请阅读下面短文,将适合的字词填入空格中: parties abide by negotiation Contracts conditions signatures legal assurance regulations terms agreement cancellation court case obligation warranty What is a Contract? 1 _________ are a very important part of business, but what are they? In simple terms, a contract is a written agreement between two or more 2 _________ . By signing a contract, the parties agree to 3 _________ an agreement. That is, they agree to accept and follow the terms and 4 _________ that are written in the contract. In many cases, this means the parties know what they should do, when they should do it, and how much money they should pay or be paid. These conditions are usually decided by both parties through a process of 5 _________ ——a kind of formal or informal discussion about how the business will be conducted. Because contracts are 6 _________ documents, they are usually written by lawyers. This is because most business people do not have a strong legal background. Apart from helping the parties negotiate an agreement, lawyers should know the laws and 7_________ related to the business. If the parties agree to the 8 _________ and conditions in the agreement, they will sign their 9 _________ at the bottom of the contract. Once they have signed it, each side has the 10 _________ that the other side will abide by the contract. Contracts are used in many ways. For example, a 11_________ is a kind of contract. It promises a buyer that the product will do what it is supposed to do. If it doesn't, the company has an 12_________ to either fix or replace the product. The13 _________ of a contract may happen if either party fails to do what they have promised to do. When one party does not follow the 14 _________ , the other party might feel they cannot continue the business relationship. If this happens, a 15 _________ may be needed. What this means is a judge will make a decision about who is right or wrong.