Independent reading: What is a state?

Grammar: Grammar Tenses

Ex.1 Read and learn the following words:

A stage стадія, етап

Property власність

To exploit експлуатувати

An exploiter експлуататор

A contradiction протиріччя, суперечність,

To arise поставати, виникати

To keep order дотримуватись порядку

Machinery of government урядовий апарат

State machine держапарат

To rule правити, управляти

To hold вважати

Emergence поява

Antagonistic антагоністичний, протидіючий, ворожий

An essence суть, сутність, існування

Which is to say іншими словами, точніше

Lever важіль, засіб впливу

Coercion примус, насильство

In respect to щодо, по відношенню до

To bend підкоряти(ся)

Vis-à-vis навпроти, стосовно

Foreign policy міжнародна політика

Domestic policy внутрішня політика

Ex.2 Translate into Ukrainian:

An initial stage, a final stage, private property, a man of property, property tax, to exploit people, to exploit natural resources, different contradictions, to have many contradictions, guilt arising from my actions, to rule the country, a ruling class, the hall holds 2000 people, I hold this to be impossible, to take hold of smb.’s property, sudden emergence of a new trouble, in essence, an important lever, to bend to smb’s will, to conduct foreign policy, to play an important role in domestic policy.

Ex. 3 Read and translate the following text into Ukrainian:

What is a state?

A state is a product of society at a definite stage of its development. Private property divides men and allows them to exploit each other, and in this way class contradictions begin to arise. The special machinery created by the class of exploiters – the state helps them to keep order. In a class society the state is an instrument of political power of a ruling class.

The state is a system of official institutions and organs. This system of organs is the machinery of government, the state machine. This machine includes such organs as army, police, and courts. The other part of the state machine consists of the system of state organs including a chief of the state (an individual or collective), parliament, government departments and other organs.

These organs are political; they are the organs of state power of a ruling class. The constitution, legislation or traditions regulate the power of each state organ. Different types of states have different functions. That’s why we speak about the state only as the historical category.

Some scientists hold that the state originates from emergence op private property and division of society into antagonistic classes, a fact which makes it impossible for society to exist without political power that rises above society and is an instrument of the economically dominant class. This doctrine starts from the fact that the essence of the state in a class society and nature of its relations with society are determined by that society’s economic and political systems.

For thousands of years the state has been a machine for class domination, which is to say that in a society with opposed classes, the state is essentially a dictatorship of the dominant class and its political lever.

Through the state the ruling class exercises its power and coercion in respect to other classes and sections of the population, and bends them to its will in an organized manner.

The essence of the state is expressed in its functions, that is, main directions of its activity. The functions of the state cannot be viewed apart from the concrete historical situation in which each type of state – and its modifications – operate.

But the functions of the state in general can be classified as internal and external. Internal functions show its role in the life of a given society, and external function, its role in relations with other states.

These functions are closely bound up, because the line a state takes vis-à-vis other states depends on its activity and conditions at home. In other words, foreign policy is a continuation of domestic policy.

The external function of any state is its activity arising from the need to safeguard its territory against attacks by other states and to ensure the conduct of its policy in international affairs.

Ex.4 Read the text “What is a state” and continue the following sentences:

1. The state is a system…..

2. The state machine includes….

3. Different types of states ….

4. Through the state the ruling class…

5. ……. can be internal or external.

6. …….is a continuation of a domestic policy.

Ex. 5 Ask your partner the following questions and let him (her) answer them:

1. What is the title of the text? What is the text about?

2. What is a state?

3. What bodies does the state machine include?

4. What does the state originate from?

5. What are the functions of a state in general?

6. What do these functions reflect?

Ex. 6 Match the words to make up word-combinations:

A definite order

class property

government machine

private power

to keep departments

state contradictions

political stage

antagonistic classes

Ex.7 Open the brackets using the verbs in corresponding Grammar tenses:

1. Look! He (to look) strange without moustache. Why he (to have) a shave?

2. She says that tomorrow she (to see) her favourite film at 6 o’clock if she (to come) home in time.

3. There (to be) nobody at my office yesterday. I (to tell) everybody (to go) home.

4. I (not to think) that it (to be) comfortable to ring him now. He just (to arrive) from Europe and he (to have)rest.

5. They already (to announce) the results of our tests?-Yes, they (to do) it some minutes ago. – What mark you (to get)?

6. What (to be wrong)? I see you (to be) in a bad mood? – I (to translate) this article since morning, but I (not to finish) it yet.

7. Where they (to be)? Last week they (to leave) for Paris. If I (to receive) any news, I (to let) you know.

8. Yesterday on my way home I (to meet) my daughter. She (to tell) that she (to wait) for me for 2 hours. She (to lose) her key.

9. He always (to dream) to become an actor. He (to dream) about it since childhood.

10. I (to be) very tired, when I (to come) home yesterday. When I (to begin)to warm my dinner, my friend 9to phone) me. We (to speak) only for 5 minutes, but when I (to enter) the kitchen. I (to see) that I (to burn) it.

11. One morning a letter (to arrive) to them. The letter said that their aunt (to arrive) the next day.

12. Who (to give) you my phone number?- I (to ask) Nick to give me your number as I (to want) to tell you something very important.