английский / United_Kingdom
.docThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
EXERCISE 1. Read the text using a dictionary if necessary. Make up a list of unknown words.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles, which include two large islands (Great Britain and Ireland) and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. The British Isles are separated from the Continent by the North Sea and the British Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. The UK is a highly developed country. It produces and exports machinery, electronics, textile. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.
The UK is a parliamentary monarchy and the King (Queen) is the formal head of the government. For centuries the monarch had the total power, but now the Queen is said “to reign, not to rule”. Now the Queen of Britain is Elizabeth II. The British Parliament, the legislative body of the country, is the oldest in the world. It was formed in the 13th century. It consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Monarch. The House of Lords was previously a hereditary, aristocratic chamber, but currently it includes a number of hereditary members, bishops of the Church of England and appointed members (life peers). Life peers are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government for various services to the nation. The House of Lords was the final Court of Appeal up to 2005. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 transferred its judicial functions to the Supreme
Court of the United Kingdom. The head of the House is Lord Chancellor.
The House of Commons consists of 650 members elected by popular vote. The House elects its own president who is called the Speaker. Since 1707 the House of Commons has been the major element in the British Parliament. In comparison with the House of Lords only its debates really matter during the legislative process.
The executive functions belong to the Government, which is responsible to the House of Commons. It is headed by the Prime Minister, who forms the Cabinet consisting of 17 chief ministers, the Government’s inner ruling body. The main parties which give the majority of members to the House, are the Conservative party (or Tories), the Labour party and the Liberal Democratic party. The leader of the majority party becomes the Prime Minister of Britain.
London is the capital of the UK, its economic, political and cultural centre. It is one of the world’s most important ports and one of the largest cities in the world with the population of about 11 million people. The most famous places in London are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum and many others.
Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии расположена на Британских островах, которые включают в себя два больших острова (Великобритания и Ирландия) и около пяти тысяч маленьких островов. Их общая площадь составляет более 244 000 квадратных километров. Британские острова отделены от Континента Северным морем и Ла-Манш. Западное побережье Великобритании омывается Атлантическим океаном и Ирландским морем.
Великобритания состоит из четырех стран: Англии, Уэльса, Шотландии и Северной Ирландии. Их столицы Лондон, Кардифф, Эдинбург и Белфаст соответственно. Великобритания является высокоразвитой страной. Она производит и экспортирует машины, электронику, текстиль. Одна из главных отраслей промышленности страны судостроение.
Великобритания является парламентская монархия и король (королева) является формальным главой правительства. На протяжении веков монарха была полной мощности, но теперь королева сказала: "царствовать, но не править". Теперь Королева Британии Елизавета II. Британский парламент, законодательный орган страны, является самым старым в мире. Она была создана в 13 веке. Она состоит из Палаты Лордов, Палата общин и монархом. Палата лордов была ранее наследственное, аристократическое камере, но в настоящее время она включает в себя ряд наследственных членов, епископов англиканской церкви и назначаемых членов (пожизненных пэров). Жизнь сверстников назначается королевой по рекомендации правительства на различные услуги в стране. Палата лордов была высшей апелляционной инстанции до 2005 года. Конституционная реформа Закон 2005 года передал свои судейские функции в Верховный суд Соединенного Королевства. Глава дом лорда-канцлера.
Палата общин состоит из 650 членов, избираемых всенародным голосованием. Дом избирает своего президента, который называется спикер. С 1707 года Палата общин была основным элементом в британском парламенте. По сравнению с Палатой лордов только его дебаты действительно имеет значение в ходе законодательного процесса.
Исполнительные функции принадлежат правительству, которое несет ответственность перед Палатой общин. Ее возглавляет премьер-министра, который формирует Кабинет, состоящий из 17 главных министров, внутренний корпус правящего правительства. Основными сторонами, которые дают большинство членов палаты, являются Консервативная партия (или тори), Лейбористская партия и Либерально-демократическая партии. Лидер партии большинства становится премьер-министром Великобритании.
Лондон является столицей Великобритании, ее экономического, политического и культурного центра. Это один из самых важных портов в мире и одним из крупнейших городов мира с населением около 11 миллионов человек. Самые известные места в Лондоне, Лондонский Тауэр, Вестминстерское аббатство, Собор Святого Павла, здание Парламента, Британский музей и многие другие.
