Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word A prompt is given in

brackets.
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Prenup agreement enforced under UK law

20 October 2010
Owen Bowcott

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5

Supreme court case finds _______ (PREMATRIMONIAL) agreement between German heiress and
former husband to be legally _________ (MANDATORY).

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The supreme court ruled that German heiress Katrin Radmacher's prenuptial agreement with her former
husband was binding. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

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Prenuptial agreements have been _______ (FOUND) as __________ (APPLICABLE) under

British divorce law for the first time, in a supreme court ruling today.

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Judges found ________ (FOR) the 40-year-old German heiress Katrin Radmacher, who had
__________ (TRIED) to protect her 106m fortune in the _______ (CONTINGENCY) of a

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16

Radmacher and her French ex-husband, Nicolas Granatino, 38, a former investment banker, had

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By _________ (DECIDING) that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has altered

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By a majority of eight to one, the supreme court justices ________ (DISCARDED) Granatino's
________ (PETITION), saying that after their ruling "it will be natural to infer that parties entering

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The judges agreed that in the right case a prenuptial agreement could have decisive or compelling

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Some lawyers claimed that the ________ (LEADING) decision represented a constitutional upset in
which judges had started making rather than interpreting the law.

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31

Granatino had given up his six-figure investment banker's job to become a 30,000-a-year
biotechnology researcher at Oxford University in 2003, the year the marriage began to ________

marriage breakdown.
signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding in London in 1998. The agreement _________
(SPECIFIED) that neither party would benefit financially if the marriage ended.
the landscape of divorce _________ (AGREEMENTS). It is likely to be a severe blow to the UK's
reputation as the "divorce capital of Europe".

into agreements will intend that effect be given to them".

________ (IMPORTANCE). Lord Phillips, the _________ (HEAD) of the supreme court, said the
courts would still have the _________ (CHOICE) to waive any pre- or postnuptial agreement,
especially when it was unfair to any children of the marriage.

(FALL APART).

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When the couple divorced in 2006, Granatino claimed that at the time they married he had had no
idea of his wife's ___________ (FORTUNE) and had not received ________ (APPROPRIATE)

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Despite regular visits to Radmacher's Chelsea flat, her family's Swiss ski chalet in Verbier and the

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He was ___________ (GRANTED) 5.85m by a high court judge in 2008, but this was cut a year

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Radmacher, who was at the supreme court for the ruling, said afterwards: "I am really ________

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An heiress to a German paper company, Radmacher was reputed to be one of the richest women in

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In a ____________ (DECLARATION), Radmacher added: "For Nicolas and I, in our homelands

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"I know some people think of prenuptial agreements as being unromantic, but for us it was meant to
be a way of proving you are marrying only for love. It was a natural part of the marriage process. In

56

The case will set a significant legal ____________ (AUTHORITY).

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Brenda Long, of the law firm Blandy & Blandy, said: "This supreme court ruling means the
_________ (BENCH) judiciary has overstepped its prescribed role of interpreting law and actually

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"This decision could introduce a(n) ___________ (INBUILT) degree of sex discrimination within

legal advice, or had the German prenuptial agreement translated for him before he signed.
family home, her wealth was not "particularly __________" (OBVIOUS), said Granatino, adding
that the latter property had "shared bathrooms and no great art".
later on appeal to a lump ________ (AMOUNT) of 1m in lieu of ________ (ALIMONY), with a
2.5m fund for a house to be returned to Radmacher when the youngest of the couple's two
daughters, now seven, reaches the age of 22. Radmacher had earlier agreed to _____ (SETTLE) his
debts of 700,000.
(HAPPY) with the ruling but saddened at the four-year process that brought us to this point. I am
delighted that Britain has upheld _______ (JUSTICE). It is important to me that no one else should
have to go through this."
Europe in 2007.
France and Germany these agreements are entirely normal and routine. We made a promise to each
other that if anything went wrong between us, both of us would walk away without making financial
_____ (DEMANDS) on each other. The promise made to me was broken.

my case, my father insisted upon it to protect my ________ (BEQUEST)."

created law instead. This is particularly surprising given that one of the judges, Baroness Hale, has
previously expressed the view that development in this area should be dealt with by legislative reform
rather than judicial development and gave a ________ (DISAGREEING) opinion in today's
_________ (DECISION).
the family court system as prenuptial agreements predominantly benefit the rich and it is more
commonly

the

woman

in

the

marriage

who

is

the

financially

weaker

party."

