Lesson Two. Parliamentary System

The English

Almost every nation has a reputation of some kind. As compared to the French, the Germans, and the Americans, the English are said to be cold, reserved, rather haughty people who do not yell in the street or change their governments as often as they change their underclothes. They are steady, easy-going and fond of sports. There are certain kinds of behaviour, manners and customs which are peculiar to the English. The English are a nation of stay-at-home. There is no place like home, they say, or My home is my castle. These are the sayings known all over the world; and it is true that English people prefer small houses built for family, perhaps with a small garden, though nowadays more and more blocks of flats are being built, and fewer detached and semi-detached houses remain. The fire is the focus of the English home. While other nations go out to cafes or sit round the cocktail bar the English sit round the fire. Foreigners often picture the Englishmen dressed in tweeds, smoking a pipe, striding across the open countryside with his dog. The English are amongst the most amiable people in the world; they have a genius for compromise; they are generous in small matters but more cautious in big ones. Apart from the conservatism on a grand scale in which the attitude to the monarchy is typified, England is full of small-scale and local conservatism. The army, municipal corporations, schools and societies have their own private traditions and customs which they are unwilling to change; they like to think of their customs as differentiating them, as groups, from the rest of the world. The English have been very slow to adopt some reforms, the metric system for example or the twenty-four clock for railway timetables. In 1966 it was decided that decimal money would become regular from 1971; but conservatism triumphed in this matter as well when the Government decided to keep sterling as the basic money unit, with its one-hundredth part a “new penny”.

haughty ['ho:ti] – надменный, высокомерный to yell – кричать, вопить steady – твердый, непоколебимый be peculiar (to) – быть своеобразным, специфичным, semi-detached – один из двух особняков, имеющих общую стену tweeds – костюмы из твида to stride – шагать (большими шагами) amiable – дружелюбный; дружественный a genius – дух generous – благородный cautious – осторожный on a grand (large, small) scale – в большом (маленьком) масштабе be (un)willing to do – (не)охотно делать (что) to adopt – зд. проводить (реформы) decimal money – новая десятичная денежная система в Великобритании to triumph - победить, восторжествовать

 

IV. Read the text, make the logical plan of it:

 

Wales and the Welsh

Wales is a country of hills, mountain, old hard rocks and deep rivers. Over three million people live in Wales. About 75 per cent of the population is urban. Wales has been united with England for seven hundred years. Wales has its own Welsh language. About 20% of the people in Wales speak Welsh and children learn it in Welsh schools. South Wales is industrialized while North Wales rears sheep and cattle. Who are the Welsh and how did they come to live in Wales? The two languages, Welsh and English, are very different and so are the two nations. Nowhere in the British Isles national spirit is stronger, national pride more intense or national traditions more cherished than in Wales. The Welsh still wear their national dress; the Welsh language is still a living force; the Welshmen have a remarkable record in the realm of poetry, song and drama. About 2,500 years ago the Welsh came to England from Europe but were driven westward until they found themselves in this mountainous country of Wales. The Welsh history begins with the Anglo-Saxon victories in the 6^th and 7^th centuries which isolated the Welsh from the rest of their fellow-Britons. Henceforth, the people of Wales were constantly harried by the English chieftains, and until the 11^th century the Vikings made frequent raids on the coast. Then came the Normans who established many strongholds in spite of strong resistance organized by the Welsh. The English Crown annexed Wales in 1284, but it was not until 1536 when Wales was placed under the authority of England. England and Wales are now administered as a unit. What kind of people are those who live in this country? They call their country Cymru and themselves Cymry, a word which has the same root as “camrador” (friend or comrade). They are quick and impetuous in speech nor are they afraid of being poetic in speech, of using bright and pictorial descriptions in ordinary conversation. They like listening to good speaking and they are very critical as an audience. The Welsh are a nation of singers. Whenever they meet, they sing. Even if singing happens spontaneously, it is always good. This custom dates back to a period long before any written music was available to the people. Wales has not, however, produced a great composer. The love of reading is also widespread. Welsh prose, romance and poetry are its chief glory. The Welsh had made their contribution to the legends of King Arthur of Britain.

