52

УМКД 042-14.5.03.01.20./03-2012

Ред. № ____ от _______2012г.

Страница из 100

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РЕСПУБЛИКИ КАЗАХСТАН СЕМИПАЛАТИНСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ИМЕНИ ШАКАРИМА
Документ СМК 3 уровня	УМКД	УМКД 042-14.03.01.20/03-2012
УМКД Учебно-методические материалы по дисциплине «Теория перевода»	Редакция № 1 ___ ______2012г

Учебно-методический комплекс

дисциплины

«Страноведение»

ДЛЯ СПЕЦИАЛЬНОСТИ 050207 «ПЕРЕВОДЧЕСКОЕ ДЕЛО»

Учебно-методические материалы

Семей

2013

Содержание

1. Лекции

2. Вопросы для самоконтроля

3. Список литературы.

Лекционный материал

Лекция № 1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I. The Geographical position of the UK.

II. Climate.

III. Inland Waters.

IV. Resources.

I. The Geographical Position of the UK. The territory of the United Kingdom of Great Brit­ain and Northern Ireland is historically divided into four parts: 1) England; 2) Scotland; 3) Wales; 4) Northern Ireland.

Of the four countries which make up the United Kingdom, England is the largest. It occupies an area of 131, 8 thousand sq. km.

England borders on Scotland in the north. In the east it is washed by the North Sea. In the south it is separated from the continent by the English Chan­nel. In the west it borders on Wales and is washed by the Bristol Channel and by the Irish Sea.

The highest part of England is in the west, from where the land gradually slopes down to the east.

The Atlantic Ocean washes the rocky and broken west coast of England, Wales and Scotland and is gradually wearing it away, leaving caves and sandy beaches. On the east coast the land is low and sandy.

As concerns the relief, England can be divided into: Northern England mostly taken up by the low Pen­nine Mountains, the Central Plain, lowland South­east England, and hilly South-west England.

Scotland is the most northern of the countries that constitute the United Kingdom. It occupies an area of 78,8 thousand sq. km. Edinburgh, the country's capital and second largest city, is one of Europe's largest financial centres.

Scotland is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and west and by the North Sea in the east.

The coastline of Scotland is greatly indented. In many places deep fiords penetrate very far inland.

Geographically the territory of Scotland can be divided into three regions: the Northern Highlands, the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.

The Highlands are the highest mountains in the British Isles. Their average height does not exceed 457 m above sea level, though some peaks are much higher, rising over a thousand metres. Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles, reaches the height of 1343 m.

The Lowlands are the cradle of the Scottish na­tion. They are densely populated.

The Southern Uplands seldom rise over 579 m above sea level. It is one of the most sparsely populated districts in Great Britain.

Wales is a peninsula washed by the sea on three sides: the Bristol Channel in the south, the St. George's Channel in the west, and the Irish Sea in the north. Its territory is 20,8 thousand sq. km.

Geographically Wales may be considered part of highland Britain, the Cumbrian Mountains occupy­ing most of the land. It is an area of high mountains, deep valleys, waterfalls and lakes.

Wales is a region of heavy rainfall brought by the prevailing west winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The valleys are sheltered by the high mountains from cold east winds. The climate is rather mild.

Wales has never been densely populated. The Welsh have kept their own language, but English is spoken in town as well. The Capital of Wales is a de facto designation usually applied to Cardiff since 1955.

Northern Ireland occupies the north-eastern part of Ireland, which is separated from the island of Great Britain by the North Channel. In the south-west Northern Ireland borders on the Irish Republic (Eire).

Almost all the area of Northern Ireland is a plain of volcanic origin, deepening in the centre to form the largest lake of the British Isles, Lough Neagh.

The greatly indented coastline of Northern Ireland is abundant in rocks and cliffs.

Northern Ireland has a typical oceanic climate with mild damp winters (the mean temperature in Janu­ary is +4, +5) and cool rainy summers (the mean temperature in July is +14, +15).

Forests are rather scarce, moors and meadows prevail.

Northern Ireland is mostly an agrarian district. On small farms they grow crops, especially oats, veg­etables and potatoes. Large areas are taken up by meadows, where cattle graze. On the river banks and on the coasts the population is engaged in fishing.

