 Reading

TEXT A

Выучите слова.

to depend on	зависеть от		to run	зд. управлять
kind	вид, тип		agreement	соглашение
century	век		to be responsible for	быть ответственным за, отвечать за
to choose	выбирать
election	выборы		particular	особенный
rarely	редко		chancellor	канцлер
to win	побеждать, выигрывать		Chancellor of the Exchequer	министр финансов
seat	место		Treasury	государственное казначейство
minority	меньшинство
to accept	принимать		to staff	укомплектовать штаты
			shadow	теневой

Прочитайте текст и будьте готовы ответить на вопросы. Текст переведите.

1. What does the British democratic system depend on?

2. How do the political parties choose their candidates?

3. Who usually becomes Prime Minister?

4. How is the Cabinet formed?

5. What is the main goal of the Opposition?

6. Who forms the Shadow Cabinet?

7. What is the main function of the Shadow Cabinet?

THE PARTY SYSTEM OF THE UK

The British democratic system depends on political parties, and there has been a party system of some kind since 17 century. The political parties choose candidates in election (there are sometimes independent candidates, but they are rarely elected).

The Party that wins the majority of seats forms the Government, and its leader usually becomes Prime Minister. The largest minority party becomes the Opposition. In doing so, it accepts the right of the majority party to run the country, while the majority party accepts the right of the minority party to criticise it. Without this agreement between the political parties, the British parliamentary system would break down.

The Prime Minister chooses about twenty MPs from his or her party to become Cabinet Ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area of government, and for a Civil Service department.

For example, the Minister of Defence is responsible for defence policy and the armed forces, the Chancellor of the Exchequer for financial policy, and the Home Secretary for, among other things, law and order, and immigration. Their Civil Service departments are called the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and the Home Office respectively. They are staffed by civil servants who are politically neutral and who, therefore, do not change if the Government changes.

The leader of the Opposition also chooses MPs to take responsibility for opposing the Government in these areas. They are known as the "Shadow Cabinet".

TEXT B

Прочтите и переведите текст.

STATE ORGANIZATION OF THE UK

The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, which together constitute Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is a monarchy.

This means that it has a monarch (a king or a queen) as its Head of State. In law, the monarch is the supreme authority, an integral part of Parliament, head of the system of Justice and of the armed forces, and a sole representative of the nation in international affairs. In practice, the monarch has very little power and can only reign with the support of Parliament.

Parliament and the monarch have different roles in the government of the country, and they only meet together on symbolic occasions, such as the coronation of a new monarch or the opening of Parliament, which consists of two chambers known as the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

It is the House of Commons that has true power. It is here that new bills are introduced and debated. If the majority of the members are in favour of a bill, it goes to the House of Lords to be debated and, finally, to the monarch to be signed. Only then does it become a law.

The main functions of Parliament are to legislate and to control the actions of the Government. No tax may be imposed or public money spent except with Parliament's consent.

UNIT 4

 CONVERSATION