Language practice and comprehension check

USEFUL INFORMATION:

Declaration of Independence, 1776 - historic US document stating the theory of government on which the USA was founded, based on the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

TERMS AND NotIONS:

To give it teeth – to put smth (a process, legislation) into effect.

“Winner-take-all” system – the system of election when candidates gain the state’s total electoral vote in the electoral college, no matter how small the margin.

Ballot n. – 1 a system of voting, usually in secret, or an occasion when you vote in this way. 2 a piece of paper on which you make a secret vote.

TASK I a) Study the following words from the text:

Active Vocabulary

suit v.— 1 meet the demands or requirements of; satisfy; agree with. 2 make fitting; accommodate; adapt. suitable adj. (usu. foll. by to, for) well-fitted; appropriate.  suitability n. suitably adv.

visualize v. (also -ise) (-zing or -sing)-imagine visually.  visualization n.

vision n. - 1 mental picture. 2 imaginative insight.

exempt v. – give sb. permission not to do or pay sth.

envision v. – imagine that something will happen in the future.

insidious adj. – 1 proceeding inconspicuously but harmfully. 2 crafty.  insidiously adv. insidiousness n.

amenable adj. – 1 responsive, docile. 2 (often foll. by to) answerable to law etc. amenability n.

homogeneous adj. – 1 of the same kind. 2 consisting of parts of the same kind; uniform.  homogeneity n. homogeneously adv.

heterogeneous adj. – consisting of parts or members that are very different from one another.

 heterogeneity n.

intertwine v - twist together, firmly join.

b) .Use the active vocabulary and terms and notions to complete the sentences:

!. The people of the USA are ... mix of nationalities.

2. The representatives in the government are ... as citizens.

3. The situation is ... to political correction.

4. The most important force ... was the ballot.

5. The new government needed some force to oppose the ... tendency of usurping the power.

6. The Framers understood that even ... needed enforcement mechanisms.

7. The problems of crime and unemployment are closely ... .

8. Democratic government is ... to the public representation in the legislative process.

9. The "people" were essentially ... group whose interests did not differ greatly.

10. The party leader is elected by secret … .

11. The document … the owner from liability in case of accidents.

TASK II a). Match the words on the left with their synonyms on the right:

forebear n.	a. picture
posit v.	b. ancestor
visualize v.	c. isolate
insulate v.	d. postulate
figure v.	e. fit
suit v.	f. imagine
envision v.	g. consider
intertwine v.	h. release
subject adj.	i. connect
exempt v.	j. subordinate

b) Match the adjectives with the nouns to make up word combinations from the text:

representative	a. protection
unusual	democracy
effective	ability
political	theory
republican	correctness
social	concern
homogenous	treatment
unreasonable	group

c). Make up sentences with the words and word combinations.

TASK III A. Make up sentences with the following phrases:

to seek a solution; the body of the ruled; to shield smb from the rigors (of the law); to treat smb unreasonably; to pursue the interests of smb; to range from … to …; to guard against smth.

B. Make up sentences with the following connectors:

1. nonetheless – however, despite that

2. actually – really, in fact

3. in addition – besides, as well

4. in particular – in detail, exactly

5. thus far – until now,

6. at least – if nothing else,

7. but rather – more exactly, more truly

8. indeed – really, certainly

TASK IV Make up nouns with the suffix –ity:

Ex. homogenous – homogeneity

Heterogeneous, equal, amenable, minor, major, particular, continuous, secure, responsible.

TASK V Define the following notions:

Representative democracy, pre-Revolutionary rhetoric, protection of minorities, homogenous group, heterogeneity of interests.

TASK VI Express the same ideas in your own words:

1. The principal force envisioned was the ballot: the people in their self-interest would choose representatives whose interests intertwined with theirs and by critical reelection decision ensure that they stayed that way, in particular that the representatives did not shield themselves from the rigors of the laws they passed.

2. If most of us feel we are being subjected to unreasonable treatment by our representatives, we retain the ability-irrespective of whether they are formally or informally insulating themselves – to turn them out of office.

3. Though most often articulated as if it were an existing reality, this was at best an ideal, and the fact that wealth redistribution of some form – ranging from fairly extreme to fairly modest proposals – figured in so much early republican, while doubtless partly explainable simply in terms of the perceived desirability of such a change, also was quite consciously connected to republican political theory.

TASK VII Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of system is representative democracy?

2. What conflict did the pre-Revolutionary rhetoric postulate?

3. What idea was suggested as an integral part of the concept of representation?

4. What mechanism did the Framers propose to prevent the separation of the rulers from the ruled?

5. Does the system protect minorities’ interests effectively? Why?

6. What kind of republic did the Framers want to create?

7. Why did the Framers not highlight the principle of equality in the Constitution to the full extent?

8. Were the people really a homogenous group with similar interests?

9. When would attention to equality of treatment not be needed any more?

TASK VIII Discussion points:

1. The concept of representative government.

2. Mechanisms to prevent the authorities from exceeding power.

3. Fair treatment of minorities.

4. Is a homogenous society a reality or an ideal?

1 IP – intellectual property

1