3. Learn the key words and expressions.

be separated from – отделяться

be washed – омываться

capital– столица

comprise– включать

feature– особенность, характеристика

forest – лес

government – правительство

influence – влияние

join– присоединять

loch [lPk]– (шотл.) озеро

possible– возможный

severe– суровый

state– государство

temperate – умеренный

thick – густой

valley – долина

4. Check your comprehension.

1. What states does the UK consist of? 2. What is the capital of Scotland (Wales, Northern Ireland, England, the UK)? 3. Where is the UK situated? 4. What is the longest river in Great Britain?

TEXT 6

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

The House of Lords [Dq'haus qv 'lLdz] – Палата Лордов

The House of Commons [Dq'haus qv 'kOmqnz] – Палата Общин

monarchy ['mPnqkI] – монархия

Parliament ['pRlqmqnt] – Парламент

Prime Minister ["praIm 'mInIstq] – Премьер-министр

legislature ['ledZIsleItSq] – законодательная власть

executive power [Ig'zekjVtIv] – исполнительная власть

judiciary [dZV'dISqrI] – судебная власть

2. Read and translate the text.

The UK GOVERNMENT (1, 800)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a parliamentary monarchy. This means that the power of the British monarch is limited by Parliament, in other words, the monarch reigns with the support of Parliament.

The organs of government in the United Kingdom are:

- the legislature, which consists of the Queen in Parliament, and is the supreme authority of the state;

- the executive power, which consists of: a) the Cabinet and other ministers of the Crown, who are responsible for initiating and directing national policy; b) Government departments, most of them under the control of ministers, and all staffed by civil servants, who are responsible for administration at the national level; c) local authorities, who administer and manage many services at the local level; and d) statutory boards, which are responsible for the operation of particular nationalized industries or public services;

- the judiciary, which determines common law and interprets statutes.

So, the legislative power belongs to Parliament which consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The main function of the Parliament is law-making. The party that obtains the majority of seats in the House is called the Government, and the others are the Opposition.

The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party that has a majority in the House of Commons. All the affairs of the state are conducted in the name of the Queen (or King), but it is the Prime Minister, who is the ruler of the country. He is responsible for every measure submitted to Parliament. The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and ministers.

Any Member of Parliament (M.P.) may introduce a Bill and ask permission to bring it to the notice of the House. When permission has been obtained, the Bill is brought before the House for the first reading. There is no debate after the first reading. When the second reading takes place, the Member who has introduced the Bill makes his speech, explaining the proposed new law and his reasons for bringing it forward. Other Members may support the Bill or oppose it.

After the third reading the Bill goes before the House of Lords. If the Lords agree to the Bill, it will be placed before the Queen for signature. The Queen having signed it, it becomes an Act of Parliament.

Notes

1) bring to the notice – давать на рассмотрение;

2) it is the Prime Minister, who is the ruler of the country – именно премьер-министр правит страной;

3) make speech – произносить речь;

4) statutory boards – законодательные власти.

3. Learn the key words and expressions.

affair – дело

authority [L'TPrqtI] – власть

be responsible for – быть ответственным за

bill – законопроект

chamber – палата

civil servant – государственный служащий

consist of – состоять из

crown – корона

house – (зд.) парламент

law – закон

permission – разрешение

power – власть

signature – подпись

statute ['stxtSHt] – законодательный

акт парламента

support – поддерживать

4. Check your comprehension.

1. What kind of state is the United Kingdom? 2. What are the main organs of the British government? 3. What is the main function of the Parliament? 4. What is the executive power in Great Britain? 5. Who does the Cabinet consist of?

TEXT 7

1. Read and translate the text.

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS (1, 700)

The House of Commons is elected by an almost universal adult suffrage. There are at present 651 members of the House of Commons, who are elected by people every five years. Members of the House of Commons receive a salary for their parliamentary work and hold their seats during the life of a Parliament. They are elected either at a general election, which takes place after a Parliament has been dissolved, or at a by-election, which is held when a vacancy occurs in the House as a result of the death or resignation of a member, or as a result of the elevation of a member of the House of Commons to the House of Lords.

All the work of preparing a government Bill is done by the permanent civil servants in the department responsible for the Bill. It is these officials who play the key role in advising the Minister and drafting a Bill in accordance with the policy of the government.

Parliamentary procedure is based on forms and rules, many of which date back to the beginning of the sixteenth century or even earlier. At one end of the chamber is the Speaker’s Chair. In front of it there is the Table of the House to which the Mace is affixed when the Speaker is in the chair. The Clerk of the House and two of his assistants occupy the three chairs at the Table. On the front bench at the Table to the right of the Speaker the Prime Minister and other Ministers sit; leaders of the Opposition face them on the front benches opposite. The benches are covered with green leather. The floor of the House is covered by a green carpet bearing on either side a red stripe, over which no member may cross when addressing the House. On both sides of the chamber there are galleries for the press and the public.

At each side of the Chamber there are Division Lobbies. Members voting “Aye” go out of the chamber behind the Speaker’s chair, and pass through the lobby on his right. Those voting “No” go out at the other end of the Chamber into the Lobby on the Speaker’s left. At the farther end of each Lobby, clerks record the names of the Members and a pair of Members, “Tellers”, counts them. Division lists are published the following morning.

