CORSO DI LAUREA SPSS
LINGUA INGLESE
Exercise A: Skimming
The following headings refer to the article you are going to read. Match each heading with a paragraph from the article by writing the number of the paragraph it refers to in the right-hand column.
1. What will happen in 2007 ______
2. Why the law is unnecessary ______
3. The consequences of the law on the patients ______
4. A discriminatory law ______
5. What the new law would do ______
6. What the experts think of the bill ______
7. The Law Society’s criticism ______
8. The Bar Council’s written statement ______
Mental health reform plans 'breach human rights'
David Batty
Wednesday November 3, 2004
The Guardian
1. Controversial government reforms of mental health law would violate patients' human rights by infringing on their dignity and autonomy. The draft mental health bill, currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny, would breach the European convention on human rights (ECHR), legal experts warned today.
2. In evidence to a committee of peers and MPs, concerns were raised that the proposed legislation would significantly extend obligatory treatment, while lowering the threshold for its use. According to the new proposals, people with mental health problems could be forcibly treated in hospital or the community, even if they have full control of their faculties or comply with their care.
3. Under the draft bill patients could be forcibly treated merely on the grounds that they need specialist care rather than, under current law, because they need to be forcibly detained in hospital. Even patients capable of making rational decisions about their treatment could face compulsion.
4. In its written evidence to the parliamentary committee, the Law Society criticised the proposed legislation for placing greater emphasis on misplaced fears about mental illness than on people's needs.
5. Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, joint chairwoman of the mental health and disability committee, said: "This is a piece of discriminatory legislation. It discriminates on the grounds of a person's mental health not their capacity. It appears that people who have capacity are deemed to lack capacity."
6. Ms Scott-Moncrieff also noted that the draft bill required the use of compulsory powers against a patient deemed a serious risk to the public, even if they complied with their treatment. "It seems to me that must be in violation of the European convention on human rights because it's unnecessary," she told the joint committee.
7. In its written evidence, the Bar Council concurred that the draft bill would "make it more likely that those who do not require compulsion will be compelled to receive treatment".
8. The joint committee on the draft mental health bill is due to report its findings by March 2005. This means the bill itself is unlikely to be introduced in parliament before the next general election. The Department of Health does not expect it to become law until 2007.
Exercise B: Multiple choice on reading passage
Choose the answer (A,B,C or D) that best completes each statement and write the answer in the right-hand column.
1. When was this article published? ______1.______
a. on Thursday
b. in November 2004
c. in the Guardian
d. last August
2. This article is about ______2. ______
a. family problems
b. abortion
c. learning disabilities
d. a proposed law on mental problems
3. A mental health bill ______3. ______
a. is being discussed in this period in parliament
b. was discussed months ago
c. was rejected by parliament
d. will be discussed by a medical committee
4. The introduction of this reform bill ______4. ______
a. does not pose any problems
b. seems to be a difficult issue
c. seems to be especially positive for the patients
d. will help children
5. According to the bill, people with mental problems ______5. ______
a. can chose the treatment they like.
b. can decide when to leave the hospital
c. will be forced to stay in hospital or in a community
d. will be cured at home
6. The bill would violate human rights because______6. ______
a. patients can’t decide what to eat
b. patients are not provided with specialist care
c. patients are abused
d. it does not respect patients’ freedom of choice
7. Under the bill patients will be detained in hospital ______7. ______
a. only if they are unable to make decisions
b. also if they are capable of making decisions
c. only with the permission of their family
d. during the holidays
8. The Law Society’s committee considers this bill______8. ______
a. an unjust legislation
b. a very positive legislation
c. a significant help for patients
d. a necessary change
9. In his written evidence the Bar Council ______9. ______
a. criticises the Law Society committee
b. supports the mental health bill
c. agrees that the bill is a violation of patients’ rights
d. says that patients will be free to choose treatment
10. The bill may become law ______10. ______
a. never
b. in three years
c. next month
d. last year
11. According to the article, the law would violate______11. ______
a. the European Union convention
b. mental health convention
c. the NHS human rights’ treaty
d. The European Convention on human rights.
12. The Guardian is ______12. ______
a. a legal committee
b. an American hospital
c. a British newspaper
d. a disease
Exercise C. Summarya
Read the following summary of the article and put in the blanks a word or an expression that fits into the meaning of the paragraph. Attention:
1. the word may not be in the article
2. write it in the indicated space to the right.
This article 1) ______a controversial law on mental health 1.______
which at present is being examined in 2) ______2.______
Concerns are raised as the proposed law would 3)______3. ______
patients with 4)______problems to be treated in hospital 4______
also if they are capable of making 5)______about their health. 5______
Legal experts 6) ______that if the bill becomes law, 6______
it would represent a 7) ______of human 7______
8) ______. People will lose their 8______
9) ______of choice and their dignity. 9.______
However, the law will not be official before 10)______10 ______
Exercise D. Synonyms
Find synonyms for the following words or expressions in paragraphs 1, and 2. Do not write more than one alternative
1. difficult 1.______
2. legislation 2. ______
3. independence 3. ______
4. examination 4. ______
5. based on law 5______
6. people who have knowledge and experience 6. ______
7. group of people 7. ______
8. cure 8. ______
9. on the basis of 9. ______
10. abilities 10. ______
Exercise E: Vocabulary Building
Match each word with its definition. Write the correct letter in the space provided.
1. Social worker ______a. the head of the municipal corporation of a city
2. Unemployment ______b. the draft of a proposed law
3. Abortion ______c. not to have the necessities of life.
4. Health service ______d. a person trained to help people with social problems
5. Mayor ______e. to end a pregnancy.
6. Poverty ______f. a physical incapacity caused by injury or disease
7. Disability ______g. state of freedom from war, or harmony between people
8. Peace ______h. a person who works for another in return for salary
9. Bill ______i. the state of being without work
10. Employee ______j. a public service providing medical care.
Answer-keys:
Exercise A:
8
6
3
5
2
1
4
7
Exercise B
1.B, 2.D, 3.A, 4.B, 5.C, 6.D, 7.B, 8.A, 9.C, 10.B, 11.D, 12.C
Exercise C.
1. Talks about
2. Parliament
3. force
4. mental
5. decisions
6. say
7. violation/breach
8. rights
9. freedom
10. 2007
Exercise D:
1. controversial
2. law
3. autonomy
4. scrutinity
5. legal
6. experts
7. committee
8. treatment
9. according to
10. faculties
Exercise E:
1. D, 2.I, 3.E, 4.J, 5.A, 6.C, 7.F, 8.G, 9.B, 10.H