Test 2 (Variant b)

1. Read the text:

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. The British constitution is formed by statutes, by common law and by practices and precepts (conventions). (1)There are three organs of government in the constitution: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. The Crown is the supreme power in these three branches. (2)The Queen calls and dissolves Parliament, she opens a new session with a speech from the throne. The Queen confers honours and appoints judges, army officers, diplomats, and officials of the Church of England.

* Parliament consists of two houses - the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons consists of 650 members. The term of the Commons is five years. The speaker presides in the House. (3)Members of the House of Commons belong to one of the British political parties. The party that wins the majority of parliamentary seats forms a government with the party leader as prime minister.

The House of Lords has more than 1,100 members. These include hereditary peers, life peers, law lords and archbishops and senior bishops of the Church of England. It is not an elective body.

* The functions of Parliament are to make laws, to appropriate money for various state purposes, and to provide a forum for debate. Legislation is initiated by the introduction of bills in either house. (4)Finance bills can only be introduced in the Commons. The Lords cannot interfere with a money bill or with a bill that has been passed by the Commons in two consecutive sessions.

The head of the government is the prime minister. The prime minister selects a Cabinet of ministers. The Cabinet develops the government’s policies and exercises control over government departments. Ministers are responsible for the work of those departments.

Local government is carried out by locally elected councils. There are numerous administrative divisions (counties, boroughs, districts, parishes), each with its own council. These councils are responsible for garbage disposal, water supplies, sewerage, and street cleaning. They also administer the police, fire services, education, health services and housing.

The judiciary is independent of the legislature and the executive. The system has civil and criminal divisions, and uses the jury system for trying persons accused of serious crimes. The courts most often used for civil cases are county courts. Cases that involve large sums of money are heard in one of the divisions of the High Court of Justice. There is a Court of Appeal, from which a further appeal is possible to the House of Lords. Criminal cases involving minor offences are tried in magistrate’s courts.

2. Translate the marked (*) paragraphs into Russian:

3. Put questions to the numbered sentences using the prompts:

1. How many...? General.

2. Who...? What...?

3. Disjunctive.

4. What house...? Alternative.

4. Use the Future Indefinite or the Future Continuous:

1. This time tomorrow I (to pass) my driving test. 2. I think Mr Hogarth (to accept) the invitation. 3. According to the weather forecast it (to rain) tomorrow and it (to rain) the whole week and we (not/to be able) to hike. 4. They (to remit) the mentioned sum by SWIFT. 5. Sorry, I (not/can) to attend your lecture next Monday, I (to be) busy the whole day. 6. I’m sure I (to enjoy) my vacations at the seaside. 7. I (to give) you a lift if you don’t mind.

5. Put questions using the words in brackets:

1. Marks and Spencer won’t close their shops down. (Why? Disjunctive)

2. The delegation will bring new proposals on Croatia problem. (What? General)

3. They will be enjoying the party: Margaret will see to it. (Will? What? Why?)

6. Open the brackets:

1. They (to accept) your proposal if the conditions (to suit) them. 2. When the police (to arrive) at the crime scene the offenders (to drive) fast to some remote place. 3. If you (not/to pay) your debt tomorrow they (can) to sue you. 4. When the hearing (to be over) they (not/to leave) the room, they (to discuss) the agenda for the next session. 5. What measures we (to take) if the situation (to become) unpredictable? 6. I shall know when they (to ship) the cargo.

7. Insert articles where necessary:

1. ... Life would be much easier without ... crime. 2. Are you interested in ... music or in ... painting? 3. Did you like ... man we met yesterday at the presentation? 4. I liked the film but ... music was awful. 5. John has gone to ... school to meet his wife after ... meeting she attended there. 6. When I studied at ... school I hated ... History. 7. ... Indifference and ... pride look very much alike. 8. Can you pass me ... salt, please? Sure, I don’t take ... salt at all.

8. Use much or many:

1. There isn’t ... work in the office today. 2. How ...employees work for this firm? 3. This job doesn’t require ... experience. 4. He will not ask you ... questions during the interview. 5. How ... free space have we got on the drive C of the computer? 6. There are too ... boring people around.

9. Use some, any, no (nobody, nothing, etc.):

1. ... has broken into the insurance agency. 2. Do you have ...to help you? 3. What is that noise? Is ... knocking at the door? 4. He has just moved to this area, so he knows ... here. 5. Collin, will you send ... here to give me ... help? 6. Just leave me alone! I want ... from you! 7. He has received ... salary this month, so he wants to borrow ... money from me.

10. Choose the proper preposition from those in brackets:

1. I don’t intend to object (-, from, to) these proposals. 2. I must admit that I’m quite satisfied (by, at, with) your draft. 3. They were accused (in, for, of) counterfeit. 4. He counts too much (on, at, for) his assistant. 5. You should talk (with, to, at) him, he knows the subject very well. 6. I think they will insist (to, on, at) the some amendments concerning the terms of payment. 7. We shall be back home (at, after, in) two weeks. 8. If you have any problem refer (on, for, to) this instruction.