
III Introduction Activities ........................ 39 3. Discussion............................................. 124
1. Vocabulary: Crime and Punishment ........ 39 4. Reading 2: Brown University ‘mindfulness’
2. Reading 1: Stealing Food not a Crime ...... 41 course .................................................. 124
3. Everyday Criminals ................................. 44
4. Reading 2: Ten things I wish I’d known.... 47 X Social Issues...................................... 126
1. Reading 1: Fair to Punish Dharun Ravi? . 126
IV The Environment ................................ 51 2. Reading 2: Roommate in Clementi Case 128
1. Reading 1 – Cutting Air Pollution ............ 51 3. Reading 3: Undeniable Gender Bias ...... 130
2. Reading 2: Nuclear Power Plants ............ 52 4. Reading 4: Ignored in Russia ................. 134
3. Reading 3: Welcome to Bundanoon ........ 53 5. Reading 5: Pushback against Ireland...... 137
4. Videos .................................................... 55 6. Reading 6: Turning back abortion rights 140
5. Role Play ................................................ 56
6. 2–Minute Speech ................................... 56 XI Health ............................................... 143
7. Listening Comprehension: Beirut ............ 56 1. Reading 1: Greta Thunberg ................... 143
8. Reading 4: Beirut is Greening.................. 57 2. Reading 2: Autism ................................. 145
3. Reading 3: Rain Man ............................. 147
V Legal Matters ..................................... 65 4. Reading 4: Covid ................................... 148
1. Reading 1: Prison isn’t Working .............. 65 5. Reading 5: Making Kids go Vegan .......... 152
2. Reading 2: Restorative Justice................. 68 6. Writing exercise .................................... 153
3. Reading 3: After I was Arrested............... 71
4. Listening Comprehension ....................... 74
5. Discussion and Writing exercise. ............. 76
6. Reading 4: Sentenced to the Good Life ... 77
7. Reading 5: Altruistic or Self-Serving ........ 82
8. Reading 6: Children’s Rights.................... 86
9. Role plays............................................... 91

VI The Media - the Internet .................... 93

1. Reading: Facebook Users at Risk ............ 93
2. Videos .................................................... 95
3. Vocabulary ............................................. 96

VII Psychology ......................................... 97

1. Reading 1: Loneliness ............................. 97
2. Reading 2: Mental Health Court ............ 104

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 3
I Introduction to the Course

1. Course description and objectives

LANGUE ANGLAISE - BDROI1140 2023-2024 VADE MECUM
** Objectifs

Le niveau minimum d’anglais à atteindre en fin d’année est le niveau B1+ défini par le Common
Framework of Reference for Languages.

B1 Independent User Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar
matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area
where the language is spoken.
Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of
personal interest.
Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and
briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Pour plus de détails, voir : http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Framework_EN.pdf – pp. 26-29

Le cours vise essentiellement à développer l’aptitude de compréhension à la lecture de textes à caractère

général non simplifiés abordant principalement des questions relatives à l’organisation sociale et
juridique de la société. Il vise également à améliorer la compréhension à l’audition et l’expression orale
des étudiants.

L’étudiant sera capable de saisir rapidement le sens général de textes authentiques et d’en faire la
synthèse orale. Par ailleurs, il pourra expliquer avec précision des passages traitant de données
importantes en évitant les pièges des faux amis et des structures particulières de la langue anglaise. Il
pourra ainsi comprendre et synthétiser un texte complexe en un texte bien structuré, riche en vocabulaire
de niveau B1+.
Pour atteindre nos objectifs, un système d’évaluation continue sera appliqué en classe.

** Supports utilisés (disponibles au service de reprographie et sur Moodle)

Un syllabus de textes comprenant une variété d’articles de presse relatifs à des thèmes actuels et
d’activités complémentaires de compréhension à la lecture ou à l’audition autour de ces thèmes. Ces
documents (articles ou vidéos) servent, de manière générale, de base à l’extension lexicale, à la révision
de points de grammaire vus sous l’angle de la compréhension, à des exercices de synthèses orale et
écrite en anglais ainsi qu’à des exercices de conversation.

Un syllabus de Grammaire avec la théorie et les exercices en rapport avec les textes/vidéos vus en
classe. Ce syllabus sera expliqué au cours de Monitorat de Grammaire, donné pour tous 1h/semaine, au
Q1 et au Q2. Au Q1, le Monitorat est facultatif. Mais, au Q2, les étudiant.e.s ayant moins de 20/40 aux

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 4
différents tests d’évaluation continue du Q1 seront obligés de suivre le monitorat de grammaire,
1h/semaine.

Un portfolio de documents PDF élargissant le choix de lecture d’articles portant sur les mêmes sujets
que le syllabus de textes. Il sera également posté sur Moodle.

** L’utilisation d’un téléphone portable au cours n’est pas autorisée. Il n’est pas nécessaire et nuit
à l’interactivité. Nous vous conseillons d’avoir avec vous le support « papier » du cours afin de pouvoir
y mettre des annotations – du moins les chapitres abordés lors de ces cours.

** Évaluation (voir tableau récapitulatif ci-après)

A 1er quadrimestre

L’évaluation du Q1 est basée sur des TESTS d’évaluation continue :

1. Une épreuve écrite, qui aura lieu lors de la dernière semaine de cours, à la mi-décembre.

Ce test comprend :
a. Une compréhension à la lecture d’un texte non vu suivi d’une courte rédaction.
b. Un test de grammaire et de vocabulaire en lien avec les chapitres du syllabus vus au cours.

2. Une note à l’oral : il s’agit, par exemple, de présenter, sous forme de jeu de rôles, un journal
télévisé ou une émission-débat basée sur l’actualité (« Newspanel »). Chaque étudiant-e choisit
un rôle (présentateur, reporter, spécialiste, victime ou témoin d’un accident ou d’un crime…).
Une liste de mots-clés devra être remise au professeur au plus tard une semaine avant la
présentation et distribuée aux étudiants le jour de la présentation. Pour plus de détails sur la
préparation de cette activité, voir les pages « the News Panel – Guidelines ».

Le Q1 (uniquement en évaluation continue) représente 40% de la note globale. La cote sur 20

sera communiquée aux étudiants début février – mais non encodée au bulletin de janvier -et sera
prise en compte pour le calcul de la cote finale de juin. Dès lors, si l’étudiant en juin a moins de
10/20 au total de Q1+Q2, il devra obligatoirement repasser Q1 ET Q2 en septembre.

!! Votre participation orale et votre investissement dans les activités proposées en classe (exercices, jeux
de rôle, débats, etc.) feront l’objet d’une évaluation permanente et feront partie intégrante de la cote du
1er quadrimestre.

B 2ième quadrimestre
L’évaluation sera basée sur :

1. Un test écrit d’évaluation continue : vocabulaire et grammaire vus au Q2.

2. Un examen écrit « certificatif » : vocabulaire du Q2, grammaire vue au Q2, courte expression
écrite et compréhension à l’audition).

3. Un examen oral qui consiste en

Une présentation orale pendant le cours au 2è quadrimestre (résumé oral, préparation du

vocabulaire et développement du contenu suivi de questions et d’un débat) portant sur un
article du syllabus.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 5
 !! Conditions pour pouvoir passer cette partie :
- avoir remis le titre de l’article choisi au professeur au début du 2è quadrimestre
(date fixée par le professeur) ;
- avoir remis la préparation lexicale (= Roadmap, comprenant les noms des étudiants,
le plan de la présentation, la liste des termes-clés et 4 questions à débattre) au professeur
au plus tard une semaine avant la date de présentation.
!! Votre participation orale et votre investissement dans les activités proposées en classe (exercices, jeux
de rôle, débats, etc) feront l’objet d’une évaluation permanente et feront partie intégrante de la cote du
second quadrimestre.

Le Q2 représente 60% de la note globale.

Synthèse de l’évaluation :
EC= évaluation continue // Exam : évaluation certificative.

Q1 / 40 Q2 / 60 Total / 100

Ecrit (EC) /20 Écrit (EC) /20 Moyenne année / 20

Oral (EC) /20 Exam Ecrit (Exam). /20
Oral (Exam et EC) /20

Examen de seconde session (août / septembre 2024)

Tout étudiant ajourné n’ayant pas obtenu une cote globale satisfaisante en juin (minimum 10/20) devra
représenter le Q1 et le Q2.

La matière à revoir comporte une sélection de textes vus en classe tout au long de l’année, tous les
chapitres de grammaire et de vocabulaire vus en classe ou prévus dans l’étude autodidacte.

L’examen comprend 2 parties :

1. Une épreuve écrite du même type que celles des quadrimestres 1 et 2. 50% des points.
2. Une épreuve orale en deux parties : 50% des points :

a. Un entretien sur un texte vu au cours pendant l’année et tiré au sort par le professeur.
b. Les étudiants n’ayant pas passé ou réussi leur présentation orale au cours sont priés de
refaire une présentation lors de l’examen oral.

Remarque :
Vu les conditions sanitaires liées à la crise du Covid-19, les modes d’enseignement et d’évaluation
pourraient faire l’objet d’adaptations. Les étudiants seront tenus informés dans les plus brefs délais
des éventuels changements.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 6
 ** Nouveauté : le MONITORAT de GRAMMAIRE (donné chaque semaine par Mrs J. George-
Garkov)
Nous invitons tous les étudiants à suivre ce monitorat surtout s’ils sont débutants (niveau
A1, A2).
Le planning suit l’ordre des chapitres à étudier pour l’examen écrit du Q1 et celui du Q2.
Voici le programme établi :

- The use of definite and indefinite articles (self-study)

- Verbs 1:
▪ Conjugations (self-study)
▪ Principal parts (self-study)

- Verbs 1 - The use of tenses:

▪ The present simple and continuous (09-13/10)
▪ The past simple and continuous (16-20/10)
▪ The past simple and the present perfect simple / revision: the use of
definite and indefinite articles (23-27/10)
▪ The present perfect simple and continuous (30/10-03/11)*
▪ Test d’évaluation sur « verbs 1 : conjugations, principal parts and use
of tenses » et leçon sur The future forms – 1/2 (06-10*/11)
▪ The future forms – 2/2 et leçon sur Modals – 1/2 (13-17/11)
▪ Modals - 2/2 (20-24/11)
▪ The passive (27/11-01/12)
- Verbs 2: Phrasal verbs (04-08/12)

*jours fériés : 01-02/11

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

- Comparison of adjectives (19-23/02)

- Interrogative sentences (26/02-01/03)
- Quantifiers (04-08/03)
- Test d’évaluation sur « Comparison of adjectives / interrogative
sentences / quantifiers / irregular adverbs» et leçon sur irregular adverbs
/ (11-15/03)
- Short answers (18-22/03)
- Question-tags (25-29/03)
- Relative clauses (15-19/04)
- Test sur « Short answers / question-tags / relative clauses » et leçon sur
Verbs 2: Gerund vs infinitive – 1/2 (22-26/04)
- Test sur la matière du premier quadrimestre et leçon sur Verbs 2: Gerund vs
infinitive – 2/2 (29-03/05).

Blocus de Pâques : 01-13/04

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 7
FICHE DESCRIPTIVE - BDROI1140 - VERSION FRANÇAISE
CODE COURS INTITULÉ
DROI1140 Langue anglaise
Professeurs : Longrée Françoise (coordinatrice UE) Cré Marleen, Uzumcuoglu Melissa, Cipolla Gina,
Ochsenmeier Erwin (HD) and George-Garkov Julie (Monitorat de Grammaire).

Mode d’enseignement
Premier et deuxième quadrimestre, 30 heures de cours, à raison de 1h par semaine.

Il s’agit d’une UE à 4 crédits.

Objectifs d'apprentissage
Le niveau minimum d’anglais à atteindre en fin d'année est le niveau B1+ défini par le Cadre
européen commun de Référence pour les Langues.

Les cours ainsi que le travail qui doit être fait à domicile par l’étudiant font partie intégrante de la
maîtrise de la langue au niveau du lexique et des structures grammaticales.

Un examen dispensatoire (facultatif !) sera organisé sur le campus via la plateforme ELAO en
septembre. Ce test confirmera (ou non) le niveau d’anglais de l’étudiant.e et permettra soit de le.la
dispenser, soit de placer les étudiant.e.s dans des groupes en fonction de leur niveau (groupe
intermédiaire ou avancé).
Les modalités concernant l’inscription au test dispensatoire seront publiées aux valves.

Anglais Intermédiaire :
Le niveau minimum d'anglais à atteindre en fin d'année est le niveau B1+ (idéalement B2) défini par
le Cadre européen commun de Référence pour les Langues.

Au terme du cours, les étudiant.e.s devront être capables de saisir rapidement le sens général de
textes authentiques et d'en faire une synthèse orale structurée. Par ailleurs, les étudiant.e.s devront
pouvoir comprendre et expliquer avec précision des passages traitant de données importantes, en
évitant les pièges des "faux-amis" et en utilisant des structures particulières à la langue anglaise,
notamment les bases du vocabulaire juridique. Il y aura des tests de compréhension à la lecture, à
l’audition, des questions de vocabulaire et de grammaire, une composition en anglais ainsi qu’un
examen oral sous forme de présentation orale.
Préparation au cours de langue spécialisée (juridique) de deuxième année.

Anglais avancé :
Le niveau minimum d'anglais à atteindre en fin d'année est le niveau B2+ défini par le Cadre
européen commun de Référence pour les Langues.
A la fin de l'année académique, les étudiant.e.s auront la capacité de lire et de comprendre des
articles de la presse anglophone sur des sujets généraux, politiques, économiques, institutionnels
et légaux. Les étudiant.e.s auront acquis un vocabulaire leur permettant de présenter des sujets
analogues en public et de défendre des idées complexes aussi bien oralement que par écrit. Il y
aura des tests de compréhension à la lecture, à l’audition, des questions de vocabulaire et de
grammaire, une composition en anglais ainsi qu’un examen oral sous forme de présentation orale.
Préparation au cours de langue spécialisée (juridique) de deuxième année.

Contenu de l'activité
Anglais Intermédiaire
Étant donné que le cours vise essentiellement à développer l'aptitude de compréhension de textes
non simplifiés, les contenus sont puisés dans la presse anglaise et américaine et traitent de sujets
de caractère général, ainsi que de questions relatives à l'organisation sociale et juridique de la
société. Ces textes servent également de base à l'extension lexicale, à la révision de la grammaire,
aux exercices de synthèse orale et des exercices de conversation.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 8
Anglais avancé
Textes et articles sur des sujets variés en lien avec le vocabulaire étudié dans le domaine des
médias, de la politique, les institutions, les questions d'actualité et la justice. Ces textes servent
également de base à l'extension lexicale, à la révision de la grammaire, aux exercices de synthèse
orale et des exercices de conversation.

Activités d'apprentissages prévues et méthodes d'enseignement

Il s’agit d’un cours interactif, axé sur l’évaluation continue.

Le cours se voulant interactif, il va de soi que l'évaluation porte également sur la participation
effective et régulière: préparation d'exercices proposés par le professeur, participation active aux
discussions de classe. 60% des points seront accordés à l’évaluation continue des tâches réalisées
pendant les cours.

Lorsqu’une partie des activités d’enseignement ne peut pas être réalisée en présentiel pour des
raisons sanitaires, les consignes seront envoyées par Moodle / Teams et la participation active de
chaque étudiant à ces activités est attendue. Toute modification à ce plan de cours (contenus,
calendrier,...) liée à des circonstances extérieures sera communiquée par Moodle.

Il est impératif que les étudiant.e.s consultent Moodle au moins une fois par semaine et qu’ils.elles
lisent TOUTES les annonces.

Méthodes d'évaluation
Le résultat final (100%) est obtenu par l'addition:

Evaluation continue : 60%

- d’un test (d’évaluation continue) en décembre 2023 comprenant :

- une partie écrite la dernière semaine de cours (portant sur la matière vue au Q1 et sur la
compréhension d’un texte nouveau) /20
- une partie orale passée en classe au Q1, sous forme d’un Newspanel ou Mock Trial ou un autre
jeu de rôles, en groupe (note individuelle) ; /20 (cette note reprend la participation active aux diverses
activités orales lors des cours du Q1)

NB : tout-e étudiant-e n’ayant pas un minimum de 20/40 à l’évaluation continue du Q1 devra aller au
Monitorat de Grammaire organisé en BLOC1-DROI1140, 1h/semaine.
Au Q1, ce Monitorat de Grammaire d’1h/semaine est proposé à tous, mais reste facultatif.

- d’un test (d’évaluation continue) écrit de vocabulaire et grammaire du Q2, durant le Q2, comptant pour
/20.

Evaluation certificative : 40%

- d’un examen en mai 2024 comprenant:

- une partie écrite qui aura lieu la dernière semaine de cours (portant sur toute la matière vue au Q2
et sur la compréhension d’un texte/document sonore nouveau) ; /20
- une partie orale constituée d’une présentation orale en groupe (note individuelle) et la participation
active lors du Q2. /20

A la fin de l’année, à la session de JUIN, l’étudiant obtient une seule cote pour la totalité de l’année, faisant la
moyenne Q1+Q2.

Si l’étudiant n’a pas obtenu la moyenne de 10/20 en juin, il représente en août un examen qui comprend les
parties Q1 et Q2.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 9
Si les conditions sanitaires ne permettent pas d’organiser des examens en présentiel, les modes d’évaluation
seront hybrides. Ce sera également un examen hors session et la pondération restera la même. Toute
modification aux évaluations, liée à des circonstances extérieures, sera communiquée par Moodle.

Remarque très importante :

Concernant l’utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle générative (ou de tout autre outil en ligne, par exemple
traducteurs, correcteurs d'orthographe et de grammaire, ...) :

L'étudiant doit indiquer systématiquement toutes les parties où une ou plusieurs IA (ou tout autre outil en
ligne) ont été utilisées, par exemple dans une note de bas de page. L'étudiant doit préciser si l'IA a été utilisée
pour rechercher des informations, pour rédiger le texte, ou pour l'améliorer ou le corriger. L'étudiant
mentionne également l'IA (ou autre outil en ligne) utilisée (ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Chatsonic, DeepL, etc.) et
la date à laquelle elle a été utilisée. Les sources d'information doivent être systématiquement citées selon les
normes de référencement bibliographique. L'étudiant reste responsable du contenu de son travail, quelles que
soient les sources utilisées.

Afin de s'assurer que le travail écrit de l'étudiant est personnel, des critères tels que l'originalité, l'esprit
critique, la créativité et l'illustration par des exemples (par exemple tirés de sa propre expérience) seront pris
en compte.

Tout comportement de l'étudiant qui empêche ou tente d'empêcher, en tout ou en partie, une évaluation
correcte de ses connaissances, aptitudes et/ou compétences sera considéré comme une irrégularité.

Bibliographie
Anglais intermédiaire :
1. Un syllabus de textes et d'exercices. S'y trouvent également le Vade Mecum, ainsi que le
programme des matières à préparer pour chaque cours ; posté sur Moodle ;
2. Un recueil de textes PDF posté sur Moodle ;
3. Documents distribués au cours ; postés sur Moodle.
4. Syllabus de Grammaire (Théorie et exercices). Posté sur Moodle.

Anglais avancé :
1. Un syllabus de textes et d'exercices. S'y trouvent également le Vade Mecum, ainsi que le
programme des matières à préparer pour chaque cours ; posté sur Moodle ;
2. Un recueil de textes PDF posté sur Moodle ;
3. Documents distribués au cours ; postés sur Moodle.
4. Syllabus de Grammaire (Théorie et exercices). Posté sur Moodle.

Autres informations
Le niveau minimum A2 est recommandé.

La présence au cours (en présentiel ou digital) est obligatoire.

Toute absence au cours doit être justifiée par un certificat médical ou d'un motif sérieux. L'original
doit être envoyé au professeur et à l'administration facultaire de Droit dans les 48h du début de
l’absence (24h dans le cas d’un examen !). Les étudiant.e.s qui ont été absent.e.s sont prié.e.s de
fournir au professeur une copie du document justificatif lors de leur retour en classe afin que la liste
de présence puisse être tenue à jour.

Les étudiant.e.s absent.e.s pour raisons injustifiées à plus de 2 séances au cours de l'année - Q1 et
Q2 - verront leur note d'évaluation continue diminuer ou même être réduite à 0, que ce soit au Q1
comme au Q2.

Langues d'enseignement
Anglais

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 10
FICHE DESCRIPTIVE - BDROI1140 - VERSION ANGLAISE
CODE COURS INTITULÉ
DROI1140 English

Teachers : Longrée Françoise (coordinatrice UE), Cré Marleen, Uzumcuoglu Melissa, Cipolla
Gina, Ochsenmeier Erwin (HD) and George-Garkov Julie (Grammar Tutoring)

Mode of delivery
First and second terms, 30 hours of classes, 1 hour per week.
This is a 4-credit course.

Learning outcomes
The minimum level of English to be achieved at the end of the year is B1+ as defined by the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The courses as well as the work to be done at home by the student are an integral part of the
mastery of the language at the level of lexicon and grammatical structures. In addition, they prepare
students for the second year specialised language course.
At the end of the course, the student should be able to grasp the general meaning of authentic texts
and make a structured synthesis of them, while being able to explain passages dealing with
important data.

A dispensatory exam will be organised on the campus via the ELAO platform in September;
students who obtain a sufficiently high score on the written test will then be exempted (16/20 and +)
or be placed in groups according to their level (intermediate or advanced group).
Details of how to register for the exemption test will be published on the valves.

Intermediate English :
The minimum level of English to be achieved at the end of the year is B1+ (ideally B2) as defined by
the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The course is designed to enable students to quickly grasp the general meaning of authentic texts
and to produce a structured oral summary. In addition, students should be able to understand and
explain passages dealing with important data accurately, avoiding the pitfalls of "false friends" and
using structures specific to the English language, including basic legal vocabulary. There will be
reading comprehension tests, listening comprehension tests, vocabulary and grammar questions,
an English composition and an oral examination in the form of an oral presentation.
Preparation for the second year specialised (legal) language course.

Advanced English:
The minimum level of English to be achieved at the end of the year is B2+ as defined by the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
At the end of the academic year, students will be able to read and understand articles from the
English language press on general political, economic, institutional and legal topics. Students will
have acquired the vocabulary to present similar topics in public and to defend complex ideas both
orally and in writing. There will be reading and listening comprehension tests, vocabulary and
grammar questions, an English composition and an oral examination in the form of an oral
presentation. Preparation for the second year specialised (legal) language course.

Course contents
Intermediate English
As the course is primarily aimed at developing the ability to understand unsimplified texts, the
content is taken from the English and American press and deals with general topics, as well as
issues relating to the social and legal organisation of society. These texts also serve as a basis for
lexical extension, grammar review, oral synthesis exercises and conversation exercises.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 11
Advanced English
Texts and articles on a variety of topics related to the vocabulary studied in the field of media,
politics, institutions, current affairs and justice. These texts are also used as a basis for lexical
extension, grammar review, oral synthesis exercises and conversation exercises.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

This is an interactive course, with a focus on continuous assessment.

As the course is interactive, it goes without saying that the evaluation also focuses on effective and
regular participation: preparation of exercises proposed by the teacher, active participation in class
discussions.
60% of the marks will be dedicated to continuous evaluation on the whole year.

A Grammar Tutoring is organized 1h per week in Q1 and Q2. In Q1, it is highly advised, but
facultative. In Q2, it is obligatory if the student doesn’t score 50% of the marks at the Q1 tests.

When part of the teaching activities cannot be carried out in class for health reasons, instructions
will be sent via Moodle / Teams and the active participation of each student in these activities is
expected. Any changes to this course plan (content, timetable, etc.) due to external circumstances
will be communicated via Moodle.

It is imperative that students consult Moodle at least once a week and that they read ALL
announcements.

Assessment methods and criteria

The final result (100%) is obtained by adding together

-- The continuous assessment: 60%

1. Test in December 2023 comprising :

- a written part during the first days of the blockade (covering the material seen in Q1
and the comprehension of a new text) /20
- an oral part taken in class in Q1, in the form of a Newspanel or Mock Trial or any
roleplay in group (individual mark); /20 (including the active participation in class activities)

These two parts count for 40% in the final weighting. If the student has less than 20/40, then he/she
must follow the Grammar Tutoring in Q2.

2. WrittenTest during Q2 on Vocabulary and Grammar of Q2: /20

-- The certificative assessment: 40%:

Examination in May 2024 comprising:

- a written part which will take place during the last week of class of Q2 (covering all the
material seen in Q2 and the comprehension of a new text/audio document); /20
- an oral part consisting of a group oral presentation (individual mark) in Q2. /20,
including the active participation of the student in class activities during Q2.

At the end of the year, in the JUNE session, the student obtains a single mark for the whole year,
averaging Q1+Q2.
If the student has not obtained the average of 10/20 in June, he/she will sit an exam in August
which includes both parts Q1 and Q2.

If health conditions do not allow for face-to-face examinations, the assessment methods will be
hybrid. It will also be an out-of-session examination and the weighting will remain the same. Any
changes to the assessments due to external circumstances will be communicated via Moodle.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 12
Very important note:

“Use of generative artificial intelligence (or any other online tool, e.g. translators, spelling and grammar
checkers, ...)
The student is required to systematically indicate all parts where one or more AIs (or any other online tool) have
been used, e.g. in a footnote. The students should specify whether the AI was used to search for information, to
write the text, or to improve or correct it. The student should also mention which AI (or other online tool) was
used (ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Chatsonic, DeepL, etc.) and the date on which it was used. Information sources must
be systematically cited in accordance with bibliographic referencing standards. Students remain responsible for
the content of their work, regardless of the sources used.
In order to ensure that the student's written work is personal, criteria such as originality, critical thinking,
creativity and illustration with examples (e.g. from their own experience) will be taken into account.
Any behavior on the part of the student that prevents or attempts to prevent, in whole or in part, a correct
assessment of their knowledge, skills and/or competences will be considered an irregularity.”

Recommended or required reading

Intermediate English :
1. A syllabus of texts and exercises. It also contains the Vade Mecum, as well as the syllabus of
subjects to be prepared for each course; posted on Moodle ;
2. A collection of PDF texts posted on Moodle;
3. Course handouts; posted on Moodle.
4. Grammar Syllabus (Theory and exercises). Posted on Moodle.

Advanced English :
1. A syllabus of texts and exercises. Also includes the Vade Mecum, as well as the syllabus of
material to be prepared for each course; posted on Moodle;
2. A collection of PDF texts posted on Moodle;
3. Course handouts; posted on Moodle.
4. Grammar Syllabus (Theory and exercises). Posted on Moodle.

Other information
A minimum level of A2 is recommended.

Attendance at the course (face-to-face or digital) is compulsory.

Any absence from class must be justified by a medical certificate or a serious reason.
The original certificate must be sent to the professor and to the Law Faculty administration within 48
hours of the beginning of the absence (24 hours in the case of an exam!). Students who have been
absent are requested to provide the professor with a copy of the supporting document when they
return to class so that the attendance list can be kept up to date.

Students who are absent for unjustified reasons from more than two sessions during the year - Q1
and Q2 - will have their continuous assessment grade reduced or even set to 0, both in Q1 and Q2.

Language of instruction
English.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 13
** List of teachers in BDROI1140
- Gina Cipolla: [email protected]

- Marleen Cré: [email protected]

- Françoise Longrée (coordinator): [email protected]

- Melissa Uzumcuoglu: [email protected]

- Erwin Ochsenmeier (HD): [email protected]

- Julie George-Garkov (Grammar Tutorial): [email protected]

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 14
2. Planning 2023-2024
Homework
Date (week) Course content (classwork)
1st semester
02 - 06/10 Course introduction Buy syllabus “Anglais
Grammar self-test Q1 BDROI1140, Intermediate” and
the “Syllabus de Grammaire
First activities BDROI1140 »
09 - 13/10 First activities

16 - 20/10 Interactive Course

23/10 - 27/11 Interactive Course

30/10- 03/11 Interactive Course News Panel: prepare roadmap

(1 & 2/11 News Panel: instructions + make groups and vocabulary list
holiday)
06 - 10/11 Interactive Course News Panel: prepare roadmap
News Panel: instructions + make groups and vocabulary list

13- 17/11 News Panel News Panel: check roadmap

and vocabulary list, make
copies

20/11- 24/11 News Panel News Panel: check roadmap

and vocabulary list, make
copies

27/11 - 01/12 News Panel Study for the test

Revision

04 - 8/12 News Panel Study for the test

Revision

11/12 to 15/12 Written TEST Q1

2nd semester
5/02 - 09/02 Written test feedback Choose topics for
Grammar self-test Q2 presentations

12 - 16/02 Interactive Course

19 - 23/02 Interactive Course

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 15
 26/02 - 01/03 Interactive Course Study for the test
oral presentations + debates

04 - 08/03 Written TEST (Voc & GR of Q2)

11 - 17/03 Interactive Course Prepare vocabulary lists +

oral presentations + debates debate questions

18 -22 /03 Interactive Course Prepare vocabulary lists +

oral presentations + debates debate questions

25/03 – 29/03 Interactive Course Prepare vocabulary lists +

oral presentations + debates debate questions

30/03 - 14/04
Easter Blocus
15/04 - 19/04 oral presentations + debates Prepare vocabulary lists +
revision debate questions

22/04- 26/04 oral presentations + debates Prepare vocabulary lists +

revision debate questions

29/04 - 03/05 oral presentations + debates Prepare vocabulary lists +

(1/05 holiday) revision debate questions and
Study for the exam
06 - 10/05 oral presentations + debates Study for the exam
(9 May: holiday) revision

13-17/05 Written exam Q2

Procédure d’accès au site du cours d’anglais Bloc 1

En tant qu’étudiants, vous avez la possibilité d’obtenir toute une série d’informations sur le cours ainsi que des
documents de travail que votre professeur d’anglais postera chaque semaine pour le cours suivant. Voici les
instructions pour accéder au cours en ligne.
- Connectez-vous à la page d’accueil du site de l’UCLouvain.
- Cliquez sur la rubrique services en ligne.
- À la page suivante, dans la rubrique à destination des étudiants, cliquez sur Moodle UCLouvain.
- Vous devrez alors vous identifier. Pour cela, vous avez besoin de votre identifiant et d’un mot de passe
(reçus lors de votre inscription à l’Université ).
- Suivez ensuite les instructions pour vous inscrire à un cours. Le code et l’intitulé du cours d’anglais sont
BDROI 1140 . Assurez-vous de bien vous inscrire au cours d’anglais du bon (de votre)
professeur !
- Sites conseillés pour les recherches de vocabulaire: www.linguee.com (words in context), www.reverso.net ;
www.wordreference.com , et pour la prononciation : www.macmillandictionary.com. Ils existent aussi sous forme
d’applications mobiles.
Veuillez consulter les informations et documents liés à votre cours d’anglais chaque semaine ! Votre professeur
est également susceptible de communiquer avec vous via l’envoi de courriels.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 16
3. Assignments
Two main assignments are given for the oral part of this course: a news panel for Q1 and a
presentation of an article for Q2.
These are the main guidelines for these two projects. These may be adapted based on the number
of participants in each group. Any changes will be communicated in class and posted on Moodle.

News panel (Oral Exam Q1) - guidelines

In this exercise, you will perform in groups of 3-5 students a role play of a live TV news show.
Within each group, the students will freely choose a role to play, for example: TV presenter, “expert”
in politics, law, economics, psychology, etc., film or book critic, sports journalist, war reporter, victim
or witness of a crime, etc.) No weather reports, please.
Each student will then present in a fluent and communicative way one or two relevant news items.
•Form a group of 3-5 students
•Decide on each participant’s role (time should be divided equally = 3-4 minutes per student)
•Decide what news items you are going to present
•Decide how you are going to present the chosen news items in a communicative way. You can
use a Keynote/PowerPoint presentation, but you don’t have to.
• Prepare and practice to present your news panel in front of the class. No reading is allowed.
This is done without notes except for a small piece of paper. Remember that you can insert
notes in the Presenter view of your presentation software.
• Provide the teacher with a typed outline of the news items presented and a list of key
vocabulary used. This is to be handed to the teacher one week before the presentation, and
to the students the day of your presentation. Make sure you pronounce all key words
correctly!
The news item can be
• authentic, true
• fictitious (example: “Breaking news…US president kidnapped by a group of alien terrorists
who demand 100 billion dollars for his release; United Nations Security Council called
emergency meeting and decided to offer twice that amount for the aliens to keep the man.”)
• fun
• presented in an original way (live reporting, interviews, talk shows, panel discussions with
experts, etc.)
• legal in theme (example: report on a crime or courtroom scene, investigative report,
interviews with witnesses, lawyers, law enforcement officers, etc.)

