Unit 12 B2

Question 1

commit (v)

Answer 1

to do something that is illegal or morally wrong *The study aims to find out what makes people commit crimes.

Question 2

break (v)

Answer 2

to fail to obey a rule or law *Students who break these rules will be punished.

Question 3

rule (n)

Answer 3

a statement that explains what you can or cannot do in a particular situation *You can’t do that, it’s against the rules!

Question 4

law (n)

Answer 4

the system of rules that must be obeyed in society *Failing to declare any extra income is against the law.

Question 5

justice (n)

Answer 5

treatment of people that is fair and morally right *Victims are calling for justice.

Question 6

right (n)

Answer 6

something that you are morally or legally allowed to do or have *We are fighting for workers’ rights.

Question 7

judge (n)

Answer 7

someone whose job is to make decisions in a court of law *The judge sentenced her to ninety days in prison.

Question 8

jury (n)

Answer 8

a group of members of the public who decide whether someone is guilty in a court case *The jury found him guilty.

Question 9

prosecute (v)

Answer 9

to officially accuse someone of a crime and ask a court of law to judge them *My neighbour is being prosecuted for driving without a valid licence.

Question 10

persecute (v)

Answer 10

to treat someone very badly because of their race, religion or political beliefs *A large number of Catholics were persecuted during the war.

Question 11

capital punishment (n)

Answer 11

the punishment of legally killing someone who has committed a serious crime *They still have capital punishment in the USA.

Question 12

corporal punishment (n)

Answer 12

punishment that consists of hitting someone *When I was at school, corporal punishment was common.

Question 13

robber (n)

Answer 13

someone who steals money or property *Why do they always glamorise bank robbers in movies?

Question 14

burglar (n)

Answer 14

someone who enters a building illegally in order to steal things *Burglars broke into our office last night and stole all the telephones.

Question 15

thief (n)

Answer 15

someone who steals something *How can you accuse me of being a thief? I’ve never stolen anything in my life!

Question 16

vandal (n)

Answer 16

someone who deliberately damages or destroys things, especially public property *Vandals have broken the public telephone outside our house again.

Question 17

hooligan (n)

Answer 17

someone who is noisy or violent in public places *Football hooligans caused a lot of damage to the stadium.

Question 18

sentence (v)

Answer 18

if a judge sentences someone, they officially say what that person’s punishment will be *He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Question 19

imprison (v)

Answer 19

to put someone in a prison, or to keep them in a place that they cannot escape from *He had been imprisoned for six years before he managed to prove his innocence.

Question 20

proof (n)

Answer 20

information or evidence that shows that something is definitely true *We were unable to establish proof of her innocence.

Question 21

evidence (n)

Answer 21

facts, statements or objects that help to prove whether someone has committed a crime *The police didn’t have enough evidence to convict him.

Question 22

suspect (v)

Answer 22

to believe that something is true *Police suspected that he had some connection with the robbery.

Question 23

arrest (v)

Answer 23

if the police arrest someone, they take that person to a police station because they think that he or she has committed a crime *He was arrested for possession of illegal drugs.

Question 24

charge (v)

Answer 24

to accuse someone of committing a crime *The police have charged him with murder.

Question 25

suspect (n)

Answer 25

someone who might have committed a crime *Have the police interviewed any suspects yet?

Question 26

accused (n)

Answer 26

someone who is accused of a crime in a court of law *The accused told the judge that he was not guilty.

Question 27

decision (n)

Answer 27

a choice that you make after you have thought carefully about something *The committee will make a decision by the end of the week.

Question 28

verdict (n)

Answer 28

an official judgment made in a court *The jury took 16 hours to reach a verdict.

Question 29

innocent (adj)

Answer 29

not guilty of a crime or anything bad *Under the law, everyone is considered innocent until proved guilty.

Question 30

guilty (adj)

Answer 30

someone who is guilty has committed a crime or has done something wrong *Patrick knew that he was guilty of lying.

Question 31

witness (n)

Answer 31

someone who sees a crime, accident or other event happen *Witnesses reported hearing two gunshots.

Question 32

bystander (n)

Answer 32

someone who sees an event happen, but who is not directly involved in it *The car crashed into the wall, nearly hitting two bystanders.

Question 33

lawyer (n)

Answer 33

someone whose profession is to provide people with legal advice and services *Meyer’s lawyer spoke to the press today.

Question 34

solicitor (n)

Answer 34

in the UK, a lawyer who gives legal advice, writes legal contracts, and represents people in the lower courts of law *You’ll need advice from a solicitor.