Англ(2курс, 2 семестр)

15.Which system of state power organization, in your opinion, is more appropriate? Why? Discuss in groups and present your opinions.

16.Match the words with their definitions.

17. Speak on the following issues.

1.“There is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about”. (Oscar Wilde)

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2.“Politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians”. (Charles de Gaulle)

3.“A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized”. (Fred Allen)

4.“A politician is an acrobat – he keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does”. (Maurice Barres)

5.“Money can’t buy friends, but you get a better class of enemy”. (Spike Milligan)

THE CONSTITUTION OF UKRAINE

18. Work in pairs. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the meaning of the word “Constitution”?

2. What do you think the Constitution of Ukraine includes, establishes and assures? 3. Do you think the country can function without any Constitution?

19. Read the text about the Constitution of Ukraine, pay your attention to the vocabulary in bold, make sure you study the language of the text to be competent in further exercises and discussions, be ready to give full answers to the questions under the text.

Governed by the Act of Ukraine’s Independence of August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on behalf of the Ukrainian people adopted the Constitution – the fundamental Law on June 28, 1996.

The Constitution establishes the country’s political system, assures rights, freedom and duties of citizens, and is the basis for its laws.

It asserts that Ukraine is a sovereign and independent, democratic, social, legal state. It is a Unitary state with single citizenship.

The people are the only source of power which is exercised directly and through the bodies of state power and local self-government.

The land, mineral raw materials, air space, water and other natural resources which are on the territory of Ukraine are objects of the property right of the Ukrainian people.

The state language in Ukraine is Ukrainian.

The state symbols of Ukraine are the National Flag, the National Emblem and the National Anthem of Ukraine. The National Flag is a rectangular cloth with two equal horizontal stripes, the upper coloured blue and the lower golden yellow. The National Emblem of Ukraine is a golden Tryzub on a blue shield.

The Constitution states that every person has the right to the free development of his/her personality, and has obligations before society where free and full development of the personality is assured. Citizens have equal Constitutional rights and freedoms and are equal before the law. There are no privileges or restrictions based upon face, colour of skin, political and other belief, gender, ethic and social origin, property, ownership, position, place of residence, language, religion.

The articles of the Constitution guarantee the rights to life, personal inviolability and the inviolability of dwelling, non-interference in private and family life, free choice of residence, work, rest, education, social security, housing, health protection, medical care and medical insurance, legal assistance, a safe and healthy environment.

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Defence of the Motherland, of the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and respect for the state’s symbols are the duty of citizens. Citizens of Ukraine perform military services in compliance with the law. No person may damage the environment, cultural heritage. Every person shall pay taxes in the order and amount determined by law.

The Constitution outlines the structure of the national government and specifies its powers and duties. Under the Constitution the powers of the government are divided into three branches – the legislative, which consists of the Verkhovna Rada, the executive, headed by the President, and the judicial, which is exercised by the Supreme Court.

The Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) is the only body of the legislative power in Ukraine. There are 450 people’s deputies who are elected for a term of five years on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

The Verkhovna Rada’s main function is making laws. Law drafting work is performed by its Committees.

The Verkhovna Rada adopts the State Budget for the period from January 1 to December 31 and controls the execution of it. The monetary unit of Ukraine is the Hryvnia.

The President of Ukraine is the head of the state and speaks on behalf of it. He is elected directly by the voters for a term of five years with no more than two full terms.

The highest body of the executive power is the Cabinet of Ministers. It is responsible to the President and is accountable to the Verkhovna Rada. It carries out domestic and foreign policy of the State, the fulfillment of the Constitution, as well as the acts of the President, develops and fulfills national programs on the economic, scientific and technological, social and cultural development of Ukraine.

Comprehension Check

20. Answer the questions.

1.When was the Act of Ukraine’s Independence adopted?

2.Whom do the land, mineral raw materials, air space, water and other natural resources belong to?

3.What rights does the Constitution guarantee?

4.What duties should be done by the citizens of Ukraine?

5.How are the powers of the government divided?

6.What is the Verkhovna Rada’s main function?

7.What are the duties of the Cabinet of Ministers?