The performance should be: Lively – communicative - presented in your best English (pay
attention to grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation)

Evaluation
• - Each student will receive an individualised evaluation.
• - News Panel assignment = 7 points (3 out of 10 points continuous assessment Q1)

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 17
Presentation Guidelines (Oral Exam Q2)
In Q2 you will have to present a news article to the class, either individually or per two. These are
the guidelines for your presentation. We will not talk about this until Q2.
• Choose an article and sign up for a presentation date from the sign-up sheet in class.
• Read your article carefully and take notes on the main ideas.
• Underline/Highlight 10-12 important terms/expressions to include in a vocabulary list for
your presentation. Define/explain these and include them at the beginning of your
presentation (slides in Keynote/Powerpoint).
• Do additional research online to explore the topic of your article.
a. Can you find updates on this topic?
b. Are there any photos of interest to help illustrate your topic?
c. Can you provide some historical background for your topic?
d. What parallels can you make with Belgian society?
• Prepare a simple but effective Keynote/Powerpoint presentation to support your oral
presentation. Be sure to have your presentation available to use in class (bring a USB key,
bring your computer, email it to your professor before the class.) Don’t count on the cloud in
case there is a connection problem on that day.
• Your presentation should reinforce your words, but not replace you! Use minimal text on
each slide (6 x 6 rule = no more than six lines, with six words per line per slide); some slides
may have images only.
• Remember that this should be an engaging and interactive presentation, so use good
presentation skills (eye contact, strong and enthusiastic voice, good posture, organisation,
etc.)
• Do not read. In Q2 no notes are allowed! So, practice your presentation.
• Your presentation should have 4 parts, + questions for discussion/quiz at the end.
1. Introduction: hook, main idea, outline of presentation
2. Key vocabulary terms: with definitions/explanations
3. Body: go through your main points, providing details, examples, explanation
4. Conclusion: sum up main points, make your final comment, analysis
5. Three (3) good questions for discussion (i.e., questions to gather the students’
opinions on your article’s topic, not yes/no questions)
6. Final slide of presentation: bibliography (Include ALL sources consulted)
7. You may also create a quiz for the class based on your article’s topic
• Length of the whole presentation, not including questions/quiz: 5-7 minutes per student
(e.g., two students working together = 10-14 minutes).

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 18
Some Hints for your Presentations
Don’t forget the 3 B’s!

Be interesting, informative and selective

As your presentation should only last a few minutes, you need to be informative without adding
unnecessary details. Try to focus on some key aspects/data that might arouse interest, curiosity and
teach us something new.

Be structured
You are encouraged to use visual aids
Design clear visuals: they should support your
presentation without being distracting. Avoid having
too much information on the same slide and mind
language mistakes.

Be communicative, interactive, and dynamic

This implies you should not read.
Practise at home, away from the stress of the classroom. If you work with someone else, practice the
presentation together at least a couple of times. Practice not only the content of the presentation
but also its technical aspects (time, transitions, etc.). See Play>Rehearse Slideshow in Keynote; Slide
Show> Rehearse Timings in Powerpoint).
Use a remote control (dedicated remote control, IPhones can remote control a Mac, etc.).
Learn to use your presentation software! You will use it a lot during your studies and probably
thereafter. Learn to use the presenter view (View>Presenter Notes in Keynote,

Avoid
• going too fast - reciting /reading
• a monotonous tone
• boring enumerations of facts, dates…
• long sentences, complicated vocabulary
• Repetitive hand gestures that could irritate your audience

Do
• pause between ideas (Don’t say euh when pausing, just say nothing).
• speak naturally, using words and sentences you are comfortable with
• stand before the group and look at the audience
• speak enthusiastically
Links to help you build and present a nice presentation will be posted on Moodle.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 19
II Language and Pronunciation Help

1. Language Tips to Guide a Discussion

Call attention and start the discussion
Right, can we begin, then? Shall we get started? Which question would you like to discuss first?

Announce the topic

I’d like to talk about/discuss (the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking.)
We are here today to consider…

Highlight the most important facts

As you know, …
The point/problem is that ….

Ask for people’s views

What are your views on that?
What are your feelings about that?
Any reaction to that?
Would you like to say anything about this?

Ask for agreement

Do you agree (with the idea) that….?
Do you share that view?
Is that the way you see it?

Keep the discussion relevant / bring back to subject

Just a minute! Perhaps we could come back to that later?
Let’s not lose sight of the main point.
I’m afraid we are getting sidetracked.
We’re getting a bit off the subject here.

Keep the discussion orderly

Just a moment, can I come back to you when X has finished?
We can’t all speak at once. John first, then Mary.

Introduce a new point/ change subject

Well, if that’s all right, can we now consider/move on to/ turn to the next question.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 20
Put an end to discussion
Well now, does anyone else wish to say anything?
Well now, any further comments?
Well, that’s it then! Thank you, everyone.

2. Language Tips to Express Your Opinion

Here is a list of key sentences you are expected to use throughout the year whenever you debate a
topic or express your opinion.

Introducing the topic

I would like to begin by commenting on the problem of …
I would like to focus on …
I would like to develop a few ideas about …
The most important point(s) seem(s) to me to be …

Developing ideas & arguments

(Dis-) agreeing
I (quite /fully) agree with… that…
As far as I’m concerned, it is true /clear /obvious /a fact that…
I agree up to a point / to a certain extent, but…
I see their point but…
I do not agree / I disagree with… / with the idea that…
This is not how I see it.
I take a different view.

Balancing advantages & disadvantages

I accept that… but I still feel…
In spite of…, I still think …
On the one hand, but on the other hand,
Although …, we must not forget …

Making suggestions
I think we should …
It might be a good idea to …
One solution would be to …

Presenting and comparing different solutions

There seem to be at least two ways of dealing with that problem.
One possibility is to … another possibility would be to …
X does have some advantages. However, there is no doubt that Y is a much better choice.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 21
Giving a series of reasons – stating preferences
I am against (-ING). One reason is … Another is …
I am for / in favour of… I prefer (working abroad) to working in Brussels.
The main advantage of … is that …

Concluding
In conclusion, we can say that …
In brief, briefly, in a few words,

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 22
3. The language of persuasion
Politicians often use persuasive techniques to get their audience to agree with their views on
a particular topic.
Think first about your intention. What is it that you want to persuade your listener/reader to
think or do? Here are some categories of useful words that can help to persuade them:

Words that convey urgency:

need must must not don’t miss today
latest hurry tomorrow urgent now
only (as in “only three days left” or “only five available”)

Words that create connection

join help discover share come along
together collaborate team common create corporate
you/we/us/our
a good fit (as in “our product may be a good fit for your needs)

Words that help people trust you

Cause-and-effect words and phrases make you seem objective and rational.
Here are some words that imply you are both objective and trustworthy.
as a result consequently caused by proven research
results secure tested reliable because

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 23
Here are some types of persuasive techniques and examples of how they can be used:

Technique Examples

Flattery - complimenting your A person of your intelligence deserves much

audience. better than this.

Opinion - a personal viewpoint often

In my view, this is the best thing to have ever happened.
presented as if fact.

Hyperbole - exaggerated language

It is simply out of this world – stunning!
used for effect.

Technique
Examples

You are the key to this entire idea succeeding - we will be

Personal pronouns - ‘I’, ‘you’ and with you all the way.
‘we’.

I can’t thank you enough!

Imperative command - instructional
Get on board and join us!
language.

Triples - three points to support an

Safer streets means comfort, reassurance and peace of
argument.
mind for you, your family and your friends.

Emotive language - vocabulary to

There are thousands of animals at the mercy of our
make the audience/reader feel a
selfishness and disregard for kindness.
particular emotion.
Statistics and figures - factual data
80% of people agreed that this would change their
used in a persuasive way.
community for the better.

Rhetorical question - a question

Who doesn’t want success?
which implies its own answer.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 24
4. The False Friends
False friends are words that appear similar in English and French but have a different
meaning.
So beware of tricky false friends. If used wrongly, these words can be quite embarrassing in a
job interview, at work and in everyday situations.

Here is a list of the most common English-French false friends.

LIST OF FALSE FRIENDS

the ENGLISH word… is in FRENCH… an NOT… which is in ENGLISH...
ability aptitude habileté skill
to abuse insulter abuser to take advantage
to accommodate loger accommoder to prepare
to achieve réaliser achever to complete
actually en fait actuellement at present
advice conseils avis opinion
affluence richesse affluence rush
agenda ordre du jour (réunion) agenda diary
apprécier (être
to appreciate apprécier (évaluer, estimer) to assess
reconnaissant)
assumer (responsabilité) to take on, to assume
to assume supposer
assumer (conséquences) to accept
to attend assister à attendre to wait
balance scales
balance équilibre
balancer to sway, to swing
pot-de-vin
bribe bribe bit
(ou verbe: soudoyer)
caution prudence caution guarantee
cave grotte cave cellar
monnaie (pièces)
change changement, verbe: change (taux de…) exchange (rate)
changer
character personnage caractère nature
to charge faire payer charger to load
check contrôle chèque cheque
close proche, serré clos closed
commander (diriger,
to command commander (un produit) to order
mener)
commodity marchandise commodité convenience
comprehensive complet compréhensif understanding
contrôleur (bus, train)
conductor conducteur driver
ou chef d'orchestre
confection friandise confection ready-made clothes
confidence confiance confidence secret
(in)consistent (in)cohérent consistant solid, thick
to contemplate envisager contempler to gaze at

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 25
 contrôler (=dominer,
to control contrôler (=vérifier) to check, to verify
maîtriser)
convicted condamné (à une peine) convaincu convinced, persuaded
faith, strong belief
conviction condamnation conviction
(also conviction)
crane grue crâne skull
critic critique (d'art, de cinéma…) critique (propos négatifs) criticism
to cry pleurer crier to shout
currently à présent couramment fluently
to deceive tromper décevoir to disappoint
deception tromperie déception disappointment
delay retard délai time limit
to demand exiger demander to ask
to arrange
disposer
to dispose se débarrasser to have at your
disposer de
disposal
conflit (entre partis ou
dispute dispute (entre 2 personnes) quarrel, argument
pays…)
occupé (lieu ou territoire) committed (artist)
engaged engagé
ou fiancé hired (employee)
engine moteur engin device
estate domaine état state, condition
eventually finalement éventuellement possibly
expérience (professionnelle expérience (scientifique ou
experience experiment
ou dans la vie) test labo)
expertise compétence expertise expert's report
extra supplémentaire extra first-rate
fabric tissu fabrique factory
facilities services, équipements facilités ease, ability, talent
figure chiffre figure face
fortunate chanceux fortuné wealthy, well-off
gentle aimable, doux gentil nice, kind
grand grandiose grand tall, big
grapes raisin grappe bunch (of grapes)
habit habitude habit dress, clothes
hazard danger hasard chance
to hurt blesser, faire mal heurter to hit
significant,
important important (en valeur) important (en nombre)
considerable
to injure blesser injurier to insult
improper
inconvenant
inconvenient inopportun inconvenience,
inconvénient
disadvantage
indulge laisser aller indulgence leniency
invaluable inestimable non valable invalid, not valid
isolation isolement isolation insulation
issue problème, question issue exit
enclose, attach
to join rejoindre joindre
(together)
large grand large wide
lecture conférence lecture reading
library bibliothèque librairie bookshop

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 26
location emplacement location renting, lease
mécanique (nom) engineering
mechanic mécanicien
mécanique (adj) mechanical
medicine médicament médecin doctor
mercy miséricorde merci thanks
monnaie (devise) currency
money argent
monnaie (pièces) change
notice avis, préavis notice note, instructions
novel roman nouvelle short story
nurse infirmière nurse (nounou) nanny
offrir (proposer, faire une
to offer offrir un cadeau to give a present
offre)
partition séparation partition (musical) score
to pass an exam réussir un examen passer un examen to take an exam
petrol essence pétrole oil, petroleum
photograph photographie photographe photographer
phrase expression phrase sentence
physician médecin physicien physicist
positive catégorique positif definite, positive
lieu(x), locaux
premises prémices beginning
(professionnels)
to pretend exiger prétendre to claim
to prevent empêcher prévenir (avertir) to warn
process processus procès (tribunal) trial
proper adéquat propre clean, decent
queue file d'attente queue (animal) tail
to realise se rendre compte réaliser (bénéfice) make a profit
to recover se rétablir recouvrir to cover
refuse déchets refus refusal
to regard considérer regarder to look at
to relieve soulager relever to raise
to rest se reposer rester to stay
to resume recommencer résumer to sum up
to retire prendre sa retraite retirer to withdraw
route itinéraire route road
rude grossier rude rough, hard
sensible raisonnable sensible sensitive
société (les gens)
society société (entreprise) company
ou association
socket prise (courant) socquette sock
stationery fournitures de bureau stationnaire stationary
store grand magasin store blind, shade
rest (story), suite
suit costume suite
(hotel)
to supply fournir supplier to implore, to beg
to bear, to stand, to
to support soutenir supporter (endurer)
put up with
surname nom de famille surnom nickname
to survey examiner surveiller to supervise, to watch
sympathetic compatissant sympathique nice, friendly

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 27
tentative timide tentative attempt
tissue mouchoir en papier tissu fabric
touchy susceptible touché struck, moved
tour voyage, circuit tour stroll, drive, turn
valid valable valide fit, well
wagon chariot wagon (train) carriage

Some exercises

Elle a trouvé le livre à la bibliothèque.

1. Translate from English to French
Connaissez-vous le lieu du mariage ?
She found the book in the library.
Do you know the location of the wedding? Le cours commence dans une heure.

The lecture starts in an hour. Elle n'aime pas les raisins secs dans les gâteaux.

She doesn’t like raisins in cakes. Avec votre silhouette, vous pouvez tout porter.
With your figure, you can wear anything. Il a fini par accepter notre offre d'achat.
He eventually accepted our offer to purchase.
En fait, il n'a pas appelé.
Actually, he hasn’t called.
Il a toujours soutenu sa femme dans ses projets
He has always supported his wife in her projects.
Nous nous sommes reposés sur la plage après la
We rested on the beach after swimming. baignade.
How much did they charge you?
Combien vous ont-ils facturé ?
We can be deceived by appearances.
Les apparences peuvent nous tromper.

We went to the meeting yesterday

2. Translate from French to English
On a assisté à la réunion hier Can you help me load the car?

Peux-tu m’aider à charger la voiture ? Have you seen my trainers?

Est-ce que tu as vu mes baskets ? He wants the keys back.

Il exige que tu lui rendes les clés. She can't stand him.
Elle ne le supporte pas. I'm currently living in Europe
Je vis actuellement en Europe
We can talk about this later.
On pourra éventuellement en parler plus tard.
The basket is full of papers to sort through.
Le panier est plein de papiers à trier.
The rent on her flat allows her to live well.
La location de son appartement lui permet de bien vivre.
La libraire a enfin reçu le livre que j’ai commandé. The bookseller has finally received the book I
ordered.
Est-ce que tu veux jouer une partie ?
Do you want to play a game?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 28
5. The Connectives
[conjunctions] [prepositions] [adverbs] [examples]

TIME
when

while during Meanwhile, She phoned while I was having a bath.

I met her during the holidays.
As soon as
before before
after after After that, I came back home after work, after I had
Afterwards, finished.

NOT After, I came back home. After that/Afterwards, I had a

bath.
Since since
until / till until / till
as long as You can stay here as long as you want.
Whenever Whenever he phoned, I was out.
First,
First of all,
Firstly,

Secondly,
Thirdly,
Finally,

COMPARISON
AND CONTRAST

although / in spite of / However, Although it was raining, we went for a walk.

though / despite Yet, We went for a walk despite / in spite of the rain.
even though Still, It was raining. However, we went for a walk.
Nevertheless, Yet, / Nevertheless, / Still,
whereas / She can speak several languages, whereas her
while brother can’t.

instead of Start working instead of dreaming!

On the one hand,… Don’t forget your umbrella, otherwise / or else
on the other (hand) you’ll get wet
On the contrary, …
Otherwise / or else

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 29
REASON AND
RESULT
because due to / That’s why Due to / Owing to bad weather, we stayed at
home.
As / since owing to / The weather was bad. That’s why we stayed …
seeing that because of As / Since you are there, come and help me.
Thanks to Seeing that he was ill, the meeting was cancelled.
So that So, / As a result, He was drunk so that he couldn’t get back home.
Therefore,
Consequently,
Hence

PURPOSE
to / In order to succeed, you need to work hard.
In order (not) to / He started early in the morning so as not to be
late.
So as (not) to

[conjunctions] [prepositions] [adverbs] [examples]

CONDITION
if Take your umbrella in case it rains.
In case You can drive my car provided that / as long as
you are careful.
Provided that/
as long as We’ll go for a walk unless it rains.
Unless You can’t watch this film unless you are 18.

OPINION
Actually, / In fact, Actually, I don’t really like him.
As far as I’m concerned, As far as I’m concerned, I like him very much.
In my opinion,
In my view,
For my part,
In any case, / At any rate,
Anyway,

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 30
 If I’m not mistaken/ If I’m not mistaken, the situation is really
Unless I’m mistaken, intricate.
Obviously,
That’s all very well but …

Too bad! You are late! Too bad!

So what? You don’t want to … so what? You have to!
However that may be,
Definitely, Are you coming? Definitely!

ADDING SOMETHING
in addition to … In addition In addition to being an excellent student, she is
(to that), … also a reliable friend.
He is sensitive. In addition to that, he is also nice
and attractive.

As well as … Besides, …
Moreover, …
Furthermore, …

SUMMARISIN
G
In brief / Briefly,..
Thus
In a few words, …

In short, …
To cut a long story To cut a long story short, review your connectives
short, … and you’ll be fine!
In conclusion, …
In a nutshell, …

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 31
 Connectives: exercises

1. Choose the correct word(s) to complete the sentences.

1. Although / In spite of we left late, we still got there in time.
2. She’s going on holiday with friends. Her parents, however, / whereas, are not very
happy about it.
3. They enjoyed the course, even though / thanks to it was very difficult.
4. I told John the car was too expensive. However /Although, he still bought it.
5. It was a fantastic evening, although / despite the terrible food.
6. After to clean / cleaning my room, I was exhausted.
7. We spent the morning in the park and after / afterwards, we went home for lunch.
8. I love the sea furthermore / whereas most of my friends prefer the mountains.
9. We both told John the car was too expensive. However, / On the other hand, he
still decided to buy it.
10. Ethan spends his time in the library nevertheless / whereas the others always
play football.

2. Complete the dialogues.

1. A: What did you do in Portugal?
B: Well, ____________________ we flew to Lisbon and spent a few days there.
_________________ we took the train down to Lagos and spent a week on the
Algarve with a couple we met in London. And _____________________ we went to
Faro and flew back home from there.
2. A: Why can’t the company pay for me to go to the conference?
B: Well, __________________________the boss doesn’t seem to think it’s very
important, and _______________________ we’re too busy at the moment to give
anyone time off work.

3. Combine parts from each column to form five short texts.

She went to school today in spite of she was never happy in the job.
She always worked hard in class, although she is very experienced.
She has the ability to do the job. However, the help I gave her.
She didn’t pass the exam whereas She didn’t feel very well.
She worked there for ten years Moreover, most of her classmates were lazy.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 32
 4. Complete the sentences.
1. People say the hotel is very good. ______________ , it’s also quite cheap.
2. __________________ the fact that they were busy, they ________________ helped
us.
3. It’s not the best dictionary you can buy. ___________________ , it’s better than
nothing.
4. She managed to get there, __________________________ she didn’t have a map like
the others.
5. ______________________ heavy rain, they’ve also had very strong winds.
6. She’s the youngest in the group, and she’s better than most of them
______________________.
7. I think you can do it. It won’t be easy, ___________________________.
8. I was right at the back at the concert, ___________________________ I could
________________ hear everything.
9. I must write that letter now, ___________________ I’ll forget to do it.
10. I’ll take some sandwiches with me _______________________________ I get hungry.
11. We agreed to buy my daughter a dog _____________________ she takes it for a
walk every day.
12. I left early ______________________ miss the rush-hour traffic.

5. Select the correct linking adverb in the following sentences.

1. Karen is rich; ___, her cousin Kate is poor.
a. therefore
b. however
c. otherwise

2. You’d better take a taxi. ___ you’ll arrive late.

a. Consequently
b. Furthermore
c. Otherwise

3. I enjoy reading this new magazine. ___, it has good articles.

a. Moreover
b. Nevertheless
c. However

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 33
4. Jack wasn’t tired. ___, he took a nap.
a. Otherwise
b. Hence
c. Nevertheless

5. Phil was not thirsty; ___, he drank five glasses of water.

a. however
b. moreover
c. furthermore

6. The kids didn’t study. ___, they failed the course.

a. Therefore
b. Nonetheless
c. Otherwise

7. The weather was terrible. ___, we decided to delay our trip.

a. Furthermore
b. Besides
c. Therefore

8. You must buy the tickets; ___ we won’t be able to see that play.
a. otherwise
b. although
c. besides

9. The neighbourhood isn’t very interesting. I like the house, ___.

a. moreover
b. thus
c. though

10. We live in the same building; ___, we hardly see each other.
a. however
b. therefore
c. furthermore

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 34
 6. Fill in with the right connective

CONJUNCTIONS

1. It happened ……………. I was out of 5……………….. he hasn’t come, we cannot

the room. leave.
2. She sings well, …………. Her sister 6. I think I won’t go out, ……………….……
can’t sing a note. it rains.
3. ……..……… you can find another, use 7. ………..….. you are there, come and
this one. help me!
4. I’ll try to do it, ……….. I don’t have 8. Can you wait …………………… I phone?
much time

PREPOSITIONS ADVERBS

1. ……………... you, we succeeded. 1. This job is dangerous. ….....……......,

2. ……...… of his intelligence, he hasn’t we’ll try to do it.
succeeded in life. 2. He’s lost his job. T …..………....... , he’s
often at home.
3. He wasn’t able to come, …….....… his
old age. 3. We must act quickly; ….........……………
4. .…………… his father’s objection, he the pollution may reach the beaches.
became a lawyer.

7. For each of the following sentences, fill in the blank with a suitable linking
word. (Pay attention to the structure of the sentence)

1. We stayed up late, ________________________ we were tired.

2. They went swimming ________________________ the coldness of the water.
3. ________________________ their interest in comets, they decided to study
astronomy.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 35
4. Please wait ________________________ I make a phone call.
5. We all felt tired ________________________ the hot weather.
6. I read a book ________________________ I was waiting.
7. They managed to work together ________________________ their
differences of opinion.
8. I left home early ________________________ I had to do several errands.
9. We rested ________________________ the hottest part of the day.
10. ________________________ she lost her way twice, she arrived safely.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 36
6. The International Phonetic Alphabet

What is the IPA?

Though the focus of this course is on reading written texts, we will also pay attention to the
pronunciation of English. To do so, we will sometimes use the International Phonetic Alphabet.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (the IPA) is widely used to represent sounds, not how we write.
It is used in most dictionaries and language books (not just for English!) as well as on many websites.
As you can see from the list, most of the symbols are easy. Only a few differ from the regular alphabet.
A sound followed by: means it is long. Seat is pronounced /si:t/ but sit (to sit) is pronounced /sɪt/. The
sound /ə/, called the schwa, is the most common vowel sound in English. It is basically the same
sound as the “e” in the French “le,” the Romanian ă (apă, water) , the Dutch “ij” in “vriendelijk.”
(amical).
See my post on the use of the IPA.

Vowels and diphthongs Consonants

i: see /si:/ p pen /pen/
ɪ sit /sɪt/ b bad /bæd/
e ten /ten/ t tea /ti:/
æ hat /hæt/ d did /dɪd/
ɑ: arm /ɑ:m/ k cat /kæt/
ɒ got /gɒt/ g got /gɒt/
ɔ: saw /sɔ:/ tʃ chin /tʃɪn/
ʊ put /pʊt/ dʒ June /dʒu:n/
u: too /tu:/ f fall /fɔ:l/
ʌ cup /kʌp/ v voice /vɔɪs/
ɜ: fur /fɜ:(r)/ θ thin /θɪn/
ə ago /ə’gəʊ/ ð then /ðen/
eɪ page /peɪdʒ/ s so /səʊ/
əʊ home /həʊm/ z zoo /zu:/
aɪ five /faɪv/ ʃ she /ʃi:/
aʊ now /naʊ/ ʒ vision /’vɪʒn/
ɔɪ join /dʒɔɪn/ h how /haʊ/
ɪə near /nɪə(r)/ m man /mæn/
eə hair /heə(r)/ n no /nəʊ/
ʊə pure /pjʊə(r)/ ŋ sing /sɪŋ/
l leg /leg/
r red /red/
j yes /jes/
w wet /wet

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 37
 Stress in English1
Just as is the case in many languages, in English too we do not say each syllable with the same force
or strength. In one word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable with more energy than the
others. For example, in French, we always stress the last pronounced syllable of words (voiture,
maison). In English, just as is the case in many European languages, the place of the stress can vary
and is very important.
Let’s take 3 words: photograph, photographer and photographic. Do they sound the same when
spoken? No. Because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word. And it is not always the same
syllable. In phonetic transcriptions, the syllable to be stressed is preceded by an apostrophe, e.g.,
/ˈfəʊtəˌɡrɑːf/
Word stress is not an optional extra that you can add to the English language as you wish. It is part of
the language and makes a big difference, as this video shows! If you use word stress correctly in your
speech, you will instantly and automatically improve your pronunciation and people will understand
you better.

Exercises
Just for the fun and to practice using the IPA, try to pronounce these words and lines. Pay attention
to the stresses!

Exercise A
ˈɔrəndʒ
ˈbɛldʒəm
ˈvɛdʒtəbl
mjuˈzɪʃən
ˈɪntrəstɪŋ
ˈtʃɑklət
ʃuˈkran

Exercise B
ˈɪŋglɪʃ prənʌnsɪˈeɪʃn
ðә taɪm hæz cʌm
hiːl - hɪl
kən jʊpleɪðəɡɪˈtɑː
aɪd laɪk səmˈkɒfi, pliːz
ʃi wəz bɔːnət hɑːf pɑːst tuː
ðeɪhəv ˈbrekfəst ɪn ðəˈmɔːnɪŋ
ˈjuː ʃəl ˈnɑːt ˈpæs!
aɪ lɪv ɪn ə smɔːl ˈsɪti
wi lʌv ˈkʊkɪŋ

1
Adapted from the English Club (June 21 2011)
III Introduction Activities

This lesson will introduce you to quite a few basic words that are typical of “Law English,” or “legalese”
(liːgəˈliːz, see page 23 for how to read this) as is it often called, and that you will encounter repeatedly
during your studies and career. Take time to learn the vocabulary of this chapter well, it will be useful
in the long term.

1. Vocabulary: Crime and Punishment

1 Put the words below into the correct category and find their translation
The accused/defendant - arsonist - (release on) bail - blackmailer - burglar - defence - Capital
punishment - community service - corporal punishment - find innocent/guilty - Fine - forger -
hijacker - inquiry - judge - jury - kidnapper - lawyer - mugger - Murderer - pickpocket - prison
sentence - (put on) probation - prosecution - shoplifter - Smuggler - suspended sentence - thief - trial
- verdict - witness - testimony - evidence

Criminals Law courts Sentences and punishments

2 Correct the mistakes in these definitions

1. The judge pleads guilty or not guilty at the beginning of a trial.
2. The lawyer for the defence tries to prove the defendant guilty.
3. The prosecution lawyer gives evidence about what they have seen
4. If the defendant is found guilty, the jury passes sentence.
5. If you pay the court a sum of money, you can be given a suspended sentence until
your trial.
6. If it is your first offence, you will probably be sentenced to capital punishment.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 39
 3 Complete the definitions with the words being defined
1. ............................................... takes control of a plane or boat by force.
2. ............................................... sees what happens during a crime or accident.
3. ................................................ brings goods into the country illegally.
4. ................................................ . gets money from others by threatening to tell
secrets.
5. ....................................... ......... steals from houses.

4 Choose the most appropriate word underlined.

1. The police arrested Jack and took him into custody / detention / prison.
2. In most countries, the capital/death/execution penalty has been abolished.
3. A man is said to be helping the police with their arrests/detection/inquiries.
4. The judge in the court was wearing a hairpiece/head-dress/wig.
5. Two football fans were later charged with agression/assault/attack.
6. Less serious cases are dealt with in the criminal/juvenile/magistrate’s court.
7. I was given a light sentence because it was my first case/charge/offence.
8. The case was dismissed for lack of evidence/a jury/witnesses.
9. “Members of the jury, what is your answer/summary/verdict?”

5 Read the following text and choose the correct alternative in each pair.
Last year my house was broken into and 1 robbed/stolen. I immediately informed the
police. A police officer came to the house and asked me to make a list of what had been
2 robbed/stolen. I told him my neighbours had seen someone suspicious at the time of
the 3 forgery/burglary, so they had to go to the police station and 4 make/do a
statement. About a month later the police contacted me to say they had arrested a 5
defendant/suspect. When the case came to court, I went to 6 give/tell evidence. Of
course, the man 7 admitted/pleaded not guilty. The 8 jury/lawyer decided there was not
enough proof to 9 try/convict him, and he was 10 let off/let go.

Sources
Vince, M.: Advanced Language Practice. MacMillanHeinemann Publishers Ltd, 1998. Vince, M.: First
Certificate Language practice. MacMillan Publishers Ltd, 2003.
Watcyn-Jones, P.: Test Your Vocabulary 4. Penguin Books Ltd,1988.
Wyatt, R., Newbrook, J., Wilson,J.: New FC Gold. Longman, 2004

40 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 2. Reading 1: Stealing Food not a Crime
Stealing food is not a crime says Italian court

Warm up
In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about
them? What can you say about these words and your life? Have a chat about the topics you liked.
Change topics and partners frequently.
Court - hunger - illegal - homeless – cheese - trial - crime - desperation - highlight - shoplifting -
lawyer - poverty - requirement - decision - civilized

May 7, 2016
An Italian court has ruled that food theft brought about by hunger is not illegal. Italy’s
highest court of appeal, the Supreme Court of
Cassation, threw out the conviction of a homeless
Ukrainian man, Roman Ostriakov, who was sentenced
5 to six months in jail for stealing cheese and a sausage
worth $4.50. Mr Ostriakov was also fined $115 by the
trial court. His lawyers initially appealed for a
reduction in that fine and were surprised when the
whole conviction was quashed. The court said Mr
10 Ostriakov taking the food, “does not constitute a
crime” because he stole a small amount of food out of
desperation. The court of appeal ruled that stealing Roman Ostriakov
small amounts of food to stave off hunger is not a
crime.
15 Many people hope Mr Ostriakov’s case will highlight the extent of poverty and
homelessness in Italy. They also believe the ruling may mean other hungry people who
are arrested for shoplifting will not be convicted. Criminal lawyer Maurizio Bellacosa
said the Ostriakov case, “is a new principle, and it might lead to a more frequent
application of the state of necessity linked to poverty situations”. The court ruled in a
20 statement that: “People should not be punished if, forced by need, they steal small
quantities of food in order to meet the basic requirement of feeding themselves.” Italy’s
La Stampa newspaper said: “The court's decision reminds us all that in a civilised country,
no one should be allowed to die of hunger.”
For more information on this case, see the Wrongly Convicted Database Record.

True / False
Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
1. The court in the article is Italy's highest court of appeal. T/F
2. The man who stole the food was from Milan. T/F
3. The man was given a $1,000 fine. T/F
4. The court said it wasn't a crime because it was a small amount . T/F

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 41
 5. People hope the case will put a focus on homelessness in Italy . T/F
6. A judge said no one would be arrested for stealing food. T/F
7. A lawyer suggested more people might be let off for stealing food. T/F
8. An Italian newspaper disagreed with the court's decision. T/F

Synonym Match
Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. ruled a. degree
2. threw out b. amount to
3. jail c. quantity
4. constitute d. decreed
5. desperation e. simple
6. extent f. rule
7. case g. prison
8. principle h. rejected
9. amounts i. legal action
10. basic j. hopelessness

Discussion
• If stealing for food is not a crime, how about stealing clothes?
• What can countries do to make sure no one is hungry?
• What's the hungriest you've ever been? What would you do if you had no food or money?
• Should uneaten food in supermarkets and restaurants go to the poor?
• What questions would you like to ask the judge?
• What would you rule if you were the judge?

Gap fill
1 Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
Appeal – worth - constitute - ruled - hunger - initially - homeless - conviction

An Italian court has (1) ____________ that food theft brought about by hunger is not
illegal. Italy’s highest court of (2) ____________, the Supreme Court of Cassation, threw
out the conviction of a (3) ____________ Ukrainian man, Roman Ostriakov, who was
sentenced to six months in jail for stealing cheese and a sausage (4) ____________
$4.50. Mr Ostriakov was also fined $115 by the trial court. His lawyers (5) ____________
appealed for a reduction in that fine and were surprised when the whole (6)
____________ was quashed. The court said Mr Ostriakov taking the food, “does not (7)
____________ a crime” because he stole a small amount of food out of desperation. The
court of appeal ruled that stealing small amounts of food to stave off (8) ____________
is not a crime.

42 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
2 Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
principle - ruling - basic - shoplifting - necessity - civilised - extent - punished

Many people hope Mr Ostriakov’s case will highlight the (9) ____________ of poverty
and homelessness in Italy. They also believe the (10) ____________ may mean other
hungry people who are arrested for (11) ____________ will not be convicted. Criminal
lawyer Maurizio Bellacosa said the Ostriakov case, “is a new (12) ____________, and it
might lead to a more frequent application of the state of (13) ____________ linked to
poverty situations". The court ruled in a statement that: “People should not be (14)
____________ if, forced by need, they steal small quantities of food in order to meet the
(15) ____________ requirement of feeding themselves.” Italy’s La Stampa newspaper
said: “The court's decision reminds us all that in a (16) ____________ country, no one
should be allowed to die of hunger.”