Belfast (from Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning "mouth of the sandbanks") is the capital of, and largest city in, Northern Ireland.

II. Climate. The British tendency to moderation perhaps reflects the climate, which is exceptionally moderate: not too hot or cold, not too wet or dry. The temperature rarely goes below -5°C or over 25°C. But the weather is often dull and damp with too little sunshine. The frequent moderate winds make it feel colder than it really is. July and August are sometimes fine, but more often miserable. There are no great differences of climate between the sections of the United Kingdom, except that the west has more rain than the east, and the northern mountains, particularly in Scotland, have much more rain and snow. More generally, the southern parts of England and Wales are a little warmer, sunnier and less misty than the rest.

The prevailing winds blow from the south-west. As these winds blow from the ocean, they are mild in winter and cool in summer, and are heavily charged with moisture at all times. As they approach the moun­tainous areas near the west coasts, they rise up the mountain slopes. Their temperature drops, which causes condensation of moisture in the form of rain. Therefore the wettest parts of Britain are those areas where high mountains lie near the west coast: the western Highlands of Scotland, the Lake District and North Wales. The eastern part of Britain is said to be in the rain-shadow, as the winds lose most of their moisture in their passage over the highlands of the west.

All parts of the British Isles receive rain at any time of the year. Still autumn and winter are the wettest seasons, except in the Thames district, where most rain falls in the summer half of the year. Ox­ford, for example, has 29 per cent of its rain in summer and only 22 per cent in winter.

As to temperature, Great Britain has warmer win­ters than any other district in the same latitude. It is due in large measure to the prevalence of mild south­west winds. Another factor is the Gulf Stream, which flows from the Gulf of Mexico and brings much warmth from the equatorial regions to north-west­ern Europe.

III. Inland Waters. Due to the humid climate and abundant rainfall, the water level in the rivers is always high. The riv­ers seldom freeze in winter, most of them remain ice-free. Many of the rivers are joined together by ca­nals. This system of rivers and canals provides a good means of cheap inland water transport.

British rivers are not navigable for ocean ships, but they form deep estuaries, and strong tides pene­trating into them prevent the formation of deltas. Most of the large ports of Great Britain are situated in the estuaries.

The most important rivers are the Severn, flow­ing from the Cumbrian Mountains in Wales into the Bristol Channel, the Thames, flowing across the plains of south-eastern England and emptying into the North Sea, the Tyne and the Trent, flowing from the eastern slopes of the Pennines to the North Sea, the Mersey, flowing down the western slopes of the Pennines and emptying into the Irish Sea at Liv­erpool, and the Clyde in Scotland, which flows west across the Southern Uplands and on which the port of Glasgow is situated.

Other major rivers are the Avon, Forth, Tay, Tweed, Ouse and Tees. These and other rivers are all used either for shipping, water supplies, or hydroelectric power; their flow is, accordingly, highly regulated. Many of the rivers are canalized and are linked with other river systems in an intricate, and now largely abandoned, canal system dating from the early Industrial Revolution.

Drinking water is derived from subsurface supplies and from numerous reservoirs in the Pennines, in the Welsh mountains, and in Scotland.

Owing to the fact that British lakes are rather small and have no outlets, they afford limited economic possibilities in the system of navigable waterways. But most of them, especially those situated in the counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and north Lancashire, are famous for their unique beauty and picturesque surroundings. Famous is the English Lake District, occupying a comparatively small area. It is a place of steep ridges and deep valleys, smooth slopes and deep lakes, ravines, waterfalls and green mead­ows. The Lake District is one of the most popular holiday districts in Great Britain.

IV. Resources. The United Kingdom has long been rich in energy resources but deficient in food and industrial raw materials. Extensive coal deposits occur around the eastern and western edges of the Permines, in South Wales, in the western Midlands (Birmingham area), and in the Scottish Central Lowland. Easily accessible coal seams are, however, largely exhausted. Fortunately for the energy-hungry British economy, large deposits of petroleum and natural gas under the North Sea came into commercial production in 1975.

