Understanding the reading

3.4.1 Give extensive answers to the questions. Use the following expressions to present your answers:

· It ran through my mind that…

· To begin with …

· I presume …

· Speaking about …

1. How can you define what human rights are?

2. Can you give examples of human rights?

3. What obligations do international human rights lay on governments?

4. What can residents of a country do when a government violates their rights?

5. What events preceded the creation of the United Nations?

6. Were there documents similar to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

7. Which principal is the cornerstone of international human rights law?

8. How can human rights be classified?

9. What are the main principles of international human rights law?

10. What obligations and duties do states assume under international law?

Scanning

3.4.2. Scan the text to determine whether these statements are true (T) or false (F), and if they are false say why.

1. Protection of individual persons’ rights was traditionally a concern of international law.

2. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is unique. There were no similar documents in history.

3. From the very beginning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a binding treaty to all states which ratified it.

4. “Human rights are inalienable” means that they should never be taken away , under no circumstances.

5. The most common classification of human rights is to divide them into civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights.

6. All human rights are indivisible . The deprivation of one right facilitates advancement of the others.

7. The principal of non-discrimination is a cross-cutting principal in international human rights law.

8. Human rights entail only rights, without obligations.

9. Under international law states should respect, protect and fulfill human rights.

3.4.3 Develop the following ideas. Make use of the active vocabulary and helpful phrases given in brackets:

1.Human rights are international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal and social abuses.

(to be equally entitled to human rights; to violate human rights, to value human life, to be able to appeal to country’s laws, to want help from international law and organizations, victims of human rights violations).

2. Human rights are interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

(to exist in morality and in law; to be at the national and international levels; civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights ; to facilitate advancement of smth; to affect adversely)

3. The principal of universality of human rights is the cornerstone of international human rights law.

(to be emphasized; to be reiterated, to be the duty of smb, to promote and protect rights and freedoms)

4. The foundation of the United Nations and the provisions of the United Nations Charter created a basis for the protection of human rights.

(to solve international problems; a respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; to join the UN; to adopt a treaty; to be binding; to ratify a treaty; to respect, to protect and to fulfill human rights).

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 850