Reading
Before you read, give the English equivalents for these word combinations.
государство,ѝконституционнаяѝмонархия,ѝмонарх,ѝкороль,ѝкоролева,ѝ традиция,ѝ правительство,ѝ парламент,ѝ национальнаяѝ политикаѝ
Exercise 1 Read the following text and complete the profile of Great Britain below.
Great Britain
Theѝ officialѝ nameѝ ofѝ Greatѝ Britainѝ isѝ theѝ UnitedѝKingdomѝofѝGreatѝBritainѝandѝNorthernѝ Ireland.ѝGreatѝBritainѝconsistsѝofѝtheѝfollowingѝparts:ѝEngland,ѝScotlandѝandѝWales.ѝ
Theѝ Unitedѝ Kingdomѝ coversѝ overѝ 244,000ѝsquareѝkilometres.ѝItsѝpopulationѝ amountsѝtoѝmoreѝthanѝ60ѝmillionѝpeople.ѝ
TheѝUnitedѝKingdomѝisѝaѝconstitutionalѝ monarchy,ѝ aѝ monarchѝ isѝ itsѝ Headѝ ofѝ State.ѝ Theѝ monarchѝ canѝ reignѝ onlyѝ withѝ theѝ supportѝ ofѝ theѝ Parliament.ѝ Parliamentѝ asѝ centralѝ governmentѝ isѝ responsibleѝ forѝ decidingѝ nationalѝ policy.ѝTheѝUKѝisѝdividedѝintoѝadministrativeѝareasѝknownѝasѝ«counties»ѝandѝeachѝ countyѝhasѝaѝcountyѝtown.ѝLocalѝgovernmentѝ isѝ responsibleѝ forѝ organisingѝ
suchѝservicesѝasѝeducation,ѝlibraries,ѝpoliceѝandѝfireѝservices,ѝroadѝbuildingѝandѝmanyѝothers.ѝ
TheѝBritishѝgovernmentѝcomprisesѝallѝtheѝthreeѝpowers:ѝlegislative,ѝexecutiveѝandѝjudicial.ѝThereѝisѝnoѝwrittenѝconstitutionѝinѝGreatѝBritain.ѝ TheѝBritishѝConstitutionѝconsistsѝof:ѝ
theѝlawsѝpassedѝinѝParliamentѝ(ActsѝofѝParliament).ѝ
CommonѝLawѝdecisionsѝmadeѝbyѝjudgesѝinѝtheѝpastѝ(precedents).ѝ
unwrittenѝconventions.ѝ
AllѝtheseѝthingsѝcanѝbeѝchangedѝatѝanyѝtimeѝbyѝnewѝActsѝofѝParliament,ѝ byѝjudicialѝdecisions.ѝThusѝtheѝBritishѝlawyersѝrelyѝmostlyѝonѝcustoms,ѝ traditionsѝandѝprecedents.ѝ
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Country profile
Name:ѝѝ __________________________________ѝ Territory:ѝѝ ________________________________ѝ Capital:ѝѝ _________________________________ѝ Typeѝofѝgovernment:ѝѝ _______________________ѝ Headѝofѝstate:ѝѝ _____________________________ѝ Officialѝlanguage:ѝѝ __________________________ѝ
Exercise 2 Insert appropriate prepositions.
1.GreatѝBritainѝisѝaѝconstitutionalѝmonarchy,ѝtheѝpowerѝ___ѝtheѝQueenѝ isѝlimitedѝ___ѝParliament.ѝ
2.Theѝmonarch,ѝaѝkingѝorѝaѝqueen,ѝcanѝreignѝonlyѝ___ѝtheѝsupportѝ___ѝParliament.ѝ
3.Parliamentѝconsistsѝ___ѝtwoѝHouses.ѝ
4.Britishѝlawyersѝandѝjudgesѝrelyѝmostlyѝ____ѝcustoms,ѝtraditionsѝandѝprecedents.ѝ
5.Parliamentѝisѝcertainlyѝresponsibleѝ___ѝdecidingѝnationalѝpolicy.ѝ
6.Manyѝpublicѝservicesѝareѝprovidedѝ___ѝlocalѝgovernmentsѝthroughoutѝ theѝUnitedѝKingdom.ѝ
7.TheѝUKѝisѝdividedѝ___ѝcounties.ѝ
Exercise 3 It's interesting to know. The Queen is the head of Great Britain. Are there any other countries where the Queen of Great Britain reigns?