Choose the correct answers according to the text:

1. Prenuptial agreements have been recognised _________ enforceable under British divorce
law.
a) as

b) like

2. Judges found in favour ________ the 40-year-old German heiress Katrin Radmacher.
a) to

b) of

3. Katrin Radmacher had sought to protect her 106m fortune in the eventuality of a marriage
____________.
a) breakdown

b) downbreak

4. By ruling that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has altered the landscape
of divorce _____________.
a) agreements

b) settlements

5. It is likely to be a severe blow ____________ the UK's reputation as the "divorce capital of
Europe".
a) for

b) to

6. By a majority of eight _______ one, the supreme court justices dismissed Granatino's appeal.
a) against

b) to

7. ()"it will be natural to infer that parties entering into agreements will intend that effect
_______ given to them".
a) be

b) is

8. Lord Phillips, the president of the supreme court, said the courts would still have the
discretion to waive any pre- or postnuptial agreement, especially when it was ___________ to
any children of the marriage.
a) unjust

b) unfair

9. Some lawyers claimed that the landmark decision represented a constitutional __________
in which judges had started making rather than interpreting the law.
a) upset

b) setup

10. Granatino had given up his __________ investment banker's job to become a 30,000-ayear biotechnology researcher at Oxford University in 2003.
a) six-figures

b) six-figure

11. When the couple divorced in 2006, Granatino ________ that at the time they married he
had had no idea of his wife's wealth.
a) claimed

b) demanded

12. _________ regular visits to Radmacher's Chelsea flat, her family's Swiss ski chalet in
Verbier and the family home, her wealth was not "particularly evident", said Granatino.
a) in spite

b) despite

13. He was awarded 5.85m by a high court judge in 2008, but this was cut a year later ______
appeal to a lump sum of 1m ().
a) on

b) in

14. Radmacher had earlier agreed to pay _______ his debts of 700,000.
a) up

b) off

15. "I am really pleased with the ruling but saddened ________ the four-year process that
brought us to this point.
a) for

b) at

16. An heiress __________ a German paper company, Radmacher was reputed to be one of the
richest women in Europe in 2007.
a) of

b) to

17. We made a promise to each other that if anything went wrong between us, both of us would
walk away without making financial claims _________ each other.
a) on

b) to

18. "I know some people think of prenuptial agreements ________ unromantic, but for us it
was meant to be a way of proving you are marrying only for love.
a) to be

b) as being

19. This is particularly surprising given that one of the judges, Baroness Hale, has previously
expressed the view that development in this area should be dealt ______ by legislative reform
rather than judicial development ()
a) with

b)

20. I am delighted that Britain has ____________ fairness.

a) upheld

b) held up

State the genre and text type of the text, justifying your answer.

Make a list of all the adjectives and adverbs of the text and say
whether they are neutral or try to persuade the reader

Try to find any structures that indicate emphasis (inversion,

thematisation, rhetorical questions, etc.)

Try to find structures that emphasize impersonality (passive

structures, ergative structures, lack of agent, etc.)

In the following sentence, what does it refer back to? By ruling

that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has
altered the landscape of divorce settlements. It is likely to be a
severe blow to the UK's reputation as the "divorce capital of
Europe".

