Department of Cross-Disciplinary Modules

English Language
Law Studies

English Course - HOMEWORK

Week 1

Semester 1
Academic Year : 2024-2025
 UNIT 1
Justice and the Origins of Human Rights
I. Pre-reading activities
II. Reading activities
III. Post-Reading activities
IV. Grammar
V. Communication
C.1.Fill in each section of the table by identifying the key developments
of justice and human rights mentioned in the text below:
Description/information
Development/EVENT Time signals
(What is it ?& how was it used ?)
I. Pre-reading activities
II. Reading activities
III. Post-Reading activities
IV. Grammar
V. Communication
A. Read the text carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Justice and the origin of Human Rights
Human rights are a set of principles concerned with equality and fairness. They are
not a recent invention - ideas about rights and responsibilities have been an important
part of all societies throughout history.These ideas can be traced back to the ancient
civilisations of Babylon, China and India. Perhaps, one of the oldest manifestations of
a human rights and justice system in recorded human history is the written laws of
the King of Babylon Hammurabi around 1750 B.C .
In 1215, the English barons forced the King of England to sign Magna Carta (which is
Latin for ‘the Great Charter’). Magna Carta was the first document to place limits on
the absolute power of the king and make him accountable to his subjects. It also laid
out some basic rights for the protection of citizens, such as the right to a trial.
Significant development in thinking about human rights took place in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, during a time of revolution and emerging national identities.
The American Declaration of Independence (1776) was based on the understanding that
certain rights, such as ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', were fundamental to all
people. Similarly, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789)
challenged the authority of the aristocracy and recognised the ‘liberty, equality and
fraternity' of individuals. These values were also echoed in the United States’ Bill of
Rights (1791), which recognised freedom of speech, religion and the press, as well as the
right to ‘peaceable' assembly, private property and a fair trial.
The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw continuing advances in social
progress, for example, in the abolition of slavery, the widespread provision of
education and the extension of political rights.
However, the atrocities and human rights violations that occurred during World War
II galvanised worldwide opinion and made human rights a universal concern. The
promotion and protection of human rights became a fundamental objective of the
Allied powers. In 1941, U.S. President Roosevelt proclaimed the 'Four Freedoms' that
people everywhere in the world ought to enjoy - freedom of speech and belief, and
freedom from want and fear.
Source :An Introduction to Human Rights | Australian Human Rights Commission
1. Which ancient civilization is mentioned as having one of the oldest written
laws related to human rights?
a) Ancient Egypt
b) Ancient Greece
c) Babylon
d) Rome
2. What was the significance of the Magna Carta?
a) It gave women the right to vote.
b) It abolished slavery in England.
c) It limited the absolute power of the king and established some basic rights.
d) It declared England's independence from Rome.
3. Which document emphasized the rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness"?
a) Magna Carta
b) The U.S. Bill of Rights
c) The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
d) The American Declaration of Independence
4. In what year did President Roosevelt proclaim the “Four Freedoms”?
a) 1776
b) 1941
c) 1791
d) 1215
5. Which event greatly increased the global concern for human rights?
a) The French Revolution
b) World War I
c) The American Revolution
d) World War II
I. Pre-reading activities
II. Reading activities
III. Post-Reading activities
IV. Grammar
V. Communication
A. Review the text and identify additional causes and effects related to the history of
justice and human rights.
Cause Effect

B. Discuss your findings in small groups

Justice and right collocations
A. Match each phrase in the following list to its appropriate definition:
achieve justice • • To possess a legal or moral entitlement to do or receive something.
bring justice • • The concept of fairness and equality within society, focusing on the distribution of wealth,
opportunities, and privileges to all people.
deny justice • • To successfully create fairness and equality in a legal or social situation.
social justice • • To take actions, usually through legal or moral means, that ensure fairness or punish
wrongdoing.
have the right • • The principle that all individuals should have the same legal, social, and political rights
without discrimination.
To be within/in one’s • • To prevent someone from receiving fair treatment or due legal process, often leading to an
right unfair outcome
Equal rights • • Rights that are protected and enforced by the laws of a particular country or legal system.
Legal rights • • To act in a way that is legally or morally justified, according to established laws or principles.
Justice and right collocations
B. Fill in the blanks using the phrases from the list in Exercise A
1. The lawyers worked tirelessly to __________ for the victims of the tragic event.
2. Everyone should __________ to express their opinions freely, as long as it does not harm others.
3. Protesters marched through the city demanding __________ for all citizens, regardless of their
background or income.
4. Many people believe that if we don't address inequality, it will be impossible to __________ in
society.
5. Women have been fighting for __________ in the workplace for decades to close the wage gap.
6. The defendant argued that the court's decision would __________ to a fair trial if the evidence was
excluded.
7. Every citizen must understand their __________ when entering into a contract or buying property.
8. She knew she was __________ to refuse entry to anyone who tried to trespass on her property.
I. Pre-reading activities
II. Reading activities
III. Post-Reading activities
IV. Grammar
V. Communication
 The Past Simple vs Past Continuous
C. Practice :
C.1.Read the text ‘The Early Foundations of Justice and Human Rights” and find two verbs in the past: regular
and irregular. Then provide the present form of these verbs:

Regular verb in the past Irregular Verb in the past Present Form
---------------------- ----------------------------- ---------------------------
 The Past Simple vs Past Continuous
C. Practice :
C.6. Provide the past form of the following irregular verbs:
Irregular Verb in the Present Irregular Verb in the Past
Read ………………………………..
Speak ……………………………….
Spend ……………………………….
Catch ………………………………
Teach ………………………………
Go ………………………………
Think ………………………………
Buy ………………………………
Break ………………………………
 The Past Simple vs Past Continuous
C. Practice :
E.4.Write 5 sentences using both Past Simple and Past Continuous.
For example: “I was reading a book when my classmate asked for help.”

1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________