UNIVERSITATEA "Babeș-Bolyai" - Cluj-

Napoca Facultatea de Drept

TEST DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ PENTRU STUDENȚIl DE LA DREPT (1)

A. CITIRE-ÎNȚELEGERE /READING COMPREHENSION/

l. Read the following text/Citiți următorul text:

SOURCES OF LAW AROUND THE WORLD

(Sursele Dreptului în lume)

The earliest existing written laws are found in the Code of Hammurabi
who ruled Babylon from 2123 to 2081 B.C. Like most early legal systems, this code
was based on the dominant religion of the culture and dealt harshly with those who
broke its rules of behaviour. For example, adultery was punishable by death, and the
law of retaliation demanded that if a defective building collapsed and the owner was
killed, the building architect was put to death.

The concept of retaliation also was found in the Hebrew system, which
borrowed heavily from the Babylonian code. Both the Babylonian and the Hebrew
systems relied on capital punishment and slavery as punishment for breaking civil
and criminal law. Like the Babylonians, the Hebrews believed the law was of divine
origin. However, the basis for the Hebrew law was the Pentateuch (the first five
books of the Old Testament) and the Talmud (the written traditions governing Jewish
life). Many early Hebrew laws were solutions to practical problems. For example,
dietary restrictions on eating certain foods, such as pork, reflected the dangers
presented by lack of refrigeration.

As the Roman Empire developed, so did a complex system of laws geared toward
governing an increasingly urban population. The Roman philosopher Cicero defined three
elements of law-legislation, administrative edicts and judicial reasoning — which dominate in all
legal systems today. Roman law spread throughout Europe, and after the fall of the Roman
Empire, the rulers of the rising Eastern Empire, continued to develop the concepts of Roman law.
In AD 528 the Emperor Justinian collected these laws and published them as the Code of
Justinian or Corpus Juris Civilus. This code is the cornerstone of today’s civil law systems
dominant throughout Europe, South America, Scotland and Quebec. In the United States, only
Louisiana bases its laws on a civil system, reflecting its heritage as a French colony.

The Law of Islam, developed in the seventh century, is an all-embracing

body of religious duties that regulates the life of every Muslim. Today, Middle East
nations struggle to reconcile Islamic law and Western law. Typically, religious law
prevails in matters of family, inheritance, and criminal law and Western law prevails
in commercial and finance matters. Thus, religious law treats a man’s wife as his
chattel or possession, while Western law governs the negotiation of trade
agreements between Middle East countries and Western nations.
ll. Completați propozițiile de mai jos. alegând unul din cele trei răspunsuri
sugerate /Complete the statements below choosing one of the three suqqested
answers/:

1. The Code of Hammurabi was based on _______:

a) rules of behaviour b) the dominant religion of the culture c) the law of retaliation
2. Retaliation means _______:
a) insulting somebody b) hurting someone c) repaying an injury
3. The Hebrew system relied on _______:
a) the concept of retaliation b) the Babylonian system of law
c) on capital punishment and slavery as punishment for breaking the law
4. The elements of law deriving from Roman law which dominate in all legal
systems today are _______:
a) legislation, administrative edicts and judicial reasoning b) retaliation,
religion and culture
c) religion, legislation and administration
5. The Code of Justinian is the cornerstone of the civil law system in countries
such as _______:
a) France b) England c) U.S.A.
6. The Law of lslam regulates _______:
a) family matters b) succession, criminal and family matters c ) religious matters

B. SCRIERE /WRITING/

l. Încercuiți varianta corectă care completează adecvat spațiile libere/ Circle the
correct variant to fill in the blanks/:

1. Last year he played hockey much better than he ______ now.

a) played b) plays c) does d) will play

2. This pen ______ to his late (= no longer alive) friend.

a) is belonged b) belongs c) has belonged d)belonged

3. lf he ______ surprised at our visiting at the museum, he didn't show it.

a) were b) was c) had been d) has been

4. The management decided that the festivity hall ______ open all day long.

a) remain b) will remain c) should remain d) remained

ll. Reformulați fiecare din următoarele propoziții fără a schimba sensul

acestora /Rephrase each of the following sentences so that the meaning stays the
same/:

1. The correctness of his English is absolute.

He speaks English
He speaks English perfectly
2. My friend said "Don't stop the car here. The policeman is looking at us"

My friend told me not to stop the car, as the policeman was looking at us.

3. They missed the train because they got up late.

If they hadn’t woken up late, they wouldn’t have missed the train.

4. I regret attending that boring lecture.

I wish I hadn’t attended that boring lecture.

lll. Scrieți un scurt eseu (cca 150 cuvinte) despre textul pe care l-ați citit anterior (A, I)
/Write a short essay (cca 150 words) about the text you have read before/
Hammurabi's Code amazes with its antiquity, being a real "treasure" for history and law. Although
the Code was written before Christ, it regulates punishments for certain situations, which, seem
absurd for today, but are the basis of modern punishments. Hammurabi's code also claims that the
law has a divine origin, as well as other law codes are based on religion- for example the basis for the
Hebrew law was the first five books of the Old Testament.

To this day, we encounter codes of laws that are based almost exclusively on religion. For instance,
the Law of Islam, developed in the seventh century, regulates the life of every Muslim. Muslim
countries are trying to find a convenient and current formula of law, in which the social aspect should
be regulated according to Islam, and the economic issues according to Western law.

Roman law also had a strong impact on subsequent law systems, especially in Europe, but we can
find it in states of the U.S.A., as well. An important factor can be found in Cicero's contribution; he
defined three elements of law- legislation, administrative edicts and judicial reasoning — which
dominate in all legal systems today. Emperor Justinian's period was marked by the establishment of
the Code of Justinian, which is the basis of civil law today.

C. VORBIRE-ASCULTARE/SPEAKING – LISTENING

Discutați următoarea temă: De ce ai ales să studiezi Dreptul, în general, și, în

particular – la Facultatea de Drept de la Universitatea “Babeș-Bolyai” din Cluj?

Discuss the following topic

Why have you chosen to study law, in general and particularly at the Faculty of Law, “Babes
– Bolyai” University Cluj?

For me, justice, law has always been a field that I was attracted to. Since childhood I was
have been obsessed with rules and their observance. All my relatives claimed that they
would not see me studying anything else but Law, and they describe me with two words: just
and fair. As a teenager, I already knew that I would study Law, especially with my passion for
criminal law, which continues to this day and makes me lose nights watching investigations
and trials in murder cases. But what made me irrevocably fall in love with law was an
opportunity I had in high school, being included in a program that allowed me to attend
several trials. I was obsessed and enjoyed every moment in the courtroom, and then I knew
with maximum certainty that I would study Law School.

The reason I came to study Law at UBB is simple- it is the best in the country, and
here, together with competent and dedicated teachers, I know that I can develop my
knowledge to become a quality legal expert. The UBB also offers you numerous
opportunities, not only educational but also social, to create connections with people who are
also passionate about law.