VI. Complete the sentences. / Дополните предложения.

1. The powers of the King or Queen … .

2. Everything is done in the Queen’s name but … .

3. The supreme legislative body is … .

4. The British Parliament Consists of … .

5. Every five years … .

6. No. 10, Downing Street is … .

7. The Cabinet of Ministers is chosen … .

8. Now laws may be proposed by … .

9. A bill is … .

10. Readings are … .

11. If the majority of MPs still votes for the bill … .

12. The Lords cannot … .

13. The main British political parties are … .

VII. Answer the questions. / Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What is the official name of the UK?

2. Who is the head of state of the UK?

3. Why do the Englishmen say that the Queen reigns but does not rule?

4. What is the supreme legislative body of the country?

5. How many chambers does the British Parliament consist of? What are they?

6. What House plays the major role in law-making?

7. What does MP mean? How are MPs elected?

8. Who forms the Government?

9. Who becomes Prime Minister?

10. Who forms the Cabinet of Ministers?

11. How is the official opposition formed?

12. How many MPs make up the House of Commons?

13. Who presides over the House of Commons?

14. What is a bill? Who may propose a new law?

15. What is it necessary for a bill to become an Act of Parliament?

16. What changes did the House of Lords Act 1999 introduce?

17. Who is the chairman of the House of Lords?

18. Which of the two Houses has real (political) power in modern times?

VIII. Put the verbs into correct forms according to the type of conditional clause. / Поставьте глаголы в нужную форму в соответствии с типом условного предложения.

1. If the powers of the King or Queen were not limited, the monarch (to take part) in the decision-making process.

2. If the party (not to win) the majority of seats it couldn’t have formed the Government.

3. Unless the law (to pass) three readings it cannot be sent to the House of Lords for discussion.

4. If a citizen (to be) less than 30 years old. he or she cannot be elected a Senator.

5. The House of Lords couldn’t have introduced the bill if it (to deal) with money.

6. If President (to disapprove) a bill he vetoes it.

7. If you (not to know) how to vote the people at the polling station will help you.

IX. Answer the questions paying attention to conditionals. / Ответьте на вопросы, обращая внимание на условные предложения.

1. Who would become a king or queen of Queen Elizabeth II retired today? Why?

2. Could a leader of the Conservative Party become Prime Minister if his party were the second largest in Parliament? Why?

3. How many members could have been in the House of Lords if the House of Lords Act 1999 had not come into power? Why?

4. Could a bill become an Act of Parliament if it were discussed in the House of Commons and sent to the House of Lords? Why?

U.S. Government

The United States of America is a federal republic. It consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Its basic law is the Constitution, adopted in 1787. It prescribes the structure of national government and lists its rights and fields of authority. Besides, each state has its government.

The basic principle of all American government is the separation of the three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

Supreme legislative power in the American government lies with Congress. It consists of two chambers or houses – the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The main task of Congress is to make laws. It also has the right to propose amendments to the Constitution.

The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each of the 50 States. They are elected for a term of six years. Although Congressional elections take place every two years, only one-third of the Senate is re-elected.

The Constitution says that a Senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the US for nine years and a resident of the state from which he is elected.

The head of the Senate is the Vice-President who conducts debates. He is elected for four years.

The House of Representatives has 435 members. The number of Representatives which each state sends to the House depends on its population. A representative must be at least 25 years of age, a US citizen for seven years and live in the state from which he is elected.

The Speaker presides over the House, he conducts debates. The Speaker, like Vice-President in the Senate, may vote, but usually he doesn’t do it.

Under the Constitution, the US Senate has some special powers, not given to the House of Representatives. The Senate approves or disapproves major Presidential appointments. The Senate must also ratify treaties between the USA and foreign countries.

The House of Representatives has a special power of its own. Only a member of the House can introduce a bill to raise money.

Congressmen do work long and hard. But most of their work is done in committee meeting. Here bills are studied, experts are consulted, and recommendations are made to the whole House or Senate. For a bill to become a law it must be passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by President. If President disapproves, he vetoes the bill by refusing to sign it and sends it back to Congress. President’s objections are read and debated. Then the bill is put to vote.

The executive power in the USA belongs to the President and his Administration. The President is elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected for another term, but not longer than that. He must be a natural-born citizen of the USA, at least 35 years old, and for at least 14 years a resident of the USA.

US President is assisted in Administration by a Cabinet of 12 members. They are heads of different departments and responsible to President. When the President’s service ends, it is customary for the Cabinet to resign.

The judiciary is the third branch of the federal government of the USA. It is a collective term for courts and judges. The judiciary is divided into the national (federal) and state one.

The US Supreme Court is the highest tribunal in the United States. It includes a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. They are all appointed by the President. One of the most important duties of the justices is to decide whether laws passed by the Congress agree with the Constitution.

The United States began as a one-party political system. But gradually two-party system gained strength in political life. The two leading national parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. They emerged to reflect the interests of different social groups. Now the parties are not divided by any contradictions in the political outlook. Both of them are financed by big business.