The Monarch in the UK
TheѝQueen'sѝtitleѝinѝtheѝUnitedѝKingdomѝis:ѝ «ElizabethѝtheѝSecond,ѝforѝtheѝGraceѝofѝGodѝ theѝQueenѝofѝtheѝUnitedѝKingdomѝofѝGreatѝ Britainѝ andѝ Northѝ Irelandѝ andѝ ofѝ Herѝ otherѝ RealmsѝandѝTerritories.»ѝ
QueenѝElizabethѝIIѝisѝnotѝonlyѝQueenѝofѝtheѝ Unitedѝ Kingdomѝbutѝ alsoѝ Queenѝofѝ Antiguaѝ andѝBarbuda,ѝAustralia,ѝtheѝBahamas,ѝBarbados,ѝBelize,ѝCanada,ѝGrenada,ѝJamaica,ѝNewѝ Zealand,ѝ Papuaѝ Newѝ Guinea,ѝ St.ѝ Christo- pher-Nevis,ѝ St.ѝ Lucia,ѝ St.ѝ Vincentѝ andѝ theѝ
Grenadines,ѝtheѝSolomonѝIslandsѝandѝofѝTuvalu.ѝTheѝmajorityѝofѝtheѝ Commonwealthѝcountriesѝ areѝ republics,ѝ withѝaѝ presidentѝ asѝHeadѝ ofѝ
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State,ѝ butѝ likeѝ theѝ Commonwealthѝ monarchiesѝ allѝ acknowledgeѝ theѝ QueenѝasѝHeadѝofѝtheѝCommonwealth.ѝ
Exercise 4 Study the functions of the UK Sovereign and compare them to those of the Russian President.
openingѝandѝclosingѝParliamentѝ
approvingѝtheѝappointmentѝofѝtheѝPrimeѝMinisterѝ
givingѝherѝRoyalѝAssentѝtoѝbillsѝ
givingѝhonoursѝsuchѝasѝpeeragesѝknighthoodsѝandѝmedalsѝ
HeadѝofѝtheѝCommonwealthѝ
HeadѝofѝtheѝChurchѝofѝEnglandѝ
Commander-in-ChiefѝofѝtheѝArmedѝForcesѝ
Exercise 5 Answer these questions. |
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1.ѝWhatѝisѝtheѝofficialѝnameѝofѝGreatѝѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝBritain?ѝ |
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2.ѝWhatѝfourѝpartsѝdoesѝitѝconsistѝof?ѝ |
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3.ѝWhatѝHousesѝdoesѝtheѝBritishѝѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝParliamentѝconsistѝof?ѝ |
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4.ѝWhatѝareѝtheѝresponsibilitiesѝofѝtheѝѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝѝParliament?ѝ |
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5.ѝWhatѝareѝtheѝresponsibilitiesѝofѝtheѝѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝѝlocalѝgovernments?ѝ |
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6.ѝWhatѝkindѝofѝconstitutionѝdoesѝtheѝѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝѝcountryѝhave?ѝ |
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7.ѝWhatѝdoѝBritishѝjudgesѝandѝlawyersѝѝ |
WestminsterѝAbbeyѝ |
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ѝѝѝѝѝrelyѝonѝinѝtheirѝdecisions?ѝ |
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Exercise 6 Use the definite article where necessary.
1.ѝ___ѝGreatѝBritainѝ 7.ѝ___ѝNorthernѝIrelandѝ 2.ѝ___ѝEnglandѝ 8.ѝ___ѝScotlandѝ 3.ѝ___ѝWalesѝ 9.ѝѝ 4.ѝ___ѝBritishѝParliamentѝ 10.ѝ___ѝParliamentѝ 5.ѝ___ѝHouseѝofѝLordsѝѝ 11.ѝ___ѝHouseѝofѝCommonsѝ
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6.ѝ___ѝUnitedѝKingdomѝ 12.ѝ___ѝUnitedѝKingdomѝofѝGreatѝBritainѝѝ
ѝѝѝѝѝѝandѝNorthernѝIrelandѝ
Exercise 7 Read the text.