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 43
3. Everyday Criminals

44 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 45
46 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 4. Reading 2: Ten things I wish I’d known
WARM UP
What words come to your mind when we talk about law studies? Or about the profession of lawyer?
Are these realities or stereotypes?
What jobs can law studies lead to?

Reading
Read the article “Ten things I wish I’d known before becoming a law student”.
When choosing my degree, I was young, naive and full of false expectations. Here’s what
I’ve learnt
The horror stories of law students spending all day and all night in the library are true
Photograph: John Giustina Photography/Getty Images
5 As a sixth form student choosing to do a law degree, I wish I’d have been better informed
about what it’s really like to be a law student. I was young, naive and full of false
expectations. I hope that these ten things will be useful to those considering a law degree
and that current law students can relate to them.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 47
 1. Career prospects
10 Law is a well respected degree but its graduate prospects are not as good as universities
like to make out. Law firms and chambers have been reducing the number of training
contracts and pupillages, with some firms cancelling their next trainee intake.
Furthermore, a law degree does not guarantee riches. There is a stark contrast between
the high earnings people think lawyers are paid and what they are actually paid. I’m sure
15 that the Criminal Bar Association can verify this.

2. There’s so much reading

I had some idea that there would be a lot of reading, but I had no idea that horror stories
of law students spending all day and all night in the library were actually true. There is a
LOT of reading. I once spent so much time in the library that I genuinely started to feel
20 homesick. Be prepared to study long and hard hours as a law student.

3. Work hard, work smart, be organised

The workload becomes easier if you are well organised and focus on working efficiently.
Planning ahead early and prioritising work over play avoids dreaded all-nighters. When
reading, one should focus on the end goal: learning the law in order to apply it correctly
25 in an exam. Shortcuts in reading may be made too: having an idea of a case’s facts and
legal principle mean that the case report may be read much more quickly with more focus
on the key points. This is not something which is taught; rather I have had to learn this
myself during my law degree.

4. Everyone will try to pawn free legal advice from you

30 If I had a pound for every time a friend has asked a legal question ... For some reason,
people think that law students are overflowing fountains of legal knowledge to be tested
at will. This is simply not the case. No, I do not know about the legal intricacies of internet
libel law. No I can’t help you get out of your mobile phone contract. No, I can’t help you
if you’ve killed a man! And even if you do give advice, be sure to add disclaimers.

35 5. Life revolves around your next tutorial or seminar

To start with, you will have lectures. Then you will be assigned reading to do, and answers
to prepare for tutorials and seminars. I was unlucky enough to have tutors who would use
tutorials as interrogation sessions to highlight your deficiencies in knowledge and
understanding of the law. My motivation for those tutorials was avoiding the wrath of the
40 tutor. In hindsight this method of teaching clearly worked. Smaller group teaching
sessions are key opportunities to test your understanding and give structure to your
learning. The more effort you put into them, the more you will learn.

6. Law school is intense

In your law school, you are always competing against your fellow students for the best
45 grades. Some law schools mark using a bell curve, so that your grades directly depend on
how the rest of the year performs.
Some students become extremely defensive and do everything they can purely for
personal gain at the expense of others. This is rare, but law school can be a bit like being
on ‘The Apprentice’ competing against others in a high pressure environment with
50 backstabbing and drama!

7. Law books cost a fortune

I remember being shell-shocked at having spent over £140 on "essential textbooks" in my
first year of university. To this day, the expense of law textbooks still hurts.

48 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 8. Did I really choose the right degree?
55 At some point during their degrees, when motivation levels are low, and the mountain of
cases to read high, law students will question their choice. A law degree will stretch you
to your limits and test your commitment. I know many students who have dropped out of
law degrees unable to cope with the intensity. Don’t make the decision over the choice of
degree lightly. A law degree is a very expensive investment. In fact, some may be better
60 off choosing a degree they enjoy at university in which they can gain better honours and
then decide whether to commit to law and do the GDL.

9. The jump from A-Levels to law school

I thought I’d cope well with a law degree, having performed well at school. There’s a
good reason why the entry levels are so high at the top university law departments. During
65 my law degree, I felt very stupid about 90% of the time during my readings, and would
become disheartened by how much I didn’t understand. Initially I was very upset at
struggling to achieve only 60% (a 2:1) in my work, as opposed to over 90% at A-Level.
This is relatively normal. The process of learning and understanding is different and takes
some getting used to.

70 10. Social stereotypes of law students

Finally, a series of phrases you will have to get used to hearing. Get thinking of good
responses.
"Oh, you’re studying law? Maybe you can help me out someday if I get into trouble."
"Well, I see you’ve sold your soul to the devil for riches."
75 "How can you defend someone you know to be guilty? You lawyers are heartless and
cold-blooded."

Vocabulary
Make sure you understand these keywords.
1) Career prospects
a) pupillage:
b) trainee intake:
c) wealth
2) There’s so much reading
a) genuinely:
b) homesick:
3) Work hard, work smart, be organised
a) to prioritise something:
b) dreaded:
c) an all-nighter:
d) a shortcut:
e) a case report:

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 49
4) Everyone will try to pawn free legal advice from you
a) to pawn:
b) the intricacies:
c) libel:
d) a disclaimer:
5) Life revolves around your next tutorial or seminar
a) a tutor:
b) a tutorial:
c) deficiency:
d) wrath:
6) Law school is intense
a) a bell curve:
b) backstabbing:
7) Law books cost a fortune
a) shell-shocked:
8) Did I really choose the right degree?
a) to stretch someone to their limits:
b) commitment:
c) the GDL:
9) The jump from A-Levels to law school
a) A-levels:
b) to cope with:
c) disheartened:
10) Social stereotypes of law students
a) guilty:

Write a response to this article, based on the following questions. Next week we will have a class
discussion based on your written response. Be articulate and accurate. Provide enough detail in your
answer. Use correct grammar and vocabulary

Why are you interested in studying Law? What do you expect of the legal profession?

Do you have any legal work experience?

The article was written by a British law student, and the system of teaching law in Britain might be
different from Belgium. Do you recognize some of the points the writer of this article makes? Which
point do you agree with most? Why?

How did your secondary school experience prepare you for your legal studies?

Do you know any of the stereotypes about studying law and the legal profession? Do you think they
are true?

50 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 IV The Environment

1. Reading 1 – Cutting Air Pollution

Want to cut air pollution? Get rid of your car
The Guardian, Wed 19 Sep 2018, John Vidal
Governments must accept the stark fact that cars must be removed from the street
altogether
A car-free day in Brussels on 16 September Photograph: Xinhua/Barcroft Images
I write this from St Martin’s, one of the largest of the Isles of Scilly, where in five days spent
5 among its 120-odd inhabitants I have seen only three moving cars, two tractors and a few
boats. With 28 miles of Atlantic ocean in one direction between it and Cornwall, and just
a few rocks before the Canadian coastline in the other, St Martin’s has some of the
cleanest air in the world.
My landlord, Andrew, sees the benefits. Both his grandparents are 92 and still active, no
10 one he knows has asthma, and lung and heart diseases are uncommon, he says. Harold
Wilson always holidayed on the neighbouring island of St Mary’s, but his pipe-smoking
never caught on.
Word of the grim state of air on “mainland” UK reaches everyone here. A few days ago
came reports suggesting hundreds of thousands of young people in Britain are being
15 exposed to illegal levels of air pollution from diesel vehicles. Then there was new evidence
showing that toxic air travels through pregnant women’s lungs and lodges in their
placentas. A third study showed how air pollution affects intelligence, and another showed
it to be the biggest environmental risk in Europe, causing an estimated 400,000 premature
deaths a year. Today, there are reports of a new study suggesting that air pollution
20 increases the chance of getting dementia.
For Scillonians, used to gulping fresh sea air only, this is all academic. But what can
people in grossly polluted British cities do about the staggering levels of pollution, apart
from escape occasionally to places like St Martin’s? How hard is it really to eliminate
most pollution?
25 Not very, say the cities and countries that have tried to reduce it. It’s not expensive, and
it can be politically popular. Indeed, all the research shows that places that reduce
pollution benefit financially in both the short and long term.
As a start, we can all experience the less-polluted life. This weekend, as part of World Car-
Free Day, London will close 50 major streets to traffic, and Manchester, Leeds, Bristol,
30 Glasgow, Cardiff, Oxford, Cambridge and Liverpool will also ban cars from parts of their
city centres. All it has taken is a pledge, a temporary decree and a few plastic bollards.
Birmingham, car capital of the UK, resolutely refuses to join in. Poor Brum. The effect
of removing cars on a grand scale from a large city is revelatory. Aside from the rare
quietness and extra space, the air smells and tastes different. It may be imaginary, but

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 51
35 people also seem to converse and smile more. The health effects are dramatic. Brussels
closed its city centre to cars last Sunday, and within hours the levels of black carbon and
nitrogen dioxide in the city’s air decreased by at least 30%. Nearly everyone approved.
When the benefits are seen, the rest becomes easy. Many cities that were happy to ban
cars from a few streets for a token day a year have now been emboldened by the positive
40 response they received to go much further. Oslo will permanently ban all cars from its city
centre by 2019; Madrid will free up 500 acres of its centre by 2020; and Copenhagen,
Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Mexico City, Bogotá and Kigali all have ambitious plans for
permanent bans.
The car – at least in some EU cities – is on the run. But British and US cities are putting
45 their faith more in technology and individual action. This approach is also beginning to
work, with sales of electric cars skyrocketing. This week, we passed the milestone of 4m
zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs) on the road worldwide. That’s not many out of more
than one billion cars, but the speed of change suggests that the electric car will go
mainstream over the next generation. We’re predicted to hit the 5m mark in about six
50 months’ time, with one in four to five cars built predicted to be all or partly electric within
a decade. This may not dramatically reduce pollution unless the electricity they run on is
renewable, but individuals should at least be able to opt to “fill up” on clean electricity.
But technology is not enough. The air will never meet even the lowest World Health
Organisation standards until governments accept that cars must be removed from the
55 street altogether, and major investments be made in walking, cycling and public transport.
Countries that have invested in pollution-free transport have reaped the benefits.
Academics calculate that Dutch investment in cycling not only prevents about 6,500 deaths
each year, but saves government spending of nearly £20bn a year, as well as lengthening
average life expectancies by six months.
60 The Royal College of Physicians recommends, for a start, that we spend £10 a head on
alternatives to cars: far less than planned spending on new roads. It could be enough to
kickstart an emission-free economy that is good for health, the climate and the pocket.
As individuals, we can learn to avoid heavily polluted streets by taking backstreets; apps
can show us in real time where the pollution hotspots are; and we can avoid buying diesels
65 or sitting in front of open fires. These all offer individual respite from the clouds of gases
and particles we emit, but will not bring about real change.
We must also understand that air pollution comes not just from cars but from ships,
farming, heating of houses and workplaces, and the burning of firewood and rubbish. We
can wean cars off fossil fuels, but that is just the start. Ultimately, we need to both get out
70 of our cars, and burn fewer fossil fuels.
For that to happen, we need to think very differently about how we live. On St Martin’s
in the Isles of Scilly, it’s just about possible to imagine that

2. Reading 2: Nuclear Power Plants

Abandoning nuclear power plants ‘would push up carbon emissions’
The Guardian, Wed 26 Sep 2018, Adam Vaughan
Report due to be published on Thursday warns of ‘folly of technological tribalism’
Abandoning the UK’s ambitions for a number of new nuclear power stations would cause
carbon emissions to spike and push up energy costs, according to lobbyists led by a former
Conservative MP.

52 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 The New Nuclear Watch Institute warned against what it called the “folly of technological
5 tribalism” of pursuing a future powered by renewables and gas-fired power stations,
rather than any new nuclear plants.
Excluding nuclear would cause the UK to emit millions of extra tonnes of carbon dioxide
and put the country’s carbon targets out of reach, the group concluded in a report due to
be published on Thursday.
10 Tim Yeo, the institute’s chairman, said: “Abandoning nuclear power leads unavoidably
to a very big increase in carbon emissions, which will prevent Britain from meeting its
legally-binding climate change commitments. It also raises the cost of electricity.”
The claims will be seen as a direct riposte to recent suggestions from the government’s
infrastructure advisers, who urged ministers to cool their ambitions for as many as six new
15 nuclear projects and prioritise renewables instead.
The National Infrastructure Commission suggested the UK back only one more nuclear
plant after the two reactors being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset .
However, the New Nuclear Watch Institute, which is supported by nuclear industry firms
including the South Korean company eyeing a nuclear project in Cumbria, said
20 “technological zealots” were trying to restrict the range of options for cleaning up
electricity generation.
The group compared a worst-case scenario – where old nuclear plants are rapidly phased
out, Hinkley Point C is cancelled, no nuclear plants are built and offshore windfarms and
gas plants fill the gap – with one where nuclear plants account for nearly half of electricity
25 generation by 2030.
The “no nuclear” world would lead to the cost of managing the UK’s energy system being
15% higher and result in an extra 35m tonnes of CO2, around a tenth of today’s annual
emissions.
However, the comparison is based on an extreme scenario – few expect Hinkley Point C
30 will be axed, given the billions EDF Energy has already poured into it.
The government has repeatedly made clear it is committed to new nuclear plants but has
been grappling with how to help the financing of their huge upfront costs

3. Reading 3: Welcome to Bundanoon

Welcome to Bundanoon, Australia: the world’s first bottled water free town
Sense and Sustainability, January 16, 2018
In July 2009, the town of Bundanoon, located in the southern highlands of New South
Wales, became the first community in Australia and the world to ban the sale of plastic
water bottles. The town, located about 160 kilometres south of Sydney, had a population
of around 2,500 people at the time.
5 Residents had become upset at the announcement by a Sydney-based beverage company
that it would build a water extraction plant in Bundanoon. They were unhappy at the fact
that water would be taken from their town, trucked up to Sydney for processing and then
sold back to them.
The decision to ban plastic bottles was taken by the residents of Bundanoon themselves.
10 At a town meeting 356 residents voted in favour of the ban which marked the biggest ever

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 53
 turnout at a town meeting. Only two residents voted against the ban. One was Geoff
Parker, then Director of the Australian Water Institute which represented the bottle water
industry and the other was concerned at the possibility of a ban on water encouraging
people to switch to sugary drinks.
15 John Dee, an organiser of the ‘Bundy on Tap’ campaign told The Guardian that “I have
never seen 350 Australians in the same room all agreeing to something” adding that “It’s
time for people to realise they’re being conned by the bottled water industry.”
Dee, who also served as the Director of the Australian environmental group Do
Something! believed that tap water is of the same quality as bottled water. He said “We’re
20 hoping it will act as a catalyst to people’s memories to remember the days when we did
not have bottled water.” Taking a slight stab at one particular bottled water company he
posed the question “What is ‘Evian’ spelled backwards? Naïve.”
The Bundy on Tap campaign is the official website of “Australia’s First Bottled Water Free
Town.” Local business owners agreed to comply with the ban even though there are no
25 financial penalties for non-compliance. Three filtered water bubblers / drinking stations
were installed in the town with the Wingecarribee Council providing the plumbing
services. Each bubbler was prominently signed so that residents and visitors became
aware of them while some local stores installed water filters so customers could use
refillable and reusable water bottles to access water. Reusable water bottles were also
30 supplied to students of the Bundanoon Primary School so that future generations became
aware of the changes and the environmental concerns of plastic water bottles.
Bundy on Tap reports that Australians consume about 600 million litres of bottled water
each year and that the distribution of such an amount creates in excess of 60,000 tonnes
of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to what 13,000 cars on the road would generate.
35 120 million litres of oil is used each year in the manufacture and distribution of plastic
water bottles. The amount of energy required to produce bottled water is estimated to be
as 2,000 times the energy cost of producing tap water and much of this energy is wasted
due to the fact that up to 65% of plastic bottles are not recycled and subsequently find
their way into landfills or waterways. Bottled water can also cost up to 500 times more
40 than water from municipal taps and in some instances bacteria, chemical disinfectants and
aluminium have been found inside bottled water samples raising safety concerns.
Although slow to catch up, in February 2016, San Francisco became the first city in the
United States to ban the sale of water bottles. The Plastic Pollution Coalition reports that
those who violate the ban, which will be phased in over a four year period, will face fines
45 of up to $1,000, and follows the city’s previous bans on plastic bags and plastic foam
containers. It forms part of the city’s objective to have no waste going into its landfills by
2020 with its current diversion rate standing at 80%.
An increasing number of organisations, businesses, thought leaders, communities, towns
and cities are encouraged to introduce bans on non-recyclable plastic products in an effort
50 to curb greenhouse gas emissions and better protect the environment. After all plastic is
an extremely hazardous material which cannot biodegrade, piles up in the environment,
spoils groundwater, poisons food chains, attracts other pollutants, affects human health,
threatens wildlife and costs billions to abate.

Comprehension Questions
1. What is Bundanoon’s “claim to fame”?

2. Who decided to ban plastic water bottles in Bundanoon? How was the decision made?

54 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 3. What does John Dee mean when he says that “it’s time for people to realise they’re being
conned by the bottled water industry”?

4. List 3 ways that the community of Bundanoon is supporting the plastic water bottle ban.

5. How much bottled water do Australians consume in one year?

6. Compare the amount of energy required to produce bottled water with that required to
produce tap water. Why is much of the energy used in producing bottled water wasted?

7. What environmental hazards do plastic water bottles create?

8. Compare the cost of bottled water with the cost of water from municipal taps.

4. Videos
Watch these 2 videos:
Three Reasons why Nuclear Energy is Awesome
Three Reasons why Nuclear Energy is Terrible

Answer the following questions:

1. Without going into too many details, mention and briefly explain the three main arguments in
favour of nuclear energy

2. Without going into too many details, mention and briefly explain the three main arguments
against nuclear energy:

Vocabulary:
Explain these words in your own words.
• - Nuclear plant

• - Renewables

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 55
 • - To spike

• - Gas-fired power stations

• - To meet …. Commitments

• - Legally binding

5. Role Play
Local supermarket owner: You have arranged a meeting with a representative from a bottled water
company to complain about the environmental impact of plastic water bottles. You want to inform
him/her that you no longer plan to sell his/her company’s product in your store.
Bottled Water Company Sales Representative: You must defend and promote your company’s
product, and your job depends on keeping clients satisfied. You do not want to lose this client, as
his/her action might influence other clients, causing significant revenue loss to your company and
endangering your job. You must find a way to convince him/her to remain a loyal client, and continue
to offer your company’s bottled water for sale in his/her store.

6. 2–Minute Speech
Prepare a 1-2 minute speech to convince your audience to stop buying bottled water. Be
persuasive!
*Tip -- These are the five most persuasive words in the English language:
You free because instantly new

See how many of them you can incorporate into your speech effectively.

7. Listening Comprehension: Beirut

Video 1: Beirut: Anatomy of a lethal explosion (BBC News, posted on 12 August 2020).
(Please be advised that this video contains images that some viewers may find disturbing.)

1. How does this video report on the explosion?

2. How many people are affected by the blast?

3. How exactly did the explosion happen?

56 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 4. Tell the stories of two of the people interviewed in the video.

5. What does the video tell us about the history of the city?

6. What does the video tell us about the political situation in Lebanon?

Video 2: The Beirut Explosion: One Year Later (Los Angeles Times, 4 August 2021).
1. Describe the remains of the explosion that journalist Nabih Bulos visits at the beginning of the
video. Why is he wearing a mask?

2. This video is also about how the explosion should be remembered. Why would it be difficult to
keep the remains of the grain silos as a memorial?

3. What is ‘The Gesture’, and why has there been so much criticism of it?

Optional listening exercise:

How the Beirut Explosion was a government failure (Vox, 18 September 2020)
If you want to know more about Lebanon’s recent history, you can watch this video.

8. Reading 4: Beirut is Greening

Beirut Is Greening the Aftermath of Disaster
One year ago an explosion decimated Beirut. Today, the city is picking up the pieces — and using
them to rebuild.
Laure Delacloche, Reasons to be cheerful, August 3, 2021

The images that emerged from Beirut after the dust cleared were shocking: a city
devastated by one of the most powerful non-nuclear blasts ever to hit a major city. The
explosion on August 4, 2020 at the city’s port came from two warehouses filled
with 2,750 tons of volatile ammonium nitrate. It killed more than 200 people, physically
5 injured over 6,000 and mentally affected thousands more. Beyond the human toll, the
disaster turned hundreds of thousands of windows and walls into rubble, instantly
generating between 800,000 and one million tons of construction and demolition waste
and 20,000 tons of shattered glass, according to a United Nations estimate.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 57
 Mohammed Daoud, CEO of
10 Development Inc., a company based south
of the city that specializes in glass and
plastic recycling, remembers that day
clearly. “I had just got home, and my
house started shaking. First, I thought that
15 an earthquake was happening so I took
cover,” he says. “Then everything in my
house started to jump all over and we
heard the explosion. My first thought was
that maybe a war had started.”Once over
20 his shock, Daoud quickly started to
coordinate volunteers who rushed to Beirut to help in the clean-up effort. “On that very
day, we saw the main contractor for waste management in Beirut taking away all kinds
of rubble on trucks to throw it right away in the landfills,” he recalls. The scene was
reminiscent of another one that unfolded in Beirut 14 years earlier, when hundreds of
25 buildings and dozens of hospitals, bridges and schools were bombed in the war between
Lebanon and Israel. Then, the wreckage and debris were taken to a site by the
Mediterranean coast and partly dumped into the sea, thus creating new land. Many years
later, part of the rubble from this war was transferred to a proper landfill.
Daoud knew that this time around there was very little time to avert an environmental
30 debacle. Throwing waste into landfills doesn’t just squander materials that could be
recycled — landfills themselves are often ecologically destructive. In Lebanon, many are
located by the sea, where they release toxic substances into the Mediterranean.
They sometimes emit potentially dangerous gases like ammonia, as well as small
particles that may carry heavy metals. The costs of all this are enormous: Lebanon
35 spends $420 million per year on solid waste management, nearly ten times what Jordan
and Tunisia spend.
When it comes to construction and demolition waste, the problem is even more acute:
there is simply no landfill dedicated to receiving these materials in Lebanon. Residents
are left with little choice than to dump their trash in natural areas. Exacerbating the
40 problem is the fact that waste is big business in Lebanon, which ranks 149th out of 180
countries in perceived corruption, according to Transparency International. Waste
removal companies contracted by the government often enjoy tight ties to the political
elite, and are sometimes working more to advance their interests than the public’s. What’s
more, in Beirut they are paid for every ton of waste they deliver to landfills. “Imagine the
45 benefits they would have made, with all these walls, these columns of concrete…” says
Elie Mansour, head of the urban planning and design unit at UN-Habitat.
By diverting a portion of the blast’s construction and demolition waste away from
landfills, Daoud and Mansour hoped to achieve two goals in one fell swoop: protect the
environment and avert systemic corruption. All of these factors were on Daoud’s mind
50 when, shortly after the explosion, he started thinking about how the waste could be
disposed of in a more sustainable way. His basic thought process went like this: “First,
we segregate the rubble and extract the glass and plastics out of them. Then, we use the
glass and plastics to rebuild the city, and we take the rubble to rehabilitate quarries.”
Easier said than done. To make it work, Daoud would need extra arms — and brains. He
55 quickly reached out to Lebanon’s reforestation initiative, which works to restore quarries.
“They agreed right away to jump in,” he says, “but we did not know how to collect the
rubble from the affected area. So I picked up my phone and reached out to Mona el Hallak,
who is the director of the Neighborhood Initiative in the American University of Beirut,”
an organization with experience leading community projects in the city. An architect who
60 is known for having prevented the demolition of an iconic building damaged during
Lebanon’s civil war, el Hallak works with the municipality of Beirut on a regular basis.

58 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 “She gave us the opportunity to showcase our idea to the governor of Beirut,” says Daoud.
The city ultimately backed the project.
“We then started to send teammates to speak with volunteers sweeping the streets, so that
65 they would isolate the glass and the rubble. And then, UN-Habitat called us, and said they
would like to be part of the project.” After a short while, these organizations agreed to
form an international consortium, and the Rubble to Mountains project was born.
Rubble to Mountains is an effort to take the detritus of a devastating event and transform
it into something that benefits Lebanon. It’s not a beautification project — it’s an earnest
70 attempt to solve an environmental problem faced by a place contending with large
amounts of post-disaster debris.
The Rubble to Mountains solution starts with crushing the stones and glass left behind by
the blast, reducing them to sand that can be transported to abandoned quarries. “There are
approximately 1,200 [abandoned quarries] throughout Lebanon,” says Maya Nehme,
75 director of Lebanon’s reforestation initiative. Though the operators are legally bound to
restore a quarry after exploiting it, this rarely happens. Lebanon’s landscape is thus
scarred with disfigured hills. “Rubble will help fill these holes,” says Nehme.
Her organization, an initiative launched by the United States Forest Service (USFS) with
support and funding from USAID, has restored four quarries across the country over the
80 last several years, filling them, planting them and turning them into ecotourism areas and
forests. Mending quarries has aesthetic value, but the environmental benefits are even
more important. “We have lost 35 percent of our green cover in the last ten years” in
Lebanon, Nehme says.
Another part of the Rubble to Mountains process is unfolding in a humble factory a few
85 kilometers south of the capital city, where Development Inc. is processing plastic and
glass from the blast. The materials are broken down, mixed and upcycled into panels of
a composite material called ROGP — rejects of glass and plastic — that will be molded
into public amenities like sidewalk pavement, trash bins and benches. “They will be given
to the municipality of Beirut, because our goal is not to make profits out of the Rubble to
90 Mountains project, but to build a response to a very devastating event,” Daoud
explains. From the time between the blast and last May, Daoud says his company was
paying out of pocket to run the site, and since then has been receiving only USD$1,700
per month from UN-Habitat. Although the monetary compensation is far less than what
conventional waste processing companies receive, Daoud says it’s worth it. “We’re
95 getting good exposure and good opportunities to showcase our ideas,” he says.
Almost a year after the blast, the Rubble to Mountains site, less than a kilometer from the
explosion’s epicenter, is receiving an average of 50 tons of stones, plastic and other
construction and demolition waste per day, diverting them from dumpsites by the sides
of Lebanese roads.
100 A bit farther off, sorted stones have been stacked against a concrete wall — crushers
displayed nearby will soon pulverize them and turn them into sand to be sent to former
quarries. In a corner stands a stack of shattered glass several meters high. “This represents
4,000 to 6,000 tons of glass,” Mansour estimates, “while 60,000 tons of rubble are on
site.”
105 Pandemic lockdowns, the absence of a ruling government since August 2020, and the
discovery of asbestos in the rubble have slowed the project down by several months. A
USAID report, commissioned by the consortium, indicated that parts of the piles of rubble
were contaminated at a fairly low rate (between 0.2 and eight percent). Still, the
organization recommended they should not be disturbed until a management plan is
110 implemented. “We relied on workers from disadvantaged backgrounds, hired through
NGOs to work on the site,” says Mansour. “We don’t want to expose anyone who is
vulnerable.”

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 59
 These delays could well have a silver lining, however: they have given the consortium
time to hash out an agreement with the city and the governor to create the first permanent
115 site to dispose of construction and demolition waste once the Rubble to Mountains project
has ended. “The off-loaded waste would be segregated to take the recyclables out of it
and the crushed waste could be used to level land or to fill other abandoned quarries,”
says Daoud. A minimum fee would be paid by people bringing in their waste, to ensure
the nonprofit project could continue.
120 Despite the delays and the roadblocks, “the alternative to the Rubble to Mountains project
would have been to put all this waste into the current landfills,” says Maya Nehme. “The
project is a hope for the future for managing construction and demolition waste in
Lebanon.”

Class Activities
The text deals with the aftermath of the explosion of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate in
Beirut’s port on 4 August 2020. In order to give you some background information, we will first watch
and discuss some videos reporting on the blast.

Warm-up
• What do you know about the explosion in Beirut’s port on 4 August 2020?
• What do you know about Lebanon and Beirut?

Reading Comprehension

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
to emerge from to appear by coming out of something or out from behind something
a warehouse (noun, C) a large building for storing things before they are sold, used, or sent
out to shops
to affect to do something that produces an effect or change in something or in
someone’s situation
the human toll the amount of human suffering or the number of human deaths or
injuries
rubble (noun, U) the piles of broken stone, bricks, and glass, etc. that are left when a
building falls down or is destroyed
waste (noun, U) unwanted matte or material of any type, especially what is left after
useful substances or parts have been removed
to shatter to (cause something to) break suddenly into very small pieces
to take cover to find a place where you can be protected from rain, fire, war
a landfill (noun, C) a place where waste is buried
wreckage (noun, U) a badly damaged object or the separated parts of a badly damaged
object
debris (noun, U) broken or torn pieces of something larger
to avert to prevent something bad from happening

60 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
to squander to waste money or supplies, or to waste opportunities by not using
them to your advantage
to release here: to allow a substance to flow out from somewhere
acute (adj.) if a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage
to dump to get rid of waste or anything else that is unwanted, especially by
leaving it in a place where it is not allowed to be
to contract to make a legal agreement with someone to do work or to have work
done for you
tight ties close connections that people have with other people
to divert something from … to …. to cause something to change direction from one place to another
in one fell swoop all at the same time
to dispose of to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the
matter is finished
sustainable (adj.) causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to
continue for a long time
a quarry (noun, C) a large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand, etc. is dug for
use as building material
iconic very famous or popular, especially being considered to present
particular opinions or a particular time
ultimately (adv.) finally, after a series of things have happened
to back a project to support a project with money or words
detritus (noun, U) waste material or rubbish, especially left after a particular event
to crush to press something very hard so that it is broken or its shape is
destroyed
to be scarred to have a sign of physical destruction (when talking about a place)
disfigured having a completely spoiled appearance
environmental relating to the environment
a benefit (noun, C) a helpful or good effect, or something intended to help
to process here: to prepare, change or treat substances as part of an industrial
operation
to upcycle to make new things out of old or used things or waste material
public amenities things that are intended to make life more pleasant or comfortable for
the people in a town (in the text: benches and trash bins)
exposure (noun, U) here: visibility so that people will know about you or your company,
which may serve as a form of advertisement
to showcase to show the best qualities or parts of something
an average (noun, C) the result you get by adding two or more amounts together and
dividing the total by the number of amounts
former (adj.) of or in an earlier time; before the present time or in the past
asbestos (noun, U) a soft, greyish-white material that does not burn, used especially in the
past in buildings, clothing, etc. as a protection against fire and as a
form of insulation (= a way of stopping heat from escaping)
to contaminate to make something less pure or to make it poisonous

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 61
 Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
disadvantaged background the situation of being born or living without the standard of living
conditions, education, etc. that most people have
nonprofit not established to make a profit
a delay (noun, C) the situation in which you have to wait longer than expected for
something to happen, or the time you have to wait
to hash out an agreement to talk about something with someone else in order to reach an
agreement
to segregate to keep one thing separate from another
a roadblock (noun, C) an obstacle, anything that stops progress

True or False?
Give an explanation in English when the statement about the text is false.
• True / False - During the war between Lebanon and Israel, the larger part of rubble and debris
as a result of the war was being recycled.

• True / False - Landfills are bad for the environment in two ways: they keep materials from being
recycled and they lead to further environmental disasters.

• True / False - Lebanon has many landfills intended for construction waste, and they are
carefully managed by government agencies.

• True / False - Because waste removal companies do not make a lot of money in Lebanon, there
are not enough of them to deal with the amount of detritus after the explosion.

• True / False - The rubble and broken glass will be separated, and the stone material will be
crushed into sand to fill up damage to hills in abandoned quarries.

• True / False - Mohammed Daoud’s company is running this project single-handedly.

• True / False - This is Mona el Hallak’s first project in which she works together with the
municipality of Beirut.

• True / False - Mending abandoned quarries is not just an initiative to make the countryside and
the hills beautiful again. It is also intended to solve two environmental problems at once:
deforestation and rubble from the explosion.

• True / False - The glass and plastic recuperated from the rubble will be upcycled into a material
that can then be shaped into objects intended to rebuild Beirut.

• True / False - The safety of the workers on the project is a priority.

• True / False - Rubble to Mountains stands to make a lot of money out of the project.

62 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Discussion
Debate the following motion:

Governments have a larger role in saving the environment than individual

people and private initiatives.

Work in groups of 4 students. Decide who of you will be for the motion, and who of you will be against
the motion.
Come up with a number of good arguments to support your view. You can use arguments and
examples / facts and figures from the text, from the news, or from your own experiences and daily
life.
When talking to each other, you will have to make sure you listen to each other, and to react to each
other’s views politely and consistently, i.e., you have to actively respond to each other’s statements.
Here are some expressions that can help you signal that you have understood what your fellow
students have said, and what your own view on the matter is.

(Dis-) agreeing
I (quite /fully) agree with… that…
As far as I’m concerned, it is true /clear /obvious /a fact that…

I agree up to a point / to a certain extent, but…

I see their point but…

I do not agree / I disagree with… / with the idea that…

This is not how I see it.
I take a different view.