EXERCISE 2. Give Russian equivalents for the following English words and word combinations:
a highly(хайли) developed country(высоко развитая страна), monarchy(монархия), to reign(царствовать), legislative body(законодательный процесс), hereditary chamber(наследственная палата), to appoint(назначить), Court of Appeal(Апелляционный суд), judicial functions(судебная функция), the United Kingdom(соединеное королевство), popular vote(народное голосование), executive functions(исполнительные функции), be responsible to(нести ответственность), ruling body(руководящий орган), majority party(партия большинства).
EXERCISE 3. Give English equivalents for the folloing Russian words and word combinations:
Западное побережье, Великобритания, кораблестроение(shipbuilding), королева(queen), п
равить(to rule), управлять(to manage) епископ(bishop), пожизненные пэры(life peers), заслуги перед отечеством(services to the nation), Верховный суд(supreme court), глава(head), избирать(to elect), по сравнению с(in comparison with), законодательный процесс(legislative body), возглавлять(to head).
EXERCISE 4. Match up the adjectives in column A with the nouns in column B to form meaningful phrases.
A B
Northern chamber
Hereditary body
Parliamentary court
Legislative Ireland
Supreme monarchy
EXERCISE 5. Decide which of the verbs on the left collocate with the nouns on the right.
To produce members
To appoint functions
To elect machinery
To transfer the Cabinet
To head life peers
EXERCISE 6. Speak on advantages or disadvantages of having a monarchy.
EXERCISE 7. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box:
Cabinet benches Foreign Secretary
backbenchers Budget Shadow Cabinet
Prime Minister Speaker Home Secretary
ministers front bench Leader of the opposition
debates Opposition Chancellor of the Exchequer
The House of Commons
This is the House of Commons, where the Members of Parliament take their seats on the green leather … according to their party and position. One of them is chosen to be the … , who acts as a kind of chairman of the … which take place in the house. In front of him on his right sit the MPs of the biggest party, which forms the government, and facing them sit the MPs of the parties who oppose them, the … . The leaders of these two groups sit at the front on each side. MPs without special position in their parties sit behind their leaders at the back. They are called … . The leader of the government, the … , sits on the government … , of course, next to his or her … . The most important of these form the … . The minister responsible for relations with other countries is called the … . The one responsible for law and security is called the … . The one who deals with financial matters and prepares the annual … speech on the economic state of the country is called the … . Opposite this group sits the … (the main person in the largest party opposing the government) and the … , each member of which specializes in a particular area of government.
EXERCISE 8. Scan the text and find the answers to the following questions:
1. How can a person become a candidate for the election?
2. Who does an MP represent?
3. What does the job of an MP consist of?
4. How is the job of an MP paid?
People who want to be elected to Parliament need to be nominated by one of the main political parties. A candidate has to put down a deposit of 500 pounds and collect ten signatures from residents in the constituency where he wants to stand. A candidate who gets less than 5 per cent of the total votes loses his deposit. Although MPs will support a particular party, they are not controlled by that political party and theoretically don’t have to vote with their party in Parliament. MPs represent everyone in the constituency, not just the people who voted for them. A lot of MPs’ work has nothing to do with voting in Parliament. There are hundreds of things MPs must deal with in the day-to-day business of constituency life, such as housing or health care. MPs are there to help people and to try to make sure their rights under the law are not violated. Some MPs hold an advice bureau in their constituencies, where people can go for advice. Members of Parliament have been paid salaries since 1911. The rate has lately been nearly twice the average industrial worker’s wages. Since 1965 the allowances for travel, living in London, and paying part-time secretaries and research assistants have all been increased. Still many MPs have outside earnings, through journalism, work at the law courts or business.
EXERCISE 9. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the full name of the country?
2. What is the total area of the country?
3. How many parts does the UK consist of?
4. What is the capital of Scotland?
5. Who is the head of the country?
6. What is the legislative body of the UK?
7. Who does the House of Lords include?
8. Who are the heads of both Houses of Parliament?
9. What House of Parliament has more power?
10. What court was established by the Constitution Reform Act 2005?
11. What body exercises executive functions?
12. What are the main political parties in the UK?
13. Who is the Prime Minister nowadays?
14. What is London famous for?
EXERCISE 10. Surf the Internet for the information about a) London and its places of interest; b) parts of the UK; c) the royal family, etc. and make up a presentation for your groupmates.
EXERCISE 11. Compare the British and Russian state systems and speak on differences between them.