urban – relating to towns and cities to rear – to look after young animals until they are fully grown national spirit – национальный дух to cherish – лелеять, нежно любить realm of [reim]– переносн. царство henceforth – с этого времени to harry – разорять, опустошать chieftain – вождь (клана, племени) Anglo-Saxons – Germanic peoples Angles, Saxons and Jutes formed the Anglo-Saxon people Normans – relating to the 11^th and 12^th centuries in English history, when England was ruled by people from Normandy in Northern France a stronghold – твердыня; оплот to annex – аннексировать, присоединять to administer – управлять root – грам. корень impetuous – импульсивный, пылкий; стремительный, быстрый audience – аудитория, слушатели be available – зд. появляться, изобретать glory - слава contribution – вклад, лепта

 

V. Read the text, divide it into logical parts and head them:

Scotland and the Scots

Scotland takes up one third of the territory of the British Isles, but its population is not very big. At the beginning of the 6^th century Scotland was ruled by Scottish kings and queens but was divided among different groups of people: the Picts, the Celts, the Scots, the Brythons (Britons), the Teutons, the Scandinavians, and the Angles. Scotland was an independent kingdom, often at war with England, until in 1603 both countries were incorporated under the same monarch. In 1707 the Act of Union incorporated Scotland with England in the United Kingdom, hence the two countries were under one Crown and one Parliament. Edinburgh was created capital of Scotland in 1473. It got its name from a castle called “Edwin’s Burgh”. It has an intensive cultural life and is sometimes called the Athens of the North. There are only about five million Scots, and most of them live in the southern part of the country called the “Lowlands”, where the major cities are located. Besides, there are the Highlands, the most northern and the most unpopulated area with a harsh climate, and the Southern Uplands with hills that border on England. Scotland has its own language – Gaelic, but the English language is also spoken all over Scotland, though with a variety of accents. One of the things that people associate with Scotland is the kilt. It is the relic of the time when clan system existed there. Everybody in the clan had the same family name, like McDonald (Mc means “son of”); each clan had its own territory ruled by a chieftain and its own tartan. The Scots are not English. Nor are they British. The two nations derived from mixed sources, racially and historically. Strong national characteristics separate them in custom, habit, and religion and even in language. The Scots are proverbially kindly, but at first glance not amiable. They abhor compromise, lean much upon logic and run much to extremes. They are penny-wise but can be surprisingly pound-foolish. They can be dour and grey, or highly coloured and extravagant in gesture and manner. The Scots got their name from the invading Celts from Ireland who, incidentally, were called Scots. It is from the Celts that there comes the more colourful, exciting and extravagant strain in the Scots. As soon as the Celts retreated into the north-west, their place in the east and south lowlands was taken by the Scandinavians, Teutons and Angles. Hence the celebrated division of the Scottish people into Highlanders and Lowlanders occurred. Nearly all Scots living north and west of the Highlands spoke the Gaelic language, lived under the ancient Celtic system and, of course bore Highland names. It was a division which marked the distinction between people of different culture, temperament and language. Nowadays, however, the people in Scotland are all so mixed up in blood that most of them combine something of the characteristics of both Highlanders and Lowlanders. Today Scotland is governed from London. There is a special minister, the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is responsible for education, local government and other important matters in Scotland.