ANSWER KEY
Prenup agreement enforced under UK law
Supreme court case finds prenuptial agreement between German heiress and
former husband to be legally binding
Prenuptial agreements have been recognised as enforceable under British divorce law for the first
time, in a supreme court ruling today.
Judges found in favour of the 40-year-old German heiress Katrin Radmacher, who had sought to
protect her 106m fortune in the eventuality of a marriage breakdown.
Radmacher and her French ex-husband, Nicolas Granatino, 38, a former investment banker, had
signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding in London in 1998. The agreement
stipulated that neither party would benefit financially if the marriage ended.
By ruling that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has altered the landscape of
divorce settlements. It is likely to be a severe blow to the UK's reputation as the "divorce capital
of Europe".
By a majority of eight to one, the supreme court justices dismissed Granatino's appeal, saying
that after their ruling "it will be natural to infer that parties entering into agreements will intend
that effect be given to them".
The judges agreed that in the right case a prenuptial agreement could have decisive or compelling
weight. Lord Phillips, the president of the supreme court, said the courts would still have the
discretion to waive any pre- or postnuptial agreement, especially when it was unfair to any
children of the marriage.
Some lawyers claimed that the landmark decision represented a constitutional upset in which
judges had started making rather than interpreting the law.
Granatino had given up his six-figure investment banker's job to become a 30,000-a-year
biotechnology researcher at Oxford University in 2003, the year the marriage began to
deteriorate.
When the couple divorced in 2006, Granatino claimed that at the time they married he had had
no idea of his wife's wealth and had not received proper legal advice, or had the German
prenuptial agreement translated for him before he signed.
Despite regular visits to Radmacher's Chelsea flat, her family's Swiss ski chalet in Verbier and the
family home, her wealth was not "particularly evident", said Granatino, adding that the latter
property had "shared bathrooms and no great art".
He was awarded 5.85m by a high court judge in 2008, but this was cut a year later on appeal to
a lump sum of 1m in lieu of maintenance, with a 2.5m fund for a house to be returned to
Radmacher when the youngest of the couple's two daughters, now seven, reaches the age of 22.
Radmacher had earlier agreed to pay off his debts of 700,000.

Radmacher, who was at the supreme court for the ruling, said afterwards: "I am really pleased
with the ruling but saddened at the four-year process that brought us to this point. I am delighted
that Britain has upheld fairness. It is important to me that no one else should have to go through
this."
An heiress to a German paper company, Radmacher was reputed to be one of the richest women
in Europe in 2007.
In a statement, Radmacher added: "For Nicolas and I, in our homelands France and Germany
these agreements are entirely normal and routine. We made a promise to each other that if
anything went wrong between us, both of us would walk away without making financial claims
on each other. The promise made to me was broken.
"I know some people think of prenuptial agreements as being unromantic, but for us it was
meant to be a way of proving you are marrying only for love. It was a natural part of the marriage
process. In my case, my father insisted upon it to protect my inheritance."
The case will set a significant legal precedent.
Brenda Long, of the law firm Blandy & Blandy, said: "This supreme court ruling means the
judiciary has overstepped its prescribed role of interpreting law and actually created law instead.
This is particularly surprising given that one of the judges, Baroness Hale, has previously
expressed the view that development in this area should be dealt with by legislative reform rather
than judicial development and gave a dissenting opinion in today's judgment.
"This decision could introduce an inherent degree of sex discrimination within the family court
system as prenuptial agreements predominantly benefit the rich and it is more commonly the
woman in the marriage who is the financially weaker party."

Choose the correct answers according to the text:

1. Prenuptial agreements have been recognised _______ enforceable under British divorce law.
a) as

b) like

2. Judges found in favour ________ the 40-year-old German heiress Katrin Radmacher.
a) to

b) of

3. Katrin Radmacher had sought to protect her 106m fortune in the eventuality of a marriage
____________.
a) breakdown

b) downbreak

4. By ruling that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has altered the landscape
of divorce _____________.
a) agreements

b) settlements

5. It is likely to be a severe blow ____________ the UK's reputation as the "divorce capital of
Europe".
a) for

b) to

6. By a majority of eight _______ one, the supreme court justices dismissed Granatino's appeal.
a) against

b) to

7. ()"it will be natural to infer that parties entering into agreements will intend that effect
_______ given to them".
a) be

b) is

8. Lord Phillips, the president of the supreme court, said the courts would still have the
discretion to waive any pre- or postnuptial agreement, especially when it was ___________ to
any children of the marriage.
a) unjust

