Вариант 5

1. Определите по формальным признакам, какой частью речи являются следующие слова: elected, major, chooses, chosen, political, politicians, election, voting, votes, majority, formally, form.

2. Выясните, какую функцию выполняет глагол have в следующих предложениях:

1. I have a lot of friends.

2. I have to work hard.

3. I have worked hard today.

1. Напишите транскрипцию следующих слов и запомните их: government, until, politician, guess, discuss, discussion, announce, sovereign, function, publish, throughout, coverage, constituency, court, result.

2. Прочитайте текст и найдите в нем английские эквиваленты следующих слов и словосочетаний:

1. избирательный округ

2. правящая партия

3. вопрос первостепенной важности

4. дать кому-либо преимущество

5. сформировать правительство

6. широкое освещение предвыборной кампании в прессе

7. объявить дату выборов

8. объявить результаты выборов

9. иметь большинство мест в палате общин

10. распустить парламент

11. потерпеть поражение в парламенте

The Election Timetable.

The British government is elected for up to five years, unless it is defeated in Parliament on a major issue. The Prime Minister chooses the date of the next General Election, but does not have to wait until the end of the five years. A time is chosen which will give as much advantage as possible to the political party in power. Other politicians and the newspapers try very hard to guess which date the Prime Minister will choose.

About a month before the election the Prime Minister meets a small group of close advisers to discuss the date which would best suit the party.

The date is announced to the Cabinet. The Prime Minister formally asks the Sovereign to dissolve Parliament.

Once Parliament is dissolved, all MPs are unemployed, but government officers continue to function.

Party manifestos are published and campaigning begins throughout the country, lasting for about three weeks with large-scale press, radio and television coverage.

Voting takes place on Polling Day (usually a Thursday). The results from each constituency are announced as soon as the votes have been counted, usually the same night. The national result is known by the next morning at the latest.

As soon as it is clear that one party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader is formally invited by the Sovereign to form a government.

1. Выпишите предложения, включающие глаголы в форме страдательного залога (Passive Voice), и переведите их на русский язык.

2. Определите, соответствуют ли данные предложения содержанию текста:

1. To choose the date of the next General Election the Prime Minister meets the Cabinet.

2. When Parliament is dissolved, all MPs and government officers continue to function.

3. The national result of the election is know the same night.

VII. Закончите предложения:

1. The Prime Minister chooses the date which …

2. The Prime Minister meets…

3. If a party has the majority of seats in the House of Commons…

VIII. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Who chooses the date of the next General Election?

2. What does the Prime Minister do about a month before the election?

3. Who dissolves Parliament?

4. When does voting take place? How is it called?

5. Who becomes the Prime Minister?

1. Прочитайте тексты и выполните задания к ним.

Solicitors in Great Britain

England is almost unique in having two different kinds of lawyers, with separate jobs in the legal system. The two kinds of lawyers are solicitors and barristers.

If a person has a legal problem, he will go and see a solicitor. Almost every town will have at least one. In fact there are at least 50,000solicitors in Britain, and the number is increasing.

Many problems are dealt with exclusively by a solicitor. For instance, the solicitor deals with petty crimes and some matrimonial matters in Magistrates’ Courts, the lowest Courts. He prepares the case and the evidence. He actually speaks in Court for you.

In a civil action he can speak in the County Court, when the case is one of divorce or recovering some debts. In the County Court the solicitor wears a black gown over his ordinary clothes.

A solicitor also deals with matters outside Court. He does the legal work involved in buying a house, for instance. He writes legal letters for you and carries on legal arguments outside Court. If you want to make a will the best man to advise you is a solicitor.

To qualify as a solicitor, a young man or woman joins a solicitor as a “clerk” and works for him whilst studying part time for the “Law Society” exams. Interestingly enough, it is not necessary for you to go to university. When you have passed all the necessary exams, you can practice, which means you can start business on your own.

Answer the questions:

1. What questions does a solicitor deal with?

2. What should a man do to qualify as a solicitor?

3. Does a man need to go to university to become a solicitor?

THE QUEEN

The queen is really a figurehead representing the country, but she has the power to prevent any politician from establishing a dictatorship. The queen and her family are a symbol that people can identify with. The British public is obsessed with the details of the royal family life, and when people feel that the queen has problems with her children, or her sister, they see her as a “real person” with the same worries and anxieties as themselves.

