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Government and Economy

The form of the government of Canada is a constitutional monarchy.

Canada is ruled by a parliamentary system with the head of state officially remaining the monarch of Britain. Within Canada the appointed governor general is the mon­arch's representative. The upper house, or Senate, is made up of appointees. Mostly it acts as a rubber stamp for the wishes of the elected lower house, or House of Commons. Senate reform, or its abolition, is an ongoing debate within the country.

The head of the political party with the most elected representatives in the House of Commons becomes the prime minister, the leader of the country. From the mem­bers of parliament within the governing party, the prime minister selects a cabinet which runs the country and initiates legislation.

The 10 provinces are largely self-governing and are pre­sided over by premiers, elected provincially. Each province has a lieutenant governor appointed by the federal govern­ment. The two northern territories are for the most part the domain of the federal government.

The constitution consists of both written proclamations under the Constitution Acts (1867 and 1932) and unwritten conventions.

Canadians enjoy the high standard of living that major Western countries are accustomed to and tend to take for granted.

The Canadian economy is based on abundant natural resources. These natural renewable and nonrenewable riches include fish, timber and wood products, minerals, natural gas, oil and hydroelectricity. Al­though only 5% of the land is arable, the agricultural sector, primarily in wheat and barley, accounts for much of the Canadian export total.

Manufacturing has long been a weak component of the economy and today employs just 14% of the country's workers. The most important manufactured product is motor vehicles. Hi-tech industries and developers in the space and computer fields are recent additions to this area but remain small.

The largest part of the economy includes an enormous civil service. Banking, insurance, education, communication and consult­ing bring in foreign exchange. The rest of the service sector does not.

The country's major trading partner is the USA al­though business people are increasingly strengthening ties to Japan and China.

The high degree of foreign ownership of Canadian busi­ness has also been problematic, drawing profits away from the country. Overall, about 40% of the country's industry is owned by non-Canadians, led by US interests.

On top of this there is a cross-border shopping done in the USA with goods brought back hidden in the trunk or under the sleep­ing baby with no duty paid. And then there is the lucrative smuggling of US liquor and cigarettes. Obviously, the gov­ernment has a bit of a problem but solutions are difficult to find.

Comprehension check

Ex. 1. Search in text “Canada” for the English equivalents of the word combinations.

Самая длинная неохраняемая граница в мире; гостеприимная область; лучшие земли и водные пути; три четверти населения; страна состоит из провинций и территорий; провинции, расположенные вдоль побережья; подготовка к зиме; восстановление от зимы; окружена тремя океанами; девиз страны; наблюдение за китами; северный полюс; северное сияние; белые медведи; богатство страны; красный клен; созданные ледниками; необычное горное образование; окаменелости динозавров; национальные парки; Ниагарский водопад; одно из чудес света; медовый месяц; приключения на Клондайке; поселение викингов; официальный язык; язык эскимосов; канадские индейцы; телебашня в Торонто; привлекательный по красоте город; исторические здания; самый старый город; юго-западные провинции; французское происхождение; кленовый сироп.

Ex. 2. Work in pairs. Read the statements and say if they are true or false.

A)

1. Canada is the first largest country in the world.

2. The Russian Federation is smaller then Canada.

3. In the countryside of Canada the population is very thinly spread.

4. The southern region of Canada is the coldest.

5. There are three official languages in Canada.

6. The country is made of 12 provinces and 3 Northern Territories.

7. The capital of Canada is Toronto.

8. Quebec is a French province.

9. Canadians have faith and hope for the future.

B)

1. Canada is an economically stable country.

2. Canada is ruled by a parliamentary system.

3. The appointed governor general is the monarch’s representative.

4. The upper House is the House of Commons.

5. The head of the political party is the prime-minister, but he is not the leader of the country.

6. Senate selects a cabinet which runs the country.

7. The ten provinces are largely self-governing.

8. Canadians have the highest standard of living.

9. The Canadian economy is based on the natural resources.

10. Manufacturing has long been a strong component of the economy.

11. The most important manufactured product is electricity.

12. The smallest part of the economy is the civil service.

Ex. 3. Complete the following sentences using information from the texts “Canada” and “Government and Economy”.