Balancing advantages & disadvantages

I accept that… but I still feel…
In spite of…, I still think …
On the one hand, but on the other hand,
Although …, we must not forget …

Making suggestions
I think we should …
It might be a good idea to …
One solution would be to …

Presenting and comparing different solutions

There seem to be at least two ways of dealing with that problem.
One possibility is to … another possibility would be to …
X does have some advantages. However, there is no doubt that Y is a much better choice.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 63
 Giving a series of reasons – stating preferences
I am against (-ING). One reason is … Another is …
I am for / in favour of…
I prefer …. to …..
The main advantage of … is that …

Now it’s up to you. Prepare the debate, and then talk about the topic for about 10 to 15 minutes. Be
ready to report back to the class at the end of your exercise.

64 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 V Legal Matters

1. Reading 1: Prison isn’t Working

Prison isn’t working’: David Gauke calls for end to short jail terms
The Guardian, Mon 18 Feb 2019, Vikram Dodd

Pre-reading task
• Read the title. What do you think this article is about?
• “Prison isn’t working”: Why does society put people in prison? What is the main purpose in
sending people to jail? Think of three reasons that would justify the existence of prisons.
• If you had to choose between a punitive approach and a way of avoiding recidivism by
encouraging education, sports, responsibilities… what would you choose?
• Do you know of any alternatives to jail?

Reading
Justice Secretary says ‘robust community order regime’ would be better alternative
The justice secretary, David Gauke, who says Britain jails more people than other
European countries. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images
The justice secretary has said he wants to end short prison sentences because they do not
5 work and hopes that technology and more community sentences will provide better
alternatives to jail.
In a break with the “prison works” mantra of past Conservative governments, David
Gauke outlined the plans that reformers hope will be more than just talk.
Gauke used a central London speech to point out that Britain jailed more people compared
10 with other European countries and that those sentenced to short terms in prison had high
reoffending rates.
“In the last five years, just over a quarter of a million custodial sentences have been given
to offenders for six months or less; over 300,000 sentences were for 12 months or less.
But nearly two-thirds of those offenders go on to commit a further crime within a year of
15 being released.
“Why would we spend taxpayers’ money doing what we know doesn’t work, and indeed,
makes us less safe?”
He cited the example of female shoplifters jailed for short terms, which often blights their
life chances on release. “For women, going into custody often causes huge disruption to

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 65
20 the lives of their families, especially dependent children, increasing the risk [the children]
will also fall into offending.”
Gauke said tough community orders should be backed up by tagging and could mandate
treatment for underlying causes of offending such as alcohol, drugs or mental health
issues. Five pilot schemes have been set up.
25 “Our research shows that nearly 60% of recent offenders who engaged with a community-
based alcohol programme did not go on to reoffend in the two years following treatment.
Offenders given a community sentence including mental health treatment have also
shown to be significantly less likely to reoffend.”
Sentences had been getting longer, he added. “We are now taking a more punitive
30 approach than at any point during Mrs Thatcher’s premiership. We should be extremely
cautious about continuing to increase sentences as a routine response to concerns over
crime.
“For the offenders completing these short sentences whose lives are destabilised, and for
society which incurs a heavy financial and social cost, prison simply isn’t working.
35 “That’s why there is a very strong case to abolish sentences of six months or less
altogether, with some closely defined exceptions, and put in their place a robust
community order regime.”
Gauke challenged the view that prison after conviction should be the only punishment for
more serious offences. “I believe we are nearing a time when a combination of technology
40 and radical thinking will make it possible for much more intensive and restrictive
conditions to be applied in more creative and fundamental ways outside of prison.
“I think for some offenders we need to revisit what effective punishment really means.
Home curfew, driving bans, alcohol bans and foreign travel bans are just some of the
options that already exist and which might play a bigger role.”
45 He said fraudsters spent a spell in jail but still may enjoy the money they stole on release:
“I want to look at what happens after prison – whether more effective punishment and
deterrent for these criminals might involve jail time and more lasting and punitive
community interventions.”
The Conservative MP Philip Davies branded the plans as “frankly idiotic” and said: “In
50 virtually every case, the offender has been given community sentence after community
sentence, and they are only sent to prison because they have failed to stop their offending.
So to give them community sentences instead is bonkers.”

Vocabulary
Try to guess the meaning of the following words/phrases from the article and give your own
definition. Compare with the definition given in a dictionary.
• Community sentence
• Reoffending rates
• Custodial sentences
• Shoplifters
• Home curfew, driving bans, alcohol bans and foreign travel bans
• A deterrent
• Tagging

66 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
Debate
« Advocates of tagging typically advanced the cost effectiveness argument
where they compare the cost of tagging – according to the Reform report
somewhere between £8 to £16 per day for the new GPS tags - with the
average cost of the prison place of approximately £73.”

Comment this quote from the article. Is cost the first thing we should be looking at? Why or why not.
Phrasal verbs: identify them and give a synonym (phrasal or non-phrasal!)
• Point out
• Back up
• Set up
• To go on (to reoffend)

Video
Now Watch this 39-minute documentary on Restorative justice in the US inspired by the Maori
tradition. A very practical and tangible way in which such concepts are applied daily. Then answer
the following questions:
1- The initial situation in the US (Baltimore):
a) What happens to juvenile delinquents when they end up in jail?
b) How do they change?
c) What about the costs? What about the psychological toll?
2- The Maori
a) What do the Maori of New Zealand teach us with their approach to justice?
b) Who are “tribal elders”?
c) What does “Restoring the balance” mean?
3- The new system in Baltimore:
a) With the first experience in Baltimore, how many cases were diverted from
overburdened courts?
b) What financial burden does the restorative justice system lift from the families’
shoulders?
c) Does the victim have a role in court? (Maori/traditional European/US system)

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 67
 2. Reading 2: Restorative Justice

Reading

Restorative justice may not work for all young offenders

The Conversation, November 9, 2011
Author Educating young offenders about the consequences of their crimes is a key way
to ensure they don’t re-offend. But bringing them face to face with their victims may not
always be the right way to go.
Young offenders often suffer long-term abuse or neglect. They frequently fail to achieve
5 academically, and have few, if any marketable employment skills. They face elevated
risks of mental health problems and early and problematic substance abuse.
A fair system
It’s often said that the mark of a civilised society is the way in which it looks after its
weak and vulnerable. We can take solace from the way young offenders are “managed”
10 in Australia.
In the main, youth justice legislation in our states and territories recognises that young
people who fall foul of the law are in many respects victims, as much as they are
perpetrators.
In Victoria, we can be particularly proud of the fact that we have a unique (in Australia,
15 and possibly in the world) “dual track” system which enables magistrates, in some
circumstances, to sentence 17 to 20 year olds into the youth justice system, in an effort to
delay or (preferably) prevent their entry into the adult corrections system.
Restorative justice conferencing
In the last 10 to 15 years in Australia, there has also been a strong shift away from
20 traditional adversarial approaches to justice administration with young offenders, towards
(amongst other approaches) the use of Restorative Justice Conferencing (RJC).
RJC allows the young offender to have a conversation with his or her victims in an effort
to heal (even in part) the emotional damage done to others and to repair the tear in the
social fabric that has been created by their wrongdoing. A trained facilitator will oversee
25 the meeting.
In order to be offered it as an alternative to a community-based or custodial order, the
young person must plead guilty. What could possibly be “wrong” with such a progressive
and therapeutically-oriented approach?
Unfortunately, many interventions look good at face value and seem to make intuitive
30 sense, but in practice can be problematic, and may not deliver as intended.
Lack of understanding
Research in the last decade in Australia, the USA and the UK has also shown that young
offenders represent a group at high-risk of unidentified oral language impairments.
In other words, they have problems expressing themselves verbally by accessing
35 appropriate vocabulary, formulating meaningful sentences, and adequately understanding
the complex language we often use.

68 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 To complicate matters further, much of what transpires between us as speakers and
listeners in everyday life is not literal in meaning – we use idioms and a range of other
linguistic devices such as sarcasm, irony and various kinds of humour.
40 My own research has indicated that in both community and custodial samples of young
male offenders, such problems reach clinical thresholds in about 50 per cent of cases.
This is not to say that RJC shouldn’t be used with young offenders. But evidence on the
oral language ability of this group raises important questions about the extent to which
such young people can be assumed to have the skills needed to genuinely engage in a
45 highly conversational process that is intended to be restorative in nature – both for the
victim(s) and for the young person.
What good is it doing?
In the case of young people who have been maltreated and not received the care they need
when growing up, one might indeed wonder about what is being restored.
50 Has this young person ever had empathy displayed towards them when they have been
wronged and are distressed? Have they learnt the language of empathy and remorse and
how to use this under pressure? If they are unable to access words that express these
sentiments, how can they appear genuine in their remorse? How will it be perceived if the
young person shrugs his shoulders and gives mono-syllabic responses? What does all of
55 this mean for the young offender’s experience of the RJC and for that of their victim(s)?
Like most social scientists, I am well aware of the evidence that shows us that simply
punishing young people for their wrong-doing does not lead to reduced recidivism or the
adoption of socially acceptable values and behaviour.
But we need to take great care, and apply high standards of critical thinking, when seeking
60 approaches that are a good philosophical fit with our desire to promote better outcomes
for young offenders.
One size does not fit all
RJC is no doubt an appropriate and helpful approach for some young offenders and their
victims, but may not be so for all.
65 Further research is needed to elucidate ways of identifying which young people, in which
circumstances, will benefit most from this approach.
Above all, however, in the meantime, primum non nocere – “first do no harm”.
Pamela Snow
Associate Professor of Psychology, Monash University.

Vocabulary
Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
restorative justice (noun, U) a way of dealing with crime that emphasizes taking responsibility for
the effect of your crime on others, and trying to do something that
makes things better for the victims

key (adj.) very important and having a lot of influence on other people or things

abuse (noun, U) a situation in which a person uses something in a bad or a wrong

way, especially for their own advantage or pleasure; cruel, violent, or

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 69
 Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
unfair treatment of someone; rude and offensive words said to
another person

neglect (noun, U) a situation in which you do not give enough care or attention to
someone or something, or the state of not receiving enough care or
attention

to fall foul of the law to break a rule or law, especially without intending to

a perpetrator (noun, C) an offender, someone who has committed a crime or a violent or

harmful act

a magistrate (noun, C) a person who acts as a judge in a law court that deals with crimes that
are less serious

an adversarial approach relating to a legal process in which lawyers present facts for and
against someone who is accused of a crime

to heal to make or become well again; to end or improve a bad situation or a

painful emotion

damage (noun, U) harm or injury

a tear in the social fabric in this expression, you think as society as a cloth, as something that
is woven out of different threads, and when a crime occurs, you
consider the fabric as torn and damaged

a facilitator (noun, C) someone who helps a person or organisation do something more

easily or find the answer to a problem, by discussing things and
suggesting ways of doing things

a community-based order an instruction by a court of law to do community service

a custodial order a prison sentence

to plead guilty to make a statement in a court of law, stating that you are guilty of
the crime you are accused of

to take something at face value to accept something at it appears to be rather than studying it more
closely

to deliver here: to achieve or produce something that has been promised

as intended as planned

a language impairment a serious problem with expressing yourself in words and

understanding what other people tell you

to transpire to happen

an idiom (noun, C) an expression; a group of words that has a special meaning that is
different from the meaning of each individual word (e.g. ‘under the
weather’ is an idiom meaning ‘ill’)

a linguistic device a word or expression used to produce a particular effect

70 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Vocabulary Definition/Explanation
to reach clinical thresholds when problems reach clinical thresholds, they are so serious that they
need to be treated

genuinely (adv.) really and sincerely; truthfully; actually

empathy (noun, U) the ability to share someone’s feelings or experiences by imagining

what it would be like in that person’s situation

remorse (noun, U) a feeling of sadness and being sorry for something you have done

to shrug (your shoulders) to raise your shoulders and then lower them in order to say you do
not know or are not interested

recidivism (noun, U) the act of continuing to commit crimes even after having been
punished

Content questions
1. Describe the main idea of this article in your own words.

2. What is the author’s approach to Restorative Justice Conferencing?

3. Reading 3: After I was Arrested

Reading

After I was arrested and sectioned, restorative justice offered me a lifeline

Bryony Friars, The Guardian, 1 September 2021
While experiencing psychosis, I tried to hurt people. But the compassion of my victims
helped me to move on with my life.
It started with the tapeworm. The tapeworm was lodged in my brain, and it was slowly
killing me. Not only was there a parasite in my skull, but it had been nefariously placed
5 there to murder me. A man had intercepted my takeaway order and put tapeworm eggs in
my food. I knew it was him because he had given me an evil glare when I passed him in
the street earlier in the year. I visited doctor after doctor, but none of them would give me
the brain scan that would reveal the worm and allow me to get help. They said I had no
neurological symptoms. I confronted the takeaway owner to tell her of this wicked plot
10 that was taking place. I grew more and more desperate. One day, I snapped.
I tried to hurt the takeaway owner. I tried to hurt the police too, to protect myself. I was
arrested. Shortly afterwards, I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and placed in
a low-secure hospital unit. Here I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Gradually the
previous days, months and years began to make sense. The tapeworm incident marked
15 the nadir of my descent into a brutal and destructive psychosis, following months of trying

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 71
 and failing to find adequate care. I had sincerely tried to get help – sadly, it took
incarceration for my mental health problems to be recognised by the health system.
Psychiatrists call it being “floridly psychotic”; I call it hell. At the unit, I started treatment.
My delusions slowly lifted, including that of the tapeworm.
5 As I recovered, all I could think about were my victims. I imagined how angry, afraid and
confused they must have been to be at the receiving end of threats from a total stranger. I
was disgusted with myself, full of deep remorse, and thought of them constantly. I knew
I had no offending history and was psychotic at the time of my actions – but did they?
How did they feel? Did they know the context of my crime? Were they OK? I was not
10 allowed to contact them directly, so my psychologist recommended a process called
restorative justice – which connects those harmed by crime and those responsible,
enabling everyone affected by a particular offence to play a role in amending the harm
and finding a constructive way forward.
Trained facilitators support and prepare participants, ensuring the process is safe. This
15 can be through meetings between victim and offender, an exchange of letters, verbal
messages or phone calls. Victims can ask questions and explain the impact of the offence
on their lives, which can help with healing. Offenders can assuage harmful feelings of
shame by taking responsibility and making amends. In my case, restorative justice was
provided by the national charity Remedi. Two of its representatives met me in hospital to
20 explain the process. They reassured me that I could withdraw at any point, as could my
victims, without consequences. They asked me what I wished to say to my victims, and
relayed my apology to them.
I was expecting anger, bitterness and venom. What I received floored me. Jane, the owner
of the takeaway, did not feel it was necessary to meet me in person. She accepted my
25 apology and sent a message that she understood I was ill when the incident happened and
held no grudge against me. She said she was glad I was receiving treatment and support,
and that she wanted me to move on from the offence.
The police did want to meet with me in person. A representative from the local force came
to the hospital, allowing me to explain my offences and to apologise to him. The
30 representative told me how my behaviour had impacted the officers I had verbally
abused. He urged me to continue to engage with mental health services following my
discharge from the hospital, to ensure this situation would not arise again.
I was immensely grateful to have had the chance to apologise to my victims and to explain
why these crimes occurred. The interaction with them helped me feel less guilt and shame,
35 and I felt deeply humbled by the compassion they had shown me. Their encouragement
to move on with my life made me even more determined to stay well and lead a productive
life.
My psychologist says her clinical experience shows that restorative justice is a very
supportive way of helping people acknowledge and take responsibility for the harm they
40 have caused: “This allows them to develop compassion for themselves (and ‘permission’
to live a good life) by experiencing the compassion of their victims.” Restorative justice
isn’t a panacea to those in the criminal justice system. It can’t undo what has already been
done. However, it can offer a sense of closure to both offender and victim that the courts
can’t provide.
45 Home Office and Ministry of Justice research has already shown that restorative justice
leads to a 14% reduction in the rate of reoffending; and the University of Sheffield found
that 78% of victims would recommend it to other people in their situation. This summer
a new parliamentary group for restorative justice held an inquiry on how the practice’s
quality and availability can be improved. Its chair, Conservative MP Elliot Colburn, said,
50 “I have been struck by how effective restorative justice can be,” and it will reveal its
findings this month. For me, the process has been a lifeline. A chance to redeem myself,

72 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 if only partially, and forge a future from the ruins of my delusions. Whenever shame and
guilt threaten to overwhelm me, I reach for the letter Jane wrote to me.
It started with the tapeworm. Thanks to restorative justice, it ended with the kindness of
strangers.
5 Bryony Friars is a pseudonym. She is a student living in the north of England

Vocabulary
Write down the vocabulary you do not understand here and look the words and expressions up in an
online dictionary. These are some well known online dictionaries.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
https://www.ldoceonline.com
Cambridge Dictionary
https://dictionary.cambridge.org
Collins Dictionary
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english

Vocabulary Definition/Explanation

Content questions
In this text, an offender discusses what restorative justice meant to her.
1. How is ‘restorative justice’ described in this text?

2. Why is it so important that trained facilitators prepare participants?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 73
 3. How exactly did the process happen in Bryony’s case?

4. Did the process have the outcome she expected?

5. What exactly is meant by the sentence ‘Restorative justice isn’t a panacea to those in the
criminal justice system’?

6. Bryony backs up her arguments by scientific evidence and the results of a parliamentary focus
group inquiry. What did the science and the inquiry show?

4. Listening Comprehension
Watch these videos and answer the questions
Video 1: The neuroscience of restorative justice (Daniel Reisel)
This TED-talk by Daniel Reisel was delivered in February 2013 in Longbeach, California.
1. How does Daniel Reisel introduce his talk?

2. What exactly is Wormwood Scrubs?

3. What tests did Daniel Reisel and his colleagues carry out on the Wormwood Scrubs inmates?
What deficit did they discover in the inmates?

4. Does Daniel Reisel think this deficit can be treated? How exactly?

5. Daniel Reisel also explains how children learn. Summarize what he says.

6. Can brains change? How does this link up with restorative justice and the Wormwood Scrubs
inmates? What does Dan Reisel say about reoffending rates?

74 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
Video 2: How restorative justice could end mass incarceration (Shannon Sliva)
This TEDx talk was held by Shannon Sliva on 18 July 2019
1. How does Shannon Sliva introduce her talk?

2. What can you find out about Shannon Sliva’s profession in this talk?

3. What kind of barriers are there in the US justice system that prevent people who cause harm
from being accountable to the people they hurt?

4. How does Shannon Sliva describe a justice system that ‘works’?

5. What recidivism figures does Shannon Sliva mention? Write down the figures she quotes of
recidivism without restorative justice, and recidivism in people studied in a local Colorado study
(‘Colorado’s Diversion Programme’)?

6. How does Shannon Sliva describe ‘restorative justice’?

7. What idea does Shannon Sliva share with Bryony Friars regarding the feasibility of restorative
justice?

8. Is restorative justice a part of state codes in the US? How do prosecutors, judges and
correctional officials look at restorative justice?

9. Describe Shannon Sliva’s understanding of the default response to crime and criminals:
isolation in prisons.

10. What does Shannon Sliva mean when she says ‘Our policy problem is a people problem’? Do
you agree with her?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 75
 5. Discussion and Writing exercise.
You have now read two texts and watched two videos about restorative justice. Discuss the different
aspects of the practice with a fellow student. Then write a 20-line essay about our view on restorative
justice.
Here are some questions to get you started.
Do you think it is feasible? Do you think adopting the practice will indeed end mass incarceration in
the US and overpopulation in prisons elsewhere? How important do you think preparation of the
conversations is? Do you agree with Pamela Snow that not all offenders are ready to have a
conversation with their victims?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
10 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
15 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
20 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

76 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 6. Reading 4: Sentenced to the Good Life

Reading
Read the article “Sentenced to the Good Life” and complete the following activities
The seagulls begin squawking at 6 in the morning and the cigarettes cost too much, but
Lars, 41, knows there are worse places to call home. On Bastoy, an island 46 miles (74
km) south of Oslo, he and 124 other residents live in brightly colored wooden chalets,
spread over one square mile of forest and gently sloping hills. Besides enjoying views of
5 the surrounding fjord, they go horseback riding and throw barbecues, and have access to
a movie theater, tanning bed and, during winter, two ski jumps. Lars’ neighbors often
conceal the reasons they are there, but, as in any small community, word gets around. “I
try to be as nice to the pedophiles as I am to the drug dealers,” he says. Despite all its
trappings, Bastoy island isn’t an exclusive resort: it’s a prison.
10 Arne Kvernvik Nilsen, Bastoy’s governor and a practicing psychotherapist, describes it
as the world’s first human-ecological prison “a place where inmates learn to take
responsibility for their actions by caring for the environment. Prisoners grow their own
organic vegetables, turn their garbage into compost and tend to chickens, cows, horses
and sheep. They also operate the ferry that shuttles a number of them to school and jobs
15 on the mainland, make their own dinner (they’re allowed to use knives) and chop wood
(using axes and chainsaws). Although authorities carry out routine drug tests, the prison
generally emphasizes trust and self-regulation: Bastoy has no fences, the windows have
no bars, and only five guards remain on the island after 3 p.m. and on weekends. “They
are among the worst criminals in Norway. They are murderers, they are rapists, they are
20 Hells Angels,” says Nilsen. “But they keep the whole society alive and running.”
In an age when countries from Britain to the U.S. cope with exploding prison populations
by building ever larger “and, many would say, ever harsher” prisons, Bastoy seems like
an unorthodox, even bizarre, departure. But Norwegians see the island as the embodiment
of their country’s long-standing penal philosophy: that traditional, repressive prisons do
25 not work, and that treating prisoners humanely boosts their chances of reintegrating into
society. “People in other countries say that what Norway does is wrong,” says Lars, who
is serving a 16-year sentence for serious drug offenses. “But why does Norway have the
world’s lowest murder rate? Maybe we’re doing something that really works.”
Countries track recidivism rates differently, but even an imperfect comparison suggests
30 that Norway’s system produces overwhelmingly positive results. Within two years of
their release, 20% of Norway’s prisoners end up back in jail. In the U.K. and the U.S., the
figure hovers between 50% and 60%. Of course, Norway’s low level of criminality gives
it a massive advantage. Its prison roll lists a mere 3,300 inmates, a rate of 70 per 100,000
people, compared with 2.3 million in the U.S., or 753 per 100,000 the highest rate in the
35 world.
John Pratt, a professor of criminology at New Zealand’s Victoria University of
Wellington and an authority on Scandinavian prisons, believes that the secret to the low
crime levels in Norway and its Nordic counterparts is strong welfare systems that reduce
poverty and inequality “key drivers of criminality. Studies show that countries and states
40 investing more in education, health and social security typically spend less on their prison
systems. Last year, California spent 11% of its state budget on its prisons” more than it
put into higher education. “For marginalized populations in Anglo countries, the prison
increasingly acts as a kind of surrogate welfare state,” says Pratt. “That’s not only much
 more expensive than running a welfare state, it’s also brutalizing and often degrading”
45 and that has negative consequences for everyone.”

It Takes a Village
Thirty-six percent of prison places in Norway, including all of those at Bastoy, are
classified as low-security. With perks like unlimited phone calls and up to four days of
leave per month, they act as inducements for good behavior elsewhere: inmates at high-
50 security prisons can apply for transfer at any time, and authorities are legally obliged to
consider transferring them during the final year of their sentence. And while the
conditions at Norway’s 52 prisons vary, even the strictest facilities stress rehabilitation
over retribution. The maximum sentence, even for murder, is just 21 years. “At some
point in the future, these men will live in the community,” says Knut Storberget, Minister
55 of Justice and the Police. “If you want to reduce crime, you have to do something other
than putting them in prison and locking the door.”
On April 8, Norway took that strategy to a new level by inaugurating Halden, a maximum-
security prison 10 years and about $230 million in the making, situated in southeastern
Norway. With a capacity of 252 inmates, it’s the country’s second largest facility “and its
60 most secure. Security guards use a system of underground tunnels to get around the
prison, and a 20-ft. (6 m) concrete-and-steel wall surrounds the perimeter. But, following
guidance from the ruling Labour Party, the harsh signs of incarceration end there.
According to a 2008 government-issued white paper, “the smaller the difference between
life inside and outside the prison, the easier the transition from prison to freedom.”
65 With that in mind, architects designed Halden to mimic a small village as a way to remind
prisoners they are still part of society. Hans Henrik Hoilund, one of Halden’s architects,
describes the prison as “an iron fist wrapped in a silk glove.” To avoid an institutional
feel, exteriors are made not of concrete but brick, galvanized steel and larch. Trees
obscure the wall, which is rounded at the top, Hoilund says, “so it isn’t too hostile.” Inside,
70 the cells rival well-appointed college dorm rooms, with their flat-screen TVs and
minifridges. Designers chose long vertical windows for the rooms because they let in
more sunlight. And every 10 to 12 cells share a living room and kitchen, which resemble
Ikea showrooms. “Many of the prisoners come from bad homes, so we wanted to create
a sense of family,” says architect Per Hojgaard Nielsen. To preserve the important bonds
75 of an inmate’s real family and to reduce tension, the prison has a two-bedroom house
where inmates can host guests overnight.
“The punishment is to be in prison, not to lose your rights as a citizen,” says Terje Moland
Pedersen, the Deputy Minister of Justice. Building on its so-called “normalization
principle,” the prison expects inmates to spend most of their day out of their cells. From
80 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., the authorities organize activities on jogging trails and in a soccer
field, a woodshop, a professional training kitchen and a recording studio. “When
prisoners arrive, many of them are in bad shape,” says Are Hoidal, Halden’s governor.
“We want to build them up, give them confidence through education and work and have
them leave as better people.”
85 Strong relationships between prisoners and guards also help with rehabilitation. Unlike
their counterparts in the U.S. and the U.K., who are sometimes seen as little more than
turnkeys, Norway’s prison guards enjoy an elevated status. They undergo a year of
theoretical training and a year of practical training at an officers’ academy. They don’t
carry guns “which create unnecessary social distance and intimidation” and they call
90 prisoners by their first names and play sports and eat meals with them. The respect they
get from prisoners stems, for the most part, from appreciation, not fear. “Twenty percent
of them shouldn’t work with people” or animals,” says Lars, the inmate at Bastoy. “But
the other 80% think it’s their mission in life to help people. I believe most of them.”

78 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Shared Values
95 Criticism of Halden has been muted, but it does exist. At the moment, foreigners account
for 32% of Norway’s prison population, and Per Sandberg, deputy leader of the
conservative Progress Party, worries that Halden’s high standard will lure more organized
crime to the country. “Foreign criminals are coming to Norway because they know there
are good facilities for them and shorter sentences compared to those in Romania or
100 Bulgaria,” he says. While he’s not thrilled that the government spent $1 million outfitting
Halden with art, his main complaint is that foreigners shouldn’t exploit the welfare
system: “Halden should only be for Norwegian criminals.”
But in general, Norway’s cultural values and attitudes toward crime mean the public sees
no need to push for tougher penalties or harsher prisons. In Halden, the local community
105 sees the prison as an opportunity for jobs, not as something to fear. The majority of
Norwegian prisoners don’t pose a serious threat to society. Nearly three-fourths of those
released in 2009 had spent less than 90 days in jail for crimes such as drunk driving and
petty theft, and that same year police investigated just 29 murders in a country of 4.8
million people. Bastoy’s policy on escapees demonstrates how little people worry about
110 criminals out in the community. Nilsen, the governor, makes a deal with inmates when
they arrive. “If you run away, please telephone us as soon as possible so we know you
are O.K. and won’t need to make use of helicopters,” he says, noting there have been just
three incidents in the past two years. “They always ring and say, ‘I’m all right. I’m safe.’”
The national media’s portrayal of crime also helps foster tolerance for Norway’s prison
115 system. Newspapers rely on subscriptions rather than newsstand sales, so they don’t
depend on sensational headlines. And the writing style is less emotional, more pragmatic,
than in other countries. In his book When Children Kill Children: Penal Populism and
Political Culture , American criminologist David Green compares the British media’s
reaction to a murder case in which children tortured and killed a child with a similar case
120 in Norway. The British newspapers, he writes, portrayed the murder as “alarmingly
symptomatic of deep-seated moral decline in Britain.” The Norwegian papers, however,
presented their case as “a tragic one-off, requiring expert intervention to facilitate the
speedy reintegration of the boys responsible.” In Norway, acts of extreme violence are
seen as aberrant events, not symptoms of national decay.

125 Beyond the Walls

Despite the exceptional conditions in Norway’s prisons, it’s still a challenge for someone
who’s incarcerated to learn how to live in freedom. Thomas Mathiesen, co-founder of the
Norwegian Association of Penal Reform and professor emeritus at the University of Oslo,
says amenities shouldn’t blind people to that reality. “If you consider the possibility of
130 spending three months or three years in a hotel like the Continental in Oslo with guards
all around, you can [see how] even the most humane prisons present a series of problems.”
The government agrees. Although it has no plans to shut down its prisons completely,
there is momentum to expand alternative sanctions like an electronic-monitoring
program, which currently allows around 100 criminals sentenced to four months or less
135 to serve their time at home, limiting disruption to their families’ lives.
The government is also keen to set up more so-called “open prisons” like the Sandaker
facility in downtown Oslo. Situated on the ground floor of a residential apartment
building, Sandaker houses 16 inmates who work in the city during the day and return to
the apartment in the evening. In order to be released, residents (they’re not called inmates)
140 must first secure employment. Lars Oster, Sandaker’s head, says that allowing convicts
to spend the last stretch of their sentences at the facility helps ease their transition from
imprisonment to freedom. Residents pay rent, clean their own clothes, take out cell-phone
contracts and have access to the Internet — many for the first time in their lives. “Prisons
are like bubbles. They’re safe, you always have food, you know what to expect,” Oster

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 79
145 says. “Here, you have to face reality and prepare yourself mentally and practically for life
on the outside.”
Back on Bastoy, Lars has been thinking about life on the outside for nine years “the first
eight in a high-security prison, and the past year on the island. Despite the idyllic scenes
farm, fjord, fresh air “Bastoy punishes him every day. Sure, he now knows that cows are
150 more affectionate than horses, but that doesn’t make up for having to watch his four
children grow up from afar. “It makes you tired, he says, pointing out that he has to be
counted by guards four times a day, submit to random drug tests and return to his chalet
by 11 p.m. every night. “I’m grown up now,” he says. “I’m too old for this.”
But he still has two years to go before parole. In the meantime, he runs a bicycle-repair
155 shop in a converted shed and organizes group sessions for prisoners who want to become
better fathers. He’s active in the community, but says he won’t miss it. “I don’t know if
I’ll commit crime or do drugs again,” he says taking a drag on a cigarette. “I hope not. I
don’t want to visit this place again.” If Norway’s prisons fulfill their promise, he won’t
have to.
160

Vocabulary
Fine Define the following words and phrases (in English, of course!)
1. Gently sloping hills:
2. Trappings:
3. Recidivism:
4. Welfare systems:
5. Perks:
6. To mimic a small village:
7. Facilities:
8. Aberrant events:
9. Inmates:

Comprehension
Answer the following questions:
1. Where / what is Bastoy and what happens there?

2. How does Bastoy’s governor describe the prison?

3. Give 5 examples of activities that inmates can do and that are unusual in other parts of the
world.

80 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 4. Give examples that prove that the prison puts the stress on trust and self-regulation.

5. What is the philosophy of the Norwegian prison system and what does it focus on, rather than
punishment?

6. Compare recidivism rates in the UK, the US and Norway.

7. What do they prefer investing on and what happens in countries that invest less in those fields?

8. What happens in a maximum security prison (compound) such as Halden?

9. Describe the architecture of Halden and its interior design.

10. What is the relationship between guards and prisoners and how would you describe its nature?

11. What is the difference between the way newspapers (especially tabloids) write about crime in
the US (but also here in Europe!) and the way the Norwegian media write about crime?

12. What are the problems that still exist, despite the humane system?

13. What are the Sandaker houses and what is their main goal?

Here are some quotes/sentences from the article. Explain them by putting them in context

1. “If you run away, please telephone us as soon as possible…”

2. “Prisons are like bubbles”

3. “We want to build them up”

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 81
 Now watch this video excerpt from a Michael Moore film

1. Write down the main facts you saw in this video.

2. Does the video confirm what you read in the article?

Discussion
Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky said:

“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its

prisons.”

• What do you think of this quote?

• Give your opinion and discuss this with the student sitting next to you.
• Finally, share your opinion with the group.

