Lesson 2. Political System Grammar: The Perfect Continuous Tenses Phonetics: Интонация. Нисходящий тон.

1. Read the text “The Government and Political System” and translate it into Russian.

The Government and Political System

Canada is a constitutional monarchy, a federal state and parliamentary democracy with two official languages and two systems of law: civil law and common law. In 1982, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was entrenched in the Canadian Constitution.

Canada's Constitution was initially a British statute, the British North America Act, 1867, and until 1982, major amendments required action by the British Parliament. Since 1982 when the Constitution was "patriated" - that is, when Canadians obtained the right to amend all parts of the Constitution in Canada - this founding statute has been known as the Constitution Act, 1867-1982.

The Parliament of Canada, in Ottawa, consists of the House of Commons, whose members are elected, and the Senate, whose members are appointed. On average, members of Parliament are elected every four years.

The roots of Canada's parliamentary system lie in Britain. In keeping with traditions handed down by the British Parliament, the Canadian Parliament is composed of the Queen (who is represented in Canada by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons.

The Senate, also called the Upper House, is patterned after the British House of Lords. Its 105 members are appointed, not elected, and are divided essentially among Canada's four main regions of Ontario, Quebec, the West and the Atlantic Provinces. The Senate has the same powers as the House of Commons, with a few exceptions. The House of Commons is the major law-making body. It currently has 301 members, one from each of the 301 constituencies or electoral districts. The Canadian Constitution requires the election of a new House of Commons at least every five years. As in the United Kingdom and the United States, in Canada voters elect a single member for their electoral constituency, in one round of balloting.

In each constituency, the candidate who gets the largest number of votes is elected, even if his or her vote is less than half the total. Candidates usually represent a recognized political party - although some run as independents - and the party that wins the largest number of seats ordinarily forms the government. Its leader is asked by the Governor General to become Prime Minister.

The real executive authority is in the hands of the Cabinet, under the direction of the Prime Minister. In general, the Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the House of Commons and is vested with extensive powers. It is the Prime Minister who chooses the ministers from among the members of Parliament in the governing party.

Strictly speaking, the Prime Minister and Cabinet are the advisers of the monarch. "De facto" power, however, lies with the Cabinet, and the Governor General acts on its advice. Cabinet develops government policy and is responsible to the House of Commons. The Government of Canada, headed by its Cabinet of some 25 ministers, performs its duties through the intermediary of the federal departments and agencies, boards, commissions and state-owned corporations.

Notes:

"De facto" – де-факто, фактически, в реальности, на самом деле

the British North America Act – Британский северо-американский акт

the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Хартия прав и свобод

Governor General – губернатор колонии или доминиона, генерал-губернатор

Vocabulary on the text

adviser, n ‒ (= advisor) советник, консультант, референт, эксперт

agency, n ‒ 1) агентство 2) орган, учреждение, организация, ведомство

appoint, v ‒ 1) назначать (на должность), утверждать (в должности) (Syn: assign, designate, name) (Ant: discharge, fire, suspend, withdraw) 2) предписывать; поручать

board, n ‒ 1) совет, комитет 2) департамент 3) коллегия 4) министерство 5) правление

body, n ‒ орган; корпорация; организация; ассоциация, сообщество

commission, n ‒ 1) доверенность; полномочие 2) комиссия, комитет

common law ‒ общее право

constituency, n ‒ 1) избиратели, электорат 2) избирательный округ

divide, v ‒ 1) (divide into) = divide up а) делить (на несколько частей, групп), разделять б) делиться (на несколько частей, групп), разделяться (Syn: separate) 2) подразделять; делить на группы, классы; классифицировать (Syn: class, classify) 3) (divide among/between) = divide up/out делить; распределять (Syn: distribute, apportion)

exception, n ‒ а) исключение, изъятие, невключение (Syn: exclusion, expulsion) б) исключение, отклонение от нормы, несоответствие правилам

extensive, adj ‒ 1) пространственный, обладающий протяжённостью, громадный, большой Syn: vast, spacious 2) экстенсивный (о характере развития, способе производстве)

hand down, v ‒ передавать по наследству, оставлять, передавать младшим поколениям (Syn: hand on, pass down, pass on)

intermediary, n ‒ 1) посредник 2) посредничество

law‒making adj ‒ законодательный (Syn: legislative)

lie (lay, lain), v ‒ (with) находиться, заключаться (в чём-л.)

pattern, v ‒ ( after/(up)on) а) делать по образцу; соответствовать (чему-л.) (Syn: match) б) имитировать, копировать (Syn: imitate)

power, n ‒ 1) а) власть; политическая власть б) (powers) право, полномочия, власть (Syn: jurisdiction, authority) 2) часто (Power) держава (Syn: nation, state)

recognized ‒ 1) признанный; общепризнанный, очевидный, явный (Syn: acknowledged, avowed, declared) 2) привилегированный (Syn: privileged, licensed)

represent, v ‒ быть представителем, представлять (какое-л. лицо или организацию)

root, n ‒ 1) корень 2) источник, корень, первопричина (Syn: origin, basis, source)

run (ran, run) , v ‒ а) баллотироваться, выставлять (свою) кандидатуру на б) выставлять в качестве кандидата

statute, n ‒ 1) закон, законодательный акт парламента; статут (Syn: law, decree)

vest, v ‒ 1) (vest in/with) наделять (правом), давать права, облекать правом (чем-л.). 2) (vest in) переходить, передаваться (кому-л.; об имуществе, наследстве и т. п.) 3) (vest with) наделять (кого-л. имуществом и т. п.) 4) а) облекать, облачать б) облачаться

be in the hands ‒ находиться в руках

be responsible to ‒ отвечать перед...

civil law ‒ гражданское право

сonstitutional monarchy ‒ конституционная монархия

develop policy ‒ совершенствовать политику

executive authority ‒ исполнительная власть (Syn. executive power)

perform one’s duties, v ‒ выполнять свои обязанности

strictly speaking ‒ строго говоря собственно говоря

under the direction ‒ под руководством

Phonetic exercises