A)

1. Much of Canada is a very cold place … .

2. Life in Canada consists of preparing for … .

3. Canada is surrounded by … oceans: … .

4. The latest big craze in Canada is … .

5. Many of the lakes were created by … .

6. Much of the country’s wealth lies in … .

7. Newfoundland is the oldest … settlement in North America.

8. The first people came to Canada from … .

9. Canadian Indians are also known as … .

10. Canadians are said to be … .

B)

1. The form of the government of Canada is … .

2. Senate acts as a rubber stamp for … .

3. The leader of the country is … .

4. A cabinet is selected by … .

5. Each province has a … .

Ex. 4. Rearrange the words below into grammatically accurate sentence.

1. an excellent place, for, the Northern Lights, Arctic North, is, Canada’s, watching.

2. cover, almost, forests, half of, territory, Canada’s.

3. to represent, is used, a red maple tree, appears, and, Canada, on, the Canadian flag.

4. a lieutenant governor, the federal, government, has, province, each, appointed by.

5. the country, and, legislation, initiates, runs, a cabinet.

Ex. 5. Make questions to which the underlined words are the answers.

1. A famous Canadian humorist once wrote that life in Canada consisted of preparing for winter, enduring winter and recovering from winter.

2. There are strange looking sandstone formations in the province of Alberta.

3. This place is often called “the honeymoon capital of the world”.

4. Today, eight out every ten people in Quebec are of French origin.

5. Canadians don’t like it when they are mistaken for Americans.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

A)

1. Российская Федерация больше по территории, чем Канада.

2. Три четверти населения Канады живут в городах.

3. Страна состоит из 10 провинций и 3-х северных территорий.

4. В Канаде два официальных языка: английский и французский.

5. Канада – одна из самых богатых стран мира.

6. Леса покрывают почти половину территории Канады.

7. В Канаде 42 национальных парка. Они созданы для защиты лесов, растений и животных.

8. Ниагарский водопад считается одним из чудес света. Его называют столицей медового месяца мира.

B)

1. Глава политической партии в Палате Общин становится премьер-министром.

2. Все 10 провинций Канады имеют право самоуправления.

3. Форма правительства в Канаде – конституционная монархия.

4. В центре канадского флага – красный кленовый лист, самый известный канадский символ.

5. Канадская экономика всегда основывалась на природных ресурсах.

6. Большую часть экономики Канады составляет сервис.

Ex. 7. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the origin of the name “Canada”?

2. How many oceans tough Canada?

3. How many countries border on Canada?

4. How many provinces and territories are there in Canada? Could you name them?

5. Who were the first people to live in Canada?

6. What are national symbols of Canada?

7. What is the Canada national anthem called?

8. How many national parks are there in Canada?

9. What is the name of the tallest peak in Canada? Is it located in western Canada near Alaska?

10. What are Canada’s national languages?

11. What is the name of the elected lower House of Canadian Parliament?

12. What is the leader of Canada called?

13. Canada is considered a bilingual country. What does this mean?

14. What do you feel is the best thing about Canada?

Ex. 8. Imagine that you are a guide and your group-mates are tourists visiting Canada for the first time. Get ready to speak about Canada according to the plan.

  1. The geographical position.

  2. The origin to the name Canada.

  3. Provinces and Territories. The naming of their Capital Cities.

  4. Symbols of Canada.

  5. Places to see.

  6. Hidden charms of Canadian cities: Quebec and Vancouver.

Ex. 9. Work in pairs or in groups. Think of the situation when one of you came back from Canada, and the other is going to visit this country. Make up a dialogue using the following questions.

  1. What’s your first impression of Canada?

  2. Is there anything in Canada you can’t get used to?

  3. You visited Niagara Falls in Canada. Do you agree that this place is called “a honeymoon capital of the world”?

  4. What do you lack in Canada?

  5. What is the difference between Russian and Canadian people?

  6. What do you think of Canadian symbols?

  7. Would you describe the city that you enjoyed most of all?

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