the Celts – Indo-European peoples akin to the ancient Galli the Britons – the people who inhabited the southern part of Britain the Gaels – the people who inhabited Ireland and the west and north of Scotland the Teutons – Germanic peoples supposed to dwelt in Jutland. Also included the Scandinavians. the Picts – the people older than the Gaelic and Brythonic who about the 9^th century finally merged with the Scots the Angles – a German tribe who settled in Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia harsh – суровый Lowlands – Шотландская низменность Highlands – Северо-шотландское нагорье Southern Uplands – Южно-шотландское нагорье to associate – связывать; ассоциировать(ся) a kilt – a checked pleated skirt (кильт) a relic – остаток, пережиток tartan – шотландка, клетчатая шерстяная материя mixed sources – зд. разные источники (происхождения) racially – с точки зрения происхождения proverbially – общеизвестно to abhor – питать отвращение, ненавидеть to lean – полагаться to run much to extremes – впадать в крайности penny-wise and pond-foolish – экономный в мелочах и расточительный в крупном dour – строгий highly coloured – яркая расцветка gesture – жест, телодвижение to invade – вторгаться, захватывать incidentally – случайно, между прочим strain – наследственная черта

 

 

VI. Expose the realias, statistic data, dates of important events. Prepare your own report about Ireland, using the information from the text and some additional information.

Ireland and the Irish

Ireland consists of broad central lowland with a few hills and is surrounded by a rim of higher land. There are many lakes in Ireland. No part of the island is more than 70 miles from the sea. The island has a typical maritime climate with mild, damp winters and cool cloudy summers. Grass grows well in such a climate and it makes the island look green and beautiful. Irish poets called Ireland the “Emerald Isle”. Northern Ireland is the smallest part of the United Kingdom. It has been a part of the U.K. since 1922. Northern Ireland has a Governor and a Parliament. Belfast became the capital of Northern Ireland in 1920. It is the largest city and the principal seaport and industrial center in Ireland. The whole economy of Northern Ireland is closely integrated with that of the U.K. Agriculture, textiles and shipbuilding are developed in Ulster (Northern Ireland). Before 1921 Ulster was one of the four ancient kingdoms of Ireland comprising 9 counties. The first date is 1609 when thousands of Scots Presbyterians were brought over for the Plantation of Ulster. The hatred between colonized and colonizer was reinforced by the difference in their religion, and the Irish were persecuted not only for being the natives but on the basis of being Catholics as well. Since then they have never sorted out religion from politics. The march of the Orange Order, which was founded in 1795 to keep up the traditions of Protestantism in Ulster, takes place every year. It’s the same thing, but in reverse, when it comes round to the 1916 Commemoration day, or to August 15^th. The Nationalists, the Catholic Tories of Northern Ireland, keep it as their day and sing anti-Orange songs. Both the Protestant Unionists and the Catholic Nationalists deny the discrimination against each other, but both use religion to divide and rule the working class. Separated by this tactic into their religious sects and set against each other the ordinary people have not been able to combine and fight politically for their real interests. At the bottom of the social pyramid with nothing to lose, the Catholic workingman doesn’t really fear the Protestant. But the Protestant workingman, who has very little, fears the Catholic because he knows that any gain made by the Catholic minority will be his loss, for the businessman and the landowner are not going to suffer losses on anybody’s behalf. Where discrimination hurts most is in employment and housing. Little is heard about the main body of the Republican movement which continues the socialist, working-class-oriented traditions. However, Republicanism is a deep and strongly held tradition in Ireland, widely supported in both north and south.

a rim – обод maritime – морской emerald – изумруд; изумрудный Ulster – Ольстер (историческая область на севере Ирландии; в 1921 была включена в качестве провинции в состав Соединенного Королевства, получив название Северной Ирландии) a county – графство (административная единица) Presbyterians – пресвитериане (члены одного из отделений протестантской церкви, приверженцы любой христианской церкви, кроме римско-католической и православной) Plantation - поселение в другой стране или регионе; колония to reinforce – усиливать to persecute – преследовать, подвергать гонениям to sort out – отделять, разделять Orange Order – Оранжевый ордер (ультраправая тайная политическая организация, созданная в Северной Ирландии для поддержки Британского монарха и защиты протестантской религии, названная так в честь Уильяма Оранжского, короля Англии (1689-1702) Unionist – юнионист, член юнионистской группировка, выступающей за сохранение Северной Ирландии в составе Соединенного Королевства Commemoration day – день поминовения to fear – бояться gain – выгода, выигрыш to suffer losses – терпеть убытки on smb’s behalf – в интересах кого-либо

