2018-01-21
5168
Introduction to Law
Section I
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Unit One
Ex. 1. Вы будете читать текст о политической системе Великобрита
нии. Просмотрите приведенные ниже слова и решите, какие из
них могут встретиться в тексте. Переведите на русский язык,
a country to form a monarchy
a state a house a government
an exercise prime-minister a body
to write a head an opposition
to support to choose a cabinet
to depend independent a branch
a member to consist Parliament
Ex. 2. Прочитайте и переведите текст со словарем и проверьте, правы
ли вы. fextl
UK POLITICAL SYSTEM
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. This means that Great Britain is governed by Parliament and the Queen is Head of State.
The legislative power in the country is exercised by the Houses of Parliament. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary and life peers and peeresses. The members of the House of Commons are elected by the people. They are elected from the constituencies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The House of Commons is the real governing body of the United Kingdom. The executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The government is usually formed by the political party which is supported by the majority in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is the majority party leader and is appointed by the Queen. The Prime Minister chooses a team of ministers; twenty of the ministers are in the Cabinet.
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The second largest party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and the Shadow Cabinet. The two leading parties in Great Britain are the Conservative Party (the Tories) and the Labour Party.
The judiciary branch of the government determines common law and is independent both the legislative and the executive branches.
There is no written constitution in Great Britain, only precedents and traditions.
Ex. 3. Сверяясь с текстом, скажите, в каком значении употребляются приведенные ниже слова.
to exercise — упражняться, тренировать, осуществлять
a house — дом, торговая фирма, театр, палата
a team — команда, упряжка, артель
a branch — ветка, отрасль, филиал, ветвь
a body — тело, группа людей, организация, орган
power — сила, энергия, способность, держава, власть
Ex. 4. Найдите в тексте следующие глаголы.
поддерживать, выбирать, зависеть, состоять, определять, назначать, образовывать(ся), управлять
Ex. 5. Образуйте другие части речи от данных ниже существительных.
power, government, election, opposition, independence, meaning, house
%cabulary Notes
a constitutional monarchy — конституционная монархия
the Queen — королева
Head of State — глава государства
the legislative power — законодательная власть
to be exercised by — осуществляться (чём-л.)
the Houses of Parliament — парламент
the House of Lords — палата лордов
the House of Commons — палата общин
to be composed of smth — состоять из чего-л.
hereditary and life peers — наследственные и пожизненные
лорды и пэры a peeress — пэресса a member — член (чего-л.) to be elected by the people — избираться народом to be elected from a constituency - избираться от избирательного
округа
the real governing body — реальный правящий орган the executive power — исполнительная власть Prime Minister - премьер-министр the Cabinet - кабинет
to be supported by the majority — поддерживаться большинством to be appointed by - назначаться (кем-л.) to choose a team of ministers — создавать команду министров the Shadow Cabinet — теневой кабинет the judiciary branch of the government - судебная власть to determine common law — определять гражданское право to be independent of smth — не зависеть от чего-л.
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Ex. 6. Прочитайте текст и выявите информацию, которой НЕ было в Тексте 1.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the government of the United Kingdom consists of a hereditary sovereign, an elected House of Commons and a partly hereditary House of Lords.
The sovereign has the title of King (or Queen). The Sovereign has very few functions that really matter, such as the functions of the arbiter of last resort (арбитр последней инстанции) in some matters. These matters can be the dissolution of Parliament {роспуск Парламента) and invitations to form a government when there is no clear majority. The Queen is Elizabeth II.
The supreme legislative power is vested in Parliament, which sits for 5 years unless dissolved sooner. Parliament has two chambers: the House of Lords with about 830 hereditary peers, 26 spiritual peers, about 270 life peers and peeresses, and the House of Commons. The House of Commons has 650 popularly ellected members. The House of Commons is the real governing body of the United Kingdom. In order to become a law, a new bill proposed by the Cabinet must be approved by both houses of Parliament.
The Lords cannot veto a bill, but they can delay it for a maximum of one year. Financial bills cannot be delayed by the House of Lords.
The executive power of the Crown is exercised by the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, normally the head of the party commanding a majority in the House of Commons, is appointed by the Sovereign. The Prime Minister appoints the rest of the Cabinet. All ministers must be members of one or the other houses of the Parliament. They are individually and collectively responsible to the Crown and the Parliament. The Cabinet proposes bills and arranges the business of the Parliament.
Government in Britain since 1945 has alternated between only two political paries, the Conservatives (the Tories) and the Labour Party. No other party has been in office at all since 1945 and there have been no coalitions. The third longestablished party, the Liberals, enjoyed moments of success, but no member of the Liberal Party has held government office since 1945.
Ex. 7. Ответьте на вопросы по-английски.
