UNIT 4. ELECTIONS
SECTION A
I
1. Read the article and look up the meaning of the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.
Kenyans to elect leader in December
Kenya will hold general elections at the end of December to elect a successor to the president, who has ruled the country for 24 years.
«The elections will be at the end of December», said the president, who will not be eligible to run under new electoral rules introduced in 1991 that prohibit the head of state from serving more than two five-year terms. He gave no precise date for the elections.
2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Eligible to run; to rule the country; under new rules; to hold general elections; a fiveyear term; to elect; a successor.
3.Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the sentences from the article with them.
Пятилетний срок; проводить всеобщие выборы; преемник; имеющий право избираться; выбирать; управлять страной; по новым правилам.
4.Complete the following statements using the active vocabulary.
1. ... at the end of December.
2. Kenya will elect a successor to the president, who ...
3. ... under the new electoral rules.
4.The new electoral rules prohibit...
5.Render the article in English using the active vocabulary.
II
1. Read the article and look up the meaning of the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.
2nd round of voting held for new Parliament
Bahrain held a second round of voting Thursday in landmark elections for the kingdom's first Parliament, with two women candidates.
Results from the last week's first round of voting showed a mix of secularist and Islamic candidates. Six women were knocked out of the race last week, leaving two women candidates hopeful of winning seats.
Kuwait is the only other Arab nation with a Parliament in the Gulf region, but women are excluded.
2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Elections for the Parliament; secularist candidates; to win seats; to be knocked out of the race; voting; landmark.
3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Светские кандидаты; знаменательный/поворотный; получить места в парламенте; голосование; выборы в парламент; сойти с дистанции.
4. Answer the questions on the article.
1.Why do you think the voting in Bahrain is called landmark elections?
2.What did the results of the first round show?
3.Are there any women candidates? Do you think it's typical for an Islamic country?
4.Do any other countries in the Gulf region have a Parliament?
5.What Gulf region countries do you know?
5.Retell the article using the active words and phrases.
III
1. Read the article and look up the meaning of the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.
Election veteran promises clean-up
After a lifetime of trying, Deniz Baykal, one of Turkey's veteran politicians, stands a chance of becoming the country's next prime minister in Sunday's general election. Opinion polls put his Republican People's party in second place after the pro-Islamic Justice and Development party.
Justice and Development party still enjoys a lead of at least 10 per centage points, but the last few days before the election may be critical in attracting undecided voterswho make up almost a quarter of the electorate.
Mr. Baykal needs to convince these voters that his party is best equipped to manage the economy and fight corruption. Indeed, his campaign promise to lift the immunitythat has shielded members of parliament from corruption charges has proven very popular.
2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.
To lift the immunity; an opinion poll; to stand a chance; to manage the economy; to enjoy a lead; to fight corruption; corruption charges; undecided voters; 10 per centage points; to make up a quarter of electorate.
3.Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the sentences from the article with them.
Опрос общественного мнения; иметь шанс; управлять экономикой; не принявшие решения избиратели; опережать на 10%; обвинения в коррупции; иметь преимущество; бороться с коррупцией; снять иммунитет; составлять четверть электората.
4.Say if the following statements are true or false. Use the introductory phrases for agreement and disagreement.
Agreement: Yes, that's right. It's absolutely correct.
Disagreement: No, that's not true, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, I can't agree with it.
1.Deniz Baykal has no chance of winning the elections in Turkey.
2.According to the opinion polls his party takes the second place in the race.
3.Justice and Development Party enjoys the lead of about 30 per cent.
4.The number of undecided voters is very small, it's not more than 5%.
5.Mr. Baykal has to convince the undecided voters that his party will increase spending on social needs.
6.The campaign promise to lift immunity proved very popular.
5.Render the article in English using the active vocabulary.
IV
1. Read the article and look up the meaning of the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.
Fears for Serbian poll after low turnout
The turnout in Serbia's presidential poll yesterday fell below the 50 per cent needed for the election to be valid, threatening to create a political vacuum and stall the country's
reform program. |
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|
|
|
As polling ended, turnout |
was estimated |
at only |
45.5 per |
cent. The |
current Yugoslav president and |
projected winner |
easily won |
the majority |
of votes. |
with the preliminary count giving him 66.7 per cent of the vote, compared with 30 per cent for his rival.
If the failure of the elections is confirmed, the Speaker of Serbia's parliament will become the acting president in December.
