Відповідь:

Англійська мова як засіб міжнародної комунікації

Англійська мова є національною мовою в таких країнах як Великобританія, Сполучені Штати Америки, Канада, Австралія та Нова Зеландія. Вона є рідною мовою близько трьохсот мільйонів людей. Безліч людей розмовляють нею в Японії, Китаї, Індії, країнах Африки. Але набагато більше використовують її як мову міжнародного спілкування, адже англійська мова стала дійсно міжнародною мовою.

Наука, торгівля, спорт та міжнародні відносини різних видів надали англійській мові статусу однієї з найбільш важливих світових мов. Багато наукових та технічних журналів публікуються англійською, хоча не обов’язково видаються в Англії чи інших англомовних країнах. Англійська мова є основною мовою численних міжнародних зібрань та конференцій. Не можуть обійтися без неї й Олімпійські ігри та інші мультинаціональні спортивні події.

Роль, яку англійська мова відіграє сьогодні, це результат історичних процесів. Англійська мова в процесі свого історичного розвитку зазнала значного впливу з-за кордону, таким чином, її лексико-граматична структура почала відображати в багатьох аспектах її міжнародне використання.

Англійська є мовою, яка дійсно спроможна упоратися з найрізноманітнішими завданнями міжнародної комунікації.

ЗАВДАННЯ 3.

a) Монологічне мовлення на тему “The political system of Britain”

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF BRITAINThe United Kingdom is a parliamentary (or constitutional) monarchy. It means that it has a monarch (either a queen or a king) as its Head of the State but the monarch has very little power.

There is no written constitution in Britain. The term "English Constitution" means the leading principles, conventions and laws, many of which have been existing for centuries. These principles are expressed in such documents of major importance as Magna Carta (1215), The BilI of Rights (1689), the laws deciding the succession of the royal family, and a number of constitutional acts, separate laws and agreements.

The present monarch is Queen Elisabeth II who acceded to the throne in 1952. Her son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, is heir to the throne. The Queen and the Royal family continue to take part in many traditional ceremonies. The Queen has a central role in state affairs: she opens Parliament, approves the appointment of the Prime Minister, she meets the Prime Minister every week and receives copies of all Cabinet powers. However she is expected to be "above politics". The queen reigns but she doesn't rule.

Power in Great Britain is divided among three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch.

The legislative branch is represented by Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest in the world. It has existed since 1265. The British Parliament consists of 2 chambers, or houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and the Queen as its Head.

The House of Lords is the upper house of the British Parliament but the less powerful part of it. It has about 700 members, although only 92 out of several hundred retain the right to sit in the House of Lords. Members of this upper house are not elected; they sit there because of their rank. Among them there are hereditary peers, clergy, supreme judges.

The members of the House of Commons (the lower house) are elected by a general election. The House of Commons consists of 659 Members of Parliament (MPs). General elections to choose MPs must be held at least every five years. Today every man and woman aged 18 has the right to vote. They have the right to elect a Member of Parliament for their electoral area. Great Britain is divided into 659 areas called constituencies. Each constituency elects one person to represent them in the House of Commons.

Parliament's main function is to make laws. The procedure of making new laws is following. A bill is presented to the House of Commons, where it is explained and debated. If the bill is approved, it is sent to the House of Lords and after that to the monarch for the formal approval.

Although a bill must be supported by all three bodies, the House of Commons plays the major role in law making. The House of Lords has only limited powers, and the monarch has not refused to sign any bill for about 250 years. The monarch always acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. So the House of Commons is the main law-making body while the Cabinet of Ministers and the government are the main executive bodies.

Most MPs belong to different political parties (about 100 political parties). But in fact Britain has a two-party system of government, since most people vote either the Labour or Conservative parties.

The party, which wins the majority of seats, forms the government and its leader becomes Prime Minister, the head of the governmont. He or she (the only woman Prime Minister in the history of Britain was Margaret Thatcher) chooses about 20 MPs from his or her party to form the Cabinet of Ministers. Each minister is responsible for a particular area in the government. The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and "shadow cabinet".

Scotland and Wales have their own governments: the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff. Both opened in 1999.

Along with the national government, there is also a local government system for each of the 55 administrative regions known as counties. This local government is responsible for the roads, schools, hospitals and so on for the own country.

The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court, which consists of two divisions: the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal.

Great Britain is a member of the Commonwealth which is a voluntary association of independent states that originated as a result of dismantling of the British Empire after 1945. The British monarch is the Head of the Commonwealth and also the Head of State of 16 member countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Bahamas and some others.

b) Діалогічне мовлення за цією темою (бесіда з екзаменатором).

Answer the following questions:

1. What kind of state is Great Britain? Who is the present monarch?

2. What are the monarch's duties?

3. What is the procedure of forming the government?

4. Which are the three branches of state power in the United Kingdom?

5. What is the procedure of making new laws?