7. Reading 5: Altruistic or Self-Serving

Altruistic or self-serving? Four things judges consider when sentencing politically-
motivated crimes
August 19, 2019 3.52am, Author Jamie Walvisch , Lecturer, Monash University

Read this article and then answer the reading comprehension questions.
This morning an Extinction Rebellion protester was arrested after hanging from a rope
over the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane, blocking all lanes to peak hour traffic.
And earlier this month in Brisbane, more than 70 climate change protesters were charged
with offences that included contravening direction, obstructing traffic and obstructing
5 police.
But where do politically motivated crimes sit on the spectrum of culpability?
Motive is generally irrelevant to criminal law. While there are some offences (such as
terrorist offences) that require a specific reason to underpin the criminal act, these are
rare. Most of the time, it’s enough to prove the offender intentionally, recklessly or
10 negligently committed the criminal acts.
Motive is generally irrelevant in criminal law. But it’s a fundamental part of sentencing
law. Darren England/AAP Image

82 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 On the other hand, motive is central to sentencing law. Contract killers and mercy killers,
for instance, may both be convicted of murder, but contract killers will be sentenced more
15 harshly. They will be considered more blameworthy because of their financial
motivations, in greater need of
deterrence, and a bigger risk to the
community.
Judges, lawyers and the community at
20 large will frequently agree on which
motives are worse than others. For
example, it seems clear offenders who
commit crimes out of greed should be
punished more harshly than offenders
25 who commit crimes out of need.
Unfortunately, the courts have provided
little guidance on whether politically-
motivated crimes – such as Extinction
Rebellion blockades or “Egg Boy” Will Connolly’s egging of far-right politician Fraser
30 Anning – are better or worse than crimes committed for motives like jealousy or
vengeance.
Two distinct approaches can be found in past recorded cases where judges have sentenced
politically motivated offenders.
A sympathetic approach
35 In some cases, judges have taken a sympathetic approach, displaying a level of respect
for the offenders’ principled behaviour.
While it’s acknowledged they have broken the law and deserve punishment, their actions
are not considered as wrongful as the actions of people who break the law for less
altruistic reasons. So, judges have reasoned they should be punished more lightly.
40 An example of this approach can be found in the Pine Gap peace pilgrims case from 2017,
when six religious activists breached the perimeter of the Pine Gap military base.
Six peace activists were found guilty of
trespassing onto a defence facility near
Alice Springs, but they were punished
45 relatively lightly. Dan Peled/AAP
In sentencing the offenders, Justice Reeves
was influenced by the fact they were
“conscientious protestors”. He described
their offending as being at “the lowest end
50 of the scale”.
And rather than imprisoning them, as
requested by the prosecution, he imposed
fines ranging from A$1250 to A$5000.s
A harsher punishment
55 In other cases, judges have taken a far less sympathetic approach. They’ve viewed
politically motivated offenders as self-serving individuals who deliberately intend to
undermine legitimate laws in pursuit of their own idea of justice.
Not only does this make them more culpable, it also makes them more dangerous and
harmful to the community than “common criminals”, the reasoning goes. As a result, they
60 should be punished more harshly.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 83
 This approach can be seen in the sentencing of DJ Astro “Funknukl” Labe, who was
convicted of headbutting Tony Abbott.
While Labe only caused minor physical harm, Magistrate Daly considered the offence to
be of “considerable seriousness”.
65 He said the sentence needed to make it clear to those with similar impulses that indulging
those impulses would attract a deterrent sentence. He sentenced Labe to six months’
imprisonment.
Four factors in politically-motivated crime sentencing
These cases reveal four key factors that appear to influence a judge’s approach.
70 The most significant factor is the gravity of the offence. Cases that inspire a sympathetic
approach from the judge usually involve relatively minor offences, such as spitting or
trespassing.
A less sympathetic approach has generally been taken when more serious offences have
been committed, such as those that pose a threat to life.
75 The second relevant factor is the use or threat of violence. Judges seem prepared to take
a sympathetic approach to serious crimes committed for political reasons, so long as no
violence is involved. But this willingness vanishes when offenders use or threaten
violence in pursuit of their goals.
Astro ‘Funknukl’ Labe was sentenced to six months imprisonment for head butting Tony
80 Abbott to deter other people acting on similar impulses. Rob Blakers/AAP Image
The third is the target of the offender’s actions. Judges have shown little sympathy for
offences that have directly targeted parliament, politicians or the courts. These institutions
are considered fundamental to our system of government, and are deserving of “the most
serious protection”.
85 Offenders who target premises that are not directly related to the object of the protest may
also be seen to be “looking for trouble”, rather than being engaged in genuine protest.
And the fourth relevant factor is the perceived sincerity of the offender’s beliefs. A
sympathetic approach is more likely when it’s clear the offenders hold their beliefs
sincerely, strongly and were motivated by genuine and deep concerns.
90 While there is some indication that the purpose of the offender’s protest may also be
relevant, there is no clear pattern in this regard.
This is probably due to a judicial reluctance to explicitly express support or disapproval
for a particular political cause, given the importance of judicial objectivity.

Vocabulary
Match the following words with the correct definition
1. to charge a. a method of doing something or dealing with a problem
2. an offence b. a statement or piece of advice that makes someone less
3. reckless likely to do something, by making them realize it will be
4. to commit a criminal act difficult or have bad results
5. to sentence c. an illegal action or crime
6. blameworthy d. careful to do everything that it is your job or duty to do
7. deterrence e. caring and feeling sorry about someone’s problems
8. an approach f. deserving blame or disapproval
9. sympathetic

84 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
10. wrongful g. not caring or worrying about the possible bad results of
11. conscientious an action
12. to impose a fine h. real, sincere
13. the gravity of the i. relating to the law, judges or their decisions
offence j. the seriousness of an illegal action or crime
14. to be engaged in k. to be involved in
15. genuine l. to do something wrong or illegal
16. a purpose m. to give a punishment to someone who has committed a
17. judicial crime
n. to officially force someone to pay a sum of money as a
punishment for something they did wrong
o. to state officially that someone may be guilty of a crime
p. unfair or illegal
q. what something is intended to achieve, why you do
something or why something exists

Cultural Background
Use the internet to find out about the following people/organisations/cases mentioned in the text.
• Egg Boy
• The Astro ‘Funknukle’ Labe case
• Extinction Rebellion

Content Questions
1. Can you explain what the following offences are?

a. contravening direction

b. obstructing traffic

c. obstructing police

2. Can you explain the difference between a contract killer and a mercy killer? Give examples to
illustrate your answer.

3. What is the main argument of this article? Would you say that this article aims to give a survey
of a specific topic, or aims to give an opinion and to persuade people of a certain point of view?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 85
 4. Discuss the relevance of motive in criminal law and sentencing law as explained by the author.

5. The author discusses two approaches to the sentencing of politically motivated crimes: the
sympathetic approach and the harsher punishment. Describe each one in your own words.
Which approach would you take, and why?

6. Discuss the four factors that have played a part in the sentencing of politically-motivated
crimes.

7. The article suggests a possible fifth factor that might also play a part in the sentencing of
politically-motivated crimes. What is this factor, and why is it not mentioned as an influential
factor?

8. Reading 6: Children’s Rights

Children’s rights, EU cross-border judicial cooperation, mutual recognition and trust
A legal case to be handled between two EU Member States: The Aquirre Zarraga Judgement
FACTS

Reading
The involved child was born in January 2000 to a Spanish father and a German mother.
The family lived together in Spain until the end of 2007, whereupon divorce proceedings
were commenced before the Spanish courts following the total breakdown of the
marriage. On 12 May 2008, the father was granted provisional custody of the child
5 including residence and the mother was awarded rights of access. In June 2008, the
mother relocated to Germany.
At the end of the summer holidays and following a period of contact in Germany in the
summer of 2008, the child, then aged 08, did not return to Spain as her mother retained
her in Germany.
10 The father then initiated proceedings under the Hague Abduction Convention for the
return of the child to Spain. On 30 January 2009 the German court held that the child
should be returned. The mother appealed this decision and on 1 July 2009 the Regional
court held that the child should not be returned on the base of the Hague Child Abduction
Convention child’s objections.
15 The court stated that the child categorically refused to return to Spain, and the expert
considered that her opinion should be taken into account in the light of her age and
maturity.
Custody proceedings were then continued before the Spanish court.

86 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 The court considered it was necessary to obtain a fresh expert report and hear the child in
person. The mother requested that the child be heard via video conference on the ground
that, under the Spanish rules of procedure, the production of evidence on appeal was
allowed only in certain circumstances. Yet, her request was refused and, therefore, the
5 parties were not heard as neither the mother nor the child participated in the custody
hearing.
In December 2009, sole custody was awarded to the father. According to Article 42 of
the Brussels IIa Regulation (see below), this part of the judgment was immediately
enforceable in Germany.
10 Yet, the German party (the child’s mother) tried to resist enforcement in Germany on the
ground that the Spanish judgment had been rendered in violation of human rights, as it
appeared that the child had not been heard in the Spanish proceedings, and this was
arguably contrary to Article 24 of the European Charter on Human Rights.
In the meantime, the father initiated two more sets of proceedings in Germany. One of
15 those was, however, dismissed. In the framework of the second one, the appellate German
court stayed the proceedings and referred to the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) and
asked whether, in circumstances such as those in the main proceedings, the German courts
could oppose the enforcement of a judgment issued by courts from other Member States
(Spain in this case) on the ground that they would have been made in gross violation of
20 the European Charter on Human Rights.

Summary of the ecj’s judgement:

The ECJ reminded the EU regulated system (the “Brussels IIa Regulation”) whereby, in
the event that there is a difference of opinion between the court where the child is
habitually resident and the court where the child is wrongfully present, the former
25 (Member State of origin) retains exclusive jurisdiction to decide whether the child is to
be returned.
To this end a certified judgment ordering the return of a child handed down by the court
with jurisdiction in the Member State of origin (pursuant to Article 42 of the Regulation
No 2201/2003), is to be recognised and is to be automatically enforceable in another
30 Member State, there being no possibility of opposing its recognition.
The Court confirmed that there was no basis for the court of the Member State of
enforcement to review the original conditions and decisions and that the assessment of
whether there is an infringement falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the courts of
the Member State of origin.
35 Turning to the views of the child, the Court noted that Member State of origin must ensure
that the judgment was made with due regard to the child’s right to freely express his or
her views and that a genuine and effective opportunity to express those views was offered
to the child, taking into account the procedural means of national law and the instruments
of international judicial cooperation.
40 However, it was further reminded that it was solely for the national courts of the Member
State of origin to examine the lawfulness of that judgment.
This was because the Regulation’s recognition and enforcement system was based on the
principle of mutual trust between Member States in the fact that their respective national
legal systems are capable of providing an equivalent and effective protection of
45 fundamental rights, recognised at European Union level, in particular, in the Charter of
Fundamental Rights.
Consequently, the ECJ’s answer to the questions referred was that, in circumstances such
as those of the main proceedings, the court with jurisdiction in the Member State of

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 87
 enforcement cannot oppose the enforcement of a certified judgment handed down by
another Member State’s court
(ordering the return of a child who has been wrongfully removed, on the ground that the
court of the Member State of origin which handed down that judgment may have
5 infringed Article 42 of Regulation No 2201/2003, interpreted in accordance with Article
24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights).
The German party should thus have challenged the Spanish judgment in Spain, and not
in Germany.

Vocabulary exercises

Rebuilding the Story

Out of the Summary of the Aquirre Zarraga case, rebuild the story in the following text by filling the
gaps with the following words:
infringements, enforce, protect, opportunity, breach, sole, enforceable, refer, origin,
otherwise, maturity, uphold, duty, review, ratio, enforcement, requirement, mutual,
power, inappropriate, hear, questions

The missing verbs need to be put in the correct verb form.

As a (1) ______________ of Brussels IIbis, courts have a (2) __________ to hear the child and in
situations where a judgement is (3) ____________ by the issuing of an Article 42 certificate, it is
reiterated that the child must be (4) __________. Furthermore, paragraph 11 of Article 42 certificate
requires the court of (5) ____________ to expressly confirm that the child has been given this (6)
____________, unless it was considered (7)________________ having regard to their age and
(8)___________. To confirm that the child has been heard, when they have not, represents a
procedural (9) ___________. It would appear reasonable to suggest that a judgement, which contains
a procedural breach such as this, cannot be (10) _____________. However, the European Court of
Justice (ECJ) decided (11) ________________. Aware that they had no power to (12)
______________ a certified judgement following the decisions found in Povse and Rinau, the German
court (13) ____________ Aguirre Zarraga to the ECJ believing they should have such a (14)
______________ in cases where there had been ‘serious (15) ______________ of fundamental
rights.’ The German court asked two (16) _________________ of the ECJ. Surprisingly, the ECJ replied
that the court of (17) ________________ (i.e. the German court) had no power of review; the court
of origin (i.e. the Spanish court) retained the (18)____________ power of review. Furthermore, the
court of enforcement was obliged to enforce the judgement. The ECJ’s (19) _____________ for this
was that (20)_______________ trust between states was sufficient to protect fundamental rights and
that Germany should trust the Spanish court to (21) ______________ the obligation to
(22)___________ fundamental rights.

88 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Collocations 1
Match the verbs in column A with appropriate nouns in column B so as to get 9 collocations and
make up/write a sentence for each collocation.
a. to seize (in passive form) 1. jurisdiction
b. to stay 2. a judgment
c. to lodge 3. a case
d. to hear 4. a settlement
e. to serve 5. an action
f. to contest 6. an account
g. to bring 7. a court
h. to preserve 8. an appeal
i. to conclude 9. Proceeding

Your sentences
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Collocations 2
Complete the following collocations by using one of the following verbs:
award, file, enter, effect, set, confer, refer, undertake, strike, launch

1. To ________ jurisdiction
2. To _______ an appearance
3. To _______ a claim
4. To _______ a lawsuit against
5. To _______ a court hearing
6. To ________ procedural steps
7. To ________ service on somebody
8. To _________ a balance between the protection of fundamental rights and the effectiveness of
EU law
9. To ________ custody rights
10. To ________ a case

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 89
 Verbs into Nouns
Turn the following verbs into nouns and make up sentences
E.g., to continue – continuation, continuity The continuation of the proceedings is required for the
purpose of the proper administration of justice.
1. to apply –
2. to receive –
3. to serve –
4. to hear –
5. to enforce –
6. to recognise
7. to settle
8. to refuse
9. to infringe
10. to withdraw

Antonyms
Create antonyms by using one of the following prefixes: in-, im-, ir-, un-, non-,
1. reconcilable
2. compatible
3. respective
4. competent
5. relevant
6. known
7. appealable
8. capable
9. responsible
10. mature
11. appropriate
12. recoverable

Synonyms
Identify synonyms/near synonyms for the terms below from among the following words:
Correct - responsibility - remedy - demanded by law - prompt/fast - slow and inefficient (e.g., a
procedure) - to show or establish with strong proof or evidence - accompanying

1. concomitant
2. substantiate
3. cure

90 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
4. rectify
5. liability
6. mandatory
7. speedy
8. cumbersome

9. Role plays

Dialogue 1
In pairs
Build up an interview between 1) a legal expert and 2) a child.
Instructions
Set up the general framework and case to be handled.
The child needs to describe where he/she lives and how he/she feels and would love.
The expert asks discrete and/but straightforward questions to get details on his/her position.

Dialogue 2
In pairs
A Underline the positive effects of EU achievements in his/her daily life, and provides arguments.
B Is against and provides arguments
Instructions
A and B choose two specific fields or examples and discuss about them

Dialogue 3
In pairs
Judge A is dealing with a case in which he/she needs to contact judge B in another country to talk to
him/her on a parental dispute to be settled in the Member State of judge A.
Instructions
Judge A: Explain briefly what your request is about and why you have been approached by a parent
in a particular case. Ask about the procedure previously followed in the country of judge B and the
specificities of the case.
Judge B: share your similar experience (but) in his/her country legal framework; describes the
approach / procedure that you followed. If you are not sure about the content of the case, ask for a
clarification. Offer assistance in the future.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 91
 Some Useful Expressions
On the child’s rights and interest: -
1. In the best/superior interest of the child
2. To violate the rights of the child
3. Infringement of the rights of the child –
4. Prejudicial to the interests of the child
5. Detrimental to the child’s interest/welfare
6. Beneficial to the child’s interest/welfare
7. The interests of the child are paramount; of paramount significance for… -
8. Child’s development and equilibrium

On the child’s family situation: -

1. Separation of a child from a parent/to separate a child from a parent
2. To cause psychological damage to a child
3. To cause harm to a relationship with mother/father
4. To jeopardise the child’s integration into his family and social environment
5. To harm the child’s relationship with his/her mother/father –
6. To subject a child to distress –
7. To bring about/to cause a deterioration of the child’s relationship with his/her mother/father
8. To experience (psychological/emotional/sexual/physical) abuse –
9. Disengagement from the child’s environment

On the issues at stake in the process of hearing children: -

1. To obtain the views of the child –
2. To take account of the best interests of the child
3. To give the child an opportunity to be heard
4. To give the child an opportunity to express his/her views freely –
5. To obtain an expert opinion/report;
6. To obtain a fresh expert report (if the previous circumstances have changed)
7. To hear a child via video conference

92 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 VI The Media - the Internet

1. Reading: Facebook Users at Risk

Reading

Facebook users still at risk of fraud, despite a promise to stop scams

MILLIONS of Facebook users are still being targeted by fraudsters, despite the social media giant’s
pledge to get tough on scammers. Consumer experts Which? put Facebook’s promises to the test by
using the site to post two fake adverts online.
Express, June 27, 2919, By Sarah O’Grady
A recent Barclays survey found that nearly a third of older people have been scammed,
losing an average of £817.
Identity fraud cases are also on the rise, according to AJ Bell finance analyst Laura Suter.
She said: "People are willingly publishing their life details on social media, making these
5 sites rich pickings for scammers."
A Facebook spokesman said: "We are taking action to stop fraud wherever it appears, and
will continue to adapt to the increasingly sophisticated techniques fraudsters use to con
people.
"As part of this work, we are donating £3million to Citizens Advice to deliver a new UK
10 Scam Action Programme and creating a new scam ads reporting tool on Facebook in the
UK."
How to avoid social media scams
• Be wary of free giveaways from big names. Search for the deal on the company website
- if it’s legitimate, it will probably be on its home page. Or, contact the company directly.
15 People are willingly sharing their life details on Facebook, making the site ‘rich pickings’
(Image: Getty)
• If an ad claims celebrity endorsement, do not assume it is genuine. Never use a financial
service advertised on social media without checking with the Financial Conduct
Authority.
20 • Avoid filling out quizzes or surveys that ask you for personal details. They could be
used to commit ID fraud, or target you with follow-up scams.
• If you are unsure whether a post is genuine, do not click, like or share it. Opening links
or downloading attachments could risk installing a virus on your computer. If you’ve
liked a post, any subsequent spam or scam messages from the post’s creators are likely to
25 later appear in your newsfeed.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 93
 • Be wary of unusual messages from friends, if they contain links to "too good-to-be-true"
offers, or ask for money - even if the message has been sent via Facebook Messenger. A
change in your friend’s style of writing is also a likely sign that it’s not them. If possible,
contact your friend separately to check.
30 • Tighten your privacy settings to limit what is publicly visible. Facebook sets your
friends list to "public" by default. So if a scammer creates a convincing copy of your
account, it’s easier for them to target people on your friends list. Use Facebook’s privacy
settings to change it to private or "friends only" instead.
• If you spot a suspicious post on Facebook, report it. Click on the three dots in the top
35 right hand corner of the post and select "Give feedback".
• If you fall for a scam, tell Action Fraud (Actionfraud.police.uk). Contact your bank if
you think financial details have been compromised or you’ve lost money.

Vocabulary
Vocabulary Use in Context Notes
scam (a) a phone scam a criminal offence committed
a financial scam by scammers or fraudsters
a commercial scam
to scam a system
mail fraud is a scam
ID (identity) fraud cases are
scams.
pledge (a) Many countries made a a promise
pledge for climate protection.
get tough on (to) We need to get tough on web to combat, to fight with
crime. courage
consumer experts Economists and consumer experts in the analysis of
experts have highlighted consumption of goods and
some of the forces that services and its effects on
uphold the power of society
consumerism in our culture.
willingly by choice, voluntarily
wherever regardless of where
con people (to) to cheat people, to scam
scam ads reporting tool a tool (or App) allowing
people to easily report ads
they consider as scams
Wary cautious

legitimate legal, approved, valid

celebrity endorsement Celebrity endorsement refers use of famous people to sell a
to a marketing strategy product or service.
whose purpose is to use one
or multiple celebrities to
advertise a specific product
or service.

94 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Vocabulary Use in Context Notes
FCA The Financial Conduct a financial organization
Authority is a financial body controlling the financial firms
in the UK focusing on the in UK
regulation of conduct by both
retail and wholesale financial
services firms.
follow-up scams a fraudulent or deceptive act
or operation , sometimes in
different steps.
genuine legal, valid
newsfeed news bulletin, newswire,
news line
likely sign (a) a probable sign
tighten (to) privacy settings to decide to protect your
privacy by restricting the
settings, on Facebook for
instance
References: www.linguee.com

2. Videos

Video 1
• How to protect your personal data on Facebook

Answer these questions (writing exercise)

1. What is the most important setting when you want to protect your data on Facebook?

2. How often is it necessary to re-check this?

3. Are you in favor of such procedures? Do you do that regularly?

Video 2
• New scams to watch out for in 2021

Debate questions
1. Which one of the 6 scams seems to be the most frightening to you?
2. Do you know another scam that is not mentioned in the video?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 95
3. Did it happen to you or any family member?
4. Have you already seen any income scams on Facebook?
5. What do you think about these post Covid 19 scams?
6. Vaccine-related scams: where is the fraud?
7. What is the best tip you want to remember to check a piece of information?

3. Vocabulary
Match these words and explanations.
celebrity endorsement to reinforce
get tough on FCA
mail fraud a marketing strategy to sell more
a financial body to regulate some firms to combat
to tighten a criminal offence

96 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 VII Psychology

1. Reading 1: Loneliness

Reading
All the lonely people
Loneliness is a serious public-health problem
The lonely are not just sadder; they are unhealthier and die younger. What can be done?
The Economist, Sept.1, 2018
LONDON, says Tony Dennis, a 62-year-old security guard, is a city of “sociable loners”.
Residents want to get to know each other but have few ways to do so. Tonight, however,
is different. Mr Dennis and a few dozen other locals are jousting at a monthly quiz put on
by the Cares Family, a charity dedicated to curbing loneliness.
5 The competitors are a deliberate mix of older residents and young professionals new to
the area. “Young people are increasingly feeling disconnected too,” argues Alex Smith,
the charity’s 35-year-old founder. He hopes that nights like this will foster a sense of
belonging.
Doctors and policymakers in the rich world are increasingly worried about loneliness.
10 Campaigns to reduce it have been launched in Britain, Denmark and Australia. In Japan
the government has surveyed hikikomori, or “people who shut themselves in their
homes”. Last year Vivek Murthy, a former Surgeon General of the United States, called
loneliness an epidemic, likening its impact on health to obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes
per day. In January Theresa May, the British prime minister, appointed a minister for
15 loneliness.
That the problem exists is obvious; its nature and extent are not. Obesity can be measured
on scales. But how to weigh an emotion? Researchers start by distinguishing several
related conditions. Loneliness is not synonymous with social isolation (how often a
person meets or speaks to friends and family) or with solitude (which implies a choice to
20 be alone).
Instead researchers define loneliness as perceived social isolation, a feeling of not having
the social contacts one would like. Of course, the objectively isolated are much more
likely than the average person to feel lonely. But loneliness can also strike those with
seemingly ample friends and family. Nor is loneliness always a bad thing. John Cacioppo,
25 an American psychologist who died in March, called it a reflex honed by natural selection.
Early humans would have been at a disadvantage if isolated from a group, he noted, so it
makes sense for loneliness to stir a desire for company. Transient loneliness still serves
that purpose today. The problem comes when it is prolonged.
To find out how many people feel this way, The Economist and the Kaiser Family
30 Foundation (KFF), an American non-profit group focused on health, surveyed nationally
representative samples of people in three rich countries.* The study found that 9% of

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 97
 adults in Japan, 22% in America and 23% in Britain always or often feel lonely, or lack
companionship, or else feel left out or isolated (see chart 1).
The findings complement academic research which uses standardised questionnaires to
35 measure loneliness. One drawn up at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),
has 20 statements, such as “I have nobody to talk
to”, and “I find myself waiting for people to call
or write”. Responses are marked based on the
extent to which people agree. Respondents with
40 tallies above a threshold are classed as lonely.
A study published in 2010 using this scale
estimated that 35% of Americans over 45 were
lonely. Of these 45% had felt this way for at least
six years; a further 32% for one to five years. In
45 2013 Britain’s Office for National Statistics
(ONS), by dint of asking a simple question,
classed 25% of people aged 52 or over as
“sometimes lonely” with an extra 9% “often
lonely”.
50 Other evidence points to the extent of isolation.
For 41% of Britons over 65, TV or a pet is their
main source of company, according to Age UK,
a charity. In Japan more than half a million people stay at home for at least six months at
a time, making no contact with the outside world, according to a report by the government
55 in 2016. Another government study reckons that 15% of Japanese regularly eat alone. A
popular TV show is called “The Solitary Gourmet”.

Is your heart filled with pain?

Historical data about loneliness are scant. But isolation does seem to be increasing, so
loneliness may be too. Consider the rise in solitary living (see chart 2). Before 1960 the
60 share of solo households in America, Europe or Japan rarely rose above 10%. Today in
cities such as Stockholm most households have just one member. Many people opt to live
alone, as a mark of independence. But there are also many in rich countries who live solo
because of, say, divorce or a spouse’s death.
Isolation is increasing in other ways, too. From 1985 to 2009 the average size of an
65 American’s social network—defined by number of confidants—declined by more than
one-third. Other studies suggest that fewer Americans join in social communities like
church groups or sports teams.
The idea that loneliness is bad for your health is not new. One early job of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police in the Yukon region was to keep tabs on the well-being of gold
70 prospectors who might go months without human contact. Evidence points to the benign
power of a social life. Suicides fall during football World Cups, for example, maybe
because of the transient feeling of community.
But only recently has medicine studied the links between relationships and health. In 2015
a meta-analysis led by Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University, in Utah,
75 synthesised 70 papers, through which 3.4m participants were followed over an average
of seven years. She found that those classed as lonely had a 26% higher risk of dying, and
those living alone a 32% higher chance, after accounting for differences in age and health
status.

98 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024
 Smaller-scale studies have found correlations
80 between loneliness and isolation, and a range of
health problems, including heart attacks, strokes,
cancers, eating disorders, drug abuse, sleep
deprivation, depression, alcoholism and anxiety.
Some research suggests that the lonely are more likely
85 to suffer from cognitive decline and a quicker
progress of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers have three theories as to how loneliness
may lead to ill health, says Nicole Valtorta of
Newcastle University. The first covers behaviour.
90 Lacking encouragement from family or friends, the
lonely may slide into unhealthy habits. The second is
biological. Loneliness may raise levels of stress, say,
or impede sleep, and in turn harm the body. The third
is psychological, since loneliness can augment
95 depression or anxiety.
Or is it the other way round? Maybe sick people are more likely to be lonely. In the
KFF/Economist survey six out of ten people who said they were lonely or socially isolated
blamed specific causes such as poor mental or physical health. Three out of ten said their
loneliness had made them think about harming themselves. Research led by Marko
100 Elovainio of the University of Helsinki and colleagues, using the UK Biobank, a
voluntary database of hundreds of thousands of people, suggests that the relationship runs
both ways: loneliness leads to ill health, and vice versa.
Other studies show more about the causes of loneliness. A common theme is the lack of
a partner. Analysis of the survey data found that married or cohabiting people were far
105 less lonely. Having a partner seems especially important for older people, as generally
they have fewer (but often closer) relationships than the young do.
Yet loneliness is not especially a phenomenon of the elderly. The polling found no clear
link between age and loneliness in America or Britain—and in Japan younger people were
in fact lonelier. Young adults, and the very old (over-85s, say) tend to have the highest
110 shares of lonely people of any adult age-group. Other research suggests that, among the
elderly, loneliness tends to have a specific cause, such as widowhood. In the young it is
generally down to a gap in expectations between relationships they have and those they
want.
Whatever their age, some groups are much more likely to be lonely. One is people with
115 disabilities. Migrants are another. A study of Polish immigrants in the Netherlands
published in 2017 found that they reported much higher rates of loneliness than Dutch-
born people aged between 60 and 79 (though female migrants tended to cope better than
their male peers). A survey by a Chinese trade union in 2010 concluded that “the defining
aspect of the migrant experience” is loneliness.
120 Regions left behind by migrants, such as rural China, often have higher rates of loneliness,
too. A study of older people in Anhui province in eastern China published in 2011 found
that 78% reported “moderate to severe levels of loneliness”, often as a result of younger
relatives having moved. Similar trends are found in eastern Europe where younger people
have left to find work elsewhere.
125 Loneliness is usually best explained as the result of individual factors such as disability,
depression, widowhood or leaving home without your partner. Yet some commentators
say larger forces, such as “neoliberalism”, are at work.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 99
 Where do they all come from?
In fact, it is hard to prove that an abstract noun is creating a feeling. And research on rates
130 of reported loneliness does not support the view that rich, individualistic societies are
lonelier than others. A study published in 2015 by Thomas Hansen and Britt Slagvold of
Oslo Metropolitan University, for example, found that “quite severe” loneliness ranged
from 30-55% in southern and eastern Europe, versus 10-20% in western and northern
Europe. “It is thus a paradox that older people are less lonely in more individualistic and
135 less familistic cultures,” concluded the authors.
Their research pointed to two explanations. The most important is that southern and
eastern European countries are generally poorer, with patchier welfare states. The second
reason concerns culture. The authors argued that in countries where older people expect
to live near and be cared for by younger relatives, the shock when that does not happen
140 is greater.
Another villain in the contemporary debate is
technology. Smartphones and social media are
blamed for a rise in loneliness in young people.
This is plausible. Data from the OECD club of
145 mostly rich countries suggest that in nearly
every member country the share of 15-year-
olds saying that they feel lonely at school rose
between 2003 and 2015.
The smartphone makes an easy scapegoat. A
150 sharp drop in how often American teenagers go
out without their parents began in 2009, around
when mobile phones became ubiquitous.
Rather than meet up as often in person, so the
story goes, young people are connecting
155 online.
But this need not make them lonelier. Snapchat and Instagram may help them feel more
connected with friends. Of those who said they felt lonely in the KFF/Economist survey,
roughly as many found social media helpful as though it made them feel worse (see chart
3). Yet some psychologists say that scrolling through others’ carefully curated photos can
160 make people feel they are missing out, and lonely. In a study of Americans aged 19 to 32,
published in 2017, Brian Primack of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues, found
that the quartile that used social media most often was more than twice as likely to report
loneliness as the one using it least.
It is not clear whether it is heavy social-media use leading to loneliness, or vice versa.
165 Other research shows that the correlation between social-media use and, say, depression
is weak. The most rigorous recent study of British adolescents’ social-media use,
published by Andrew Przybylski and Netta Weinstein in 2017, found no link between
“moderate” use and measures of well-being. They found evidence to support their “digital
Goldilocks hypothesis”: neither too little nor too much screen time is probably best.

170 Know the way I feel tonight

Others are sure that technology can reduce loneliness. On the top of a hill in Gjøvik, a
two-hour train-ride from Oslo, lives Per Rolid, an 85-year-old widowed farmer. One
daughter lives nearby, but he admits feeling lonely. So he has agreed to take part in a trial
of Komp, a device made by No Isolation, a startup founded in 2015. It consists of a basic
175 computer screen, a bit like an etch-a-sketch. The screen rotates pictures sent by his
grandchildren, and messages in large print from them and other kin.

100 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 No Isolation also makes AV1, a fetching robot in the form of a disembodied white head
with cameras in its eye-sockets. It allows users, often out-of-school children with chronic
diseases, to feel as if they are present in class. AV1 can be put on a desk so absent children
180 can follow goings-on. If they want to ask a question, they can press a button on the AV1
app and the top of the robot’s head lights up.
So-called “social robots”, such as Paro, a cuddly robotic seal, have been used in Japan for
some time. But they are becoming more sophisticated. Pepper, a human-ish robot made
by a subsidiary of SoftBank, a Japanese conglomerate, can follow a person’s gaze and
185 adapt its behaviour in response to humans. Last year the council in Southend, an English
seaside town, began deploying Pepper in care homes.
Other health-care providers are experimenting with virtual reality (VR). In America
UCHealth is conducting trials of VR therapy that allow some cancer patients to have
“bucket list” experiences, such as skiing in Colorado. In 2016, Liminal, an Australian VR
190 firm, teamed up with Medibank, an insurance company, to build a virtual experience for
lonely people who could not leave their hospital beds.
As technology becomes more human it may be able to do more and more to substitute for
human relationships. In the meantime, services that offer human contact to the lonely will
thrive. In Japan this manifests itself in agencies and apps that allow you to rent a family
195 or a friend—a girlfriend for a singleton, a funeral mourner, or simply a companion to
watch TV with.
Such products are not just Japanese quirks. One Caring Team, an American company,
calls and checks in on lonely elderly relatives for a monthly fee. The Silver Line, a similar
(but free) helpline, is run by a British charity. Launched in 2013 it takes nearly 500,000
200 calls a year. Its staff in their Blackpool headquarters are supported by volunteers across
the country in the Silver Friend service, a regular, pre-arranged call between a volunteer
and an old person.
Most conversations last about 15 minutes. Those contacting the helpline during your
correspondent’s visit started on a general topic—the weather, pets, what they did that
205 morning. Their real reason for calling only emerged later, through an offhand comment.
Often that referred to the need for a partner and the companionship that would bring.
Others call in but barely talk, noted one Silver Line staff member.
For many, phone calls are no substitute for company. Nesterly, founded in 2016, is
designed to make it easier for older singletons with spare rooms to rent them to young
210 people who help in the house for a discount on rent. The platform has “stumbled into
loneliness”, notes Noelle Marcus, its co-founder. Users sign up to the platform and create
a profile, then make a listing for their room. Last year the startup teamed up with the city
of Boston, Massachusetts, to test the initiative across the city.
Similar schemes are run by Homeshare, a network of charities, operating in 16 countries,
215 including Britain. Elsewhere policymakers are experimenting with incentives to
encourage old and young to mix. In cities such as Lyon in France, Deventer in the
Netherlands and Cleveland in Ohio, nursing homes or local authorities are offering
students free or cheap rent in exchange for helping out with housework.
That so many startups want to “disrupt” loneliness helps. But most of the burden will be
220 shouldered by health systems. Some firms are trying to tackle the problem at root. Last
year CareMore, an American health-care provider owned by Anthem, an insurer,
launched a dedicated scheme. “We’re trying to reframe loneliness as a treatable medical
condition,” explains Sachin Jain, its president.