Notes

1) either… or – ... или ... или;

2) universal suffrage – всеобщее избирательное право;

3) hold a seat – проводить заседание, заседать;

4) by-election – дополнительные выборы;

5) vote “Aye” – голосовать «за»;

6) Division Lobbies [dI'vIZn 'lObIz] – кулуары (помещения, куда члены палаты направляются для голосования); division – (зд.) голосование;

7) teller – счетчик голосов;

8) Mace – жезл;

9) farther – срав. ст. от far – дальний.

2. Learn the key words and expressions.

adult – взрослый

advise – советовать

bench – скамья

count – подсчитывать

cover – покрывать; охватывать

dissolve – распускать (парламент)

draft – составлять законопроект

elect – выбирать

elevation – повышение

general election – всеобщие выборы

leather – кожа

publish – опубликовывать

resignation – отставка

salary – заработная плата

vote – голосовать

3. Check your comprehension.

1. How and for what period are members to the House of Commons elected? 2. What officials play the key role in preparing a government Bill? 3. How do Members of the Parliament vote?

TEXT 8

1. Read the following proper nouns correctly.

Lord Chancellor ['lLd'Cxnsqlq] – Лорд-Канцлер

Peers ['pIqz] – пэры

The Upper House ['Apq'haVs] – верхняя палата

The Royal Assent ['rOIql q'sent] – королевская санкция

The Bar of the House [bR] – барьер, отделяющий места членов палаты

Woolsack ['wVlsxk] – набитая шерстью подушка, на которой сидит председатель (лорд-канцлер) в палате лордов

2. Read and translate the text.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS (1, 500)

The House of Lords or the Upper House is composed of Church of England bishops and archbishops, peers who have inherited titles and peers who are appointed for life. Those members, who are qualified in the law, also sit as a court of law – the Supreme Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom. Half the present House of Lords hold peerages created during the 20th century. Peers are created by the monarch on the advice of Prime Minister of the day. Sometimes a prominent politician would be elevated; sometimes a leading civil servant who had served the ruling class well. More often sheer wealth has been the determining factor. It is thus not surprising that one-third of the Lords today are company directors. They include bankers, steel magnates, newspapers proprietors and industrialists of all kinds. The most powerful monopolies have their representatives in the House of Lords.

Once the House of Lords possessed the right of absolute veto over any legislation of which it disapproved. The Act of 1911 abolished the final veto. It left the Lords with one year’s delaying power. This means that the Lords can only reject a Bill once; if it then passes through the Commons in a second Session it can receive the Royal Assent.

At one end of the Chamber stands the Throne. In front of the Throne there is the Woolsack, where the Lord Chancellor sits as Speaker of the House of Lords. In front of the Woolsack are two red divans, where the Judges sit at the opening of Parliament. The Peers’ benches, covered in red leather, are arranged in five rows on either side of the House, Members of the Government and their supporters sitting to the right of the Throne, those of the Opposition to the left. The Bar of the House is at the north end of the chamber, opposite the Throne. The Commons with their speaker stand behind the bar on ceremonial occasions.

Notes

1) on either side – по обе стороны;

2) the Supreme Court of Appeal – Высший апелляционный суд.

3. Learn the key words and expressions.

abolish – отменять

advice – совет

archbishop – архиепископ

be appointed for life – быть назначенным на всю жизнь

be composed of – состоять из

bishop – епископ

church – церковь

inherit – унаследовать

judge – судья

occasion – случай

possess – владеть

prominent – выдающийся

proprietor – владелец

receive – получать

representative – представитель

row – ряд

4. Check your comprehension.

1. What persons constitute the House of Lords? 2. Who can become a member of the House besides peers who inherited their titles? 3. What do you know about the Act of 1911? 4. Who is Lord Chancellor in the House of Lords?

TEXT 9

1. Read and translate the text.

THE CABINET (1, 600)

The executive power is realized by Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet. The government is usually formed by the party that wins the election and receives the majority in the House of Commons. The leader of the party becomes Prime Minister. He appoints ministers and forms the Cabinet. The Cabinet, consisting of 20 ministers, holds office for five years. Each member of the Cabinet is a minister responsible for a government department. The Cabinet meets at the Prime Minister’s house – number 10 Downing Street. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet.

It is well known that the power of big business over the Government of the country is not only assured by its direct representation in Parliament and by professional politicians who support it; above all it is assured by its influence over the Cabinet, the real instrument of Government. It is universally admitted by constitutional authorities that the Cabinet controls and runs the nation’s affairs.

The Cabinet today is the motive power and source of initiative in government. The ultimate decision on all questions of policy rests with the Cabinet. The discipline of a modern party machine is such that the Cabinet is sure of an automatic majority on any major issue of policy or legislation. This situation, sometimes described as “the dictatorship of the Cabinet”, is recognized by all constitutional authorities. The consequence of this effective dictatorship of the Cabinet is that it can act first and seek approval afterwards. Important government decisions are normally announced in the House of Commons.

The strength of the government is powerfully reinforced by the right of the Prime Minister to secure dissolution of Parliament at any time. This gives great power in the hands of the Prime Minister. Thus the government can carry through a policy which is against the wishes of a majority of the House of Commons.