7 Give your opinion on the following statement:

• “Celebrating national events (such as City and Town anniversaries, a Town Day, Victory Day, etc) is an extravagant and controversial act of insignificant social value and public involvement.”

Unit 6: The Legislative Branch of the Government of the Russian Federation

Glossary

Федеральное Собрание- Парламент РФ Совет Федерации Государственная Дума заседать раздельно/ совместно закрытые заседания регламент избираться сроком на 5 лет органы государственной власти органы самоуправления находиться на государственной службе собираться на первое заседание Государственная Дума нового созыва полномочия Думы прежнего созыва доверие правительству назначение и освобождение от должности Счетная Палата распределять места (в Парламенте) право законодательной инициативы отклонить закон преодолеть «вето» президента проголосовать за закон еще раз квалифицированное большинство составлять проекта федерального бюджета выражать недоверие отправлять правительство в отставку составлять проекты федеральных законов подлежать обязательному рассмотрению согласительная комиссия преодолеть разногласие партийная фракция (в парламенте)

the Federal Assembly the Council of the Federation the State Duma to hold separate/ joint sittings closed-door sittings procedure rules be elected for a term of 5 years bodies of state authority local self-government be employed in the state service be convened at its first sitting the State Duma of a new convocation the mandate of the State Duma of the previous convocation confidence in the Government appointment and dismissal the Accounting Chamber assign a seat right to submit draft legislation to veto legislation to override a presidential veto to reconsider legislation a majority specified by law to draft the federal budget vote no confidence to dismiss the government to draft federal laws be subject to indispensable consideration the Conciliation Committee to overcome the uprising disagreement party group

Answer the following questions.

Strategy Points: how to provide the best answer to the question

• Make use of various sources of information (text-books, multimedia materials, the Internet, etc) to obtain necessary data, facts, information

• Use appropriate vocabulary when answering a question (refer to Glossary)

• Use a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

• Make sure you keep to the topic.

1. What form of government do we have in Russia?

2. What is the Russian Parliament called? What type of body is it? What does it consist of?

3. What is the composition and term of the lower house?

4. What are the powers and responsibilities of the members of the lower chamber? What other activities can they be engaged in outside Parliament?

5. What is the jurisdiction of the State Duma?

6. When is the State Duma convened at its first sitting?

7. What is the composition of the upper house?

8. Who has the right to propose a candidate for the Council of Federation?

9. What is the term of membership in the upper chamber?

10. What are the duties and responsibilities of the upper chamber?

11. What is the jurisdiction of the Council of Federation?

12. In what way does the legislature process run in both chambers?

13. In what cases does the Federal Assembly have joint, separate, open and closed-door sittings?

14. What is the present role of the Speaker?

15. What work do committees and commissions carry out in Parliament?

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Strategy Points: how to make the best presentation

• Make use of various sources of information (text-books, multimedia materials, the Internet, etc) to obtain necessary data, facts, information

• Avoid making your presentation purely factual or theoretical, make references to present actual situations, people, events, etc

• Use appropriate vocabulary (refer to Glossary)as well as a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures.

• You must not read your source material when reporting the ideas in discussion,.

• Focus on getting the main idea across clearly.

• Check that you have made yourself clear, an eye-contact with the listeners is a must.

• Involve the audience in the topic through your own questions, examples, jokes, etc

• Arrange the information in the written form.