Reading Comprehension

I. Skimming.

1. 1) Parliament, and how it makes laws

2) The House of Commons

1. Tony Benn MP

2. Devolution

3) The House of Lords

4) Making a new law (legislating)

1. Introduction and first reading

2. Second reading

3. Committee stage

4. Report stage

5. Third reading

6. The House of Lords

7. The Royal Assent

2. 1) Heckling during debates in the House of Commons resembles the crowing of a cock/chanticleer; the bleating of a sheep; the yelpings of a canine animal/dog – this derogatory comparison is meant to imply that MPs’ speeches are sometimes too arrogant, or too loud and monotonous, or too belligerent and generally far from actual topicality.

2) Parliament’s two main duties: legislating and debating matters of public importance.

II. Scanning. Find the following information in the text:

3. 1) 659 (p. 62);

2) 775 (p.64);

3) 1200 (p.64);

4) 92 (p.64 and 65);

5) The House of Lords Act 1999;

6) The titles of hereditary peers are passed down from generation to generation whereas life peers are made peers by the queen for their lifetime only (without the right to pass down the title to their descendants) on the grounds of their outstanding contributions to the society (in arts, sciences, education, business and other walks of life).

7) 2634

Vocabuary Work

I. Suggest Russian equivalents for the following word-combinations:

English → Russian

1. осуществлять надзор за соблюдением политического равновесия

2. наделять Парламент законодательной властью

3. взывать к «законам о неприкосновенности частной жизни»

4. выказывать преданность Короне

5. наследовать титул пэра

6. выступать в свою собственную защиту во время ведения дела

7. отказаться от звания пэра во имя статуса депутата Палаты Общин

8. повысить/понизить ставку подоходного налога

9. свергнуть правительство, проводящее антинародную политику

II. Suggest English equivalents:

Russian → English

1. to further reforms in (the field of) education

2. to incite ethnic minorities to religious hatred

3. the deputy was voted out of Parliament

4. to get the title of a peer by succession

5. Parliament is endowed with powers (authority) to enact, alter and reverse laws

6. to take office of the Speaker

7. to devolve matters for the consideration of (to be considered by) a lower body of power

8. to delay (block) a new law

9. to dissolve Parliament

III. Guess the words for the following definitions:

1. by-election; 2. constituency; 3. to legislate; 4. Lords Temporal; 5. devolution;

6. Committee Stage; 7. to abolish; 8. religious hatred; 9. privacy laws; 10. allegiance

IV. Paraphrase the underlined parts of the sentences, using the expressions below.

1. take priority

2. endows … with powers; come into force

3. belongs to

4. leaves office; is in office

5. walks of life

6. is made up of

7. accretion in power; accountable to

8. bear in mind

V. Study the following expressions containing prepositions and postverbs and then fill in the gaps in the sentences that follow.

1-with	7-in	13-for	19-by
2-over	8-on	14-to	20-in
3-into	9-from	15-on	21-on
4-through	10-to	16-to	22-to
5-on	11-by	17-during	23-for
6-over	12-to	18-by	24-at