The law is unclear about when the elections should be attempted again.
After the polls closed both candidates criticized the electoral law, echoing the concerns of the international community. An adviser to the president said the failed electionswould force Serbia into a «political vacuum for two or three months» until the parliament calls for new polls.
2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.
To win the majority; turnout; the failed elections; the preliminary count; to stall the reform; rival; the current president; the acting president; electoral law; presidential poll.
3.Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases. Reproduce the sentences from the article with them.
Несостоявшиеся выборы; получить большинство голосов; исполняющий обязанности президента; предварительный подсчет; выборы президента; действующий президент; соперник; загнать реформу в тупик; закон о выборах; явка (на избирательные участки).
4.Answer the following questions on the article using the active vocabulary.
1.What can stall the country's reform program in Serbia?
2.What is needed for the elections to be valid?
3.How many votes did the current president get?
4.Who will become the acting president if the failure of the elections is confirmed?
5.When should next elections take place?
6.What can failed elections lead to?
V
1. Read the article and look up the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary.
German election battle heads for a tense finish
Voters in Sunday's German general elections will be sounding the closing bell on one of the most dramatic campaigns for decades.
The ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens leads in most opinion polls this week, but the outcome and the composition of the next coalition, remain wide open. Whichever party emerges the winner, Germany's complex voting system and the nuances of coalition building makes the complexion of the next government difficult to predict.
This year's elections herald the first postwar reduction in the size of the Bundestag, the parliamentary lower house, from 665 to 598 seats in a response to population decline and budgetary pressures. This has intensified competition for the remaining seats.
Partly because of the parties' close standing in the polls, voter turnout is expected to be high. In the previous election, 82 per cent of voters cast ballots — high by international standards. similar turnout among 61.2 eligible voters is expected this time.
Germany's electoral system, based on proportional representation, is distinctive in giving each elector two votes, for constituency representatives and parties. The second vote, for parties, is decisive as it determines each group's share of the seats.
Parties must also overcome a minimum 5 per cent threshold to be represented in parliament, in a rule aimed at excluding small, potentially extremist groups and ensuring stable majorities.
2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Opinion polls; lower house (upper house); population decline; voting system; to stand close in the polls; outcome; electoral system; composition of a coalition; 5 per cent threshold; to ensure stable majority; to cast ballots.
3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.
Избирательная система; опрос общественного мнения; 5-процентный барьер; набрать почти равное количество голосов; итог; верхняя палата парламента (нижняя палата парламента); обеспечить стабильное большинство; отдавать голос (бюллетень); уменьшение численности населения; состав коалиции; система голосования.
4.Say if the following statements are true or false. Use the introductory phrases for agreement and disagreement. (See III. 4.)
1.Germany's elections will start on Sunday.
2.The ruling coalition lags behind according to opinion polls.
3.The outcome of the elections as well as the composition of the next coalition are not clear yet.
4.The German electoral system clearly defines the make-up of the next parliament.
5.The size of the Bundestag has been reduced this year due to budgetary pressures.
6.A great number of people are going to take part in the elections.
7.The turnout of 82% is rather low by international standards.
8.Each voter has two votes.
9.Every party that takes part in elections should be represented in the parliament.
5.Translate the following texts into English using Translation Notes.
1
ТУРЦИЯ. В стране вчера прошли досрочные выборы в парламент страны. Выборы должны были состояться1 в 2004 году, однако были перенесены в связи с расколом в правительственной коалиции. Судя по опросам, наибольшие шансы на победу имеет недавно созданная Партия справедливости и развития.
2
США. Американский президент совершает поездку по южным штатам страны, чтобы поддержать кандидатов от Республиканской партии на предстоящих выборах в Конгресс. Одновременно пройдут выборы губернаторов 36 из 50 штатов.
3
Президент США подписал законопроект2, направленный на усовершенствование избирательной системы США. Документ, одобренный ранее Конгрессом, должен исключить повторение ситуаций, когда путаница с подсчетом голосов поставила страну на грань3 политического кризиса. Новый закон получил название «Помощь Америке и голосовании» и предусматривает выделение 3,9 млрд. долларом и бюджеты штатов. Деньги пойдут на замену устаревших машин для подсчета результатов голосования, подготовку добровольцев, работающих на избирательных участках, и распространение информации о выборах. Новые компьютерные программы должны предотвратить возможные ошибки. Закон устанавливает единые базовые требования для всех 50 штатов.