 

VII. Translate into English:

1. England является самой большой из трех стран eat Britain. 2. Scotland находится на севере от England. 3. Wales расположен на западе от England. 4. The English Channel, ширина которого составляет около 21 мили, отделяет the U. K. от континента. 5. Cardiff – столица Уэльса и крупный порт. 6. Belfast стал столицей Northern Ireland в 1920 году. 7. London, столица Соединенного Королевства, расположен на реке the Thames. 8. Northern Ireland делится на шесть counties. 9. Население London превышает 8 миллионов, а население Glasgow и Birmingham превысило миллионную отметку. 10. England, Scotland and Wales – три основные части Великобритании.

 

VIII. Can you answer these questions?

1) What is the official name of the country? What parts does it consist

of? What are their capitals?

2) Why is the U.K. also called Great Britain, England or the British

Isles?

3) What countries of the U. K. occupy the two main islands?

4) What is the largest and the most densely populated country of the

U. K.?

5) What languages are spoken in the U.K.?

6) Where is the country situated? What is it separated by from the continent?

7) Who inhabited the British Isles before the Roman invasion?

8) When and by whom was Christianity introduced?

9) Is Britain mountainous? Where are there mountains in Britain?

10) What British rivers do you know?

11) What can you say about British climate?

12) Why has the sea been important in the history of England?

 

X. Read the following text to get some additional information:

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. It is a great producer of coal and steel. Great Britain has shipbuilding, machine building, automobile industry, chemicals, textiles and others. The industries are concentrated in the central part of the country. This is the so-called “Black Country”. South-Eastern England has less rain, more sun and more fertile soil. This part of the country is an old commercial and agricultural region and it is called “Green England” for its fields.

 

X. Make up your own topic about Great Britain in accordance with the following outline:

1) Land 2) Climate 3) Population 4) Ethnic Groups 5) Economy

 

Text 3. The House of Lords

The House of Lords has more than 1,000 members, although only about 250take an active part in the work of the House. There are 26 Anglican bishops, 950 hereditary peers, 11 judges and 185 life peers, and unlike MPs they don’t receive a salary. They debate a bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons. Changes may be recommended, and agreement between the two Houses is reached by negotiations.

 

III. Match the parts of these sentences correctly:

1. The Houses of parliament is the place where	a) the people of Britain can choose a new government
2. Each Prime Minister has a private home	b) at the Opening of parliament
3. After a period of five years (or sooner)	c) the political life of Britain is organized
4. The Government tells the Monarch which plans to announce	d) until they are 18 years old
5. To win the election, a candidate has to	e) as well as the residence in Downing Street
6. People are not allowed to vote	f) get more votes than any other single candidate

 

IV. Can you answer these questions?

1) What kind of state is Great Britain?

2) Who rules Britain officially? And unofficially?

3) Is the Queen’s power hereditary or elective?

4) What is the difference between the House of Lords and the House of Commons?

5) Which body has more powers: Parliament or the Government?

6) How many stages a bill must pass to become an Act of Parliament?

7) How often is the general election held in Great Britain?

8) What is the Government normally formed by?

 