All by myself
225 This means, first, screening its 150,000 patients for loneliness. Those at risk are asked if
they want to enroll in a “Togetherness Programme”. This involves phone calls from staff

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 101

 called “connectors” who help with transport to events and ideas for socialising. Patients
are coaxed to visit clinics, even when not urgently ill, to play games, attend a “seniors’
gym” and just chat.
230 For its part, England’s National Health Service is increasingly using “social prescribing”,
sending patients to social activities rather than giving them drugs. More than 100 such
programmes are running in Britain. Yet last year a review of 15 papers concluded that
evidence to date was too weak to support any conclusions about the programmes’
effectiveness. This reflects poorly on the state of thinking about loneliness. There are
235 plenty of reasons to take its effects on health seriously. But the quality of evidence about
which remedies work is woeful. Sadly, therefore, loneliness is set to remain a subject that
causes a huge amount of angst without much relief.

Vocabulary: Synonyms
Replace the underlined words in the following sentences from the article:
1. So-called “social robots”, such as Paro, a cuddly robotic seal, have been used in Japan for some
time.
2. In the meantime, services that offer human contact to the lonely will thrive.
3. As technology becomes more human, it may be able to do more and more to substitute for
human relationships.
4. Others call in, but barely talk.
5. Elsewhere, policymakers are experimenting with incentives to encourage old and young to mix.
6. Sadly, therefore, loneliness is set to remain a subject that causes a huge amount of angst, without
much relief.

Writing
Some say that social media are making young people lonelier while others believe that they help
them feel more connected.
What is your opinion? Develop your arguments to prove your claim.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

102 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Listening
Watch this video on loneliness.
1. Can you explain what kind of paradox there is today concerning loneliness?

2. How can we compare loneliness and hunger?

3. In evolutionary terms, what was the importance of being close to others, instead of being
isolated?

4. What are the historical origins of the “loneliness epidemic” today?

Writing
Write a paragraph using conditional sentences (see Basic Grammar syllabus) explaining what you
would do if you felt lonely and isolated after moving to a foreign country.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 103

 Explain and comment the following sentence:
“Most people stumble into loneliness by accident. You reach adulthood and
become busy with work, university, romance, kids and Netflix. There’s just
not enough time. (Again, only use your words)

You can use your ideas and ideas and suggestions from the video but USE YOUR OWN WORDS.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. Reading 2: Mental Health Court

Reading

Mental health court planned for fall, say Edmonton judges (article 1)
Global News, Scott Johston, June 22, 2017
A new form of court is expected to be in place this fall, that deals specifically with
individuals who have mental health issues. Plans were unveiled Thursday to the
Edmonton Police Commission.
“The idea will be then to make the court a funnel of knowledge as it relates to the needs
5 and potential responses and best responses to that mental health population,” said
Assistant Chief Judge Larry Anderson, who expects the specialized court will not be fully
operational with all aspects of what the final vision holds, but will do what’s needed to
assist individuals who get lost in the current adversarial format of court.
Anderson told the commissioners that every day, 150 people come through docket court
10 and, “if statistics are correct and applicable to Edmonton, probably at least 10 per cent
and probably 25 per cent of those persons have mental health needs.”

104 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 The court will have a judge trained in how to deal with individuals with mental health
issues. The Crown and duty counsel will also have training, while mental health
specialists – and others who can stickhandle the housing situation – will also be on hand
15 to assist. “What we’re really trying to do here is to slow the system down so that we have
a court that listens, that is able to provide assistance to individuals and still look after the
safety of the public,” said provincial court judge Renée Cochard.
Edmonton police chief Rod Knecht estimates at least one quarter of police calls deal with
individuals with mental illness. “Whether it’s somebody in a homeless situation,
20 somebody that’s addicted, or somebody that’s just suffering an episode for whatever
reason,” he said.
“I think this is a great idea, I think this is a great approach, I think a lot of these folks are
falling through the cracks or are just being moved along in the system or released or
going to jail. I really support the judiciary for taking this on.” He said this proposed
25 system should eventually save time and money. He also updated the commission on
a project to refurbish the vacant Edmonton Remand Centre as a Wellness Centre to assist
addicts and others with mental illness.
Knecht said progress is being made because there is strong communication now with
social agencies, all levels of government, as well as the private sector and the
30 philanthropic community who is willing to assist in the renovation of the building.

Edmonton court mixes law with psychology to find ‘meaningful resolutions’ for at-risk
Albertans (article 2)
Global News, Allison Bench, June 2, 2021
Edmonton’s Mental Health Court is more important than ever as many Albertans face
35 mental hardships amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “It gives us a chance to provide more
meaningful types of resolutions,” said Legal Aid Alberta staff lawyer Amna Qureshi.
The Edmonton Mental Health Court opened as a pilot project in 2018. It’s meant to help
those with mental health issues better navigate the justice system. “It’s the first of its kind
in Alberta — but not the first of its kind in Canada,” Qureshi said. “It’s modelled after a
40 number of very successfully running mental health courts elsewhere in the country, like
Toronto.”
The Edmonton court is open to those who have been charged with a criminal offence and
who also have brain injuries, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or mental illness like
bipolar disorder and major depression.
45 Qureshi said once a client is referred to the court by a judge, they will be dealing with not
only legal officials like judges and counsel, but also psychiatrists, nurses and social
services. “It really is a problem-solving court,” she said. “We call it a therapeutic court.
It’s a form of therapeutic justice.”
There are some limits on who qualifies for Mental Health Court; those charged with
50 murder, drug prosecutions and breaches of long-term offender orders are not permitted
to attend. Qureshi said that the court is more of a collaborative discussion as opposed to
the conventional court experience. “Everyone works together, taking into account all
these factors that the individual comes before us may be struggling with,” she said. “We
meet people where they’re at, and that may mean assisting them with basic needs like
55 food, shelter. We take care, or try and direct our attention towards those issues at the
same time as dealing with their legal issues. We’re able to look at where they’re at, and
come as a team to a resolution… and make sure they aren’t set up for failure.”

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 105

 Vocabulary
Mental health court – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Key Verbs – articles 1 + 2

Match each term with its definition.

1. to unveil a. to renovate, to make over

2. to deal with b. to be defeated; lack of success
3. to be on hand c. to maneuver, to find one’s way
4. to look after d. to protect; a place giving temporary protection
5. to fall through the cracks e. to agree to do a task
6. to be moved along f. to be available, to be accessible
7. to take (something) on g. to fight against a difficult situation
8. to refurbish h. to reveal, to announce
9. to navigate i. to be left out, to be forgotten
10. to struggle j. to handle, to contend with
11. to shelter; (shelter) k. to pass on to the next phase
12. to fail; (failure) l. to protect, to take charge of

Legal terms. Both articles contain a number of these, listed here, and underscored in the texts.
Study the words in context. What do you think they mean?
1. adversarial (adj.)
2. docket court
3. duty counsel
4. judiciary
5. offence
6. prosecution; to prosecute
7. breach (noun + verb)

Compound words
Compound words + hyphenated words + special phrases.
Compound words combine two words to create a new word with a unique meaning. Hyphenated
words are two words joined by a hypen (-) that function as adjectives. The article contains a number
of these, listed here. There are also some special phrases as well as very specific medical terms used
in the second article.

Match each term with its definition.

1. ‘funnel of knowledge’ a. conditions resulting from drinking alcohol during pregnancy
2. to stickhandle b. public agencies intended to provide support and assistance
towards particular groups
3. to update c. perpetual, continued, prolonged
4. hardship d. process of identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives
for a solution
5. pilot project e. exert control over, carefully manipulate
6. fetal alcohol spectrum disorder f. difficulty, suffering, trouble
 7. bipolar disorder g. initial small-scale implementation used to prove the viability of
an idea
8. problem-solving (adj.) h. advise, inform, tell
9. long-term (adj.) i. the balance between innovation and efficiency
10. social services j. a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy,
activity levels, concentration

Comprehension Questions
1. According to article 1, how many people in the Edmonton court system have mental health
needs?
2. In what ways is the mental health court different from a regular court?
3. While the benefits of a mental health court for persons with mental health needs is clear, what
are the benefits for the court system itself?
4. What collaboration made it possible to open the mental health court in Edmonton in 2018?
5. In what kinds of cases are individuals allowed to attend mental health court?
6. In what cases is an individual ineligible (not eligible) to attend a mental health court?

Discussion Questions
1. Do mental health courts exist in Belgium? If yes, describe what you know about them. If no, do
you think there is a need for them in Belgium? Explain your point of view.
2. What kind of assistance is available to persons with mental health needs in Belgium? Describe
what you know in detail.
3. Can you conceive of other types of special courts to serve specific populations that could be
useful in helping facilitate justice for all?

Role Play
In pairs, role play an interview between a social worker and a homeless individual. Consider the
following details for each role. You may add additional details to personalize your roles. Continue
until you reach a reasonable conclusion.
Social worker: You are meeting your client for the first time. You suspect (s)he has been homeless for
quite a long time, and may have mental health needs. Find out as much as you can about him/her
and take notes. You would like to have him/her seen by a psychologist for evaluation, and try to get
him/her in a stable housing situation. You are also concerned that he/she is not eating regularly. Does
she/she have a drug or alcohol addiction? You aren’t sure.
Client: You are currently homeless, and have been for a while. You are distrustful of all authority and
people trying to help you. What do they want from you?! You prefer to be left alone. Living on the
street is dangerous and tough, though. You do your best to answer the social worker’s questions.

(Create your own personal biography for your character.)

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 107

 VIII Politics and Humans Rights

1. Reading 1: Taliban Takeover

Reading

Taliban takeover: Death to gender equality

Brussels Times, Monday, 23 August 2021, Amitis Sedghi
“They are just chanting ‘Death to America’, but they seem friendly at the same time, it is
utterly bizarre,” CNN’s Clarissa Ward reported from Kabul, after the city’s sudden fall
to the Taliban.
The above-quoted sentence is a telling summary of nowaday’s cause célébre, as most of
5 Afghanistan fell to the Taliban forces without a fight.
The military organisation — which used to rule most of the country between 1996 and
2001 with a particularly draconian interpretation of Islamic law — has recently portrayed
itself as reforming its views and policies — provided they have any since overall they
only managed to pledge some vague and hard-to-ascertain plans.
10 Besides granting amnesty to all those who served in either government or military
positions, Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission,
reassured that they are “ready to provide women with an environment to work and study,
and the presence of women in different structures according to Islamic law and in
accordance with cultural values.” He also urged women to join the new government.
15 The exact interpretation of Islamic law and cultural values has not yet been specified, but
there are a few first glimpses on which we can conclude the new reality Afghan women
might face.
In an interview, a group of insurgents asked US reporter Clarissa Ward to step aside
because she is not fully covered — even
20 though she was, only her face was visible.
After complying, she asked a group member
if women would still be able to participate in
public life, to which he responded yes, as long
as they are wearing a hijab. Ms Ward then
25 asked if he means the hijab she is currently
wearing. The answer was no; women will be
required to cover their faces as well. That is,
well, not the hijab.
The hijab covers the head and neck but leaves
30 the face visible. The niqab covers the face
partly and leaves the area around the eyes
free, while the burqa is the most concealing of all, covering the entire face and body,

108 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 leaving the wearer with only a mesh to see through it. Most probably, the latter two, but
even more so, the burqa was what the interviewee was referring to as hijab. The sudden
35 and steep increase in burqa prices in Kabul seems to support that conclusion.
Other elements to this hard-to-believe makeover might point us to a more sceptical
perception of Taliban 2.0.
Earlier in July, during the seize of Kandahar, female employees of Azizi Bank were
escorted home from their offices by insurgents and were advised to have their positions
40 filled in by male relatives. The same happened in Herat a few days later. Indeed the
inclusive new Afghan government will encompass women, but first, they chase them
away from their offices with weapons.
Only two days after the Taliban takeover in Kabul, storefronts and advertisements of
uncovered females were painted over with thick white paint. Just as women were absent
45 from public life during Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, now their visuals are also
being erased from the city.
Taliban fighters denied female students and lecturers to enter the campus of Herat
University, while their male counterparts were free to enter. Gender segregation and the
already incredibly low literacy rates — with a shocking disparity between men and
50 women — will not be significant contributors to the country’s peace and stability that the
Taliban claims to provide.
Many female journalists — unable to flee the country — went into hiding, and those who
are at all capable of sharing their take on the situation to Western media outlets, are doing
so anonymously or under pseudonyms for safety concerns. Female judges are facing the
55 same difficulties. According to anonymous sources, the Taliban already gathered
information on their whereabouts, and now they are feared to face severe consequences.
Another form of the organised persecution of Afghan women is forced marriages. In the
captured areas, the Taliban ordered local religious leaders to provide lists of girls over the
age of 15 and widows under 45 to be married to foot soldiers and taken to Pakistan to be
60 converted to “authentic” Islam. As to what “authentic” might mean in this context, the
Taliban did not reveal.
Mosque loudspeakers — commonly used to convey messages aimed at the public — are
now blaring announcements that women are required to only leave their homes wearing
a burqa and escorted by a male chaperone.
65 By comparing statements and events taking place on the ground, it is evident that the
Taliban still rejects the notion of gender equality. As their delegations included no women
during the peace talks, they remain fundamentalist towards women, and their pledges
towards reformist considerations are merely tactical propaganda.
Debating the success of the US’s 20-year occupation and the pertinence of its withdrawal
70 is not the purpose of this article. Consciousness-raising is.
Between 2001 and 2021, Afghan women gained access to education, healthcare, and
public life. Many of them found their occupation in the fields of politics, law, and
medicine. Today, their rights — fundamental, universally acknowledged — rights are
being rolled back, and they are facing systemic persecution.
75 Discussing the could haves and should haves of the past two decades of US foreign policy
decisions is essential in learning from past mistakes and drawing conclusions for a better
future. But we cannot turn our backs on the current reality of Afghan women.
Once more, they were used as bargaining chips for geopolitical interest. They were
sacrificed on the altar of propaganda.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 109

80 After trillions of US dollars spent and 20 years of Western efforts made, the Taliban’s
blitz-like takeover of Afghanistan might prove a failure. But ignoring the cries for help
by Afghan women would be the absolute defeat.
What you can do:
Raise awareness — speak up; you do not have to be a social media influencer or a
85 celebrity to make your voice heard.
Join the conversation — educate yourself and own the facts and figures to participate in
the public debate.
Donate — charities, fundraisers, even petitions, every little counts.

Vocabulary
1. Match these verbs with their definitions or synonyms
1. chant a. try persistently to persuade someone to do something
2. pledge b. act in accordance with a wish/command/request
3. ascertain c. escape
4. grant d. say or shout repeatedly in a sing-song tone
5. urge e. carry
6. conceal f. certify, confirm, verify
7. comply g. make a solemn promise
8. deny h. agree to give or allow something requested
9. donate i. force to go away
10. blare j. give money (for example to a charity)
11. convey k. reverse the progress or reduce the power of something
12. encompass l. make a loud, harsh noise (in French: beugler, claironner)
13. flee (fled-fled) m. include
14. roll back n. leave, withdraw, quit
15. chase away o. hide or prevent something from being seen
16. step aside p. refuse something requested or refuse to admit the existence of
something

What is the meaning of the following nouns?

1. a takeover:
2. a makeover:
3. an outlet:
4. a glimpse:
5. a mesh:
6. an altar:

Find in the text the expressions meaning

1. collect information on the place where someone lives, what they do:
2. for security reasons:
3. make people aware:
4. suffering or destroyed because of:
5. abandon or stop supporting:
6. have in mind all the important data:

110 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

7. ensure that your opinion is known:
8. each action is important:
9. things that can be used to gain advantage when trying to make a deal:
10. quick, intense and overwhelming (term generally used to describe raids / attacks):

True or False ?
If the statement is false, make the necessary corrections.
1. T-F The new regime in Kabul describes itself as different, more tolerant and inclusive than
it used to be.
2. T-F According to this article, there are a few signs of change giving good hope to women’s
rights.
3. T-F A lot of events make it clear that the Taliban still reject the notion of gender equality.
4. T-F Female students were allowed on the campus of Herat University when they
accepted to cover their faces.
5. T-F Even though the result of 20 years of US occupation is not discussed in this article,
the writer wants to raise consciousness on the current reality and recommends a series of
actions to support Afghan women.

Discussion
1. What do you feel when some Afghans say “We have been abandoned by the rest of the
world”?
2. What should the international community have done?
3. If you had a political role in your country, would you keep diplomatic relationships with the
new regime?
4. What could be done to protect women’s rights (to education, work, healthcare…)?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 111

 2. Reading 2: Afghanistan, What’s Changed
Afghanistan: What’s changed a year after Taliban return
By Shruti Menon, BBC Reality Check - Published16 August, 2022
Protests took place in the capital last spring, demanding secondary schools be reopened
for girls
One year ago, the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital Kabul, as foreign forces hastily
completed their withdrawal.
5 Speaking for the Taliban at the time,
Zabihullah Mujahid made a number of
pledges for the new government.
So has the regime lived up to its
promises?
10 ‘We are going to allow women to work
and study.... women are going to be very
active, but within the framework of
Islam.’
The previous Taliban regime, in the 1990s, severely curtailed women’s freedom - and
15 since the takeover of power by the Taliban last year, a series of restrictions have been re-
imposed on women in Afghanistan.
Regulations on clothing and laws forbidding access to public areas without a male
guardian have been enforced.
In March, schools re-opened for a new academic year, but the Taliban reversed an earlier
20 promise and girls are currently not permitted to attend secondary school.
The Taliban has blamed a lack of female teachers and the need to arrange the segregation
of facilities.
This has affected an estimated 1.1 million pupils, according to the UN and has provoked
widespread international criticism.
25 Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addressing journalists last year in Kabul
Primary school education for girls has been permitted. Some public universities reopened
for both men and women in February.
But women’s participation in the labour force has dropped since the Taliban takeover last
summer, according to the World Bank.
30 Female participation in the labour force had increased from 15% to 22% in just over a
decade, between 1998 and 2019.
However, with the Taliban imposing more restrictions on women’s movements outside
the home since their return to power, the percentage of females working in
Afghanistan shrank to 15% in 2021.
35 An Amnesty report in July said that the Taliban had "decimated the rights of women
and children" in Afghanistan. It highlighted the abuse and torture meted out to some
women who had taken part in protests against the new restrictions imposed on them.
‘We are going to be working...in order to revitalise our economy, for our reconstruction,
for our prosperity.’

112 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

40 In June, the UN Security Council reported the Afghan economy had contracted by an
estimated 30%-40% since the Taliban takeover in August last year.
An assessment by the official body that oversees US-funded reconstruction efforts in
Afghanistan concluded that although some international aid continues to flow into the
country, economic conditions remain "dire."
45 The suspension of most international aid and the freezing of access to Afghanistan’s
foreign exchange reserves has had serious economic consequences for the country.
To compensate, the Taliban have sought to increase tax revenue, as well as ramping up
coal exports to take advantage of higher global prices.
A three-month budget announced in January this year showed the Taliban had collected
50 nearly $400 million in domestic revenue between September and December 2021. But
experts have raised concerns over the lack of transparency in how these figures were
collated.
The loss of international support, security challenges, climate-related issues and global
food inflation are all contributing to a rapidly deteriorating economic situation.
55 ‘There will be no production of drugs in Afghanistan….we will bring the production of
opium to zero again.’
The Taliban’s pledge to tackle opium poppy cultivation mirrors a policy they
introduced with some success when they were last in power more than two decades ago.
Opium is used to make heroin - and Afghanistan has been, by far, the world’s largest
60 source of opium for many years.
In April this year, the Taliban announced a ban on the growing of poppies.
There’s no firm data on how the clampdown has been progressing, although reports from
some poppy-growing areas in Helmand province in the south suggest the Taliban have
been forcing farmers to destroy poppy fields.
65 Production of opium increased during the main 2021 harvest
A US official report in July noted that although the Taliban risked losing support from
farmers and others involved in the drug trade, they "appear committed to their narcotics
ban".
However, Dr David Mansfield, an expert on Afghanistan’s drug economy, points out the
70 main opium poppy crop would already have been harvested by the time the ban was
imposed.
"The second [annual] crop in south-western Afghanistan is typically a small crop... so its
destruction... will not have had a significant impact," says Dr Mansfield.
It’s also worth noting that the production and manufacture of other drugs, such as crystal
75 meth, has been growing, although the Taliban have banned a wild plant (ephedra) used to
make it.
‘We [the Taliban] are committed to ensuring security.’
Although the conflict which brought the Taliban to power is largely over, there were still
over 2,000 civilian casualties (700 deaths and over 1,400 injuries) reported between
80 August last year to mid-June this year, according to UN data.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 113

 However, these figures are well down on previous years when the conflict was at its
height.

Around 50% of the casualties since August 2021 were attributed to the actions of the
Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group, a branch of the Islamic State group still active in
85 Afghanistan.
In recent months, several IS-K attacks have taken place targeting civilians, especially in
urban areas with Shia Muslim or other minority populations.

Who are the IS-K group?

The presence of other anti-Taliban forces, such as the National Resistance Front (NRF)
90 and Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), has also grown.
“The overall security environment is becoming increasingly unpredictable,” said the UN
in June, citing the presence of at least a dozen separate militant group opposed to the
Taliban who are present in the country.
There has also been a significant increase in human rights violations, including
95 extrajudicial killings, detentions and torture by the Taliban, according to the UN.
Between August 2021 and June 2022, it recorded at least 160 extrajudicial killings of
former government and security force officials.

3. Reading 3: Assange Extradition Hearing

Julian Assange extradition hearing: Punishing the publisher
Amnesty International, 10 September 2020, 08:33 UTC
The last time I saw Julian Assange he looked tired and wan.
Dressed neatly in casual business attire, the Wikileaks founder was sitting in a glass-
enclosed dock, at the back of a courtroom adjoining Belmarsh high security prison in
London, flanked by two prison officers.
5 I had travelled from the US to observe the hearing. He had travelled via tunnel from his
cell to the courtroom.
Sitting 20 feet away from Julian Assange, I was struck by how much of a shadow of his
former self he had become.

114 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Today, Julian Assange will be in court again, for the resumption of proceedings that will
10 ultimately decide on the Trump administration’s request for his extradition to the US.
But it is not just Julian Assange that will be in the dock. Beside him will sit the
fundamental tenets of media freedom that underpin the rights to freedom of expression
and the public’s right to access to information. Silence this one man, and the US and its
accomplices will gag others, spreading fear of persecution and prosecution over a global
15 media community already under assault in the US and in many other countries worldwide.
The stakes really are that high. If the UK extradites Assange, he would face prosecution
in the USA on espionage charges that could send him to prison for decades – possibly in
a facility reserved for the highest security detainees and subjected to the strictest of daily
regimes, including prolonged solitary confinement. All for doing something news editors
20 do the world over – publishing public interest information provided by sources.
Indeed, President Donald Trump has called Wikileaks “disgraceful” and said that its
actions in publishing classified information should carry the death penalty.
The chilling effect on other publishers, investigative journalists and any person who
would dare to facilitate the publication of classified information of government
25 wrongdoing would be immediate and severe. And the US would boldly go beyond its
own borders with a long arm to reach non-citizens, like Assange, who is Australian.
You don’t need to be an expert in extradition law to understand that the charges against
Assange are politically-motivated.
The US government’s relentless pursuit of Assange - and the UK’s willing participation
30 in his hunt and capture - has now landed him in a prison typically reserved for seasoned
criminals. It has diminished him both physically and emotionally – often to the point of
disorientation. Breaking him by isolating Assange from family, friends and his legal team,
seems part and parcel of the US’s strategy – and it seems to be working.
You don’t need to know the vagaries of extradition law to understand that the charges
35 against Assange are not only classic “political offences” and thus barred under extradition
law, but more crucially, the charges are politically-motivated.
The 17 charges levelled by the US under the 1918 Espionage Act could bring 175 years
in prison; add a conviction on the single computer fraud charge (said to complement the
Espionage Act by dragging it into the computer era), and you get another gratuitous five
40 years. Assange is the only publisher ever to bear the brunt of such espionage charges.
There is no doubt that the charges are politically-motivated under this US administration,
which has all but convicted Assange in the public arena. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
has claimed that Wikileaks is a “hostile intelligence service” whose activities must be
“mitigated and managed.” The flagrantly unfair prosecution of Assange is an example of
45 how far the US will go to “manage” the flow of information about government
wrongdoing and thus undermine the public’s right to know.
Assange was on Barack Obama’s radar, too, but the Obama administration declined to
prosecute Assange. Current US Attorney General William Barr, however, has turned out
not one, but two indictments since 2019, the latest at the end of June. That second
50 indictment was a surprise not only to Assange’s defence team, but to the Crown lawyer
and the judge who were also taken unawares by the new indictment.
Earlier this year, sitting 20 feet away from Julian Assange, I was struck by how much of
a shadow of his former self he had become. He did spontaneously stand up several times
during that week of hearings to address the judge. He told her he was confused. He told
55 her he could not properly hear the proceedings. He said that barriers in the prison and in
court meant that he had not been able to consult with his lawyers. He was not technically
permitted to address the judge directly, but he did repeatedly, flashes of the aggressive
tactics used in the past to advocate for himself and the principles he has espoused.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 115

 Publishing such information is a cornerstone of media freedom and the public’s right to
60 access information. It must be protected, not criminalized.
If Julian Assange is extradited it will have far reaching human rights implications, setting
a chilling precedent for the protection of those who publish leaked or classified
information that is in the public interest.
Publishing such information is a cornerstone of media freedom and the public’s right to
65 access information. It must be protected, not criminalized.
Julia Hall is Amnesty International’s expert on human rights in Europe

4. Reading 4: George Floyd-Style Killing

George Floyd-style killing ‘could happen in the UK’, says Michael Fuller
The Guardian, Sun. Aug. 2020, Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent
Exclusive: Britain’s only ever black police chief says communities feel ‘humiliated’

Britain’s only ever black chief constable has warned that a George Floyd-style killing
could happen here, with police embroiled in a crisis over racial justice they were failing
to address.
Michael Fuller told the Guardian that stop and search was leaving black people feeling
5 “humiliated”, “alienated” and that their human rights and dignity were not being
respected.
Fuller was the chief constable of the Kent force after serving in the Metropolitan police
tackling gang and gun violence in London.
He said that cutting crime without widescale use of stop and search was possible, and that
10 the crisis was not inevitable. He added it was proven that building better trust with
communities led to better intelligence about serious criminals.
Fuller has expertise in policing and the criminal justice system. After serving as chief
constable of Kent from 2004 to 2010, he was chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution
Service in England and Wales, and is also a qualified barrister.
15 He said both British and American black communities were enduring bad experiences of
policing, and rejected the assumption it was better in Britain: “In both societies there is
racial injustice and social injustice in the way black communities are treated in both
countries. The issues are the same.”
He went on to point to the review of the criminal justice system by Labour MP David
20 Lammy, which was commissioned by then prime minister Theresa May.
The study found a disproportionate number of black people in the criminal justice system,
with black people experiencing disproportionately higher stop and search, imprisonment
rates and victimisation from criminals. Other official reports into deaths in custody also
showed worse outcomes for ethnic minority people, which for Fuller showed “evidence
25 of systemic racism”.
Questioned about UK policing compared with the US, he said: “We have our problems
here, there have been mistakes made and we have had our tragedies.” Asked if an atrocity
such as the killing of Floyd could happen in the UK he conceded: “It could happen here.
We have had equally appalling incidents.”

116 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

30 Floyd, 46, died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Footage of the arrest on 25 May showed a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling
on Floyd’s neck while he was pinned to the floor.
Asked for an example, he said if proven, claims about officers taking selfies at the murder
scene in a London park where two black sisters lay dead, would be “equally horrendous”.
35 The allegations, first revealed by the Guardian, are currently the subject of a criminal
investigation.
The long-standing flashpoint between police and ethnic minority communities is stop and
search, with black people nine times more likely to be stopped than white people, with
most being innocent.
40 Commenting on the issue, Fuller said: “The evidence does not support that it is effective
in controlling or reducing crime. I support stop search but it needs to be of the right people
and based on intelligence rather than being indiscriminate.”
“The evidence shows that 80% of people stopped are innocent, which suggests it is not
being used efficiently or effectively. Those people can feel inconvenienced, alienated and
45 humiliated.”
He added: “There is a perception within black communities that the whole community is
being profiled and targeted by the police. That perception is there and it is very strong
and that is something the police need to deal with.”
Police’s leadership needed to do more, said the former chief constable, with a worrying
50 gap growing between law enforcement and young black Britons: “Young black people
do not feel their human rights and dignity are being respected by the police and that they
are getting due protection under the law.
“It is the default use of handcuffs when people are stopped, that never happened when I
was PC, and the perception of profiling. All the evidence points to a crisis of confidence
55 in policing from the black community.
“By increasing confidence in policing, particularly among the black community you are
more likely to secure cooperation and reduce crime as a result, and provide a better service
for all.”
Fuller’s comments are challenging for the service he loves. In recent interviews with the
60 Guardian former Met assistant commissioner Patricia Gallan, the most senior ethnic
minority woman ever in policing, has also raised significant concerns about police’s past
and current record on race.
Fuller said the stop of a car containing athlete Bianca Williams, her partner and baby, was
troubling: “I think from the short video clip the officers look quite menacing. The officer
65 held an asp [metal police baton] in a very menacing way, it would be quite frightening
for anybody.
“I would have thought some of the officers had overreacted. If it had been a car full of
thugs you could understand it, but it was a couple with a baby, it did not really add up.
That raises a lot of question. It raises the question why were they treated so aggressively?”
70 He added: “People are not being treated with due courtesy and respect.”
He insisted the race crisis can be turned around and black youngsters do not want police
defunded, but want protection from crime and gangs: “People want a say in how they are
policed, they want police to be effective and legitimate, and to have more of them. The
situation can be turned around.”
75 Having more ethnic minority officers in the ranks was crucially important he added.
“Young people they want a service that looks like them and which they can therefore
relate to.”

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 117

 He was hopeful the plan to increase police numbers by 20,000 in three years will boost
ethnic minority officer numbers and mean more officers are available to provide
80 community policing.
Ian Hopkins, a chief constable who leads for the National Police Chiefs’ Council on
diversity said work was underway with police leaders signed up to an action plan:“We
are all committed to tackling the wrongs of racism, bias and discrimination wherever they
are found in policing.
85 “Everyone in policing knows how important it is that communities can relate to and feel
represented by us. It is important that we better understand people’s lived experiences,
and focus on all aspects of diversity through the whole organisation if we are to truly
reflect the communities we serve.”

5. Listening Exercises

Warm-up
1. What are Human Rights? – give a definition
2. Give examples of what you consider the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms?

Listening 1
Check your answers watching the videos on human rights on this page
1. Give examples of violations of economic, social and cultural rights?
2. Where do Human Rights come from?

Listening 2:
Watch the video on what human rights are.
1. What characterises Human Rights?
2. Write down the main steps in the history of Human Rights?
3. What problems still persist today?

6. Group Exercise on the Readings

Try to do these in small groups.
In each article from this chapter, which human rights or fundamental freedoms are violated or
endangered?

118 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

Join a little group. Each group chooses an article from this section, proposes a list of keywords and
makes a short summary of it.

