Task: read the text; translate it into Russian in written form.
Great Britain is a monarchy, but the Queen of Britain is not absolute but constitutional. Her powers are limited by the Parliament. The Parliament is the supreme legislative authority in Britain. Queen's power is hereditary and not elective.
In practice the Monarch has no actual power: they say1 the Monarch reigns but does not rule. The Prime Minister is the virtual ruler of the country. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the party that obtains a majority in the House of Commons. That party which has majority of seats in the House of Commons is called the Government and the other is the Opposition. The leader of the party in the opposition occupies a salaried office of the Leader of the Opposition. The Government may hold office for five years.
All the affairs of the state are conducted in the name of the Queen, but really the Prime Minister is responsible for every measure submitted to Parliament.
The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament2. Normally she opens each session with a speech from the throne outlining the Government's programme. It is her duty to make appointments to all important state offices, including those of judges, officers in the armed forces, diplomats. She must, in theory at least, see all Cabinet documents. The Queen has the power to conclude treaties, to declare war and make peace.
The Queen has her own Privy Council3. The Cabinet developed from this Council, which used to be body of advisers of English monarchs. As the system of Cabinet developed the Privy Council declined in importance. The Privy Council consists of members of the royal family, the archbishops4, colonial governors and senior ministers. There are about 300 of them altogether. The committee of the Privy Council, the Judicial Committee, however, is the final court of appeal for the British - a Royal court.
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She has four children: one daughter and 3 sons. The Queen's heir is Charles, Prince of Wales. He was born in 1948, educated in Cambridge, served in the Royal Navy5. Now he is involved in various aspects of public life, in particular industry and government.
The Royal family is the principal aristocratic house in Britain, closely connected with other members of the hereditary aristocracy and with big finance interests. The Queen is known to be among the wealthiest women in the world.
Notes:
1 they say -
2 summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament - ,
3 Privy Council -
4 archbishops -
5 Royal Navy - ,
EXERCISES
Ex. 1. Read the international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.
| 'monarchy 'industry 'Prime 'Minister 'programme 'theory 'public 'final | 'absolute 'practice 'documents 'officers 'cabinet 'office 'aspect | 'parliament 'leader 'throne 'judge consti'tutional com'mittee oppo'sition |
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Ex. 2. Memorize the following pairs of derivatives:
| N → Adj | V → N |
| constitution constitutional practice practical monarchy monarchical theory theoretical industry industrial office - official | govern government appoint appointment oppose opposition limit limitation conclude conclusion develop - development |
Ex. 3. Transform as in the models:
Model 1: to elect MPs election of MPs
to limit powers; to dissolve the Parliament; to appoint officers; to declare war; to conclude a treaty; to develop the policy.
Model 2: powers of the Queen Queen's powers
heir of the Queen; decision of the Cabinet; functions of the Prime Minister; decisions of the committee; prerogative of the Monarch.
Model 3: members of the Cabinet the Cabinet members
programme of the party; workers of the office; documents of the Government; offices of the state; court of appeal.
Ex. 4. Match English and Russian equivalents.
| 1. hereditary power 2. actual power 3. virtual ruler 4. armed forces 5. party in the opposition 6. leader of the party 7. in the name of the Queen 8. responsible for all measures 9. to make appointments | . b. . d. , . f. g. h. i. |
Ex. 5. Choose the right word or word-combination.
1. The Queen's power is....
a) elective b) hereditary c) unlimited
2. Prime Minister is the... ruler of the country.
a) formal b) hereditary c) virtual
3.The Party which has majority in the House of Commons forms....
a) opposition b) parliament c) government
4. It's the... duty to make appointments to all important state offices.
a) Queen's b) Prime Minister's c) Lord Chancellor's
5. The Cabinet developed from....
a) Privy Council b) Judicial Committee c) House of Lords
Ex. 6. Complete the sentences:
1. The Queen's power in the United Kingdom is.... 2. Prime Minister is the leader of the party that....3. Prime Minister is responsible for.... 4. The Queen has the power.... 5. The Privy Council consists of....
Ex. 7. Insert the right words:
Great Britain, House of Commons, Prime Minister, Parliament, Privy Council, Council, Court of Appeal, Queen.
1.... is a monarchy. Queen's powers are limited by.... 2.... is the virtual ruler of the country. 3. That party which has majority of seats in the... forms the government. 4. The... opens each session of Parliament with a throne speech. 5. The Queen has her own.... There are about 300 members in this.... 6. The Judicial Committee is the final....
Ex. 8. Mark the statements that are true.
1. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. 2. The Queen's powers in Britain are unlimited. 3. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party which has majority in the House of Lords. 4. The Queen opens each session of Parliament with a throne speech. 5. The Privy Council is responsible for all government measures. 6. The Judicial Committee is the final court of appeal in Britain.
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Ex. 9. Answer the questions on the text:
1. What kind of monarchy is Great Britain? 2. Is the Queen's power hereditary or elective? 3. Who is the virtual ruler of the country? 4. What are the functions of the Queen of Britain? 5. The Privy Council consists of 300 members, doesn't it? 6. What is the final court of appeal in Britain?
Ex. 10. Make a short summary of the text.
TEXT B. GOVERNMENT
Task: read the text, find the answers to the questions given below.
Effective power belongs to the Government, which is part of Parliament and responsible to it, but which also normally dominates it. The Government consists of about a hundred politicians under the Prime Minister. Members of the Government are not elected by the House of Commons. They are nominated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister may also require ministers to resign. A modern government is arranged in about fifteen departments, each with its ministerial head. The number changes from time to time, as departments are split or joined together1. All the heads of departments are members of the House of Commons.
The executive power belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet consists of 16 to 24 senior ministers whom the Prime Minister has appointed. Most ministers in the Cabinet are heads of departments. The Cabinet meets once a week in No 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Cabinet-making2 is the most important part of a Prime Minister's job. The Prime Minister decides which ministers will be included. In order that it can work as a team and arrive at decisions more easily and quickly the Cabinet is restricted to about twenty members.
The Cabinet formulates a comprehensive policy covering all major issues both at home and abroad. The Cabinet has to decide on important day-to-day issues as they arise, e.g. a major strike, a run on the sterling, political upheavals abroad. It must also consider future policy. The policy decided upon by the Cabinet is implemented by the various departments of state. The Cabinet is also the Court of Appeal: This is presided over by the Lord Chief Justice of Appeal, and a quorum is three judges.
Notes:
1 split or joined together -
2 Cabinet-making -
1. Which body has more powers: Parliament or the Government?
2. How is the choice of the members of the Government exercised?
3. Is the number of Ministers in the Government constant?
4. What kind of state body is the Cabinet: executive, legislative, judicial?
