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Чуркіна Англійська мова 2006 частина 2.doc
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I. Make up situations of your own using the given words and word combinations

1. In today's world there is often the need for new laws to be made (Acts of Parliament; be called; be known as; be made by; delegated legislation; fill in the details; general law; government departments; in general terms; most laws; new law; passed by Parliament; Royal Assent; sign a Bill; statute laws; two ways).

2. Main sorts of Bill (be debated on; be introduced into; be likely; be selected; become law; civil service; deal with; different types; government minister; important laws; individual Member; individual people; large section; local matters; make law; matters of public importance; pass a law; private Bill; private member's Bill; public Bill; whole country).

3. The stages the Bill has to go through (committee stage; final vote; first reading; following stages; formal procedure; further debate; go through; House of Lords; in detail; main aims; main debate; majority vote; possible changes; read out; report stage; Royal Assent; same stages; second reading; select committee; suggested amendments; third reading).

4. Bills in the House of Lords (be considered by; be curtailed; be enforced; be passed by; be presented for; come into force; different group; final stage; go through; make amendments; make changes; money Bill; reigning monarch; royal assent; straight away; successive parliamentary sessions; within a month; without amendment).

5. The lawmaking arm of the federal government (as a whole; be examined by; be signed by; become a law; committee hearings; confer together; general debate; House Administration; new legislation; organize hearings on; pass the bill; president of the Senate; refer to; Senate Committee; shelve the draft; signed by; similar sequence; standing committee; two-thirds majority; veto a bill).

II. Complete the open dialogue and learn it by heart

C.

J.

As a matter of fact today most laws are made by Parliament or government departments.

C.

J.

As a rule every year the Parliament passes about one hundred Laws directly by making Acts of Parliament.

C.

J.

The matter is that no new law can be made by the Parliament unless it has completed a number of stages in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

C.

J.

As far as I know the Queen also has to sign a Bill to show that it has been given the Royal Assent.

C.

J.

As far as I am concerned the Bill will have to go through the following stages: First Reading, Second Reading, Committee Stage, Report Stage, Third Reading, House of Lords and Royal Assent.

C.

J.

As far as I remember First Reading is a formal procedure in which the name of the Bill and its main aims are read out and there is usually no discussion or debate on the Bill.

C.

J.

On the contrary, Second Reading is the main debate on the whole Bill.

C.

J.

To my mind at the Third Reading stage there is a final vote on the Bill as a whole.

C.

J.

I don't think so. The House of Lords has the job of reviewing Bills received from the Commons.

C.

J.

In my opinion once both Houses of Parliament have passed a Bill, the bill goes to the reigning monarch for the Royal Assent.

C.

J.

I'm of the same opinion. Only after the Royal Assent it becomes a new law or Act of Parliament. Before this it is called a Bill.

UNIT 15

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

BEFORE YOU READ

Answer these questions

1. Do you agree that fair and free elections are an essential part of democracy? Why?

2. Can you give any examples of fair and free elections? If you can say when and where were they held?

READING TASKS

A. Understanding main points

Read the text below about the election timetable and answer these questions, beginning your answers with the fol­lowing phrases: as a rule …; to tell the truth …; as far as I know …; the matter is that …; as far as I remember …; as far as I am concerned …; frankly/strictly speak­ing …; to make a long story short …

1. What elections are considered to be fair and free?

2. When does the Prime Minister meet a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party?

3. Who does the Prime Minister ask to dissolve Parliament?

4. Who is the winner of the election?

5. How many parliamentary con­stituencies is the United Kingdom divided into?

6. Who does each British citizen over eighteen cast his vote for?

7. What is the procedure of voting?

8. When are the results from each constituency announced? When is the national result known?

9. How many ministers does the Prime Minister appoint of his MPs to form the Government?

10. What party forms the Shadow Cabinet?

B. Understanding details

Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text. Give your reason using the fol­lowing phrases: as a matter of fact ...; I don't think so …; I'm of the same opinion …; in my opinion …; on the contrary …; strictly speaking ...; to my mind ...

