XXIII. Answer the questions.

1. What is separation of powers?

2. Who made the modern division among legislative, executive and judiciary?

3. What are the functions of the government?

4. What are the main branches of governmental power?

5. What bodies is legislative power vested in?

6. What is the main function of legislative bodies?

7. What power administers laws?

8. What bodies exercise executive power?

9. What bodies does the judicial power belong to?

10. What are the main functions of judicial bodies?

11. What is the system of checks and balances?

12. What does separation of power and the system of checks and balances give to the society?

Reading comprehention

1. Прочитайте внимательно задание.

2. Прочитайте предлагаемые вопросы и варианты ответов.

3. Только после четкого уяснения того, что от вас требуется, приступайте к чтению текста.

- Если ответ ясен из первых предложений, нет необходимости дочитывать предложение, абзац или текст до конца. Экономьте время, вычитывая только требующуюся информацию.

- В вариантах ответа могут быть предложены слова (словосочетания, предложения) из самого текста. Это не означает, что дан правильный вариант. Ищите соответствующий вариант по смыслу.

XXIV. Read the text and choоse the best answer to the questions below. Montesquieu

(1689-1755)

Charles Louis de Secondat was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1689 to a wealthy (богатый) family. Despite his family’s wealth, de Decondat was placed in the care of (под присмотром) a poor family during his childhood. He later went to college and studied science and history, eventually becoming a lawyer in the local government. De Secondat’s father died in 1713 and he was placed under the care of his uncle, Baron de Montesquieu. The Baron died in 1716 and left de Secondat his fortune (наследство), his office as president of the Bordeaux Parliament, and his title of Baron de Montesquieu. Later he was a member of the Bordeaux and French Academies of Science and studied the laws and customs and governments of the countries of Europe.

He married a Protestant, Jeanne Lartigue, and they had three children; but neither his profession nor his family seem to have claimed much of his attention (внимание). At the end of nine years he sold his office, and gave himself up (посвятил) entirely to study which became his life’s one and only passion (страсть). «Study», he wrote afterwards, «has been my sovereign remedy (лекарство) against the worries (беспокойство) of life. As a matter of fact the story of his life is but the chronicle of the preparation and composition of his books.

He gained fame (получил известность) in 1721 with his Persian Letters, which criticized the lifestyle and liberties of the wealthy French as well as the church. However, Montesquieu’s book «On the Spirit of Laws», published in 1748, was his most famous work. It outlined his ideas on how government would best work.

Montesquieu called the idea of dividing government power into three branches the «separation of powers». According to Montesquieu, each branch of government could limit the power of the other two branches. Therefore, no branch of the government could threaten (угрожать) the freedom of the people. His ideas about separation of powers became the basis for the United States Constitution. He did, however, believe that the success of a democracy – a government in which the people have the power – depended upon maintaining the right balance of power.

1. What is the French thinker’s original name?

1. Baron de Montesquieu.

2. Charles de Secondat.

3. Charles Louis de Secondat.

4. Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu.

2. What family was he born to?

   1. Poor.

   2. Rich.

   3. Middle.

3. How did he get the name and the title?

   1. After his father’s death.

   2. After his lawyer’s death.

   3. After his marriage.

   4. After his uncle’s death.

4. Which of the following was not his position?

   1. President of the Bordeaux parliament.

   2. Member of the Bordeaux Academy.

   3. Member of the French Academy of science.

   4. President of France.

5. What is known about his own family?

   1. He had a wife and three children.

   2. He had a good family.

   3. His family heeded much of his attention.

   4. He had a wife (protestant) and three children.

6. What attracted much of his attention?

   1. Family.

   2. Wife.

   3. Children.

   4. Studies.

7. What do these words mean: “His life is the chronicle of the preparation and composition of his books”?

   1. He was fan of reading books.

   2. He liked to study.

   3. He devoted all his life to study.

   4. Among the books he wrote were «Persian Letters», «On the Spirit of Laws».

8. Which of the following are not the ideas of Montesquieu?

   1. The separation of power.

   2. The United States Constitution.

   3. The system of checks of the branches.

   4. The balance of power.

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