English for Future Lawyers. Учебное пособие для студентов СПО, обучающихся по специальности 40.02.01 – «Право и организация социального обеспечения»

B. The House of 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. The Lord Chancellor sits in the middle and supervises debates. He sits on "the wool sack", a seat which contains wool from all the Commonwealth countries.

The House of Lords takes part in the making of laws, the examination of the Government's work and in debating important matters of the day. This second chamber is not as powerful as the House of Commons. It can suggest changes in laws, but is restricted to laws that have nothing to do with the finances of the country (for example, it cannot suggest any changes to the Budget). The House of Lords cannot reject laws that the House of Commons wants to pass, though it can amendthem. Even then, the Commons can reject these amendments.

The work of the House of Lords includes:

a)legislation: reviewing and giving further consideration to Bills;

b)examining the work of the Government by debate;

c)examining European proposals;

d)hearing legal appeals.

There is an ongoing debate concerning the role of the House of Lords in British politics and there have been attempts to limit its power further. One example of this which has come under frequent scrutiny is the system of hereditary peerage.

Vocabulary Notes

i.e. = id ; est = that is – т.е. current issues – текущие проблемы; sitting – заседание;

a quality – качество;

impartiality – беспристрастность; sound – зд. точный, глубокий;

to handle debates – вести дебаты;

to scrutinize – тщательно исследовать; to reject – отвергать;

to amend, to make amendments – вносить поправки; to review – пересмотреть.

I. Find the words close in their meaning.

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II. Find the English equivalents in the text.

13)правительство;

III. Make up a list of legal terms.

IV. Answer the questions.

A.

1.What does Parliament consist of?

2.How many MPs are there in Parliament?

3.What’s the main purpose of the House of Commons?

4.How many days a year do they sit?

5.What’s the term of the House of Commons?

6.What are the most important qualities of the speaker?

7.What do debates usually concern?

8.What does the work of the House of Commons include?

B.

1.How many members are there in the House of Lords?

2.Who supervises debates?

3.What do Lords take part in?

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4.Who is more powerful, the Lords or the Commons?

5.What can’t Lords do?

6.What does the work of the House of Lords include?

7.How do they try to limit Lords’ power?

V.Use the plan and key words to speak about British Parliament. A. The House of Commons

–the purpose (laws + political issues)

–sittings (5 days/ week, 175 days/ year) term – 5

–the speaker (presides, enforces)

–the debates (policy, bills)

–work (making laws, controlling finance, scrutinizing the Government) B. The House of Lords

1,000, unelected

The Lord Chancellor supervises not so powerful

can’t reject, can amend

work (legislation, bills, the work of the Government, European proposals,

legal appeals)

VI. Find the words in the wordsearch.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I. Write the sentences with the verbs in the present continuous.

1.John and I are staying in a beautiful hotel. (stay)

2.Annie and Joe are making a cake for tea. (make)

II. Complete the questions and answers, adding am, is, are to the questions and am, is, are, or 'm not, isn't, aren't to the short answers.

1. Is it raining outside? No, it isn't.

2. Are the children playing outside? Yes, they are.

3. ......... you doing your homework now? Yes, I ......... .

4. ......... I hurting you? No, you ......... .

5. ......... she waving to us? Yes, she ......... .

6. ......... we stopping here? Yes, we ......... .

7. ......... your neighbours moving out? No, they ......... .

8. ......... he helping you with your homework? Yes, he ......... .

9. ......... they planning a party? No, they ......... .

III. Write the questions using the present continuous.

1.What/she/do? What's she doing?

2.You/learn/French at school? Are you learning French at school?

3.What book / you / read? ...................................................................

4.I / speak / clearly?.............................................................................

5.Why / we / sit in the dark?...............................................................

6.Where / they / stay?.........................................................................

7.It / snow?.........................................................................................

8.Why / he / run so fast?.....................................................................

9.Why / she / laugh?............................................................................

10.The plane / land now?.......................................................................

IV. Fill in: am/is/are/do/don’t/does/doesn’t.

E.g.: Excuse me, do you speak English?

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V. Present Continuous (I am doing) or Present Simple (I do).

1.Excuse me, do you speak (you / speak) English?

2.Tom is having (have) a shower at the moment.

3.They don’t watch (not / watch) television very often.