Speaking (Optional)
Use the European Convention on Human Rights Cards.
In groups of 4, rank the rights from the most to the least important.
Explain your choice to the other members of your group.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 119

 IX School and Education

1. Reading 1: Finland’s Education System

10 reasons why Finland’s education system is the best in the world
Weforum, Sept.10, 2018

Time and time again, American students continually rank near the middle or bottom
among industrialized nations when it comes to performance in math and science. The
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which in conjunction with the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) routinely releases
5 data which shows that Americans are seriously lagging behind in a number of educational
performance assessments.
Despite calls for education reform and a continual lackluster performance on the
international scale, not a lot is being done or changing within the educational system.
Many private and public schools run on the same antiquated systems and schedules that
10 were once conducive to an agrarian society. The mechanization and rigid assembly-line
methods we use today are spitting out ill-prepared worker clones, rudderless adults and
an uninformed populace.
But no amount of pontificating will change what we already know. The American
education system needs to be completely revamped – from the first grade to the Ph.D. It’s
15 going to take a lot more than a well-meaning celebrity project to do that…
Many people are familiar with the stereotype of the hard-working, rote memorization,
myopic tunnel vision of Eastern Asian study and work ethics. Many of these countries,
like China, Singapore, and Japan amongst others routinely rank in the number one spots
in both math and science.
20 Some pundits point towards this model of exhaustive brain draining as something
Americans should aspire to become. Work more! Study harder! Live less. The facts and
figures don’t lie – these countries are outperforming us, but there might be a better and
healthier way to go about this.
Finland is the answer – a country rich in intellectual and educational reform has initiated
25 over the years a number of novel and simple changes that have completely revolutionized
their educational system. They outrank the United States and are gaining on Eastern Asian
countries.
Are they cramming in dimly-lit rooms on robotic schedules? Nope. Stressing over
standardized tests enacted by the government? No way. Finland is leading the
30 way because of common-sense practices and a holistic teaching environment that strives
for equity over excellence. Here are 10 reasons why Finland’s education system is
dominating America and the world stage.

120 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 No standardized testing
Staying in line with our print-minded sensibilities, standardized testing is the blanket way
35 we test for subject comprehension. Filling in little bubbles on a scantron and answering
pre-canned questions is somehow supposed to be a way to determine mastery or at least
competence of a subject. What often happens is that students will learn to cram just to
pass a test and teachers will be teaching with the sole purpose of students passing a test.
Learning has been thrown out of the equation.
40 Finland has no standardized tests. Their only exception is something called the National
Matriculation Exam, which is a voluntary test for students at the end of an upper-
secondary school (equivalent to an American high school.) All children throughout
Finland are graded on an individualized basis and grading system set by their teacher.
Tracking overall progress is done by the Ministry of Education, which samples groups
45 across different ranges of schools.

Accountability for teachers (not required)

A lot of the blame goes to the teachers and rightfully so sometimes. But in Finland, the
bar is set so high for teachers, that there is often no reason to have a rigorous “grading”
system for teachers. Pasi Sahlberg, director of the Finnish Ministry of Education and
50 writer of Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in
Finland? Said that following about teachers’ accountability:
"There’s no word for accountability in Finnish… Accountability is something that is left
when responsibility has been subtracted."— Pasi Sahlberg
All teachers are required to have a master’s degree before entering the profession.
55 Teaching programs are the most rigorous and selective professional schools in the entire
country. If a teacher isn’t performing well, it’s the individual principal’s responsibility to
do something about it.
The concept of the pupil-teacher dynamic that was once the master to apprentice cannot
be distilled down to a few bureaucratic checks and standardized testing measures. It needs
60 to be dealt with on an individual basis.

Cooperation not competition

While most Americans and other countries see the educational system as one big
Darwinian competition, the Finns see it differently. Sahlberg quotes a line from a writer
named Samuli Paronen which says that:
65 “Real winners do not compete.”— Samuli Paronen
Ironically, this attitude has put them at the head of the international pack. Finland’s
educational system doesn’t worry about artificial or arbitrary merit-based systems. There
are no lists of top performing schools or teachers. It’s not an environment of competition
– instead, cooperation is the norm.

70 Make the basics a priority

Many school systems are so concerned with increasing test scores and comprehension in
math and science, they tend to forget what constitutes a happy, harmonious and healthy
student and learning environment. Many years ago, the Finnish school system was in need
of some serious reforms.
75 The program that Finland put together focused on returning back to the basics. It wasn’t
about dominating with excellent marks or upping the ante. Instead, they looked to make
the school environment a more equitable place.
Since the 1980s, Finnish educators have focused on making these basics a priority:

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 121

 • Education should be an instrument to balance out social inequality.
80 • All students receive free school meals.
• Ease of access to health care.
• Psychological counseling
• Individualised guidance
Beginning with the individual in a collective environment of equality is Finland’s way.

85 Starting school at an older age

Here the Finns again start by changing very minute details. Students start school when
they are seven years old. They’re given free reign in the developing childhood years to
not be chained to compulsory education. It’s simply just a way to let a kid be a kid.
There are only 9 years of compulsory school that Finnish children are required to attend.
90 Everything past the ninth grade or at the age of 16 is optional.
Just from a psychological standpoint, this is a freeing ideal. Although it may anecdotal,
many students really feel like they’re stuck in a prison. Finland alleviates this forced ideal
and instead opts to prepare its children for the real world.

Providing professional options past a traditional college degree

95 The current pipeline for education in America is incredibly stagnant and immutable.
Children are stuck in the K-12 circuit jumping from teacher to teacher. Each grade a
preparation for the next, all ending in the grand culmination of college, which then
prepares you for the next grand thing on the conveyor belt. Many students don’t need to
go to college and get a worthless degree or flounder about trying to find purpose and incur
100 massive debt.
Finland solves this dilemma by offering options that are equally advantageous for the
student continuing their education. There is a lesser focused dichotomy of college-
educated versus trade-school or working class. Both can be equally professional and
fulfilling for a career.
105 In Finland, there is the Upper Secondary School which is a three-year program that
prepares students for the Matriculation Test that determines their acceptance into a
University. This is usually based off of specialties they’ve acquired during their time in
“high-school”
Next, there is vocational education, which is a three-year program that trains students for
110 various careers. They have the option to take the Matriculation test if they want to then
apply to University.

Finns wake up later for less strenuous schooldays

Waking up early, catching a bus or ride, participating in morning and after school
extracurriculars are huge time sinks for a student. Add to the fact that some classes start
115 anywhere from 6am to 8am and you’ve got sleepy, uninspired adolescents on your hands.
Students in Finland usually start school anywhere from 9:00 – 9:45 AM. Research has
shown that early start times are detrimental to students’ well-being, health, and
maturation. Finnish schools start the day later and usually end by 2:00 – 2:45 AM. They
have longer class periods and much longer breaks in between. The overall system isn’t
120 there to ram and cram information to their students, but to create an environment of
holistic learning.

122 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Consistent instruction from the same teachers
There are fewer teachers and students in Finnish schools. You can’t expect to teach an
auditorium of invisible faces and breakthrough to them on an individual level. Students
125 in Finland often have the same teacher for up to six years of their education. During this
time, the teacher can take on the role of a mentor or even a family member. During those
years, mutual trust and bonding are built so that both parties know and respect each other.
Different needs and learning styles vary on an individual basis. Finnish teachers can
account for this because they’ve figured out the student’s own idiosyncratic needs. They
130 can accurately chart and care for their progress and help them reach their goals. There is
no passing along to the next teacher because there isn’t one.

A more relaxed atmosphere

There is a general trend in what Finland is doing with its schools. Less stress, less
unneeded regimentation and more caring. Students usually only have a couple of classes
135 a day. They have several times to eat their food, enjoy recreational activities and generally
just relax. Spread throughout the day are 15 to 20-minute intervals where the kids can get
up and stretch, grab some fresh air and decompress.
This type of environment is also needed by the teachers. Teacher rooms are set up all over
Finnish schools, where they can lounge about and relax, prepare for the day or just simply
140 socialize. Teachers are people too and need to be functional so they can operate at the
best of their abilities.

Less homework and outside work required

According to the OECD, students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and
homework than any other student in the world. They spend only half an hour a night
145 working on stuff from school. Finnish students also don’t have tutors. Yet they’re
outperforming cultures that have toxic school-to-life balances without the unneeded or
unnecessary stress.
Finnish students are getting everything they need to get done in school without the added
pressures that come with excelling at a subject. Without having to worry about grades and
150 busy-work they are able to focus on the true task at hand – learning and growing as a
human being.

2. Video: Finland’s Schools

Why Finland’s schools outperform most others across the developed world
Watch the video on Finland’s schools and answer the questions

1. What are the main specificities in the Finnish schools’ programme? (hours, curriculum,
activities, fees…)

2. What are the costs of such education?

3. What are the evaluation methods?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 123

 4. What are the qualifications of school teachers?

5. What is the parents’ approach?

Keywords
What do these words mean?
1. to outperform:
2. to seek after:
3. post-graduate:
4. to interfere:
5. facilities:
6. to charge fees:

3. Discussion
Having read the article and listened to the video:
• what do you think about in active methodologies in classrooms?

• what are the benefits of active teaching (compared with traditional lecturing)?

• what is the role of competition in reaching good results at school?

4. Reading 2: Brown University ‘mindfulness’ course

Brown University ‘mindfulness’ course offered only to minority students
New York Post, Jessica Cherner, June 23, 2022 4:49pm

A new course at Brown University has sparked controversy after it was offered solely to
minority students.
The teacher training class in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) was recently
made available only to students who identify as Black, Indigenous or Latino. Anyone
5 who identifies as BIPOC, regardless of their age or whether or not they are a student at
Brown, was allowed to enroll in the online class, which debuted in May.
The exclusion of white and Asian students raised the ire of one anonymous Brown
student, who was turned away from the MBSR program because they don’t identify as
BIPOC. In a May 13 complaint filed with the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism
10 (FAIR), a “civil rights and liberties organization,” the student stated that “Brown is
offering a RACE-BASED teacher training program that is ONLY open to certain
demographics (black, latino, indigenous).

124 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 The complaint continues: “This program will also offer grants to these students to help
manage the cost of the program. Financial assistance is NOT being offered to members
15 of other demographics who may not be able to afford the program either. (white & asian).
This results in certain demographics being favored over others and is discriminatory. As
a student of the program, I find myself being unable to continue my training with this
institution as I refuse to support educational segregation based solely on skin color as it
violates my core principles, values, and the Buddhist teachings that which this program
20 is based on.”
The student calls the program, which is funded by a foundation grant and the university’s
School of Public Health, “a return to educational segregation based on skin color.”
Bion Bartning, the president and founder of FAIR, called Brown’s course
“discriminatory.”
25 “In a misguided effort, perhaps, to remedy past injustices, Brown University has decided
to discriminate against students solely on the basis of skin color and ethnic background,”
Bartning said. “Such actions are neither legally, nor morally, justified and we urge the
university to reconsider its decision.”
Following the complaint, FAIR attorney Leigh Ann O’Neill sent a strongly worded letter
30 to Brown University’s president, Christina Hull Paxson, on June 15, accusing the
university of violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which states, “No person in
the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any
program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
35 Dr. Eric B. Loucks, director of Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, defended the
school’s decision to limit the course to people of color, saying, “the intent is to reach
future teachers who have a special interest in or history of personal engagement with the
experiences of Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino/Latina/Latinx peoples and others who
have been underrepresented in the mindfulness field.”
40 Brown has since changed its policy to allow all students, not just minority students, to
enroll in the class when it resumes in August.
“Upon further review of our early promotional materials for the program, we realigned
them to reflect the program’s inclusive nature, while still meeting the goal of addressing
the needs, life experiences, and priorities of marginalized communities,” Loucks told The
45 Post.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 125

 X Social Issues

1. Reading 1: Fair to Punish Dharun Ravi?

Reading

Is It Fair to Punish Dharun Ravi Because Tyler Clementi Died?

Newsweek, BY JAY MICHAELSON ON 3/12/12 AT 1:00 AM EDT

From left: Dharun Ravi.; Tyler Clementi, John O’Boyle / the star-ledger-ap (left); facebook
One of the core assumptions of LGBT activism, anti-racism work, and other civil-rights
activism is that all of us, no matter how enlightened we are, have prejudice within us.
You don’t "get over" your racism or homophobia; you learn to recognize it.
Yet the highest-profile gay-bashing trial of the decade will turn on whether Dharun Ravi,
5 a Rutgers University sophomore, acted out of anti-gay bias against his roommate, Tyler
Clementi, when he recorded Clementi having sex with another man on his webcam and
tweeted about it. The facts are not in dispute; only the motivations. In other words, not
only is the entire case taking place in Dharun Ravi’s head, but Ravi is on trial for what all
of us feel from time to time: prejudice against those who are different from us.
10 Why? Because while Ravi is on trial for invasion of privacy, the more serious offense
with which he is charged is "bias intimidation," a hate crime. If all Ravi did was film
Clementi in bed with another man, it’s a minor offense. If he did so in order to harass
Clementi for being gay, he could get 10 years in prison.
As the trial has unfolded, there appears to be general agreement that Ravi is a bit of a jerk.
15 He and his friends made fun of Clementi’s economic status, his nerdy demeanor, even his
choice of email provider. Ravi used the words "fag" and "gay" in a derogatory way. And
yet, as I’ve read the instant-message transcripts that form much of the body of evidence,
it’s been abundantly clear that Ravi’s homophobia is of the casual, locker-room variety.
Yes, it’s there, but it’s also everywhere.

126 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

20 Clementi, meanwhile, emerges as a delicate young man who was uncomfortable in his
own skin—not only because he was gay, but also because he was slight, socially
awkward, and unsure of himself.
Of course, this trial is taking place only because shortly after Ravi recorded him, Clementi
killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. That’s why the case has
25 attracted so much attention: Clementi was one in a series of gay-teen suicides brought on
by bullying and intimidation. Now both Clementi and Ravi are symbols.
And yet, is Ravi really responsible for Clementi’s suicide? Legally, the only relevance of
the suicide is whether it shows Clementi felt harassed for being gay. In reality, the suicide
haunts everything; otherwise this would be a matter for the Rutgers resident advisers.
30 The problem is that justice is individual, whereas symbols are collective. Of course,
judges "send a message" to would-be criminals all the time by disproportionately
punishing the ones who get caught. But there’s a difference between sending a message
and scapegoating. Whatever was going through Ravi’s head is no different from what
millions of other 18-year-olds think, and feel, all the time—including, every jock I went
35 to high school with. Those attitudes are indeed reprehensible. But Ravi is the one whose
life now hangs in the balance, a scapegoat for all of us.
At the same time, an acquittal would send the message that it’s OK to bully gay kids,
embarrass them, and drive them to despair or worse. The details will be lost, and the
effects will be disastrous. There’s no good result here. Individually, it’s a disaster if Ravi
40 gets sent to jail. But symbolically it’s a disaster if he’s let off.
The only way out would be a verdict that no one will like: guilty, but with no jail time for
"bias intimidation." This would send the right message while not ruining the life of an
average guy who picked on a delicate kid. It would protect hate-crime laws from being
undermined by a bad case. And it would acknowledge who’s really on trial in this case:
45 all of us.

Vocabulary
Match the vocabulary word on the left with a synonym or definition on the right.
1. assumptions a. developed
2. enlightened b. athlete
3. unfolded c. under attack
4. jerk (noun) d. legal decision
5. harassed e. the dropping of criminal charges
6. scapegoat (noun) f. beliefs
7. jock (noun) g. a person who takes the blame and punishment for others
8. acquittal h. open-minded
9. verdict i. rude and unsympathetic person

Comprehension Questions
1. Describe what we know about Dharun Ravi and Tyler Clementi. How did they know each other?

2. In what ways did Ravi ridicule (make fun of) Clementi?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 127

 3. What did Ravi do and what effect did it have on Clementi?

4. In the trial, what is Ravi charged with? What sentence will he have if he is convicted of invasion
of privacy? What sentence will he have if he is convicted of harassing Clementi because he was
gay?

5. “Ravi is on trial for what all of us feel from time to time: prejudice against those who are
different from us.” (line 9), “…who’s really on trial in this case: all of us.” (line 44) Explain these
quotes.

6. Why might Ravi be called a ‘scapegoat’?

7. Do you think Ravi is responsible for Clementi’s suicide? Explain why or why not.

2. Reading 2: Roommate in Clementi Case

Roommate in Tyler Clementi Case Pleads Guilty to Attempted Invasion of Privacy
New York Times, By Nate Schweber and Lisa W. Foderaro, Oct. 27, 2016
Dharun Ravi, center, appeared in court in New Brunswick, N.J., Thursday with his
lawyers.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — The former roommate of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers
University freshman who killed himself six years ago, pleaded guilty on Thursday to
5 attempted invasion of privacy, one of the original 15 counts against him, ending a long
and tortuous prosecution in a case that drew international attention.
The roommate, Dharun Ravi, who had used a webcam to spy on Mr. Clementi while he
was having sex with another man, was sentenced to time already served and fines paid.
By pleading guilty to the third-degree felony, Mr. Ravi, 24, accepted a deal with state
10 prosecutors to drop all other charges after an appellate court threw out his conviction.
Last month the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey in
Newark overturned a lower court’s conviction of Mr. Ravi on several counts of
bias intimidation because of a change in state law. The court called for a new trial
of Mr. Ravi on 10 other counts that included invasion of privacy and tampering
15 with evidence.
In court on Thursday, prosecutors said they disagreed with the appellate court’s reversal
of the bias charges. But prosecutors also said they would most likely lose if they tried to
appeal the ruling.
Mr. Ravi was convicted in 2012 after the case prompted a furor over the bullying of gay
20 teenagers like Mr. Clementi, an accomplished violinist who leapt from the George

128 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Washington Bridge in 2010. Mr. Clementi’s story was embraced by advocates for lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
In a statement, Mr. Clementi’s parents, Joe and Jane Clementi, who started the Tyler
Clementi Foundation to combat bullying, said: “We have learned a lot through this
25 process of pleas, convictions, time served and appeals. We learned at the trial that what
happened to Tyler was a lot worse than what was initially related to us.”
“We have learned that our legislators need to make constitutionally valid and clear laws,”
the statement continued. “And we have learned that witnesses or bystanders need to
become upstanders for those in our society like Tyler, who cannot stand up for
30 themselves.”
Prosecutors did not charge Mr. Ravi in the death of Mr. Clementi, who left no explanation
for his suicide. But shortly before his death, Mr. Clementi learned that Mr. Ravi had spied
on him with a webcam and used social media to encourage others to view his having
sex with another man in the dorm room they shared.
35 In a Twitter message, for example, Mr. Ravi said: “Roommate asked for the room till
midnight. I went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out
with a dude. Yay.”
Some of the charges that Mr. Ravi was convicted of fell under a state statute on bias
intimidation that was ruled unconstitutional last year by the New Jersey Supreme Court.
40 The statute said defendants could be convicted if their victims “reasonably believed” they
were harassed or intimidated because of a characteristic such as race or sexual orientation.
The appeals court dismissed those charges and said that the evidence prosecutors used to
prove them had “tainted the jury’s verdict on the remaining charges,” thus depriving Mr.
Ravi of a fair trial.
45 On Thursday, Mr. Ravi wore a trim slate-blue suit, a collarless dress shirt with no tie and
tan shoes. Before his hearing he kept his eyes on his cellphone. He had a full black beard
that contrasted starkly with the smooth-faced, grinning school portrait circulated widely
after his arrest.
When asked by the judge if he had any statement to make before he was sentenced, Mr.
50 Ravi responded, “I have nothing to say.”
Steven D. Altman, Mr. Ravi’s lawyer, said he would file a motion for his client’s criminal
record to be expunged, so Mr. Ravi, who is from India, could apply for United States
citizenship and move on with his life.
“He just wants to disappear,” Mr. Altman said outside the courtroom.
55 After his original conviction, Mr. Ravi apologized and served 20 days in jail on some of
the charges and was ordered to pay $10,000 to a program aiding victims of hate crimes
and to perform community service. But his apology was dismissed by Mr. Clementi’s
parents as a “public relations piece.”
The appeals court judges, while overturning Mr. Ravi’s conviction, nonetheless censured
60 his actions in the strongest terms.
“The social environment that transformed a private act of sexual intimacy into a grotesque
voyeuristic spectacle must be unequivocally condemned in the strongest possible way,”
the opinion said. “The fact that this occurred in a university dormitory, housing first-year
college students, only exacerbates our collective sense of disbelief and disorientation.”
65 No friends or relatives of Mr. Clementi were in the courtroom on Thursday. A prosecutor,
Christie Bevacqua, said she spoke to Mr. Clementi’s parents as well as the lawyer for the
man with whom he had a tryst.
“Both have been consulted and are aware of this decision today,” she said.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 129

 Ms. Bevacqua added that she had explained to them that based on the likelihood that the
70 state would lose an appeal of the appellate court’s overturning of Mr. Ravi’s original
convictions, she agreed to the plea agreement.
Before the hearing, Mr. Ravi could be overheard saying that he felt he had to fight the
original charges because, “I didn’t really have a choice” and “I didn’t know what my
future was going to be like.”
75 He added, “It’s amazing how fast the world moves on, especially these days.”
Afterward he could be heard saying that he was relieved. Moments before Mr. Ravi left
the courtroom, joined by his parents, who said the family would not comment, Judge
Joseph Paone gave him some parting words.
“Good luck, Mr. Ravi,” he said.

3. Reading 3: Undeniable Gender Bias

Undeniable Gender Bias in the Legal Professions
Legamart, Angela Angjelovska, March 6, 2022

International Women’s Day is a global day to take a look at the social, economic, cultural,
and political accomplishments of women worldwide, while also is a perfect time to call
for action to increase gender diversity and equity in the legal profession.
As we observe International Women’s Day, it’s important to remind ourselves of why
5 gender diversity in the legal profession is essential for democratic societies. Diversity in
sex, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation in the legal profession indicates to society
that their legal system is democratic, fair, and equitable, but also that different groups of
the community are represented and heard.

Gender Gap in the Legal Profession

10 Despite the fact that the number of women in the legal profession has increased
significantly over the past 30 years, evidence shows that women continue to be
underrepresented in leadership positions. Today there are more women in law school than
ever before, but men still lead when it comes to private practice, making up about two-
thirds of attorneys in this sector of the legal profession.
15 Data released for 2019 show that women are nearly fifty percent of associates at law firms
throughout the United States. However, they are only 22.3% of partners and nineteen
percent of equity partners.
This situation is not only in the US around the globe. The senior levels of law firms reflect
the reality of the legal profession, where the managing positions are predominantly

130 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

20 occupied by men. Hence, as we strive to reach the goal of gender equality in the legal
profession, the situation in practice is not on a satisfactory level.

The percentage of women drops by over half between associate and equity partner
positions in law firms worldwide. Gender bias can be analyzed here.
A survey made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in 2021 regarding the diversity in
25 law firms shows a slow increase in diversity among all lawyers since the last survey in
2019. This shows a slight decrease across almost all categories, which is encouraging.
According to the Survey: Women make up 52% of lawyers in law firms, up from 51% in
2019. Men made up 46% of lawyers, down from 47% in 2019, and 0.1% preferred another
description (no change since 2019). Government employment figures for 2019 show that
30 women made up 48% of the workforce in England, Scotland and Wales.

Gender Wage Gap in the Legal Profession

The legal profession has some of the biggest gaps in salary between male and female
employees that are not due to their level of education or years of experience, with several
positions having as much as 38.6 percent disparity levels.
35 The gender wage gap persists across all levels of attorneys, from associates to equity
partners. Women earn 90 to 94 percent of what men in the same position make. Men
continue to dominate the top earner spots.
Ninety-seven percent of firms report their top earner is a man, and nearly 70 percent of
firms have one or no women in their top 10 earners. The payment gap continues even
40 though women tend to charge more accounts than men. Very often, women lawyers are
billed at lower rates than men.
Although women make up about one-quarter of the general counsel positions at Fortune
500 companies, they are paid less than men. Of these positions, men earned 17.5 percent
more than their women counterparts, with
45 men having an average salary that was 6.3
percent higher and bonuses 31% higher than
women.
Further data shows that the higher the
compensation level, the greater the pay
50 increase favored men. Furthermore, the
gender pay gap of equity partners has
increased. Even if women make it to this top
level, they still earn less than male equity
partners.
55 According to the World Bank’s Women,
Business and the Law 2022 report, approximately 2.4 billion women of working age are
not afforded equal economic opportunity, and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 131

 prevent their full economic participation. In 86 countries, women face some form of job
restriction, and 95 countries do not guarantee equal pay for equal work.
60 Globally, women still have only three-quarters of the legal rights afforded to men an
aggregate score of 76.5 out of a possible 100, which denotes complete legal parity.

Common barriers that women face in their legal career

Glass Ceiling
Although the formal barriers hindering the success of women in large firms have been
65 eliminated, many women continue to combat unspoken bias and unequal treatment once
inside these firms.
Some women complain that once they can see positions they wish to achieve, they
eventually encounter a “glass ceiling.” As a result of the glass ceiling, women continue
to face sex-based prejudice, shortening their chances for success within the legal field,
70 thereby limiting opportunities to obtain a position within the legal profession. The glass
ceiling also restrains many female attorneys from receiving equal pay for performing the
same work as their male colleagues.
Decreasing female attorneys maintains the glass ceiling effect by reducing the number of
qualified female attorneys, shrinking the pool of women available for partner positions.
75 Work-Life Balance Issues
Another obstacle women face in their legal careers is the lack of support for families in
the workplace. This lack of support especially affects women, who continue to hold
primary responsibility for family care.
Because women have only considerably increased their presence within the legal
80 profession during the last thirty years, many reports that, unlike their male colleges, they
must go out of their way to prove their competence in the workplace. This is particularly
true of working mothers in that they may be seen as caring for their family rather than
their careers, their priority.
All lawyers struggle with work-life balance issues, but these problems disproportionately
85 affect women and limit their chances for success within the legal field. Lawyers are
known for working excessive hours and for having little flexibility in their schedules
therefore many women face tremendous issues trying to balance work and family life.
Even though many law firms advertise that they allow part-time work, some women
report a belief that a reduction in hours would limit their possibilities for progress.
90 Furthermore, women may become discouraged as chances for making partners appear to
fade and may begin to withdraw from partnership tracks at the same time that men are
focusing on their careers.
Perhaps it is for this reason that female lawyers anticipate leaving their employers three
years earlier than most men, long before being considered for high positions within their
95 law firms.
Hence, this may also explain why more women obtain legal employment where time
constraints and travel are more compatible with family needs, such as in the public sector,
government agencies, or part-time positions.
Stereotypes
100 Stereotypes are one of the considerable barriers that women face during their legal
careers. Thus, the legal profession has traditionally been gendered masculine, the
assumption is often made that women lack the aggressiveness and tenacity to make good
lawyers.
This presumption not only neglects the fact that the legal profession was shaped by men
105 during a time when women were simply not allowed to practice law and consequently

132 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 ignores the possibility that there are other ways in which an understanding and application
of the law might be facilitated, but also denies the reality that women do possess these
“masculine” mentality. Other stereotypes about women that can influence decisions about
whether they should be selected for important jobs include that they are not dedicated
110 enough to their jobs and that they are too emotional, and therefore not rational.
Lack of Networking and Mentorship
The lack of networking available to women delivers to prevents them from meeting
people in positions of power. Many women are denied access to informal networks that
exist within organizations.
115 This, in turn, contributes to a lack of spotlight within the legal community at large,
obstructing women’s chances of their career progress. It is often the informal interaction
with people in positions of power that helps in developing contacts and exchanging
information, which can be crucial assets in career development.
In addition to experiencing fewer networking opportunities, women are often denied
120 access to male-oriented mentoring activities, which further excludes women’s rise to
positions of status and power within the field.
When there is no mentoring system in place, either formal or informal, women may
experience a difficult time overcoming the many obstacles in their way. Moreover,
without mentoring, many women may be excluded from the social events that would
125 easily strengthen their careers.
The lack of available mentors may also affect the essence of their work, as women may
not be provided equal opportunities to work on high-visibility assignments.
We in LegaMart have a special program on Mentorship;

Conclusion
130 Over the past few decades, notable attention has been devoted to addressing ongoing and
extensive gender inequality in the legal profession. The issue has not largely been viewed
as one central to the profession, and the hypocrisy that arises from the devotion to the
preservation of rights and equality while maintaining a sexist status quo has not been
illuminated.
135 While it is true that some progress has been made in the determination of barriers and the
proclamation of solutions, the actually gendered dynamics persist. Regardless of the
merits and the talent of so many female legal professionals, they still don’t reach the most
senior positions across the legal sector mainly due to discriminatory obstacles placed in
their paths. Furthermore, this directly clashes with the principles defended by the legal
140 profession. The legal sector cannot afford this contradiction and should lead by example.
With the advance of raising general awareness around gender discrimination and
stereotypes, it is time for increased action.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 133

 4. Reading 4: Ignored in Russia
Ignored in Russia, Domestic Abuse Victims Try European Courts
New York Times, Andrew Higgins, July 11, 2019

Reading
MOSCOW — He beat her. He kidnapped her. He threatened to kill her.
But this was Russia, where domestic violence is both endemic and widely ignored. Every
time Valeriya Volodina went to the police for protection from her ex-boyfriend, she got
nowhere. “Not once did they open a criminal case against him — they would not even
5 acknowledge there was a case,” she says.
So Ms. Volodina turned her sights out of the country, and this week, the European Court
of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled emphatically in her favor. Rejecting arguments from
Russia that she had suffered no real harm, and that she had failed to file her complaints
properly, the court awarded her 20,000 euros, about $22,500.
10 The ruling was the European court’s first on a domestic violence case from Russia — but
it may be far from its last. Ten more Russian women have similar cases pending before
the court.
Ms. Volodina’s lawyer, Vanessa Kogan, the director of Astreya, a Russian human rights
organization, hailed the ruling in Strasbourg “as a crucial step toward tackling the scourge
15 of domestic violence in Russia.”
Particularly important, she said, is that the European court recognized that “Russia’s
failure to deal with this question is systemic and that Russia authorities, by remaining
passive, by not providing protection and by not having necessary legislation, are violating
victims’ equal rights before the law.”
20 “Justice has been achieved,” said Valeriya Volodina.CreditValeriya Volodina
The ruling Tuesday cast a harsh light on the Russian judicial and law enforcement
systems, and their longstanding blind spot when it comes to domestic violence. A report
last year by Human Rights Watch described the problem as “pervasive” in Russia but
rarely addressed because of legal hurdles, social stigma and a general unwillingness by
25 law enforcement officers to take it seriously.
It came amid growing protests in Moscow in recent weeks over the issue, following a
decision last month by Russian prosecutors to bring charges of premeditated murder
against three sisters who killed their father after what they said were years of beatings and
sexual abuse.
30 The sisters, now ages 18, 19 and 20, attacked their father, Mikhail Khachaturyan, with a
knife and hammer last year as he dozed in his rocking chair after dousing them with
pepper spray as punishment for their not being tidy enough. Supporters of the sisters —
Maria, Angelina and Krestina Khachaturyan — say they were driven to violence by years
of abuse and should not be prosecuted for murder.
35 A petition demanding that the case be closed has been signed by more than 260,000
people. Various celebrities, including a YouTube interviewer hugely popular among
Russian youth, Yury Dud, have spoken up in their defense. Moscow City Hall refused a
request from the sisters’ supporters for permission to stage a protest march over the
weekend, leaving activists to stage one-person pickets, which are the only form of protest
40 allowed without a permit.

134 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 There are no official statistics for domestic violence in Russia, but a 2014-15 survey by
the Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted in the northwest of the country, found that
over half of those surveyed had experienced domestic violence or knew someone who
had.
45 But the authorities often refuse to act, or act far too late to help. On Thursday, the Russian
news agency Tass reported that a sexual assault case had been opened against Mr.
Khachaturyan, the dead father of the three abused sisters now facing murder charges.
Russian law allows the prosecution of corpses.
In Ms. Volodina’s case, it was her boyfriend
50 who finally shed light on why her complaints
were being ignored by the police. “With all the
money I have spent on the cops, I could have
bought a new car,” she remembers him
complaining.
55 In her case, the European court did act,
determining that the Russian authorities had
violated her rights under the European
Convention of Human Rights, which Russia
has signed. It said they had failed to investigate
60 her reports of violence or to provide any
protection from her former partner, Rashad Salayev, 31.
“Justice has been achieved,” said Ms. Volodina, 34, “but it is sad that this was done in a
foreign country, not in Russia.”
Alyona Popova, a prominent women’s rights activist, said in a statement on Facebook that
65 Russia had brought shame on itself by failing to confront the problem. “Russian laws and
law enforcement agencies do not protect their citizens from violence, therefore this
function is performed by the European Court of Human Rights,” she said.
In Russia, a debate over domestic violence has highlighted a deep divide, both
generational and cultural, that has opened up under President Vladimir V. Putin, who has
70 formed a close alliance with the Orthodox Church. While not particularly conservative in
his own personal views, Mr. Putin — who is divorced and says he has gay friends — has
given free rein to more reactionary members of the clergy.
After a group of Russian legislators tried in 2012 to enact a law against domestic violence,
the church’s Commission on the Family objected even to the use of the term “violence in
75 the family,” describing it as a product of “the ideas of radical feminism” aimed at
victimizing men.
On one side of a gulf of opinion are Russians, many of them young, who share a view
that the state must take action against domestic abuse, sexual violence, and harassment
and discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. On the other side, probably a
80 large majority, are more conservative Russians who bridle at what they see as ideas
imported from the West and the erosion of traditional norms.
Unable to secure satisfaction from their own justice system, an increasing number of
Russian women have sought redress from the European court.
In one case filed there in May, one woman, Margarita Gracheva, accused a Moscow
85 region police officer of misconduct for failing to act after her estranged husband put a
knife to her throat and threatened to dissolve her body in acid. “A manifestation of love,”
the officer declared.
A few days later, in December 2017, Ms. Gracheva’s husband chopped off her hands with
an ax. He was sentenced to 14 years — but she was rebuffed in her efforts to get police
90 officers punished in her own country for negligence.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 135

 Ms. Volodina, the plaintiff in the case that was decided this week, said her reports of
violence and threats had been dismissed whenever she went to the police as
“domestic troubles” or a lovers’ tiff.
The officers, she said, also sneered at her choice of partner — Mr. Salayev is from
95 Azerbaijan — and suggested she should have known what to expect. (Men from
Azerbaijan and other former Soviet lands in the Caucasus region are often stereotyped in
Russia as being overly emotional and prone to violence.)
“They told me it was my fault for ever getting involved with this guy and said, ‘When he
kills you, come and see us,’” Ms. Volodina recalled.
100 She said that she had been forced to “live like a secret agent” for three years, afraid he
might find her and kill her. She changed her name, left her home city for Moscow,
frequently changed her mobile phone SIM card and fled for a time to France.
According to the ruling, from January 2016 to September 2016, Ms. Volodina filed at
least seven different complaints to the police. All were dismissed. She made further
105 complaints in 2018 after he posted “intimate photographs” of her on social media, started
stalking her and making death threats.
In 2016, according to the European court’s account of events, he found her and punched
her in the face and stomach. After being taken to hospital and told that she was nine weeks
pregnant and at risk of a miscarriage, she agreed to a medically induced abortion.
110 Ms. Volodina’s lawyer, Ms. Kogan, said that corruption certainly complicated efforts to
get legal redress, but that bigger obstacles were attitudes toward domestic violence and
the absence of a law specifically aimed at tackling the problem.
Prosecuting a violent spouse became even more difficult in February 2017, when the
Russian Parliament, after lobbying from the Orthodox Church, decriminalized first
115 battery offenses among family members.
“In Russia, you get one free beating a year,” Ms. Kogan said.