Other mineral deposits are of small importance. They include tin, mined in small amounts in Cornwall; low-grade iron ores in the Jurassic rocks of Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire in the eastern Midlands, used in steel mills at Scunthorpe and Corby; kaolinite (china clay), mined in parts of Cornwall; and sands and gravels, quarried for road-building materials. Of the total land area about 25% is used for crops and more than 65% for grassland and grazing; agricultural productivity has been greatly improved since World War II, and only one-third of all food needs are now imported, compared with two-thirds before the war.

Answer the following questions:

1. What four parts is the territory of the United Kingdom historically divided into?

2. Show all component parts of the United Kingdom on the map.

3. Why does Great Britain have warmer winters than any other districts in the same latitude?

4. What rivers and lakes in Great Britain can you name?

5. What are the main and other natural deposits of Great Britain?

Лекция № 2. Economy of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Leading Industries and their location.

1. Economic activity.

2. Manufacturing.

3. Mining.

4. Power.

5. Transportation.

6. Other industries.

I. Economic activity. Great Britain is a very important country in the world. There are many British cities, which are centers of some industries or simply large cities. London, the capital of the UK, is the largest city in Europe and also it is one of the world's most important ports. There is the Royal Exchange in London, which operates 1.5 billion $ a day. This exchange is the central exchange in Europe. In northern England, there are large deposits of coal and iron ore. On the eastern side, cities such as Bradford and Leeds became the world's leading producers of woolen goods. On the western side, Manchester became the world's leading producer of cotton goods. Sheffield became a center for the production of steel goods. Edinburgh is associated with science, law and administration. That's why it was called "The Athens of the North". These are only some cities, which are important for the UK and for the world, but there are many others, which are cultural or industrial centers.

II. Manufacturing. Until recent times, Britain's heavy industry was mainly concentrated in the centre of England and in the London region. Such towns as Birmingham, Cov­entry and Sheffield produced heavy machines, rail­way carriages and motor-cars. In the 20th century new branches of industry have appeared: electronics, radio, chemical industry and others.

Today manufacturing accounts for more than one-fifth of total employment and about a third of GNP. In recent years traditional industries such as food, drink, tobacco, and textiles have shown relatively small growth rates compared to the rapid expansion of the government-encouraged metals, engineering, and chemicals sectors. The chemical, pharmaceutical, and health­care sectors, which were insignificant before 1970, now represent nearly 20% of the value of exports. Electronics has had similar success, now accounting for approximately 25% of total exports. The successful development of manufacturing industries owes much to investment by foreign firms. More than a thousand such companies have established bases in Ireland, and they account for about 55% of manufacturing output and more than 75% of manufacturing exports.

Workers directly engaged in manufacturing number approximately 5.5 million, or less than 17% of the total labor force. Of these, about 29% are engaged in the metallurgical and engineering industries, about 5% in chemical industries, about 10% in food processing, and 6% in textile manufacturing. About 10% work in vehicle manufacture, and 8% work in the paper, printing, and publishing industries. Increasing efficiency of production and elimination of uneconomic plants continue to reduce the numbers working in manufacturing. The main centers of industry are on the coalfields of northern England and Scotland, in the western Midlands, and around the major ports, including London.

III. Mining. The United Kingdom was the first country in the world which became highly industrialized. Dur­ing the rapid industrialization of the 19th century, one of the most important factors was that coal deposits were situated near the ground surface, which made mining easy. Coal mining was one of the most developed industries in Great Britain.

Nowadays less than 1% of the labor force is engaged in mining. The number of coal mines in operation dropped from 170 to 15 between 1984 and 1995, mainly because of loss of export markets, increasing use of petroleum and other fuels, and exhaustion of easily worked coal seams in the coalfields. The coal industry was privatized in 1994 and a new Coal Authority was created to license private operators.

The big­gest coal and iron mines are in the north-east of England, near Newcastle, in Lancashire and York­shire; in Scotland near Glasgow; in Wales near Cardiff and Bristol.

Petroleum is the principal mineral produced, with production reaching about 120 million metric tons (132.3 million U.S. tons) a year in the mid-1990s, when Britain began developing new oil reserves near the Shetland Islands. Natural gas is produced in association with petroleum.

Sands and gravels are of considerable economic significance; iron ores tin, and kaolinite (china clay) are of lesser importance.

IV. Power. In 1993 the United Kingdom ranked second in Europe, after Germany, in electricity production, with an output of about 336 billion kWh. More than half of all coal mined was used to generate electricity; in addition, large oil-powered generating stations are located near London, Southampton, and other ports. Hydroelectricity contributed about 5.2 billion kWh of the total; most of it is produced in the Scottish Highlands and in southwestern Scotland, with smaller amounts produced in northwestern Wales. Approximately 12% of all electricity is derived from nuclear power. An estimated 21.5% of the nation's total fuel supply is derived from natural gas, which is mined together with petroleum from under the North Sea; more than half of the gas is used for industrial and commercial purposes.

V. Transportation. More than 3,140 km (1,951 mi) of high-speed motorway supplement the United Kingdom's older and slower highway system based on 12,229 km (7 599 mi) of trunk roads radiating out from London with "bypasses" around major cities to lessen congestion. British Rail operates about 16,500 km (10,253 mi) of track in England, Scotland, and Wales. About 480 km (298 mi) of wide-gauge track is operated by Northern Ireland Railways (NIR). A rail link with the Continent was established via the Channel Tunnel in 1994. As mandated by the Railways Act of 1993, British Rail, which has been government-owned since 1947, is now in the process of being transferred to the private sector. Except for the Manchester Ship Canal, canals and canalized rivers carry little freight today, The busiest ports - some brought to recent prominence by North Sea oil - are London, Milford Haven, Tees and Hartlepool, Forth, Grimsby and Immingham, Southampton, Shetland (Sullom Voe), Medway, Orkney (Flotta), Liverpool, and Manchester.

VI. Other industries. Of great importance for Britain is ship-building industry. It is concentrated in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool and Belfast.

Great Britain produces a lot of wool, and woolen industry is developed in Yorkshire. British woolen products are exported to many countries.

Sea-ports play a great role in the life of the coun­try. London, Liverpool and Glasgow are the biggest English ports, from which big liners go to all parts of the world. Great Britain exports industrial prod­ucts to other countries and imports food and some other products.

Sheep-farming, cattle-farming and dairy-farming are also important branches of Great Britain's econ­omy. Chicken farms produce a great number of chick­ens and eggs for the population.

The south of England is often called the "Garden of England", because there are many gardens and orchards there. In the orchards people grow apples, pears, cherries, plums and other fruits, and there are also large plantations of different berries.

Answer the following questions:

1. What new branches of industry have appeared in GB in the 20th century?

2. Where are the main centers of industry located?

3. Where are the big­gest coal and iron mines of GB?

4. What are the regions in GB where hydroelectricity is produced?

5. What are other industries in GB which are important for national economy?

Лекция № 3. The British Monarchy.

I. Monarchy as the oldest secular institution in the United Kingdom.

II. “The Queen reigns but does not rule”?

III. The Royal Prerogatives.

I. Monarchy as the oldest secular institution in the United Kingdom. The monarchy is the most ancient secular institution in the United Kingdom, with a continuous history stretching back over a thousand years. Its continuity for over 1,000 years was broken only once by a republic that lasted a mere 11 years (1649-60).

The hereditary monarchy has evolved over the centuries from absolute personal authority to the present constitutional form. The monarchy is hereditary, the succession passing automatically to the oldest male child, or in the absence of males, to the oldest female offspring of the monarch. By Act (or law) of Parliament, the monarch must be a Protestant. Succession is automatic on the death of the monarch, confirmed later by a formal coronation ceremony. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, for example, took place over a year after she became queen.

The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Although in speeches, the King or Queen calls the Government 'my Government', the monarch does not have any power.

II. The Queen reigns but does not rule? The reigning monarch is not only the head of state but also a symbol of the unity of the nation.

At present the official head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who succeeded to the throne in 1952.The full royal title of the Queen is: Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

In law, the Queen is an integral part of the legislature, the head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Crown and the temporal head of the established Church of England. However, since 1689, the monarch's sovereign powers have been formally limited by the idea that national sovereignty resides in 'the Crown in Parliament' - the idea that the Crown is only sovereign by the will of Parliament.

But the Queen is only a formal ruler: she reigns but does not rule. The United Kingdom is governed by Her Majesty's government in the name of the Queen. In actual fact everything that she does is done on the advice of her ministers, who are responsible for the royal acts.

Thus, most of the functions of the Queen are purely of a symbolic nature.

Theoretically every act of Government is done in the Queen's name - every letter sent out by a government department is marked 'On Her Majesty's Service' - and she appoints all the ministers, including the Prime Minister. In reality, everything is done on the advice of the elected Government, and the monarch takes no part in the decision-making process.

III. The Royal Prerogatives. However, the monarch does have great influence and it would be wrong to underestimate the role of the monarchy in Britain. There are still important acts of government which require the participation of the Queen. The Queen summons, prorogues (discontinues until the next session without dissolution) and dissolves Parliament; she usually opens new sessions of Parliament with a speech from the throne (which is written by the Prime Minister) in which the major governmental policies are outlined. These acts form part of the Royal Prerogative. The power to restrict or abolish a prerogative right belongs to Parliament. Prerogative rights are of legislative, executive and judicial character. The Monarch must give a Royal Assent to Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament. As Head of State the Monarch has the power to sign international agreements, to cede or receive territory, and to declare war or make peace. The Monarch's approval is required for appointing every impor­tant office holder, including government ministers, judges, officers of the armed forces, diplomats and bishops. The Monarch confers peerages, knighthoods and other honours. It is only the Monarch who is able to remit all or part of the penalties imposed upon persons convicted of crimes through the exercise of the prerogative of mercy on the advice of the appropriate minister.

Thus the remaining powers of the monarch are basically to summon, suspend until the next session and dissolve Parliament; to give royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament; to appoint government ministers, judges, officers of the armed forces, governors, diplomats and bishops of the Church; to confer honours, such as peerages and knighthoods; to remit sentences passed on convicted criminals; and finally to declare war on or make peace with an enemy power. In practice, of course, with the exception of a few honours she is free to decide herself, the monarch discharges all these functions on the direction of the government. In most matters of state, the refusal of the Queen to exercise her power according to the direction of her Prime Minister would risk a serious constitutional crisis.

The Monarch retains an important attribute of power – information. The Queen is regularly informed and consulted on many aspects of public affair. She sees all Cabinet papers and reads dispatches and correspondence. The Prime Minister keeps her well informed about political events. Her views on a subject can effect the way the Prime Minister acts. So, the Monarch has the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn.

The function of the monarch is politically important. For as someone who reigns but does not rule, the sovereign separates the 'magic' of sovereignty, publicly visible in many ceremonies, from the power of the executive head of state. This contrasts with executive presidential systems of government. Away from the public gaze, the monarch plays a more practical role. The Queen is visited regularly by her Prime Minister to receive an account of Cabinet decisions and to be consulted on matters of national life. Since 1952 the Queen has given weekly audience, as it is called, to 11 Prime Ministers, some of whom have highly valued these meetings.

The social influence of the Monarch is great. The Royal Family is the principal aristocratic house in the United Kingdom, closely connected with other members of the hereditary aristocracy, and with vast areas of land in England and Scotland, as well as valuable city property in London, including Regent's Park, parts of Pall Mall, Piccadilly, Holborn and Kensington. The Queen's residence in London is Buckingham Palace; her other homes are Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Answer the following questions:

1. How long has Elizabeth II been the Queen?

2. Could you name the powers of the monarch in law?

3. What prerogative rights can you name?

4. Can you list office holders who are appointed only with the Monarch's approval?

5. What property does the Queen own?

6. Some people think that the monarchy should be abolished because it has no power and it costs the State a lot of money to maintain. How useful do you think the monarchy is in Britain today?

Лекция №4. The UK Parliament.

1. Parliamentary Monarchy.

2. The Structure of UK Parliament.

3. Work of Parliament.

4. The principles of the British parliamentary system.

5. The main Functions of Parliament.

I. Parliamentary Monarchy. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch (a king or a queen) as its Head of State. The monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of Parliament.

The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representatives assemblies in the world, having its origin in the mid-13^th century. From the 14^th century, parliamentary government in the UK has been based on a two-chamber system. The House of Lords (the upper House) and the House of Commons (the lower House) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The relationship between the two Houses is governed largely by convention but it is in part defined by the Parliament Acts. The legislative process involves both Houses of Parliament and the Monarch.

There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom constitution is not embodied in a single document. It is a set of rules, many of which are customs or 'conventions' (unwritten rules) that have come to be accepted through the fact of being observed though they have no defined authority. Acts of Parliament (also called 'laws' or 'statutes') have defined some aspects of the constitutional system. This system is flexible and can be altered by Act of Parliament, or by general agreement to create, change or abolish a convention. Parliament is the supreme legislative body and the supreme authority in the United Kingdom.

There are devolved Parliaments/Assemblies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland created by legislation passed by the UK Parliament.

II. The Structure of UK Parliament. The British Parliament is made up of three institutions. They are the monarchy and two chambers. The upper chamber is known as the House of Lords. The lower chamber is called the House of Commons. Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government of the country, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions such as the coronation of a new monarch or the opening of Parliament. The House of Lords, which is an unelected chamber, has only limited powers. In reality, the House of Commons, which is made up of the elected members known as Members of Parliament (abbreviated to MPs), is the only one of the three which has true power. It is here that new bills are introduced and debated. If the majority of the members are in favour of a bill it goes to the House of Lords to be debated and finally to the monarch to be signed. Only then does it become law. Although a bill must be supported by all three bodies, the House of Lords cannot reject the bills that the House of Commons wants to pass, and the monarch has not refused to sign one since the modern political system began over 200 years ago.

III. Work of Parliament. Parliament has a maximum duration of five years. At any time up to the end of this period, a general election can be held for a new House of Commons.

The life of Parliament is divided into periods called «sessions», each terminated by a «prorogation»; this means that all business that has not been completed is abandoned. Parliament can only meet again when it is formally summoned by the Queen. A session lasts from the end of October to roughly the same date of the next year. There are breaks for holidays at Christmas, Easter, Whitman (the 7^th Sunday after Easter) and in the summer. The periods when Parliament is not sitting are known as «recesses».

The beginning of a new session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament. A debate on particular aspects of the Queen's Speech follows, usually lasting 5 or 6 days, after which Parliament begins with the work of the session. Except on Fridays, each day's business begins with «Question time». This is a period of 45 minutes during which MPs may address questions to ministers.

IV. The principles of the British parliamentary system. Parliament in the United Kingdom is based on the principle that the people of the country hold ultimate power. They can exercise this power at least every five years, by voting for the person that they want to represent them in Parliament, and by voting in a Government.

The British democratic system depends on political parties, and there has been a party system of some kind since the 17th century. The political parties choose candidates in elections. There are sometimes independent candidates, but they are rarely elected.

The party which wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms the Government and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The most senior members of the Government are called the Cabinet.

The largest minority party becomes the Opposition. In doing so it accepts the right of the majority party to run the country, while the majority party accepts the right of the minority party to criticize it. Without this agreement between the political parties, the British parliamentary system would break down. The Opposition develops its own policies. It is the aim of every opposition party to gain power at the next election and it therefore, has to make sure that it is properly prepared to govern the country. The most senior members of the Opposition are called the Shadow Cabinet which is headed by the Leader of the Opposition.

It is the job of Parliament to make sure that the Government is working properly and in the public interest. Every Member of Parliament, no matter what political party he or she belongs to, has to examine the work of the Government. The Opposition plays the leading part in this.

V. The main Functions of Parliament. Parliament's main functions are law-making, authorizing taxation and public expenditure and examining government policy, especially proposals for expenditure. It discusses what the Government has done, is doing and intends to do, points to the Government's errors and attempts to change and modify its policies.

Thus the main functions of Parliament are to:

• make all UK law provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government;

• protect the public and safeguard the rights of individuals;

• scrutinize government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure;

• examine European proposals before they become law;

• hear appeals in the House of Lords, the Highest Court of Appeal in Britain;

• debate the major issues of the day.

Answer the following questions:

1. What are the two chambers of British Parliament?

2. When do Parliament and the monarch meet?

3. When did the monarch refuse to sign a bill last time?

4. How can the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and northern Ireland exercise their power?

5. What are the main functions of Parliament?

Лекция № 5 The Houses of Parliament.

I. The House of Commons.

II. The House of Lords.

I. The House of Commons. The House of Commons meets in a building called the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, in a specially designed chamber. The chamber is rectangular in shape. The Speaker's Chair stands at the north end, and in front of it is the Table of the House, at which the Clerk of the House sits. The benches for members (upholstered in green) run the length of the chamber on both sides, facing each other across a broad gangway known as the «floor of the House». The benches to the right of the Speaker are used by the Government and its supporters; those to his left are occupied by the Opposition and members of any other parties. The front bench on the Government side, known as the Treasury Bench, seats the Prime Minister and other ministers. They are known as «front benchers». Those who do not hold posts in the Government sit on the back benches and are known as «back benchers». The front bench facing the Government side seats the leaders of the Opposition. The whole arrangement of the House suggests the two-parry system.

The chamber has a gallery, part of which is kept for the use of «strangers» (i.e. the public). Opposite the public gallery is the Hansard and press gallery. Hansard is the stenographic record (Official Report) of the proceedings of the House. It records all words spoken in debate as well as voting members.

Seating accommodation falls far short of providing a seat for all members. The chamber was built to hold only 437 of a total 651 MPs. MPs do not have specially reserved seats and the Commons was purposely made too small in order to keep its club-like atmosphere. This creates better conditions for discussions than would be possible in a larger chamber.

The House of Commons meets every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 2.30 p.m. and normally sits until 10.30 p.m., although it may continue until well after midnight. On Fridays it meets at 11 a.m. and finishes at 4.30 p.m. The mornings are taken up with constituency work. Many members return to their constituencies during the weekends.

The House of Commons is traditionally regarded as the lower house, but it is the main parliamentary arena for political battle. The Government can only remain in office as long as it has the support of a majority in the House of Commons. As with the House of Lords, the House of Commons debates new primary legislation as part of the process of making an Act of Parliament, but the Commons has the primacy over the non-elected House of Lords.

The House of Commons is the main place where legislation and other decisions of the Government are criticized and assessed. It is often referred to as “the Legislative” - the body which makes laws. A proposal for a new law is known as a “bill”. Bills may be introduced in either House, though the most important bills are submitted to the House of Commons first. Bills dealing with money are an exception and are always introduced in the Commons by a member of the Government, usually the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ‘Money bills’, concerned solely with taxation and public expenditure, are always introduced in the Commons and must be passed by the Lords promptly and without amendment. When the two Houses disagree on a non-money bill, the Parliament acts can be invoked to ensure that the will of the elected chamber prevails.

The work of the Commons includes controlling finance. Before the Government can raise or spend money, it must have permission from the House of Commons. Another important function of the Commons is controlling the Government in power and scrutinizing its policies by asking questions, by holding debates and by committee work. Apart from these functions, the Commons also dis­cusses the Government's administrative policies – foreign affairs, educational problems, etc.

II. The House of Lords. The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Houses of Parliament. The House of Lords chamber is similar to that of the Commons, except that prevailing colour is red while that of the Commons is green. At the end of the rectangular chamber is the Throne from which the Queen reads her speech at the opening of Parliament. In front of the Throne is the seat of the Lord Chancellor, the speaker of the House of Lords, who supervises the debates. He sits on the woolsack, a seat which contains wool from all the Commonwealth countries. The peer's benches, upholstered in red leather, are arranged on both sides of the House; the Government benches are on the right of the Throne, and the Opposition benches are on the left. The galleries on either side of the chamber are reserved for diplomats and "Distinguished Strangers", and the gallery on the northern end is for reporters and other members of the public.

Members of the House of Lords (known as ‘peers’) consist of 4 categories of peer. The majority are hereditary peers, currently about 750. A smaller number, about 400, are ‘life’ peers – an idea introduced in 1958 to elevate to the peerage certain people who have rendered political or public service to the nation. All life peers are created on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of the day, with nominations also sought from opposition parties. Nine of the most senior judges, the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (commonly known as ‘Law Lords’), are also entitled to sit in the Lords. Finally, alongside these secular peers, the Lords Temporal, are the 26 most senior bishops and archbishops of the Church of England, the Lords Spiritual. The Law Lords and the Lords Spiritual are the ancient non-hereditary component of the Lords.

There are over 1,000 members of the House of Lords. They are an unelected group of people who have either inherited their seats or have been given them by the Government. Their seats are between the Throne and the Government benches, facing the Opposition benches. They are Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Lords Spiritual are the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England. There are 2 archbishops (the Archbishops of Canterbury and York) and 24 senior bishops. Their seats are between the Throne and the Government benches, facing the Opposition benches. The Lords Temporal are Hereditary peers, Law Lords and Life peers and peeresses. Hereditary peers constitute the largest class - about 800 members. There are 5 ranks in the peerage: Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts and Barons. All peers, whatever their rank, have the same rights in the House of Lords. Law Lords are distinguished judges created peers for life (life peers) to assist the House of Lords in the performance of its judicial duties as the highest court of the land. Life peers and peeresses receive their peerage as a reward for service, and their children do not inherit the title.

The House is presided over by the Lord Chancellor, the senior law officer of the state. The Lord Chancellor is responsible for the administration of justice and is also an automatic member of the Cabinet.

The House of Lords shares in the making of laws, the examination of the Government's work and in debating important matters of the day. The main work of the House of Lords consists in considering the bills in committee and in making amendments. But the chamber is not as powerful as the House of Commons. It can suggest changes in laws, but it is restricted to laws that have nothing to do with the finance of the country (for example, it cannot suggest any changes to the Budget, the annual statement of the Government's financial plans). The House of Lords cannot reject laws that the House of Commons wants to pass, though it can amend them. Even then, the Commons can reject these amendments. The main function of the House of Lords is legislation, i.e. reviewing and giving further consideration to Bills sponsored by the Government. Another function of the House of Lords is examining the work of the Government by debate. The work of this House also includes examining European proposals. In addition to its parliamentary duties, the House has important legal functions, e.g. hearing legal appeals. It is the final court of appeal for civil cases in the whole of the United Kingdom, and for criminal cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A large number of peers support the Conservative Party than the other parties. Those peers who support Labour or the Liberal Democrats are together almost the same in number as the Conservatives.

Peers, of whatever party loyalty, are far freer to vote according to their own convictions, rather than party policy, than are members of the Commons.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why was the Chamber of the House of Commons made too small?

2. How many times a week does the House of Commons meet?

3. Which House may a bill be introduced in?

4. What sorts of Lords are in the House of Lords?

5. Who constitutes the largest class in the House of Lords?

6. What are the judicial duties of the House of Lords?

Лекция № 6. The British Constitution.

I. Basic Documents of the British Uncodified Constitution.

II. The leading principles to the British Constitution.

I. Basic Documents of the British Uncodified Constitution. The British Constitution is unwritten in one single document. Unlike many other nations, the UK has no single core constitutional document. The British Constitution is referred to as an uncodified constitution in the sense that there is no single document that can be classed as Britain's constitution.

The British constitution comprises multiple documents. The written part consists of the Magna Carta, written in 1215; the Petition of Right, passed by Parliament in 1628; Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, and the Bill of Rights of 1689. It also includes the entire body of laws enacted by Parliament, precedents established by decisions made in British court of law, and various traditions and customs. The democratically elected House of Commons can alter these laws with a majority vote. The constitution continually evolves as new laws are passes and judicial decisions are handed down. All laws passed by Parliament are regarded as constitutional, and changes or amendments to the constitution occur whenever new legislation overrides existing law. Although the Crown gives its royal assent to legislation, this is a mere formality.

Magna Carta is a famous document in English history agreed upon in 1215 by King John and the barons, which set certain limits on royal power and which was later regarded as a law stating basic civil rights.

The Petition of Right is a major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. Passed on 7 June 1628, the Petition contains restrictions on non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause, and restricts the use of martial law.

Habeas Corpus Act is a law passed in 1679. This ancient prerogative writ is a procedural device to force the courts to examine the lawfulness of a prisoner's detention. It guarantees to a person arrested the right to appear in court of justice so that the jury should decide whether he or she is guilty or not guilty.

Today Britain is defined as a constitutional monarchy without a written constitution. The Bill of Rights of 1689 was the first legal step towards the constitutional monarchy. A constitutional monarch is one who can rule only with the support of Parliament. This Bill prevented the monarch from making laws or raising an army without Parliament’s approval. Since 1689 the power of Parliament has grown steadily, while the power of the monarch has weakened.