Before you read. Think over the following questions:
-What is the main legislative body of the USA? What are the names of its two chambers?
- What are the main stages for the bill to become a law in the USA?
Read the following text.
The legislative branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect. It consists of a Congress that is divided into two groups, called houses.
The House f Representatives comprises lawmakers who serve two-year terms. Each House member represents a district in his or her home state. The number of districts in a state is determined by a count of the population taken every ten years. The most heavily populated have more districts and, therefore, more representatives than the smaller states, some of which have only one.
The Senate comprises lawmakers who serve six-year terms. Each state, regardless of population, has two senators. That assures that the small states have an equal voice in one of the houses of Congress. The terms of the senators are staggered, so that only one third of the Senate is elected every two years. That ensures that there are some experienced senators in Congress after each election. The main duty if the Congress is to make laws, including those which levy taxes that pay for the work of the federal government. A law begins as a proposal called a bill. It is read, studied in committees, commented on and amended in the chamber in which it was introduced. It is then voted upon. If it passes, it is sent to the other house where a similar procedure occurs. Members of both houses work together in conference committees if the chambers have passed different versions of the same bill. Groups that try to persuade congressmen to vote for or against a bill are known as lobbies. When both houses of Congress pass a bill on which they agree it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after it is signed does the bill become a law.
Exercises
1. Give equivalents of the following:
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2. Find as many synonyms as you can:
made up of; levy taxes; put treaties into effect; comprise; lawmakers; serve a term; a count of the population; heavily populated; regardless of; assures; terms of the senators are staggered; occur
3. Translate into English:
1) . 2) , , , . 3) , , . 4) . , . 5) , . , . 6) , . , , . , . 7) , . , , .
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