Vocabulary
Match each word with its definition. How do you pronounce these words? What would be the
equivalents in French and in your first language if it is not French?

1. endemic a) sthg. or s.o. that causes trouble (formal word)

2. scourge b) regularly present in a place or group, often over a long period of time.
3. hurdle c) to pour a lot of water or another liquid on sthg or s.o.
4. to doze d) a small argument (informal)
5. to douse e) to follow silently, usually with evil intentions
6. bridle f) to sleep lightly for a short period of time
7. redress g) a harness around a horse to control it, a curb on s.o. freedom or
8. estranged movement
9. tiff h) having no relationship with s.o., often a family member
10. to stalk i) an obstacle in a horse race, a problem, a difficulty.
j) A remedy or compensation for a wrong

136 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Cultural Background
Use the internet to find information about these organisations and for each write a 2–3 line
summary presentation. Cite the sources where you found the information.

1. The European Court of Human Rights

2. Human Rights Watch

3. The Russian Orthodox Church

Understanding and Giving your Opinion

1. §2 Why is the ECHR competent to judge something that happens in Russia?

2. What do you think of the case of the three sisters who killed their father? Should they have
been prosecuted? Can you think of similar cases recently in France or Belgium?

3. In 3 or 4 points, summarise the article.

5. Reading 5: Pushback against Ireland

Reading

The pushback against Ireland’s always-on work culture starts here

Olive Keogh, Irish Times, Fri, Sep 6, 2019, 05:30
Momentum gathering to flick the off switch on after hours e-contact by employers
One of the depressing realities of returning to work after a well-earned break is an
overflowing inbox. In a split second the relaxed holiday feeling disappears as you face
the output of an “always on” business culture that has filled your mailbox in your absence.
What’s even more annoying is that only a fraction of the mails are still relevant: meetings
5 have passed and pressing issues will have been dealt with.
It’s at times like this that working for German vehicle maker Daimler looks very
attractive. Five years ago, as a result of research the company commissioned into work-
life balance, it launched a pretty radical email management solution that offers employees
the option of deleting all incoming emails while they’re on holiday.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 137

10 The person sending the mail gets a polite note telling them it won’t be read, the name of
someone to contact if the matter is urgent and a request to send it again after such and
such a date. Apparently senders are more envious than annoyed by this policy.
Another initiative that came out of the same research was to set periods of time aside
during the working day or week when no meetings can be scheduled so that people can
15 get on with what they need to do uninterrupted or take a few hours out with no pressure.
Car manufacturer Volkswagen was one of the first big European organisations to ban out-
of-work emails. It configured its servers to only send mails from half an hour before the
start of the official work day to half an hour after the end of it. In France the “right to
disconnect” is enshrined in law, and companies with more than 50 employees are required
20 to set out the hours within which employees are not expected to send or answer work
emails.

Irish push
In Ireland, there are no laws to protect people’s right to disconnect but the push for them
is gathering momentum. The latest to join the chorus is the Financial Services Union,
25 which is urging the Government to press ahead with legal restrictions on after-hours e-
contact with employees.
The union says intrusion into people’s downtime is creating significant stress and fuelling
a crisis in mental health. The union’s acting general secretary, Gareth Murphy, says
official action needs to be taken to protect workers’ rights because the employers at the
30 root of the problem are not going to tackle it without prompting.
What may change that, however, is when it starts hitting them where in hurts – in their
pockets. There has already been an increase in legal actions for workplace-related stress
while the always-on culture is also beginning to have an impact on hiring and retention.
As savvy employers have discovered, younger millennials and those who are succeeding
35 them don’t buy into the idea of a 24-7 business culture and it is fast becoming a minus
when hiring.
Ciara McLoughlin, employment specialist and partner with DLA PiperIreland, says that
stress claims linked to burnout and a lack of work-life balance are on the rise. Her advice
to employers is to do something about it before it’s too late.
40 “Employers talk about the importance of innovation and how it fosters and drives growth,
but what is becoming increasingly apparent is that employees can’t be innovative if they
are so overworked that they don’t have time to think,” she says. “A lot of stress claims
for burnout are settled. It’s bad publicity and sometimes the settlement sum is viewed by
the employer as a reward for the pre burnout years when the employee may have been a
45 high performer. But that’s responding to an existing problem, not tackling the root
cause.”

More engaged
McLoughlin believes employers need to become much more engaged in monitoring
people’s hours (particularly if they are working remotely as it can be difficult to spot
50 distress at a distance) and looking at the “why” behind consistently long hours. “Is the
overwork a problem with the individual, is it a resourcing issue or is it a part of the
organisational culture that needs to change?
“You can’t build a sustainable high-performance culture if you’re losing people to stress-
related illness such as depression and anxiety, or people are leaving because the pressure
55 is just too much. Organisations and managers need to realise that respecting people’s right
to disconnect is not incompatible with high performance.”

138 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Part of McLoughlin’s job is going into client companies to reinforce the importance of
safeguarding employee wellbeing before it escalates into something major such as a claim
for psychiatric injury. “Stress claims are going to become an even bigger issue for
60 employers over the next few years and, with the ‘disconnect movement’ started in
response to digitalisation and the imbalance between online and offline lives, it is
something employers need to prepare for by actively encouraging switch-off time and
managing people’s workloads,” she says.
What seems clear, however, is that the disengagement process is not as simple as flicking
65 the off switch. Smartphones and other devices have accustomed us to instant reaction and
the lines have become blurred as to when this tips over into the unacceptable. In many
cases, this is as much an issue for individuals who compulsively check their devices as it
is for the organisations they work for.
Getting the detachment people now say they want is a two-way street, but it will only
70 happen when both sides change their expectations about responsiveness.

Vocabulary
Key terms. Match each term with its definition.
1. to work remotely a. clever, knowledgeable
2. to ban b. to try to solve
3. to tackle c. promote
4. to escalate d. to work from home or away from the office
5. savvy e. a legal request
6. a settlement f. to prohibit
7. to foster g. to increase rapidly
8. a claim h. a legal agreement

Compound words. Compound words combine two words to create a new word with a unique
meaning. The article contains a number of these, listed here. Study the words in context. What do
they mean?
*Pronunciation tip: compound words are often stressed on the first word of the compound.
1. overflowing (adj.)
2. output
3. mailbox
4. incoming (adj.)
5. downtime
6. workplace
7. burnout
8. overworked (adj.)
9. safeguard (v.)
10. wellbeing
11. workload

Hyphenated terms. This article also contains a number of hyphenated terms that function as
adjectives. Match each term with its definition.
1. always-on culture a. equilibrium between career and personal life
2. work-life balance b. both sides must participate; in both directions

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 139

 3. after-hours e-contact c. disconnect
4. high-performance culture d. after normal working hours
5. switch-off time e. constantly connected
6. two-way street f. very productive

Idiomatic expressions. These expressions have special meanings. Can you guess them from the
context?
1. to hit where it hurts:
2. to buy into (something):
3. to flick the off switch:
4. to blur the lines (the lines have become blurred):
5. to tip over into:

Comprehension Questions
• What solutions does the article mention have been found by several companies to help their
employees maintain a ‘work-life balance’?
• What major problems can result from work intrusion into employees’ personal lives? For
employees, for employers?

Role Play
In pairs, role play a meeting between a company manager and his/her employee. Consider the
following details for each role. You may add additional details to personalize your roles. Discuss until
you reach a reasonable compromise.
Manager: You expect dedication and high-performance from your employees. You often require
employees to stay after hours to finish projects, and schedule meetings at least once a week, often
announcing them only minutes before if there is an urgent situation to be dealt with. You expect
employees to answer your emails within an hour, even evenings and on weekends.
Employee: You are feeling overworked by the intrusion of your manager’s demands into your
personal time. You have two young children, and since you started this job, your spouse complains
that you are never available to help at home. You feel anxious and stressed, and on the verge of a
burnout.

6. Reading 6: Turning back abortion rights

Reading

Turning back abortion rights: Unthinkable in Belgium?

Monday, 27 June 2022, By Belle de Jong, Adapted from the Brussels Times
The United States Supreme Court has ended the federal right to abortion by overturning the
historic 1973 ‘Roe v Wade’ ruling which protected a pregnant woman’s freedom to have
an abortion.

140 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 The ruling means that all US states will now be able to draft their own abortion laws.
5 Within hours of the judgement, several states including Utah, Alabama and Missouri
announced most abortions are now illegal, with anti-abortion forces pushing for near-total
bans in every state.
Just minutes after the announcement of the overturning was made, Belgian Prime
Minister Alexander De Croo reaffirmed that the country will continue to protect
10 reproductive rights. Yet Europe is not immune from such regressive policies, as was
witnessed when Poland controversially reversed abortion rights in 2020; Malta still has
a blanket ban. Whilst many Europeans consider abortion rights a given, this is a relatively
recent development and access is complicated in many regions.

A landmark ruling
15 Friday’s decision sees the end to almost 50 years of the constitutional right to abortion.
In the Supreme Court, which is dominated by conservatives, five of the nine justices voted
to end the US federal right to abortion. The overturning of Roe v Wade will is likely to
affect lower-income women and Black and Hispanic women who lack the resources to
travel to obtain an abortion most.

20 Closer to home
The US was not the only country eyeing turning back the tide after hard-fought battles
for abortion rights. After being the first European country to (partially) decriminalise the
procedure in 1932, Poland controversially imposed a near-total ban in 2020. Other
Eastern European countries have also attempted to tighten access to abortion – Hungary’s
25 right-wing government offers financial incentives to hospitals that do not perform
abortions. In fact, some of the world’s strictest anti-abortion laws can be found in the
EU. The overwhelmingly Catholic island-state of Malta has outlawed the procedure
entirely, resulting in one American woman vacationing in the country being denied an
abortion despite the fetus having a “zero chance” of survival and experiencing severe
30 bleeding.

What about Belgium?

Belgium was one of the last European countries to legalise abortion in 1990, with only
Ireland and Northern Ireland legalising it later. The procedure is legal until 12 weeks after
conception and must be performed in an abortion clinic or a hospital that offers the
35 service.
Prior to the procedure, a woman must confirm her wish to have an abortion in a
counselling session. The abortion is performed at least six days later unless the woman
changes her mind in the meantime. Both surgical and medical abortions are reimbursed
to female residents, who only have to pay €3.60 for the procedure; for non-residents, the
40 cost is €500.

Still divisive
Though abortion may be legal in Belgium, not all are in favour of it. Fifty-five percent of
the population believes abortion should be permitted whenever a woman decides she
wants one. Twenty-four percent believe it should be permitted in certain circumstances,
45 for instance if a woman has been raped. Six percent think abortion should only be allowed
when the life of the mother is in danger; three percent believe abortion should never be
permitted.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 141

Questions
1. True or False? Circle the correct answer.
a. True False In the U.S., the right to have an abortion is now determined by each
state.
b. True False The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn “Roe v Wade’ was
unanimous.
c. True False An abortion can be authorized in Malta for life-saving medical
reasons.
d. True False Most Belgians support a woman’s right to have an abortion.
2. In paragraph 3, the article states that “Malta still has a blanket ban.” Explain in your own
words what this means.
3. Explain in your own words how the Hungarian government discourages women from having
an abortion.
4. What are the conditions which must be met in order for a woman to have a legal abortion in
Belgium? Name 3.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________
 XI Health

1. Reading 1: Greta Thunberg

Reading

Greta Thunberg responds to Asperger’s critics: “It’s a superpower”

Alison Rourke, The Guardian, Mon 2 Sep 2019
Teenage climate activist responds to criticism, saying ‘when haters go after your looks
and differences ... you know you’re winning’
Greta Thunberg has spoken about her Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis after she was
criticised over the condition, saying it makes her a “different”, but that she considers it a
5 “superpower”.
Thunberg, the public face of the school climate strike movement said on Twitter that
before she started her climate action campaign she had “no energy, no friends and I didn’t
speak to anyone. I just sat alone at home, with an eating disorder.”
She said she had not been open about her diagnosis of
10 being on the autism spectrum in order to “hide”
behind it, but because she knew “many ignorant
people still see it as an ‘illness’, or something
negative”.
“When haters go after your looks and differences, it
15 means they have nowhere left to go. And then you
know you’re winning!” she wrote, using the hashtag
#aspiepower.
While acknowledging that her diagnosis has limited her before, she said it “sometimes
makes me a bit different from the norm” and she sees being different as a “superpower”.
20 Asperger’s syndrome was named after the Austrian paediatrician, Hans Asperger, who,
in the 1940s, described some of its characteristics, including difficulties in social
interaction and nonverbal communication, including difficulties reading body language.
In 2013, Asperger’s was folded into the wider diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Tony Attwood, a world authority on Asperger’s, has said people diagnosed are “usually
25 renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and
having a strong sense of social justice”.
Boys are more widely diagnosed than girls.
Thunberg was diagnosed four years ago. She has acknowledged that her passion for her
climate crisis work was partly down to viewing the world in stark terms.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 143

30 In July, Thunberg hit back at the Australian News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt for
writing a deeply offensive column that mocked her diagnosis.
He criticised her two-week trip across the Atlantic on a solar-powered yacht because, he
said “she refuses to fly and heat the planet with an aeroplane’s global warming gasses”.
Bolt repeatedly referred to Greta’s mental health, saying she was “deeply disturbed”.
35 Thunberg responded by tweeting that she was “deeply disturbed” by the “hate and
conspiracy campaigns” run by climate deniers like Bolt.
On Friday Thunberg was joined by crowds of American teenagers at a protest outside the
UN headquarters in New York following her transatlantic crossing.
Video: Greta Thunberg joins hundreds of teenagers in climate protest in New York

Vocabulary
Keywords: find synonym expressions in English!

Word Definition, Explanation

a climate activist

critics/ criticism/ to criticize

a condition a disease, an illness, a pathology

an eating disorder

Asperger’s syndrome

autism spectrum disorder

to view the world in stark terms radically, in one direct and unique way

144 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 2. Reading 2: Autism

Reading

What is autism? How the term became too broad to have meaning any more
Tom Clements, The Guardian, Mon 26 Aug 2019 15.30

The fashion for celebrating ‘neurodiversity’ ignores those with debilitating severe autism,
which has created a rift in the community
‘I am fluent in four languages and have been able to live abroad. My younger sibling,
also diagnosed with autism, requires full-time care. It’s apparent that we have very
5 different conditions.’ Photograph: Stephen Voss/Alamy
The word autism means a lot of different things to different people. To some, it conjures
an image of the socially awkward eccentric who, besotted by a narrow set of interests,
eschews small-talk and large gatherings in favour of solitude. To others, it’s a profoundly
life-limiting disorder that consumes every waking hour of a family’s life, a medical
10 disability that entails unpredictable bouts of aggression resulting in torn upholstery,
cracked skulls and savage bites. Severely autistic people have a life expectancy of 36 in
the United States and 39.5 in Europe, while their parents and care-givers often experience
PTSD and stress similar to that of combat veterans. Mildly autistic people, on the other
hand, though far more prone to depression and suicide, can go on to lead productive and
15 fulfilling lives, often blending imperceptibly into the wider population despite their
idiosyncracies and social difficulties.
Many people now self-identify as autistic as though it were a fashion label rather than a
debilitating disorder
Yet a report this week claimed that the difference between people diagnosed with autism
20 and the rest of the population is shrinking. The autism spectrum is so all-encompassing
that experts are now finally starting to question the validity of the term itself. After
studying the meta-analyses of autism data, Dr Laurent Mottron, a professor at Université
de Montréal, concluded that: “The objective difference between people with autism and
the general population will disappear in less than 10 years. The definition of autism may
25 get too vague to be meaningful.”
It is hardly unreasonable to think that a spectrum that encompasses an erudite professor
such as Dr Temple Grandin – who has authored several books and can speak in entrancing
detail about her condition to packed lecture auditoriums – and severely autistic adults in
institutions who have to wear nappies due to incontinence and helmets to protect
30 themselves from involuntary self-injury, is so broad so as to be medically meaningless.
Aside from changing diagnostic practices, the general shift in advocacy in the direction
of the increasingly fashionable neurodiversity paradigm has led to what I and many others
see as the trivialisation of autism. Neurodiversity posits that conditions such as autism,
ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia are not so much conditions to be treated but differences
35 to be embraced and even celebrated. Despite the noble intentions of many of its
proponents, there are those who feel that neurodiversity excludes those for whom autism
confers few if any real cognitive advantages. Despite its claim to be inclusive of all
“neurotypes”, its ethos inevitably means that less verbally able autistic people are
marginalised from the discussion. Rarely at a neurodiversity event, particularly one that
40 aims to present autism as a competitive advantage in the marketplace, will you find an

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 145

 autistic person with an IQ of lower than 30 who is prone to lashing out and soiling
themselves.
The increasing emphasis on autism as neurodiversity has also created a huge rift in the
community, particularly between autistic self-advocates and parents. Self-advocates,
45 many of whom possess an above-average intellectual ability as well as great insight into
their own condition, celebrate their autism as a core feature of their identity and often
promote their neurological difference as a strength. Many who self-identify on social
media using the #ActuallyAutistic hashtag insist that autistic people must be at the
forefront of all autism discourse and that only autistic people themselves can be
50 considered to be true experts in the condition.
Such an attitude has led to the marginalisation of autistic people who, by virtue of their
disability, are unable to speak and rely on others to do so on their behalf. It has also led
to the legitimisation in self-advocacy circles of “self-diagnosis”, a practice that may in
part account for the increased prevalence of autism and the watering down of the term
55 itself. Many now self-identify as autistic as though autism were a fashion label rather than
a debilitating disorder.
My own life straddles the line between autism’s high- and low-functioning polarities. I
was originally diagnosed with “upper-end autism”, am fluent in four languages and have
been able to live and work abroad despite significant social difficulties. My younger
60 sibling, by contrast, who was also diagnosed with autism, will never be able to lead any
semblance of a conventional life and will require full-time care until the day he dies. My
parents naturally worry about his fate when they are no longer around. Despite sharing
the same label, it’s apparent that we have very different conditions. It’s part of the reason
I am reluctant to use the term autism to describe my own comparably mild disability –
65 for fear it will devalue experiences like my younger brother’s.
It has become apparent, not just to scientists but to many in the community, that autism
needs dividing into separate conditions, starting with the reintroduction of Asperger
syndrome, as an important differentiator between mild and severe variants. Contemporary
autism discourse and research are both skewed in favour of the verbally able autistic
70 population at the expense of the most vulnerable and, with the growing popularity of the
neurodiversity concept, this gap is sure to increase. It’s high time that changed and that
the lower end of the autism was treated with the seriousness it deserves. The wellbeing
of some of society’s most vulnerable people depends on it.
• Tom Clements is an autism self-advocate and author from Cambridge

146 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 3. Reading 3: Rain Man
Rain Man made autistic people visible. But it also entrenched a myth
Karl Knights, The Guardian, Mon 17 Dec 2018 17.07
Thirty years on, the ‘autistic savant’ portrayed by Dustin Hoffman still represents most
people’s idea of autism
After Rain Man was released on 16 December
1988, the whole world knew what “autistic
5 savant” meant. Despite spending years in
development hell, and test screenings fostering
tepid and confused responses, Rain Man was a
runaway success. It swept the Oscars, winning
best picture, best original screenplay, best director
10 and best actor for Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of
Raymond Babbitt.
Rain Man’s influence on how autism is thought of
culturally is incalculable. But an influence, however benign or well-intentioned, can
become suffocating if allowed to flourish for too long. What was once liberating can
15 become irritating and constricting: so 30 years after the film’s release, was it a blessing
or a curse for the autistic community?
Before Rain Man, there was no popular conception of what autism looked like, among
the public or on-screen. At that point autism was an abstraction, understood only by
dedicated parents or specialised clinicians. In Rain Man, this widespread ignorance is
20 exemplified by the moment when Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) attempts to
consult a psychiatrist about Raymond, his brother. A nurse asks, “He’s artistic?” Charlie
replies, “No, he’s autistic.” The nurse says, “I’m not familiar with that, what is the exact
nature of the problem?”
Autistic people’s only advocates were their parents, and even this situation was far from
25 a given. Autistic people were often institutionalised. Groups of parents fighting for their
children’s rights and freedoms had been working in the dark for decades. Then, suddenly,
everyone around them knew the word that had previously been theirs and theirs alone –
autism. Suddenly everyone knew Raymond Babbitt, and Babbitt quickly became a
cultural shorthand for autism.
30 Rain Man remains Hollywood’s only runaway success with an autistic character. In the
30 years since its release, no film or TV show involving an autistic character has matched
the commercial and critical success of Rain Man, and this has allowed it to attain a unique
kind of cultural staying power. Media is immensely powerful, and films penetrate our
cultural consciousness more potently than any other art form. Many people’s conception
35 of psychiatric wards comes from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and many people’s
conception of autism comes from Rain Man. Rather than being viewed as a single
iteration of autism, Raymond Babbitt became autism.
The film has become such a shorthand, that I and every autistic person I know
immediately has to caveat the statement “I’m autistic” with “I’m not Rain Man”. Autistic
40 people are frequently met with the same question that a doctor asks Raymond in the film:
“Does he have any special abilities?” Rain Man was also the birthplace of what has now
become a common trope of autistic portrayals in film and TV: autistic savants. The most
recent incarnation of this is Shaun Murphy, played by Freddie Highmore, in The Good
Doctor. The idea that all autistic people are geniuses, or that they all have savant abilities
45 such as extraordinary memory, is a myth, a myth that is largely alive and kicking today

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 147

 due to Rain Man. Yet the cultural stereotype of Raymond Babbitt, the autistic savant,
persists.
But Rain Man’s ubiquity and its influence is hardly the film’s fault. The blame lies with
the wider industry. Rain Man should have been a cultural beginning for autistic characters
50 on screen. Instead it became a singular event, an end point. And while there have been
some notable exceptions (such as Max, voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman, in Adam
Elliot’s brilliant film, Mary & Max) autistic characters have shown no signs of straying
from the Babbitt formula.
As a beginning for autism on screen, Rain Man deserves applause. It gave autistic people
55 a visibility that had previously been denied them. In one fell swoop Rain Man achieved
almost overnight the kind of representation that parent advocacy groups had been working
towards for decades. But as the dominant depiction of autism on screen, it also deserves
derision. The autistic community is more than Raymond Babbitt. While this wasn’t
apparent in 1988, it is clear now, and yet, 30 years on, Rain Man’s enormous influence
60 on autistic characters on screen shows no sign of abating. Rain Man continues to affect
autistic lives, whether we like it or not.

Watch the film Rain Man or its trailer and afterwards, discuss these questions:
1. Did you know that a lot of students present mental or behavioral differences? Do you know
the proportion in our societies?
2. In which way is it a strength?
3. How does Greta transform her difference into something unique?
4. Do you personally know somebody like her? Explain your experience.

4. Reading 4: Covid

Reading

Covid: Which countries are vaccinating children and why?

BBC News, Jim Reed, 14 sept. 21
Children in the UK aged 12 to 15 are set to be able to get a Covid jab, following advice
from the UK’s chief medical officers.
They have recommended the youngsters should be offered one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Some other countries have been vaccinating younger teenagers for some time - but
5 approaches do differ.
Why vaccinating all teens is a difficult decision
Covid: Which children are being vaccinated and why?

What’s happening in Europe?

In May, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to
10 15-year-olds. Since then, different EU countries have moved at different speeds.
Denmark (12 to 15-year-olds) and Spain (12 to 19-year-olds) have both now vaccinated
most of their child population with at least a single dose.

148 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 France too has been moving quickly with 66% of those aged 12 to 17 now single jabbed,
and 52% fully vaccinated. By October the country’s health pass - or pass sanitaire - will
15 be extended to under-18s, meaning all teenagers will need to show proof of vaccination
or a negative Covid test to access places like cinemas, museums, restaurants and indoor
shopping centres.
In June Germany’s scientific advisers recommended the vaccine should only be offered
to children aged 12 to 15 with underlying health conditions. But in August, after the Delta
20 variant started spreading more widely, the rollout was extended to all those over 12 years
old.
In Sweden children aged 12 to 15 are only eligible for a vaccine if they have lung disease,
severe asthma or another high-risk medical condition. In Norway, not part of the EU, the
vaccine rollout was recently extended to children aged 12 to 15, but only a first dose will
25 be offered, with a decision on a second dose to be made later.

The US - some mandatory vaccination

In May, US and Canadian regulators were the first to approve the Pfizer jab for use in
children from 12 years and older. The rollout started immediately at sites across the US
with two injections given three weeks apart.
30 By the end of July, 42% of 12 to 17-year-olds had received their first dose and 32% their
second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots.
The drive to vaccinate children came as the US started to battle a rise in infections driven
by the Delta variant.
The latest report from the Centre for Disease Control said that the number of children
35 hospitalised with Covid was between 3.4 to 3.7 times higher in states with the lowest
vaccination coverage.
A handful of US school boards have voted to make the jab mandatory for children aged
12 and over to attend class, despite objections by some parents.
In Los Angeles the order was recently extended to 600,000 pupils, while in New
40 York staff but not students must be inoculated.
Pfizer has also started testing its Covid vaccine on younger children. The first results, in
those between five and 11 years old, are expected in September with data for infants aged
six months to four years old likely to follow by the end of the year.
President Biden has already indicated that vaccines for that younger age group could be
45 available "soon" after regulators review the clinical data.

China - jab approved for children three and over

In June, China began to allow some children from three to 17 years old to be offered
shots of a vaccine produced by drug-maker Sinovac, making it the first country to approve
a jab for such a young age group.
50 The country has set a rough target of vaccinating 80% of its 1.4 billion population by the
end of the year, a figure impossible to meet without jabbing large numbers of under-18s.
In theory the Covid vaccine is voluntary in China, although some local governments have
said that students will not be allowed back to school this term unless their entire family
is double jabbed.
55 The Sinovac vaccine is also widely used in many countries in Asia, Africa and South
America.

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 149

 In Chile, it has already been approved for use in children from six years old, while the
company has recently started clinical trials to test its vaccine on children in South Africa
aged from six months to 17 years old.

60 India - adult jabs come first

India is thought to have the largest adolescent population in the world, estimated at about
253 million by Unicef. The latest data from the National Serological Survey suggests
about 60% of children have been exposed to coronavirus since the start of the pandemic,
and are likely to have built up some immunity from past infection.
65 In August, the country’s drug regulator granted emergency use for a new vaccine
developed by local drug firm Zydus Cadila in all those aged 12 years and over, the first
approval to cover children.
The jab currently needs to be given in three separate doses using a needle-free applicator,
rather than a traditional syringe. The firm has said it soon hopes to start trials in younger
70 children aged two and over.
Government scientific advisers have said vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 with
serious health conditions could start in October, but a wider rollout will only take place
after the adult programme in India is completed, currently slated for the end of the year.

Keywords
Find a synonym or a definition that matches in the context.
1. a jab
2. to jab
3. youngster
4. underlying health conditions
5. to spread
6. a lung
7. the rollout
8. a shot
9. a coverage
10. a handful
11. school board
12. mandatory
13. an infant
14. a rough target
15. a needle
16. a syringe
17. to slate

150 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

Exercises

Grammar
Write down the passive forms found in the text (minimum 10) and give the corresponding active
form (when it is possible)
1. -
2. -
3. -
4. -
5. -
6. -
7. -
8. -
9. -
10. -
11. -
12. -

Content
Compare the vaccination programmes in the different countries (age, percentages, obligation…).
Depending on the date, some extra research might be necessary to update your answers.

What issue does the video raise?

Discussion
• According to you, which countries have best dealt with the crisis?
• Are you in favour of obligatory vaccination in order to eradicate the virus? Explain your view.
• Should vaccination be mandatory for some professions? (doctors, nurses, hairdressers,
waiters, teachers…)
• At what age should the young be able to decide without parental consent?

BDROI1140 – 2023-2024 151

 5. Reading 5: Making Kids go Vegan
Making your kids go vegan can mean jail time in Belgium
Real Clear Policy, Ephrat Livni, Quartz May 21, 2019

Read the following text and fill in the gaps by using the words given below:
to stand as - rely - took issue - technically - thrive - implies - restrictive

Highlight any words you do not understand and look up their meaning.
On May 16, the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium issued an opinion that will make
it possible to imprison parents who enforce a vegan diet on their children.
The academy determined that veganism for kids is “unethical” because it can lead to
health problems for growing children, the Belgian publication Le Soir reports. The
5 animal-product-free diet isn’t __________________ prohibited, and the ruling doesn’t
necessarily equate veganism with child neglect. However, it will make it easier to
prosecute parents who impose the strict diet and whose children have health problems.
The opinion __________________ a warning to parents, and because it is an official
finding, the academy’s determination will make it easier to punish people whose children
10 suffer from malnutrition as a result of the strict diet under a law that makes it a crime not
to assist a person in danger. “We must explain to the parents before compelling them,”
according to pediatrician Georges Casimir, who led the commission that wrote the report,
“but we can no longer tolerate this endangerment.
” Casimir explained his conclusion, saying, “When we are children, the body
15 manufactures brain cells. This __________________ higher requirements for protein and
essential fatty acids. The body does not produce them, it must be brought in via animal
proteins.” He argues that without these needed proteins children may experience stunted
growth and psychomotor delays, malnutrition, and anemia. The pediatricians say that the
effects of nutritional deficiencies can last a lifetime and cannot be reversed with a later
20 change in diet.
However, opinions on this matter vary worldwide. The American Academy of Pediatrics,
for example, is not opposed to vegan diets. “Although there have been case reports of
children failing to __________________ or developing cobalamin deficiency on vegan
diets, these are rare exceptions,” the academy notes on its website. “Multiple experts have
25 concluded independently that vegan diets can be followed safely by infants and children
without compromise of nutrition or growth and with some notable health benefits.”
Similarly, New Zealand’s health ministry has addressed whether a vegetarian diet can be
harmful to children. “It’s possible to have a healthy well-nourished infant or child who
eats a vegetarian diet if care is taken,” it states. Although a vegetarian diet is less
30 __________________ than veganism, this conclusion indicates that, with supervision and
supplementation, diets that don’t __________________ heavily on animal-derived
proteins aren’t necessarily a danger to kids.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals certainly __________________ with the
ruling in Belgium. Dawn Carr, director of vegan initiatives for PETA in the UK, told the
35 Telegraph
it was “a load of ignorant codswallop.” Carr argues that meat-based diets are the real
danger to health, leading to hardened arteries in adulthood that cause stroke, brain
aneurysms, and heart attacks. “A well-planned vegan diet is perfect for babies and
children,” she said.

152 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024

 Answer the following questions

1. Under what conditions can parents face imprisonment?

2. What was the purpose behind the creation of this rule?

3. What are the legal grounds for this decision?

4. How are children different from adults when it comes to nutrition?

5. Who has a different opinion from the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium?

6. Writing exercise
Write a text of 30 lines in English, about the issue of Health and Ethics, covering the Covid-19 crisis
OR another topic (abortion, vaccination, …).
Try to be structured, using paragraphs to structure your mind! Start your &s with CONNECTIVES.
The introduction should include the global context and your thesis (what you finally want to say and
to defend). Name the different arguments you would like to tackle. Advance hypotheses!
In paragraphs 1,2 (3), so, in the body: develop your ideas and find good, relevant and concrete
examples.
In the conclusion, wrap up your ideas and come back to your thesis… The conclusion needs to be
short!!
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
5 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
10 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
15 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
20 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
25 ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
30 ___________________________________________________________________________

154 BDROI1140 – 2023-2024