V. Read the text paying attention to comments. Answer the questions that follow it in writing:

Political Parties of Great Britain

Britain has a two party system. From 1832 to 1918 the dominant parties were the Conservatives, or the Tories, on the one hand, and the Whigs, or Liberals, on the other. These opposing parties had commanded equal support since 1679. They called each other Whigs and Tories, both rude names, which they nevertheless readily adopted. The word “whig” comes from the word “whiggam” which was used by certain Scotsmen when driving their horses. The word “Tory” comes from the Irish language and means a lawless person, usually an Irish Catholic plunderer (of English property in occupied Ireland). The Whigs were the great landowners and wealthy merchants. They were committed to the idea of Parliament’s supremacy over the Crown. The Tories represented to a great extent the smaller landowners and the country squires. In 1827-1832 the two leading parties themselves went through a period of radical reform and adopted new names: Conservative Party and Liberal Party. The difference between Whigs and Tories was demonstrated by their attitude towards the reigning house; that between Liberals and Conservatives by their attitude towards domestic reforms. The formation of the Labour Party at the beginning of the 20^th century was a victory of the labour movement. But Labour Government showed no radical change in policy from Tories. From the very beginning there were two main trends within the party - the left socialist trend represented by party’s rank-and-file members, and the right-wing trend represented by the party’s top leadership. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the Labour and the Conservative parties. The Labour Party backed by trade unions replaced the Liberals, and since 1924 the political scene has been dominated by the Conservative and the Labour parties. The present day political scene is a combination of various political parties: the Conservatives, the Labour, the Social-Democratic Party, the Liberals and the Communists. The membership and parliamentary representation of the Liberal Party today is almost insignificant, although it does play a certain role in tipping the scales³ between the two largest parties: the Labour and the Conservative. The main way in which people exert influence over government is through political parties. These parties organize opinion on national issues, formulating policies which they feel will meet the wishes of as many people as possible.

to command equal support - пользоваться равной (одинаковой) поддержкой rude – грубый l awless (person) – человек, находящийся вне закона plunderer – вор, грабитель be committed (to the idea) – посвятить себя; быть приверженцем supremacy – превосходство squire – a man who owned land in England in the past and had a high status in the local area (сквайр) rank-and-file – рядовой (член организации) trade unions – тред-юнионы; профсоюзы to tip the scale (s) – склонить чашу весов; решить исход дела to exert influence over = to influence

1) What are the main political parties in Great Britain?

2) What are the dominant parties in modern Britain?

3) What is the role of the Liberal party today?

4) There is little difference between the Labour and the Conservative policies, isn’t there?

5) What is the ruling party in Great Britain now?

VI. Read the text with a dictionary:

The British Monarchy

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. This means that it has a monarch (a King or a Queen) as its Head of State. The monarch reigns with the agreement of Parliament. The powers of the monarch are not defined precisely. Everything today is done in the Queen’s name. It is “Her Majesty’s” government, “Her Majesty’s” armed forces, “Her Majesty’s” law courts and so on. She officially appoints all the Ministers, including the Prime Minister. Everything is done, however, on the advice of the elected Government, and the Monarch takes no part in the decision-making process.

From the very early times the English monarchs were waging centuries wars to conquest on the Welsh, the Scots and the Irish for the “unification” with these originally separate and independent kingdoms. Wales was won by military force so long ago that a direct tradition to Welsh independence can hardly be spoken about. Scotland, after centuries of bloodshed conflicts, was united to England dynastically and peacefully, while Ireland was both conquered and colonized with expropriation and discrimination. Ireland’s history has been and still is the main source of many problems.

Once the British Empire included a large number of countries all over the world. It had been being built for three centuries, achieved its maximum between 1921 and 1939 and collapsed in some twenty years after the Second World War. Now there is no longer Empire. But the British ruling classes tried not to lose influence over the former colonies. An association of former members of the British Empire and Britain was founded in 1949. It is called the Commonwealth. It includes many countries such as Ireland, Burma, the Sudan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others. The Queen of Great Britain is also the Head of the Commonwealth, and so the Queen of Canada, Australia, New Zealand. The Queen is very rich, as are other members of the Royal Family. In addition the government pays for her expenses as Head of State, for a royal yacht, train and airplane (aircraft) as well as for the upkeep of several palaces. The Queen’s image appears on stamps, notes and coins.