1. What does the term "constitutional monarchy" mean?
2. What body exercises the legislative power in the country?
3. How are the chambers of Parliament composed?
4. What body exercises the executive power?
5. How is the executive branch of the government formed?
6. What is the official opposition?
7. What does the judiciary branch of the government do?
8. Is there a written Constitution in Great Britain?
Ex. 8. Используя информацию, содержащуюся в Текстах 1 и 2, расскажите о политической системе Великобритании (по-русски или по-английски).
Ex. 9. Прочитайте текст без словаря. Text 2
The Queen Elizabeth II is the official Head of State and for many people she is a symbol of unity of the nation.
Queen Elizabeth II is not only the monarch of the United Kingdom but also of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, as well as many other countries in the Commonwealth (an association of States that were once ruled by Britain). She is also Head of the Church of England. However, the Queen has almost no power to influence the church.
As Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen has more freedom from the government. When the Queen was growing up, the British Empire still had colonies, and she watched as they became independent members of the
Commonwealth. She has met and knows the leaders of these countries. Although she has no executive powers as Head of the Commonwealth, she takes her role very seriously. However, Britain is now a member of the European Community and is moving away from its links with the Commonwealth. In addition, people in some of the major Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and Canada, wonder if they should be connected to a monarch so far away.
Queen Elizabeth II is married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The heir to the throne is Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
The Queen's other children are Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. This group is usually called the royal family, together with Queen Elizabeth's mother — the Queen Mother who died in 2002 at the age of 101.
The Queen's power is limited by Parliament but every week she meets the Prime Minister and receives copies of the all cabinet papers.
Elizabeth is the head of the executive, of the judicial power and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the U.K.. She also has to fulfil her ceremonial functions such as opening of Parliament, for example.
Vocabulary Notes
Commonwealth - Британское Содружество Наций European Community — Евросоюз heir — наследник
10. Прочитайте и переведите перечисленные функции английского монарха и укажите, какие из них НЕ упомянуты в Тексте 2.
Functions of the Queen
—opening and closing Parliament;
—approving the appointment of the Prime Minister;
—giving her Royal Assent to bills;
—giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals;
—Head of the Commonwealth;
—Head of the Church of England;
—Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
Ex. 11. Прочитайте следующие предложения и выявите предложения, НЕ соответствующие содержанию Текста 2.
1. The Queen of the UK is not absolute but constitutional.
2. The highest judicial body in the UK is the House of Lords.
3. The Queen is the Head of the Church of England.
4. The Royal Family takes part in public life and has many official
duties.
5. The Cabinet provides the Queen with the copies of all documents
under discussion.
6. Each new Prime Minister may make changes in the size of the
Cabinet.
7. The Cabinet and other ministers are responsible for the national
policy.
8. Her Majesty the Queen is one of the richest women in the world.
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Ex. 12. Прочитайте текст и найдите ответ на вопрос: "Каким образом королева и королевская семья субсидируются правительством?"
The Richest Woman in the World
No one knows exactly how much money the Queen has: it is difficult to work out the value of her possessions, many of which she has inherited {наследовать). Some people say that the value of the royal art collection alone makes her the richest woman in the world.
The Queen also has a large income (доход) which covers her "personal" expenditure (расходы). Until recently, she did not pay tax (платить налоги). However, in November 1992 the Queen volunteered to pay tax on her annual private income.
Since the beginning of the 18th century, monarchs have had to give the revenues (доходы) from their hereditary estates (земельные владения, полученные no наследству) to the country. In return, the monarch receives an income from the government, known as the Civil List. The Civil List pays for the staff and organisation needed for the royal family's official duties. The Queen gets nearly £8 million a year for these duties. The Queen will now refund (рефинансировать) the money the government gives to the rest of the royal family from her private income.
The total cost of the monarchy is around £60 million a year. Many people think the amount is too high.
Ex. 13. Объясните по-английски.
1. How do you understand the term "a constitutional monarch"?
2. Is monarchy relevant in the modern world? Give your reasons.
Ex. 14. Прочитайте и переведите текст.
Text3
PARLIAMENT AT WORK
Parliament is the most important law-making body of the British people consisting of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Sovereign (i.e., king or queen).
A. The House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament,
consists of 650 elected MPs:
523 for England
72 for Scotland
38 for Wales
17 for Northern Ireland
The main purpose of the House of Commons is to make laws of the land by passing various Acts (of Parliament), as well as to discuss current political issues. The House sits for five days each week. Each "sitting" starts in the afternoon and may go on throughout the night. The House sits for about 175 days in the years, and has a maximum term of five years.
All speeches in the House of Commons are addressed to the Speaker who is elected at the beginning of each new Parliament to preside over the House and enforce the rules of order.
The Speaker must be a person with a rare mix of qualities: he has to be able to cope with the difficult task of conducting debates; be respected for impartiality; possess a sound knowledge of parliamentary procedure; have tact and judgement in handling debates; and have a firmness of command in controlling the House.
The debates take place in accordance with a programme previously arranged. It often concerns a broad issue of foreign or home policy, or it may be the examination of the contents of a bill.