1. Fair and free elections are an essential part of democracy, allowing the majority of citizens to determine how they want the country to be governed.

2. The time between general elections is four years.

3. About the week before the election the Sovereign meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date of the General elections which would best suit the party.

4. Once Parliament is dissolved government officers don’t continue to function any longer.

5. General elections are often held either in winter or in spring 21 days after the dissolution of Parliament.

6. The winner is the candidate who gets more votes than any other single candidate, even if the difference is only one vote.

7. Each British citizen, even pris­oners, lords and the mentally ill over eighteen has one vote, which he casts for the person who he wishes to represent him in Parliament.

8. Voting takes place on Polling Day, usually on Friday from 05.00 till 23.00 in each constituency.

9. The voter marks the ballot paper with a cross in the box opposite the name of the candidate of his or her choice.

10. The second largest party becomes the Official Opposition with a small group of its MPs being chosen to form the Shadow Cabinet.

THE ELECTION TIMETABLE

Fair and free elections are an essential part of democracy, allowing the majority of citizens to determine how they want the country to be governed. In the UK the time between general elections is five years. There were eight years between elections at the time of the First World War and ten years at the time of the Second World War. The Prime Minister chooses the date of the next General Election, but does not have to wait until the end of the five years. A time is chosen which will give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. About the month before the election the Prime Minister meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party. The date is announced to the Cabinet. Party manifestos are published and campaigning begins throughout the country, lasting for about three weeks with large-scale press, radio and television coverage. Any number of candidates can stand for election in each constituency. The main political parties are usually repre­sented, and sometimes candidates represent minority parties.

The Prime Minister formally asks the Sovereign to dissolve Parliament. Once Parliament is dissolved, all MPs are unemployed, but government officers continue to function. General elections are often held either in spring or in autumn 17 days after the dissolution of Parliament. Voting takes place on Polling Day, usually a Thursday.

The United Kingdom is divided into 659 parliamentary con­stituencies, each with an electorate of about 60,000 voters. Each British citizen, except pris­oners, lords and the mentally ill, over eighteen has one vote, which he casts for the person who he wishes to represent him in Parliament. Through this he also votes for the party which he wishes to be in Government. Each constituency is rep­resented by one Member of Parliament in the House of Commons.

Each constituency is divided into a number of polling districts, each of which has a polling station. Most polling stations are in public buildings such as schools, town halls or council offices. Voting takes place on Polling Day, usually on Thursday as Thursdays are popular general election days, from 07.00 till 22.00 in each constituency. Voters are sent a polling card in advance. Voting is by secret ballot, and the only people allowed in the polling station are the presiding officer, the polling clerks, the duty police officer, the candidates, their election agents and the voters.

Just before the poll opens, the presiding officer shows the ballot boxes to those at the polling station to prove that they are empty. The boxes are then locked and sealed.

Voting takes place in a booth. The voter marks the ballot paper with a cross in the box opposite the name of the candidate of his or her choice, and folds the paper to conceal the vote before placing it in the ballot box.

The results from each constituency are announced as soon as the votes have been counted, usually the same night. The national result is known by the next morning. The winner is the candidate who gets more votes than any other single candidate, even if the difference is only one vote. When all of the results are known the Sovereign usually invites the leader of the party winning the most seats in the House of Commons to be Prime Minister and to form a Government. The Prime Minister will appoint approximately 100 ministers of his MPs to form the Government. The modern government is arranged in about fifteen departments each with a minister at its head. As the House of Lords is unelected Chamber and is not involved in the electoral process normally, all the heads of de­partments are members of the House of Commons, though sometimes one is in the House of Lords. They form the cabi­net, which meets about once a week in Number 10 Downing Street, a rather ordinary-looking house which also contains the Prime Minister's personal office.

The second largest party becomes the Official Opposition with a small group of its MPs being chosen to form the Shadow Cabinet. Its leader is known as the Leader of the Opposition. Since 1945 the Conservatives and Labour have been either the Government or the Opposition.