Text b. The Main Differences of American and British English

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American and British English have some differences in many aspects of the language. Having them in mind you would feel quite confident in understanding Americans. So the main differences of American English in pronunciation are: 1) the pronunciation of r in all positions, e.g. part, first, corner; 2) the pronunciation of words like ask, half, last, dance, France with [æ]; 3) they pronounce words like shop, hot, stop, problem, modern with a back [ʌ] sound; 4) words like tune, news, dew are pronounced without [j]; 5) some words have a different pronunciation, e. g. advertisement [aı], neither [i:], either [i:], tomato [eı].

The principal differences in spelling are: Am. – or (Brit. – our) in words like neighbor, color, honor, labor; Am. – er (Brit. – re) in words like center, theater; -se instead of –ce in words like offense, defense, license; and one –l in words like traveler, canceling; a number of words are spelt differently, e.g. program, tire, catalog (Brit. – programme, tyre, catalogue).

The most striking differences in grammar are the use of will in the future tense in all persons including the 1st (I will be disappointed); do with have in all its functions except as auxiliary (Do you have time now? I don’t have any brothers or sisters); the verbs get and prove have the forms gotten, proven, and so on.

The most important differences in the vocabulary are the following: railway carriages are called cars, shops are called stores. Government is administration, corn means maize, secondary schools are high schools, where the English say all right, Americans say O.K., good-bye is so long, autumn is fall and the underground is called the subway. Shop assistants are called clerks, trams are street-cars, petrol is gas, lorries are called trucks, taxis are cabs, tins are cans, and flats are called apartments. Where the British say I think or I suppose the Americans say I guess or I reckon. A common answer to thank you is You are welcome. A universal word is the verb fix, which can be used for almost anything (to fix the fire, the clock, one’s hair, the tire, etc).

We hope, the information was not only interesting for you, but useful as well.

Exercise 1. Discuss in pairs or in groups.

Is it important for you (for a successful businessman) to know these differences?

UNIT 2

State Systems of Great Britain and the Republic of Belarus

Section І. State System of Great Britain

Vocabulary Study

1. appeal [ə΄pi:l] – апелляция;

Court of Appeal – Апелляционный суд.

2. to appoint [ə´pɔɪnt] – назначать (на пост);

to make appointments – делать назначения.

3. authority [ɔ:´θɔrɪtɪ] – власть, полномочие.

4. to belong [bɪˈlɔŋ] – принадлежать.

5. to elect [ı΄lekt] – избирать.

6. to govern [´gʌvən] – управлять;

government [´gʌv(ә)mənt] – правительство.

7. legislation [ֽledʒɪs´leɪʃən] – законодательство.

8. legislative [´ledʒɪslətɪv] – законодательный.

9. to limit [΄lımıt] – ограничивать.

10. majority [mə´dʒɔrɪtɪ] – большинство.

11. monarch [´mɔnək] – монарх.

12. to nominate [´nɔmɪneɪt] – назначать на должность.

13. to pass [pɑ:s] – принимать (решение, резолюцию);

to pass the law – принимать закон.

14. power [´pauə] – власть, полномочие.

15. vote [vəut] – голос, to vote – голосовать;

majority vote – большинство голосов.

16. a peer [pıə] пэр – высшее дворянское сословие;

a life peer – прижизненный пэр.

17. top church officials [´tɔp ´tʃə:tʃ ə´fıʃəls] – высшее духовенство.

18. hereditary [hı´rədıtərı] – наследственный.

19. juditiary [d_зu:´dɪʃərı] – юридический.

20. general elections – всеобщие выборы.

21. executive power [ɪg´zekjutɪv] – исполнительная власть.

22. to head [hed] – возглавлять.

23. senior [´si:njə] – старший.

24. home policy [ֽhəum ´pɔlɪsɪ] – внутренняя политика.

25. foreign policy [ֽfɔrɪn ´pɔlɪsɪ] – внешняя политика.

26. residence [´rezıdəns] – резиденция.

27. day – to – day – повседневный.

28. to implement [´ımplıment] – внедрять, воплощать.

29. the Lord Chancellor [ֽlɔ:d ´tʃa:nsәlә] – Лорд Канцлер.

Exercise I. Read the following international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.

´monarchy, ´industry, ´Prime ´Minister, ´Parliament, ´absolute, ´Cabinet, ´office, ´leader, ֽConsti´tution, ´principle, ´document, o´fficial, ´residence, ´Ministry, ´secretary.

Exercise II. Memorize the following pairs of derivatives:

constitution – constitutional

practice – practical

monarchy – monarchical

theory – theoretical

industry – industrial

office – official

to govern – government

to appoint – appointment

to limit – limitation

to conclude – conclusion

to develop – development.

Exercise III. Transform as in the models.

Model 1: to elect MPs – election of Mps.

to limit powers; to appoint officers; to declare war; to develop the policy.

Model 2: powers of the Queen – Queen’s powers.

decision of the Cabinet; functions of the Prime Minister; decisions of the committee; prerogative of the Monarch.

Model 3: members of the Cabinet – the Cabinet Members.

program of the party; documents of the Government; offices of the state; court of appeal.

Text Study