21. Complete the sentences.

1.On June 28, 1996 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on behalf of…

2.The constitution establishes…

3.It asserts…

4.The people are the only source of power…

5.Objects of the property rights of the Ukrainian people are…

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6.The states symbols of Ukraine are…

7.Every person has the right to…

8.Citizens are equal…

9.The Constitution guarantees …

10.Citizens of Ukraine perform military services…

11.The Powers of the government are divided into…

12.People’s deputies are elected…

13.The Verkhovna Rada’s main function is…

14.The highest body of the executive power is…

Vocabulary Focus

22. Explain the meaning of the following word combinations in English and use them to speak about the Constitution.

23. Translate into English.

Приймати документ; основний закон; забезпечувати права; громадянство; захищати/обстоювати; самоврядування; сировина; природні ресурси; об’єкти права власності; вільно розвивати свою особистість; підзвітність; привілей; власність; місце проживання; гарантувати; невтручання в справи; соціальний захист; право на житло; соціальне походження; посада; охорона здоров’я; медичне страхування; безпечне та здорове середовище; зашкодити середовищу; сплачувати податки; культурна спадщина; законодавча гілка влади; судова гілка влади; загальне виборче право; розробляти проект; виконання програми; вищий орган виконавчої влади.

24. Translate into Ukrainian.

On behalf of; to adopt; in compliance with; to establish; to assure rights; single citizenship; natural resources; property right; privileges and restrictions; ownership; to pay taxes; legislative; judicial; direct suffrage; inviolability.

25. Transcribe the following words, read them, give their definitions and memorize them: behalf, rectangular, horizontal, tryzub, ethic, legislative, executive, judicial, execution, monetary.

26. Think of a match on the left (based on the text) to appropriate definition on the right.

1. __ a) to make somebody certain that something will happen

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27. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words. Change the form of the word if it is necessary.

In compliance with; to be accountable; to draw; aspects; legal; for a term of; substitute; to state; to outline; to hold; to specify; inviolability

1.The Constitution … that Ukrainian people have all the rights to create their own destiny.

2.We should have possibilities for ……. assistance.

3.This article ……. the terms of the contract.

4.The decision should be taken ……. the law.

5.At the meeting they will discuss the issue of ……. of personal property.

6.Our organization ……. to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

7.No ……. can improve the situation.

8.This festival is likely to ……. many people interests.

9.He is to be responsible because he ……. the position that weighs.

10.We are not going to change the ……. of our interests.

11.This article ……. main responsibilities of the citizens of Ukraine.

12.He has got a subsidy ……. 10 years.

28. Rewrite the italicized parts of the sentences using appropriate active vocabulary. Do not change the meaning of the sentences.

1.The Constitution of Ukraine was formally approved on the 29th of June, 1996.

2.The Constitution ensures rights and freedoms of the citizens of Ukraine.

3.It states firmly that Ukraine is a sovereign country.

4.The political control in the country is effected through the bodies of state power.

5.The Constitution provides no advantage to any citizen of the country.

6.The rights of the people should be treated with respect and not broken.

7.They live in a new residential area.

8.Ukrainian territories are considered to be inseparable.

9.People are wondering if they ever see their governmental officials do what they promise.

10.They decided to speak to her as her parents’ representatives.

11.The date of the court case has not been established yet.

12.Soon young people will have a chance to decide whether to serve in the Army or to choose some other activity.

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29. Explain the contextual meaning of the words in bold and translate the following sentences into Ukrainian.

1.The document is genuine, I assure you.

2.Excellent characteristics have assured his promotion.

3.I took steps to assure myself that I was right.

4.His achievements mean that he is now assured of a seat in Parliament.

5.Her political future looks assured.

6.They asserted that nuclear power was a non-polluting energy source.

7.The Constitution is asserting that Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country.

8.Women have begun to assert themselves politically.

9.His confidence has begun to assert itself.

10.The assertion that the economy is receding has taken the experts aback.

11.Her assertive presentation attracted much attention.

12.Results will be obtained for a specified number of months.

13.The rules clearly specify that any delay is impossible.

14.He has got acquainted with this job specifications.

15.Failure to comply with the requirements will result in loss of profit.

16.The construction works were done in compliance with the project.

Writing

30.Write an essay on the Constitution of Ukraine and its importance for the people (150 words).

31.Render in English using active vocabulary from the text.

Україна – незалежна країна на північному сході Європи. Це країна з

давньою історією й багатющою культурою, країна чудової природи й щирих, гостинних людей.

Історія України славна і трагічна. Протягом століть український народ відстоював свою свободу й незалежність. 24 серпня 1991 року Верховна рада України проголосила утворення незалежної української держави, а в грудні 1991 року національний референдум підтвердив прагнення українського народу до незалежності. Тепер ми розвинута нація з власною мовою, традиціями, культурою й способом життя.

Український парламент називається Верховною Радою. Він складається з 450 депутатів, обраних на чотирьохрічний термін. Голова парламенту обирається членами парламенту. Верховна Рада – найвищий орган законодавчої влади. Тут приймають закони, за якими живе наша країна.