Parliament
GreatѝBritainѝisѝaѝParliamentaryѝDemocracy.ѝTheѝUKѝParliamentѝisѝ dividedѝintoѝtwoѝchambers,ѝtheѝHouseѝofѝLordsѝandѝtheѝHouseѝofѝ Commons,ѝwhichѝsitѝseparately.ѝ
TheѝHouseѝofѝCommonsѝisѝanѝelectedѝbody,ѝitѝconsistsѝofѝ650ѝMembersѝofѝParliamentѝ(MPs)ѝwhoѝeachѝrepresentѝaѝparticularѝpartѝofѝtheѝ countryѝ(aѝconstituency).ѝGeneralѝElectionsѝareѝheldѝeveryѝfiveѝyears,ѝ thoughѝtheѝPrimeѝMinisterѝmayѝcallѝoneѝearlierѝandѝifѝanѝMPѝdiesѝorѝ retiresѝaѝby-electionѝisѝheldѝinѝherѝorѝhisѝconstituency.ѝ
Afterѝaѝgeneralѝelection,ѝtheѝleaderѝofѝtheѝpartyѝwhichѝhasѝtheѝmostѝ seatsѝ inѝ theѝ Houseѝ ofѝ Commonsѝ becomesѝ Primeѝ Ministerѝ andѝ choosesѝministersѝofѝhisѝCabinet,ѝwhichѝadvisesѝtheѝPrimeѝMinister.ѝ InѝtheѝHouseѝofѝCommonsѝtheyѝsitѝonѝtheѝfrontѝbench,ѝandѝotherѝ MPsѝofѝtheѝpartyѝsitѝbehindѝthem.ѝTheyѝareѝcalledѝback-benchers.ѝ
TheѝmainѝOppositionѝpartyѝsitsѝinѝaѝsimilarѝarrangementѝfacingѝthemѝ inѝtheѝHouse,ѝwithѝtheirѝLeaderѝandѝhisѝShadowѝCabinetѝonѝtheѝfrontѝ benches.ѝInѝtheѝcenterѝisѝtheѝSpeaker,ѝwhoѝkeepsѝorderѝduringѝdebates.ѝTheѝHouseѝofѝLordsѝisѝtheѝupperѝhouseѝandѝhasѝaroundѝ1200ѝ members,ѝmadeѝupѝofѝtheѝtwoѝArchbishopsѝandѝtwenty-fourѝbishops,ѝ hereditaryѝpeersѝandѝpeeresses,ѝwhoѝhaveѝinheritedѝtheirѝtitles,ѝandѝ lifeѝpeers,ѝwhoseѝtitleѝisѝonlyѝforѝtheirѝlifetimeѝandѝwillѝnotѝpassѝtoѝ theirѝchildren.ѝTheѝHouseѝofѝLordsѝisѝnotѝelected.ѝ
Exercise 8 Answer these questions.
1.ѝWhatѝareѝtheѝchambersѝofѝtheѝBritishѝParliament?ѝ 2.ѝWhichѝofѝthemѝisѝtheѝupperѝchamberѝandѝwhichѝofѝthemѝisѝtheѝlower?ѝ 3.ѝHowѝmanyѝmembersѝdoesѝtheѝHouseѝofѝCommonsѝcomprise?ѝ 4.ѝHowѝoftenѝdoѝtheѝpeopleѝinѝtheѝUKѝelectѝtheirѝMPs?ѝ 5.ѝWhoѝformsѝtheѝCabinet?ѝ 6.ѝWhatѝisѝShadowѝCabinetѝinѝGreatѝBritain?ѝIsѝthisѝstatusѝofficial?ѝ 7.ѝHowѝmanyѝmembersѝareѝthereѝinѝtheѝhouseѝofѝLords?ѝ 8.ѝIsѝtheѝHouseѝofѝLordsѝanѝelectedѝbody?ѝ
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