The monarchy has not always been popular. During the late 19^th century there was growing republican sentiment, but personality and family image of the queen, her father and grandfather have removed that feeling. The queen is probably the wealthiest woman in the world, most of the money coming from family investments rather than the state. Her state salary (the Civil List) pays for her servants and transport. In recent years the queen has become a roving ambassador for Britain, and if we calculate the increase in trade after a royal visit abroad, the nation probably makes a profit from her activities, and that does not take into account the income from tourism in Britain generated by the monarchy and great state events such as royal weddings.

Just how popular is she? In the late 1980s a newspaper conducted an opinion poll. People were asked, “If there were no monarchy, who would you vote for as President?” More than 80 per cent chose the queen. Prince Charles came second, closely followed by his father, Prince Philip. The prime minister of the day was the fourth – with 2 per cent of the votes.

Answer the questions:

1. What is the role of the queen in the British society?

2. How does the nation make a profit from the queen’s activities?

3. Is she popular?

FEDERALISM: STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The fifty states are quite diverse in size, population, climate, economy, history and interests. The fifty state governments often differ from one another, too. Because they often approach political, social or economic questions differently, the states have been called “laboratories of democracy”. However, they do share certain basic structures. The individual states all have republican forms of government with a senate and a house. (There is one exception, Nebraska, which has only one legislative body of 49 “senators”). All have executive branches headed by state governors and independent court systems. Each state has also its own constitution. But all must respect federal laws and not make laws that interfere with those of the other states (e.g., someone who is divorced under the laws of one state is legally divorced in all). Likewise, cities and local authorities must make their laws and regulations so that they fit their own state’s constitution.

The Constitution limits the federal government to specific powers, but modern judicial interpretations of the Constitution have expanded federal responsibilities. All others automatically belong to the states and to the local communities. This has meant that there has always been a battle between federal and state’s rights. The traditional American distrust of a too powerful central government has kept the battle fairly even over theirs. The states and local communities in the US have rights that in other countries generally belong to the central government.

Choose the right variant:

1. Laboratories of democracy are

1. independent court systems;

2. local authorities;

3. states.

1. In the US most powers belong

1. to the central government;

2. to the federal government;

3. to the states and local communities.

POLITICAL ATTITUDES

It’s often been said and does seem to be true: Americans seem almost instinctively dislike government and politicians. They especially tend to dislike “those fools in Washington” who spend their tax money and always are trying to “interfere” in their local and private concerns. Many would no doubt agree with the statement that the best government is the one that governs least. In 1984poll, for example, only a fourth of those asked wanted the federal government to do more to solve the country’s problems. Neighbourhoods, communities and states have a strong pride in their ability to deal with their problems themselves, and this feeling is especially in the West.

Americans are seldom impressed by government officials (they do like royalty, as long as it’s not theirs). They distrust people who call themselves experts. They don’t like being ordered to do anything. For example, in the Revolutionary War (1776-83) and in the Civil War (1861-65), American soldiers often elected their own officers. In their films and fiction as well as in television series, Americans often portray corrupt politicians and incompetent officials. Anyone who wants to be President, they say with a smile, isn’t qualified. Their newsmen and journalists and television reporters are known the world over for ”not showing proper respect” to governmental leaders, whether their own or others. As thousands of foreign observes have remarked, Americans simply do not like authority.

Choose the right variant :

1. The best government is

1. the one that tries to solve the country’s problems.

2. The one that governs least.

3. The one that spends least money.

1. Americans are impressed by:

1. royalty;

2. government officials;

3. experts.

Jury Service – An Important job and a Rewarding Experience.

The right to trial by a jury of our fellow citizens is one of our most important rights and is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. By serving on a Jury, than, you are helping to guarantee one of our most important freedoms.

Your job as a juror is to listen to all the evidence presented at trial and to “decide the facts” – that is, to decide what really happened. The judge, on the other hand, “decides the law” – that is, makes decisions on legal issues that come up during the trial. For example, the judge may have to decide whether you and the other jurors may hear certain evidence or whether one lawyer may ask a witness a certain question. You should not try to decide these legal issues, sometimes you will even be asked to leave the courtroom while they are being decided. Both your job and that of the judge must be done well if our system of trial by jury is to work. In order to do your job you do not need any special knowledge or ability. It is enough that you keep an open mind, concentrate on the evidence being presented, use your common sense, and be fair and honest. Finally, you should not be influenced by sympathy or prejudice: it is vital that you must be impartial with regard to all people and all ideas.

Identify whether these statements are true or false:

1. The juror makes decisions on legal issues.

2. In order to be a juror a man needs some special knowledge or ability.