Найвищий виконавчий орган державної влади – це Кабінет Міністрів України, відповідальний за втілення в життя законів, прийнятих парламентом.

Судова влада здійснюється системою судів, найголовніший з яких – Верховний суд.

Президент – голова нашої країни. Президент обирaється на п’ятирічний термін громадянами нашої країни на загальних виборах.

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Український народ ніколи не поневолював інші народи й мужньо захищав свою країну. Україна – мирна держава, яка хоче жити в мирі й співробітництві з усіма країнами світу.

Speaking

32. Role-play the following communicative situations.

1.You graduate from the university. You discuss with your friends the rights, duties, obligations which are written down in the Constitution.

2.You participate in a round-table discussion of the seminar: “Do you think the Constitution reflects all the sides of our life or you think that some more points can be added?” Present your view points using such expressions : in my opinion…, to my mind…/to my way of thinking…, it is my conviction/belief that…, I am inclined to believe that…, the way I see it/as I see it…, it strikes me that…, as far as I’m concerned…, personally, I think… etc.

3.You are a politician, you must prepare a political speech for your electorate about the rights and duties of the citizens of Ukraine. Use the publicistic style with its prosodic features to present a political speech. Name the characteristic features of the publicistic style.

NATIONAL SYMBOLS OF UKRAINE

33.Work in pairs. Speak on the following issues.

1.What National Symbols of Ukraine do you know?

2.Do you know anything about their history?

3.Do countries need national symbols? What do you think they emblazon?

4.What do people generally choose for national emblems of their countries?

34.Read the text about the National Symbols of Ukraine, be ready to respond doing practical tasks and answering the questions below the text.

The State Flag of Ukraine

Various types of flags were used in various periods of Ukrainian history. The earliest mention of the modern national colours of Ukraine dates back to the period of Hetman State and is found in the Lviv Chronicle of the 17th century. The coat of arms of the city of Lviv was in yellow and blue colours. Yellow and blue also appeared in the coat of arms of the “Ruthenian Province” which was part of Poland in the 14th and 15th centuries. The description of some military flags from the times of the Hetman State includes azure as the colour of the flag cloth bearing different embroidered emblems and mottoes.

The heraldic conception of national colours that had been passed down from ancient times has been lost. Instead, blue was justified as being the colour of the sky and yellow as the colour of the wheat fields.

When Ukraine declared its independence in 1991, it adopted a new National Flag on January 28, 1992 – a horizontally 2-striped flag. The upper blue stripe signifies the open sky and the bottom yellow stripe symbolizes the wheat fields of Ukraine.

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The State Emblem of Ukraine

The national emblem – the coat of arms, the flag, and the seal – alternated during the millennium of Ukrainian history owing to various political, social, cultural, and other factors – a phenomenon common to many European nations.

The contemporary national coat of arms of Ukraine, Azure or trident, is the most ancient as well as most dignified of all the Ukrainian insignia of nationwide significance. Its emblazonment represents a synthesis of a pre-heraldic device of the ruling dynasty in the tenth century and of the oldest Ukrainian national heraldic tinctures from the 13th century.

The problem associated with the origin and the original meaning of the Ukrainian trident has still not been solved by scholars. The archaeological finds of tridents in Ukraine go back to the 1st century AD. Undoubtedly this emblem was a mark of authority and a mystic symbol of one or several of the ethnic groups which inhabited ancient Ukrainian territory and which came to compose the Ukrainian Nation.

The trident, left to Volodymyr the Great by his ancestors became a hereditary preheraldic badge of all his descendants, rulers of medieval Ukraine and the grand Princes of Kyiv and the Princes of all other constituent principalities of the vast Kyivan Realm. Tridents and bidents are found on many objects of that period: coins, stones, and bricks of significant buildings (i.e. palaces, castles, cathedrals), armor, signets, seals, official jewelry, ceramics and manuscripts.

After the renaissance of independent Ukraine on January 22, 1918 the trident was adopted by a law of March 22, 1918 as the national device of the Ukrainian Republic. It was adopted in the form of a Great and a Small coat of Arms representing the classic trident of Volodymyr the Great in an ornamental wreath. The trident was emblazoned in official use (e.g. in uniforms of armed forces, and service flags).

The State Anthem of Ukraine

The Ukrainian State Anthem, “Shche ne vmerla Ukraina” (“Ukraine has not yet perished” or “Ukraine lives on”) is of quite recent origin. Mykhailo Verbytskyi, composer of many Ukrainian songs, realized the need for an anthem at the first Ukrainian concert in Peremyshl, in western Ukraine, to honor the poet T. Shevchenko.