So, the House of Commons is the main place where legislation and other decisions of government are criticized. Its work includes the following:
a) legislation: the House spends nearly half its time making laws.
b) controlling finance: before the Government can raise or spend money,
it must have permission from the House of Commons.
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c) scrutinizing the Government by asking questions, by holding debates
and by committee work.
B. The House of Lords
There are over 1,000 members of the House of Lords. They are an unelected group of people who have either inherited their seats or have been given them by the Government. The Lord Chancellor sits in the middle and supervises debates. He sits on "the wool sack", a seat which contains wool from all the Commonwealth countries.
The House of Lords takes part in the making of laws, the examination of the Government's work and in debating important matters of the day. This second chamber is not as powerful as the House of Commons. It can suggest changes in laws, but is restricted to laws that have nothing to do with the finances of the country (for example, it cannot suggest any changes to the Budget). The House of Lords cannot reject laws that the House of Commons
wants to pass, though it can amend them. Even then, the Commons can re ject these amendments. The work of the House of Lords includes:
a) legislation: reviewing and giving further consideration to Bills.
b) examining the work of the Government by debate.
c) examining European proposals.
d) hearing legal appeals.
Vocabulary Notes
i.e.= id est= that is - т.е.
current issues - текущие проблемы
sitting — заседание
a quality - качество
impartiality — беспристрастность
sound — зд. точный, глубокий
to handle debates — вести дебаты
to scrutinize — тщательно исследовать
to reject — отвергать
to amend, to make amendments — вносить поправки
to review — пересмотреть
Ex. 15. Найдите в тексте слова и выражения, которые используются для описания работы обеих палат британского парламента. Переведите их на русский язык.
Ex. 16. Найдите в а) и Ь) слова с одинаковым значением.
a) term; chamber; limit; reject; propose; control; happen; pass;
issue; amend; examine
b) veto; supervise; adopt; period; house; suggest; make
amendments; matter; restrict; take place; scrutinize
Ex. 17. Выберите черты характера, которыми, по-вашему мнению, должен обладать политический деятель.
1. an ability to organize people
2. an ability to choose the right person for a right job
3. an ability to handle debates
4. an ability to control the meetings
5. a good knowledge of a parliamentary procedure
6. to be impartial
7. to be honest
8. to be responsible
9. high standards of personal behaviour
10. firmness of command
Ex. 18. Расскажите о каком-нибудь выдающемся политическом дея'-теле, о его личности (personality), взглядах (ideas), деятельности (activities).
Ex. 19. Переведите письменно, пользуясь словарем.
Parliamentary Debates. Parliament is a place where politicians can speak about public matters, express points of view, argue, try to persuade, support and oppose other members. Indeed, the very word tells us this is its function (compare the French "parler", to speak). What is more, this free exchange of ideas is vital for a democratic form of government. People are bound to differ about political and economic priorities; and wise and just policies are more likely to result from widespread discussion than from decisions made by a few. Parliament debates require two kinds of skill: the ability to argue and to deliver a prepared speech. For argument the speaker needs a good memory stored with relevant information; speed of thought and fluency of speech quickly to express his reaction to the previous speaker. In addition, he needs the qualities which enable him to deliver a speech: audible and clear diction, and an interesting tone of voice. He must be able to judge the mood of the House and adapt his wit or style to match the occasion. He must never be dull and always have something of importance to say. One MP who met most nearly all these criteria in this century was Winston Churchill.
Ex. 20. Прочитайте текст без словаря.
Text 4
A. GOVERNMENT
The UK is governed by the Government - a body of ministers who are responsible for the administration of national affairs. The ministers are the leading members of the political party which wins a majority of seats in Parliament. The party which wins the second largest number of seats in Parliament becomes the official Opposition.
The Prime Minister, the leader of the party with a majority, is appointed by the Queen. (The Queen appoints, but does not select the Prime Minister. She has no choice.) All other Ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The majority of ministers are members of the Commons, although the Government is also fully represented by ministers in the Lords. The Lord Chancellor is always a member of the House of Lords.
The Cabinet. The most senior Ministers (usuially about 20 in number) compose the Cabinet, which meets regularly (once or twice a week) under
the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to decide government policy on major issues, exercise supreme control of government and co-ordinate government departments.
Minister are responsible collectively to Parliament for all Cabinet decisions; individual ministers are responsible to Parliament for the work of their departments.
The "Shadow Cabinet". The Opposition party, which is not currently in power, under the direction of its leader forms a "Shadow Cabinet". The ministers in the Shadow Cabinet deal with the same matters as the Cabinet of Ministers in the current government, debating with the actual Cabinet ministers from the Government side.
The people elects MPs.
After an election a Government is formed.
Prime Minister is appointed by the Queen.
The Prime Minister selects his Ministers.
The Ministers form the Cabinet.
The Cabinet decides Government policies.
The Parliament agrees to support or reject Government policies and laws.
