Read the text and choose the word or word combination from the box to fill in the gaps. Mind one extra word/word
combination you do not need to use.
second, at the most informal level, however, first,
at a more formal level, finally
Government-made laws are often patterned upon informal
rules of conduct already existing in the society, and relations
between people are regulated by a combination of these rules.
This relationship can be demonstrated using the example of a
sports club.
Suppose a member of a rugby club is so angry with the referee
during a club game that he hits him and breaks his nose. (1) …,
it is probable that people seeing or hearing about the incident
would criticize the player and try to persuade him to apologize
and perhaps compensate the referee in some way. (2) … the player would find he had broken the rules of the club, and perhaps
of a wider institution governing the conduct of all people playing rugby, and would face punishment, such as a fine or a suspension before he would be allowed to play another game. (3) …
the player might also face prosecution for attacking the referee
under laws created by the government of his country. In many
countries there might be two kinds of prosecution. (4) …, the
referee could conduct a civil action against the player, demanding compensation for his injury and getting his claim enforced
by a court of law if the player failed to agree privately. (5) …, the
police might also start an action against the player for a crime
of violence. If found guilty, the player might be sent to prison,
or he might be made to pay a fine to the court — that is, punishment for an offence against the state, since governments
often consider anti-social behaviour not simply as a matter
between two individuals but as a danger to the well-being and
order of society as a whole.
1. first
2. at the most informal level
3. finally
4. at a more formal level
5. second
Now let's fill in the gaps with the appropriate words or word combinations:
Government-made laws are often patterned upon informal (1) rules of conduct already existing in the society, and relations between people are regulated by a combination of these rules. This relationship can be demonstrated using the example of a sports club.
Suppose a member of a rugby club is so angry with the referee during a club game that he hits him and breaks his nose. (1) First, it is probable that people seeing or hearing about the incident would criticize the player and try to persuade him to apologize and perhaps compensate the referee in some way. (2) At the most informal level, the player would find he had broken the rules of the club, and perhaps of a wider institution governing the conduct of all people playing rugby, and would face punishment, such as a fine or a suspension before he would be allowed to play another game. (3) Finally, the player might also face prosecution for attacking the referee under laws created by the government of his country. In many countries, there might be two kinds of prosecution.
(4) At a more formal level, the referee could conduct a civil action against the player, demanding compensation for his injury and getting his claim enforced by a court of law if the player failed to agree privately. (5) Second, the police might also start an action against the player for a crime of violence. If found guilty, the player might be sent to prison or he might be made to pay a fine to the court — that is, punishment for an offence against the state, since governments often consider anti-social behavior not simply as a matter between two individuals but as a danger to the well-being and order of society as a whole.
In this text, we can see that the relations and consequences of breaking rules in a sports club can be separated into different levels. First, at the most informal level, there would be criticism and persuasion to apologize. Second, at a more formal level, there would be punishment from the club and possibly wider governing institutions. Finally, at an even more formal level, there could be legal prosecution and civil actions. This shows how different levels of rules and laws can come into play depending on the situation.