Методические указания для студентовбакалавров 1го курса дневного отделения
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Part IIIThe Political System of the United Kingdom
1.34.Answer the following questions.
1.35.Read and learn the following words and word combinations.
1.36.Read and translate the text to learn more about the political system of Great Britain. Three Branches of GovernmentPower in Great Britain is divided among three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative branch is represented by the British Parliament, which consists of two chambers or houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Parliament in Britain has existed since 1265. Having been organised in the reign of King Edward I, it is the oldest parliament in the world. The House of Lords consists of more than 1000 peers, including two “lords spiritual”: the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York, and 24 bishops of the Church of England. The peers (with the exception of the “lords spiritual”) have the right to sit in the Parliament during their lifetime and transmit their right to the eldest sons. During the present century a new practice has appeared: the practice of “creating” new peers. They are called “life peers”, because their children do not inherit their titles like children of hereditary peers. New peers are created by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. Members of the House of Commons are elected by a general election. The whole country is divided into constituencies, every one of which chooses one delegate. Members of the House of Commons are elected for five years. The main function of the Parliament is to make laws. The procedure of making new laws is as follows: a member of the House of Commons proposes a bill, which is discussed by the House. If the bill is approved, it is sent to the House of Lords, which, in case it does not like it, has the right to veto it for one year. If the House of Commons passed the bill again the following year, the House of Lords cannot reject it. Finally the bill is sent to the Queen for the “royal assent”, after which it becomes a law. The executive branch is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by a king or a queen. According to tradition, the Prime Minister is the leader of the party that has won the election and has the majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints ministers to compose the government. After that the newly appointed ministers are presented to the monarch for the formal approval. The most important ministers of the government (about twenty) form the Cabinet. Members of the Cabinet make joint decisions or advise the Prime Minister. The main function of the executive branch of the government is to administer laws. The judicial branch interprets laws. The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Judicature: the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal. It is often said that the English law is superior to the law of most other countries. Indeed, the English judicial system contains many rules which protect the individual against arbitrary action by the police and the government. 1.37.What new facts about the political system of the UK have you learned from the text?
1.38.Answer the following questions.
1.39.Are these statements true or false?
1.40.Complete the following sentences.
1.41.Give English equivalents of the following words and word-combinations. Власть, законодательная ветвь власти, палата парламента, наследовать, избирать, утверждать, избирательный округ, право вето, отклонять (отвергать), закон, одержать победу на выборах, большинство, предлагать, формировать правительство, советовать, исполнительная власть, правительство, судебная система, законопроект, всеобщие выборы. 1.42.Turn the following nouns into adjectives. Legislation, heritage, royalty, execution, government, parliament, constitution, politics, democracy, judicature, tradition. 1.43.Explain what the following terms mean. British Constitution, a monarchy, legislative process, a bill, life peers, lords spiritual, royal assent, general election, MPs, hereditary nobility, arbitrary action. 1.44.Fill in the gaps with the words and word combinations from the text.
1.45.Translate the following sentences into English.
1.46.Read the texts below to get more interesting information about the political system of the UK, its constitution and its political parties. Political systemGreat Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Officially the head of the state is a king or a queen. The power of the monarch is not absolute but constitutional. The monarch acts only on the advice of ministers. The hereditary principle upon which the monarchy is founded is strictly observed. The monarch, be it a king or a queen, is the head of the executive body, an integral part of the legislature, the head of the judicial body, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the crown, the head of the Established Church of England and the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Notes:
Answer the questions.
The Constitution Practically speaking, there is no written constitution in Great Britain. The term “English Constitution” means leading principles, conventions and laws, many of which have been existed for centuries, though they have undergone modifications and extensions in agreement with the advance of civilization. These principles are expressed in such documents of major importance as Magna Charta, a famous document in English history agreed upon in 1215 by King John and barons, which set certain limits on royal power and which was later regarded as a law stating basic civil rights; Habeas Corpus Act, a law passed in 1679, which guarantees to a person arrested the right to appear in Court of Justice so that the jury should decide whether he is guilty or not guilty; the Bill of Rights, an act of Parliament passed in 1689, which confirmed certain rights of people; laws deciding the succession of the royal family, and a number of constitutional acts, separate laws and agreements. Notes:
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Political PartiesThe two main political parties of Great Britain are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The Conservative Party (otherwise called the Tory Party) is right-wing, tending to be opposed to great and sudden changes in the established order of society. It is against state control of industry. The Labour Party, sometimes called the Socialists, has a close association with Trade Unions, although it is now not as left-wing as it used to be. It has many supporters, especially among working-class and middle-class people. Notes:
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1.47.Name (or write) interesting facts you have learnt about the political system of the United Kingdom, especially those different from the Russian ones. 1.48.Draw a scheme of the political system in the UK and compare it with the political system in the US and Russia. Find similarities and differences in these political systems. 1.49.Comment on the statements.
1.50.Imagine that you are a reporter of the Russian newspaper “Izvestija”. Interview a Conservative party member (a Labour party member) on the aims of their national and local policies. 1.51.Role play. Work in two groups: one acting members of Parliament supporting the bills to be introduced, the other – rejecting it. Discuss all pros and cons of the bills given below, and give your arguments.
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