b) unfair

9. Some lawyers claimed that the landmark decision represented a constitutional __________
in which judges had started making rather than interpreting the law.
a) upset

b) setup

10. Granatino had given up his __________ investment banker's job to become a 30,000-ayear biotechnology researcher at Oxford University in 2003.
a) six-figures

b) six-figure

11. When the couple divorced in 2006, Granatino ________ that at the time they married he
had had no idea of his wife's wealth.
a) claimed

b) demanded

12. __________ regular visits to Radmacher's Chelsea flat, her family's Swiss ski chalet in
Verbier and the family home, her wealth was not "particularly evident", said Granatino.
a) in spite

b) despite

13. He was awarded 5.85m by a high court judge in 2008, but this was cut a year later ______
appeal to a lump sum of 1m ().
a) on

b) in

14. Radmacher had earlier agreed to pay _______ his debts of 700,000.
a) up

b) off

15. "I am really pleased with the ruling but saddened ________ the four-year process that
brought us to this point.
a) for

b) at

16. An heiress __________ a German paper company, Radmacher was reputed to be one of the
richest women in Europe in 2007.
a) of

b) to

17. We made a promise to each other that if anything went wrong between us, both of us would
walk away without making financial claims _________ each other.
a) on

b) to

18. "I know some people think of prenuptial agreements ________ unromantic, but for us it
was meant to be a way of proving you are marrying only for love.
a) to be

b) as being

19. This is particularly surprising given that one of the judges, Baroness Hale, has previously
expressed the view that development in this area should be dealt ______ by legislative reform
rather than judicial development ()
a) with

b)

20. I am delighted that Britain has ____________ fairness.

a) upheld b) held up

State the genre and text type of the text, justifying your answer.
Genre: newspaper article.
Text type: informative.

Make a list of all the adjectives and adverbs of the text and say
whether they are neutral or try to persuade the reader
The author only shows a bit of bias on lines 29-37, where he focuses on
Granatinos ex-husbands salary. The adjectives and adverbs used are neutral.

Try to find any structures that indicate emphasis (inversion,

thematisation, rhetorical questions, etc.)
By a majority of eight to one, the supreme court justices dismissed Granatino's
appeal ()
By ruling that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has altered
the landscape of divorce settlements.
An heiress to a German paper company, Radmacher was reputed to be one of
the richest women in Europe in 2007.
In a statement, Radmacher added ()
For Nicolas and I, in our homelands France and Germany these agreements
are entirely normal and routine ()
(..:) it is more commonly the woman in the marriage who is the financially
weaker party

Try to find structures that emphasize impersonality (passive

structures, ergative structures, lack of agent, etc.)
Some examples are:
Prenuptial agreements have been recognised as enforceable.
It is likely to be a severe blow to the UK's reputation ()
() it will be natural to infer that parties entering into agreements will intend
that effect be given to them.
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Some lawyers claimed that the landmark decision represented a constitutional

upset ()
Granatino claimed that at the time they married he had had no idea of his wife's
wealth and had not received proper legal advice ()
Despite regular visits to Radmacher's Chelsea flat, her family's Swiss ski chalet
in Verbier and the family home ()
He was awarded 5.85m by a high court judge in 2008, but this was cut a year
later on appeal to a lump sum of 1m in lieu of maintenance, with a 2.5m fund
for a house to be returned to Radmacher ()
Radmacher was reputed to be one of the richest women in Europe in 2007.
The promise made to me was broken.
() some people think of prenuptial agreements as being unromantic ()
() development in this area should be dealt with by legislative reform rather
than judicial development ()
In the following sentence, what does it refer back to? By ruling
that such contracts are legally binding, the supreme court has
altered the landscape of divorce settlements. It is likely to be a
severe blow to the UK's reputation as the "divorce capital of
Europe".
It refers back to the ruling by the Supreme Court, but it is only deducted from
the previous sentence (please bear in mind that in by ruling, ruling is not a
noun). Consequently it is a notional referent.

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