A few minutes later …

– Here we are now. You can see the Throne on which the Queen sits when she opens Parliament.

– The place is really wonderful. Something you can never forget.

– Before the Throne, there is the Woolsack upon which the Lord Chancellor presides over the lords.

– Why wool?

– For hundred of years wool had been known as one of the most important exports of the country. By tradition the Woolsack is stuffered with wool from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and from Commonwealth countries.

– I see the Peers’ benches, covered in red leather. They are arranged in five rows on either side of the House. Do peers sit on the benches according to the certain order?

– Members of the Government and their supporters sit to the right of the Throne and those of the Opposition to the left. The galleries are reserved for diplomats and distinguished strangers or guests, and reporters. And now let’s go to the House of Commons.

– I can say it doesn’t look as splendid as the House of Lords. The benches are covered in green leather. The floor is covered by a green carpet bearing on either side a red stripe. Do these stripes serve for decoration or have special meaning?

• Member of Parliament may cross over the stripe when addressing the House. The front bench on the Speaker’s right is for the Prime Minister and the leading members of the Government. The Leader of Opposition and his supporters are on the Speaker’s right.

• I see a gallery over there like in the House of Lords.

• Each Chamber has galleries. They are called Stranger’s Gallery because they are reserved for the public or “strangers”.

• Great Britain is the country of old customs and traditions. Are there any traditions connected with the Houses of Parliament?

• Certainly. About one tradition I have already mentioned. Before every sitting of the House of Commons, the Speaker wearing wig and gown walks in procession to the Chamber from his resident within the Royal Palace. On the Speaker’s chair there is a switch that puts on the light in the Clock Tower above “Big Ben” to tell Londoners that Parliament is in session.

• I am very grateful to you for the excursion.

• You are always welcome.

b) Make up your own dialogue about the political system in Great Britain, or act the above dialogue.

Ex.11 a) Read and translate the article:

The Royal Family – Worth a Fortune?

(The Opinion of Willie Hamilton, MP)

The way I see it: We can’t afford the Royal Family. I believe it’s immoral to have a Royal family, and immoral to give them special treatment. Personality I have nothing against the Royal family, but some of them are paid a fortune each year and do very little to earn their 100 pounds a day or more. Politically the Queen now has very little power while the Duke of Edinburgh has as much influence on important affairs of state as a country priest. It is difficult to justify paying him more than four times the salary of the Prime Minister.

Prince Charles can’t spend the next twenty years just opening things, eating things or visiting things.

To justify her well-paid existence Princess Anne is always making meaningless visits.

Princess Margaret makes no attempts to hide her expensive tastes and it is impossible to make out any honest case for her being much use to anybody.

The Queen is known to be among the wealthiest women in the world. It is not wealth that has been created by her own or her financial advisers’ good business sense; it is wealth that has been built up by her special treatment by Parliament. The total wealth is unknown – one of the most closely guarded secrets of modern times.

b) Speak about the article according to the plan.

c) Express your opinion about this issue.

Ex.12 a) Read and translate the text for additional reading: