Test 3 (Variant e)

1. Read the text:

THE USA EXECUTIVE POWER

* The Constitution vests the executive power in the president. It also provides for the election of a vice president who succeeds to the presidency in case of the death, resignation or incapacitation of the president. The president is elected by the people through the electoral college for a four-year term, limited to two terms. A native-born American citizen, at least 35 years old and at least 14 years a resident of the United States may be elected to the office. Candidates for the presidency are chosen by political parties several months before the presidential election, which is held every four years. The chief duty of the president is to protect the Constitution and enforce the laws made by Congress. The president has other powers: he recommends legislation to Congress, vetoes bills, appoints federal judges, heads of federal departments and agencies and other principal federal officials, exercises the function of commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Within the executive branch itself, the president has broad powers to manage national affairs and the workings of the federal government. The president can issue rules, regulations and instructions called executive orders, which have the force of law upon federal agencies. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States, the president may also call into federal service the state units of the National Guard. In times of war or national emergency, Congress may grant the president even broader powers to manage the national economy and protect the security of the United States.

The day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws is in the hands of various executive departments, created by Congress to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs. The heads of the departments, chosen by the president and approved by the Senate, form a council of advisers generally known as the president’s “Cabinet”. Cabinet members act as advisers; they retain the responsibility for directing the activities of the government in specific areas of concern. Each department has thousands of employees, with offices throughout the country as well as in Washington. The departments are divided into divisions, bureaus, offices and services, each with specific duties. There are 14 departments, some of them are: the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defence, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Education.

2. Translate the marked (*) paragraph into Russian.

3. Answer the questions using the text:

1. What are the chief duties of the US president? 2. When does the president receive the broadest powers? 3. What bodies do the day-to-day work on administration of federal law? 4. What is “Cabinet”?

4. Use the Perfect tenses of the verbs in brackets:

1. I (to wait) for this letter for two weeks. 2. The bank (not/to remit) the funds yet. 3. The election board (to calculate) the votes by midnight, so we’ll have a few hours for sleep. 4. The criminal (to crossed) the Mexican border before the police could identify him. 5. I never (to be) to France before. 6. He (to interview) the witnesses since morning, but he (to talk) only to five people. 7. They (to interrogate) the suspect for two hours before the captain joined the fun. 8. I already (to collect) all available evidence. 9. You ever (to make) a testimony in the courtroom? 10. They are not here yet, but I have no doubt that they (to arrive) by the time the will is opened. 11. Is she crazy? She (to stand) on the corner the whole morning. 12. I (to offer) her a job before you told me not to do it.

5. Put questions using the words in brackets:

1. The jury will have made their verdict by lunch time tomorrow. (Who? Alternative)

2. The suspect has already got rid of the weapon of crime. (What? General)

3. The victim had died before the ambulance arrived. (Who? Disjunctive)

6. Use may or might:

1. ... I take your pen for a while? 2. He is cleaning the flat after the party. You ,,, go and help him. 3. I have no idea where the key is. Your wife ... have taken it. 4. They ... be smoking in the lobby. 5. You ... have booked a seat for me. 6. Don’t worry, she ... not have got your message yet.

7. Use little, a little, few, a few:

1. The message was not long: just ... words. 2. His diet requires very ... salt and sugar. 3. She needs ... care and attention. 4. Mr Grow, there are ... messages for you from your clients. 5. We must go to a petrol station, we have ... petrol. 6. It took them ... time to fix the car, they replaced ... minor parts. 7. I know ... people from that firm, but none of them will become an insider.

8. Use articles where necessary:

1. The situation in ... Middle East remains unstable. 2. ... Urals is the natural border between ... Europe and ... Asia. 3. The fisheries around ... British Isles suffer from oil pollution. 4. I think we should stay at ... Station Hotel. 5. Five witnesses proved that he had spent the previous night at ... Red Rose. 6. They intend to spend their holidays in ... south of Spain. 7. A new hydropower plant will be built on ... Beresina. 8. We need a considerable sum of money to redevelop the area near ... Lake Naroch. 9. ... Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British Monarch.

9. Choose the correct prepositions:

1. He was looking through the documents ... I was driving. (during, while, till). 2. The conference will be held ... next month. (on, at, -) 3. He is looking ... the minutes of the last meeting. (for, to, -) 4. She will have finished the draft of the contract ... 4 o’clock. (until, for, by) 5. He arrived ... home long before midnight. (by, -, at) 6. The payment must be made ... the end of the month. (in, on, at) 7. The delegation is leaving ... Prague. (to, in, for) 8. We are interested ... your offer. (of, about, in) 9. This firm is famous ... its world known electronic equipment. (in, for, at)

* * * * *

Вопросы к зачету (3 семестр):

1. What is the representation into the Senate?

2. What is the representation into the House of Representatives?

3. Who may become a member of Senate and the House?

4. What are the powers of Congress?

5. Who has the right to introduce a legislature to Congress?

6. What is the role of the congressional committees?

7. What is the process of passing a bill in each house of the USA Congress?

8. How can Congress override the presidential veto?

9. Who may become a USA President?

10. What are the powers of the presidential office?

11. What is the role of Cabinet?

12. What is the life of British Parliament?

13. How is Parliament composed?

14. What are the powers of the UK parliament?

15. What are the two stages in the life of a bill?

16. What is the role of the monarch in passing a bill?

17. How is the power of the Lords restricted?