The popularity of the song rapidly spread throughout the country. In 1864 it was sung at the conclusion of a program in Permyshyl honoring T. Shevchenko. In 1917 it became the rallying song of the Ukrainian revolution and was officially adopted as the state anthem of the Ukrainian Republic.

According to Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine, adopted on June 28, 1996, the State Anthem of Ukraine is the national anthem with the music of M. Verbytskyi and words confirmed by law and approved by a constitutional majority of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Comprehension Check

35. Answer the questions.

1.What do you know about the first mention of the national colours of the State Flag?

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2.Was it possible to preserve the heraldic conception of national colours up to the present days?

3.What did the colours start to justify?

4.When was the National Flag adopted? What is presented on its field?

5.What do we call the State Emblem of Ukraine?

6.What is known about the origin of the Ukrainian trident?

7.When was the trident adopted as the national device? How did it look? Where was it used?

8.Who wrote the poem “Shche ne vmerla Ukraina”? Why was this poem chosen as the State Anthem of Ukraine?

Vocabulary Focus

36. Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations in English and use them in the situations of your own.

37. English spelling is notoriously unphonetic. Some of the words can cause pronunciation difficulties. Transcribe the words with a silent letter and read them in pairs. Memorize the pronunciation.

Behalf; bustle; calm; castle; climb; debt; debtor; doubt; fasten; half; heir; honest; honour; honourable; hourly; know; knowledge; landscape; pneumatic; pseudonym; receipt; soften, subtle sulphur; wheat.

38. Many nouns are the same as verbs having the stress in the same positions. But there are some common nouns that change their stress when they become verbs. Look at the list of the nouns and decide whether they change their stress in their verb forms. Put the stress and practise reading them.

Conduct; conflict; consent; content; decrease; discharge; discipline; discourse; discredit; dismay; effect; exercise; export; graduate; implement; perfect; pervert; protest; record; recruit; refuse; request; respect; subject; support; transport; upset.

39. Work in pairs. Translate into Ukrainian, use these words and word combinations to ask and answer questions on the National symbols by turns.

To pass down from ancient times; to justify; to signify; to symbolize; the most dignified insignia; nationwide significance; a pre-heraldic device; heraldic tinctures; archaeological finds; a mark of authority; constituent principalities; the vast Kyivan Realm; signets; seals; ornamental wreath; to be perished; anthem; to be confirmed by law.

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40. Read the information about the national symbols of Ukraine and translate it into English.

Національний гімн

Оскільки Україна тривалий час не була незалежною державою, вона не мала власного Національного гімну. Проте український народ створив багато патріотичних пісень про свою Батьківщину. Одна з них – пісня-гімн «Ще не вмерла Україна», яка стала популярною наприкінці 19-го століття. Основою для національного гімну став вірш, написаний видатним українським етнографом Павлом Чубинським у 1862 році. Музику написав Михайло Вербицький для вистави «Запорожці», і ця мелодія швидко стала популярною.

З 1927 року пісня «Ще не вмерла Україна» стала Національним гімном України. Але цю пісню-гімн ганьбили як «націоналістичну», і тільки у 1918 році, коли була проголошена Українська народна республіка, цей гімн став національним гімном України.

Український прапор

Кожна країна має свою символіку. Після проголошення незалежності, ми повернулися до свого давнього національного символу – жовто-блакитного прапора. Яка ж історія

цього прапора?

Жовтий і блакитний кольори на прапорі України пішли від емблеми Галицько-Волинського князівства, золотий лев на блакитному полі.

У1918 році, коли була проголошена Українська народна республіка, жовтоблакитний прапор став національним символом України.

Унаш час, коли проводяться важливі церемонії або спортивні змагання, обов’язково піднімається жовто-блакитний прапор, який символізує мир і благополуччя України. Жовто-блакитний прапор уособлює вічне прагнeння миру, праці і благополуччя нашої Батьківщини.

Національний герб України

Тризуб – Національний герб України. Що ж він символізує? З цього приводу не існує загальноприйнятої думки. Одні вчені стверджують, що тризуб позначає три пpиродні стихії: повітря, воду і землю. Інші вважають, що це булава – символ сили. Деякі вчені припускають, що тризуб – символ князівської влади. Існує й

багато інших припущень.

Після проголошення Української народної республіки митець Василь Кричевський підготував проект Національного герба, який схвалили в 1918 році.

Однак лише нещодавно тризуб знов був визнаний національним символом України.

41. Discuss in pairs.

If you were to design national symbols of Ukraine in order to take part in a competition for the best project, what would you choose? Why? Give your judgments and present your project.

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