- •I. Us government
- •1. Read and translate the text:
- •Vocabulary:
- •Vocabulary notes:
- •Duties of the President and Vice-President
- •5. Match the departments (left column) with their responsibilities (right column):
- •III. Legislative branch: the congress
- •1. Read and translate the text:
- •Vocabulary:
- •5. Complete the following text by translating the words or expressions in brackets:
- •6. Speak on:
- •IV. The judicial system of the u.S.A.
- •Vocabulary:
- •1. Give the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations:
- •4. Speak on:
- •Unit II
- •I. Us constitution I
- •Vocabulary:
- •Us constitution II
- •Vocabulary:
- •10. Find the English equivalents for:
- •11. Speak on:
- •2. Answer the questions:
- •3. Discuss the following questions:
- •1. Read and translate the text:
- •Vocabulary:
- •1. Give the English equivalents for:
- •2. Choose the correct answer:
- •3. Shorten the text above writing out the key sentences from it and try to retell it.
- •4. Read the text without a dictionary. Try to catch the main idea: the separation of powers in state government
- •Vocabulary:
- •5. Say if the following statements are true or false (see the text above):
- •Unit III.
- •Major political parties
- •1. Read and translate the text:
- •Vocabulary:
- •2. Give the English equivalents for:
- •3. Match each word on the left with the right definition on the right:
- •4. Answer the questions:
- •Vocabulary:
- •6. Say what party is spoken about in each sentence:
- •7. Speak on:
- •1. Read and translate the text:
- •Vocabulary:
- •Political attitudes
- •Courts in the united states
- •Cost of government
- •The constitution as a supreme law
- •The lawmaking process
- •Power in international relations
- •Elections
- •Библиографический список
Vocabulary:
Judiciary |
суд |
The Custom Court |
Таможенный Суд |
The Federal Court |
Федеральный Суд |
The Court of Appeals |
Аппеляционный Суд |
The Court of Claims |
Претенциозный Суд |
criminal; civil case |
уголовное; гражданское дело |
1. Give the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations:
- судебная система;
- высший судебный орган;
- судья;
- уходить в отставку;
- нарушение;
- внутренняя безопасность;
- судебное дело;
- спор;
- обвиняемый.
Match each word on the left with the definition on the right:
1) court
a) an official request for money that you think you have a right to
2) judge
b) a legal matter or question that must be decided in a court of law
3) case
c) the people who make a legal judgement, for example, about whether someone is guilty of a crime, or the place where these judgements are made
4) appeal
d) the official in control of a court who decides how criminals should be punished
5) claim
e) making an urgent public request for money, help, information
Answer the following questions:
1. What kind of court system is there in the United States of America?
2. What is the federal judiciary made up?
3. What is the highest judicial branch in the U.S.A.?
4. Where does it meet?
5. What are the members of the Supreme Court?
6. Are they elected?
7. What is the main duty of the Supreme Court?
8. What are the functions of Federal courts?
4. Speak on:
1. The judicial system of your country.
Unit II
I. Us constitution I
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." — Preamble to the Constitution.
Read and translate the text:
The form of the US government is based on the Constitution of 1787 which was adopted after the War of Independence. A constitution is a set of customs, traditions, rules and laws that sets forth the basic way a government is organized and functions. According to this definition of the word, every nation has a constitution but in some countries constitutions are very easily violated because the basic rights of their citizens are violated.
It is very important to understand that having a constitution does not mean that a nation has a constitutional government. If a constitution makes it possible to concentrate power by one or few, it is not the basis of a constitutional government. If a constitution says that the government’s power should be limited but doesn’t mention the ways how to do it, it is not the basis for a constitutional government.
In a constitutional government the constitution is a form of higher law that must be obeyed by everyone including those in power.
The US Constitution consists of 7 articles and 26 amendments.
According to the Founders of the American state a constitution or higher law should have the following characteristics:
It sets forth the basic rights of citizens to life, liberty and property
It establishes the responsibility of the government to protect those rights
It establishes limitations on how those in government may use their powers with regard to
- citizens’ rights and responsibilities
- the distribution of resources
- the control of conflict
- It establishes the principle of a private domain – which means that there are areas of citizens’ lives that are no business of the government and in which the government cannot interfere.
- It can be changed with the consent of the most citizens. This is how the Constitution differs from the ordinary law that the governments regularly create and enforce. The US Constitution has 26 amendments, the first 10 are called the Bill of Rights and it was adopted in 1791. The bill enumerated basic freedoms and guaranteed them and declared what the government was not allowed to do.
Notes to the text:
“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”- Preamble to the Constitution – “Мы, народ Соединенных Штатов, в целях образования более совершенного Союза, утверждения правосудия, обеспечения внутреннего спокойствия, организации совместной обороны, содействия общему благосостоянию и обеспечения нам и нашему потомству благ свободы, учреждаем и принимаем эту Конституцию для Соединенных Штатов Америки.”- Преамбула к Конституции.