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UNIT 3

BRITISH GOVERNMENT

Read the words.

Majority, although, represent, senior, regularly, major, issue, supreme, department, responsible, currently, actual, support, reject

Read the text.

The Government of the UK is a body of ministers who are responsible for the administration of national affairs. The ministers are the leading members of the political party which wins a majority of seats in Parliament. The party which wins the second largest number of seats in Parliament becomes the official Opposition.

The Prime Minister, the leader of the party with a majority, is appointed by the Queen. (The Queen appoints but does not select the Prime Minister. She has no choice.) All other Ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The majority of ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The Lord Chancellor is always a member of the House of Lords.

The Cabinet. The most senior Ministers (usually about 20 in number) compose the Cabinet, which meets regularly (once or twice a week) under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to decide government policy on major issues, exercise supreme control of government and coordinate government departments.

Ministers are responsible collectively to Parliament for all Cabinet decisions; individual ministers are responsible to Parliament for the work of their departments.

The "Shadow Cabinet". The Opposition party, which is not currently in power, under the direction of its leader forms a «Shadow Cabinet». The ministers in the Shadow Cabinet deal with the same matters as the Cabinet of Ministers in the current government, debating with the actual Cabinet ministers from the Government side.

The people elect MPs.

After an election a Government is formed. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen. The Prime Minister selects his Ministers.

The Ministers form the Cabinet.

The Cabinet decides Government policies.

Parliament agrees to support or reject Government policies and laws.

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PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL

Ministers are responsible to Parliament for their department and its actions. The Commons can force a government to leave office. This happened in 1979, when the official Opposition put forward a no-confidence motion which was carried by one vote. The Government was therefore obliged to advise the Queen to dissolve Parliament and a general election followed.

One of Parliament's most prized occasions is Commons’ Question Time. For roughly one hour a day, ministers are asked by MPs searching questions on major government policies. This is often the best way for MPs to probe ministers about government intentions. The Prime Minister is questioned twice a week.

Vocabulary notes

to leave office – уйти в отставку; no-confidence – вотум недоверия; to probe – зондировать.

II. Answer the questions.

A.

1.Who governs the UK?

2.Who are the ministers?

3.What is the opposition?

4.Who is the Prime Minister?

5.How are the ministers appointed?

6.How many ministers are there in the Cabinet?

7.What do they do?

8.What is the «Shadow Cabinet»?

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B.

1.How is the Cabinet formed?

2.What are the ministers responsible for?

3.How can the Commons influence the Government? Give an example.

4.What is Commons’ Question Time?

PAST SIMPLE

I. Put in was / wasn’t / were / weren’t.

1.We didn’t like our hotel room. It was small and it wasn’t very clean.

2.Kate got married when she ......... 24 years old.

3.I phoned you yesterday but you ......... at home. Where ......... you?

4.George ......... at work last week because he ......... ill.

5.The shops ......... open yesterday because it ......... a holiday.

6. ......... you at home at 9.30? No, I ......... at work.

II. Write questions.

III.Complete these sentences with the verb in the negative.

1.I saw John but I didn’t see Магу.

2.They worked on Monday but they ……… on Tuesday.

3.We went to the shop but we ……… to the bank.

4.She had a pen but she ……… any paper.

5.Jack did French at school but he ……… German.

IV. You are asking somebody questions. Write questions with Did … ?

1I watched TV last night. And you? Did you watch TV last night?

2I enjoyed the party. And you? ……… you ……… ?

3I had a good holiday. And you?. ……… ?

4I got up early this morning. And you? ………?

5I slept well last night. And you? ………?

V. What did you do yesterday? (Your sentence can be positive or negative.)

1) (watch TV)

I watched TV yesterday. (or I didn’t watch TV yesterday.)

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2)(get up before 7.30) I ……… .

3)(have a shower) I ……… .

4)(buy a magazine) ……… .

5)(speak English) ……… .

6)(do an examination) ……… .

7)(eat meat) ……… .

8)(go to bed before 10.30) ……… .

VI. Write questions with Who/What/How/Why ?

PAST SIMPLE / PAST CONTINUOUS

VII. Complete the sentences using did, was or were.

1.Were you working when I rang? No, I wasn't.

2.Did you see me on television? Yes, I did.

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