The Commonwealth is a free association of 50 sovereign independent states that were once a part of the British Empire. The British Monarchy is one of the world’s monarchies, with an almost unbroken line of Kings and Queens stretching back to at least the 9^th century. Since the 9^th century there has been only one short interruption in the history of the Monarchy. In 1642 a Civil War began in England, and in 1649 King Charles I was defeated by a parliamentary army led by Oliver Cromwell and he was executed. Britain remained a republic only 11 years; in 1660 the son of executed Charles I, Charles II, was restored to the throne and Britain has remained a monarchy ever since.

Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926. She came to the throne on February 6, 1952. Her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953 and was the first coronation to be televised throughout the world.

Queen Elizabeth has 4 children. The eldest son is Prince Charles, who is qualified as Royal Air Force pilot and is now Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. Princess Anne, now the Princess Royal, represents Britain in horse riding at the Olympic games and is a member of the International Olympic Committee. Prince Andrew, now the Duke of York, is serving a naval officer and Prince Edward has worked in the theatre. Most of Europe’s other ruling families were related to Queen Victoria. Alexandra, wife of the last Russian tsar, Nicolas II, was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Tsar Nicolas’ aunt, his mother’s sister, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, married Queen Victoria’s son. Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are both great-great grandchildren of Queen Victoria.

 

Comments Commonwealth, the – an organization of countries that used to be under the political control of the UK. It is also known as the Commonwealth of Nations or the British Commonwealth.

VII. Some people think that the monarchy should be abolished because it has no power and costs the State a lot of money to maintain. How useful do you think the monarchy is in the U. K. today? (to be done in writing)

VIII. Read the text with a dictionary:

 

The British Constitution

Great Britain is not a federation, or a union of states like the USA. There are no written laws, no written constitution. A thousand years ago, before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon kings consulted the Great Council (an assembly of the leading men from each district) before taking important decisions. Between 1066 and 1215 the king ruled alone, but in 1215 the nobles forced King John to accept Magna Carta (the Great Charter), which took away some of the king’s powers. In later centuries, this was seen as the first occasion on which this was forced to take advice. In 1264 the first parliament of nobles met together. Since then the British Constitution has grown up slowly as the result of countless acts of Parliament. There have been no great changes in the Constitution since the revolution of 1688. Then, Parliament invited William and Mary to become Britain’s first constitutional Monarchs. A constitutional monarch is one who can rule only with the support of Parliament. The Bill of Rights (1689) was the first legal step towards Constitutional monarchy. This Bill prevented the monarch from making laws or having an army without Parliament’s approval. Since 1689 the power of Parliament has grown, while the power of the Monarch has become weaker. The reform acts of 1832, 1867 and 1884 gave the vote to a large number of common citizens. Today every man and woman aged 18 has the right to vote. For the last fifty years the political scene has been controlled by the Conservative and Labour Parties. The party in power determines the home and foreign policy of the country. In practice, the Sovereign reigns but does not rule, and the UK is governed by the Government – a body of Ministers who are the leading members of the political Party in power and who are responsible to Parliament. The people of Great Britain are law-abiding.

IX. Try to make a back translation:

Великобритания является монархией, но власть королевы не абсолютная, а конституционная. Полномочия королевы ограничены парламентом. Парламент – законодательный орган Великобритании. Он располагается в Вестминстерском дворце на берегу реки Темзы, в самом сердце Лондона. Кроме двух главных палат – палаты лордов и палаты общин – во дворце целый лабиринт канцелярий, библиотек, помещений для заседаний различных комитетов, ресторанов, кафетериев. В этом же комплексе и башня, на верху которой находятся знаменитые часы Биг Бен. Поблизости, на улице Уайтхол, расположены здания главных министерств, а по соседству с ними – официальная резиденция премьер-министра на Даунинг Стрит. Премьер-министр обычно является лидером партии, которая имеет большинство в палате общин. Крупнейшие политические партии – консервативная, лейбористская и либерально-демократическая.

В отличие от большинства других стран в Британии нет письменной конституции. Существующая парламентская система, которая непрерывно развивается, основывается на множестве отдельных законов, прецедентов, обычаев. Постановление парламента не может стать законом без согласия монарха, правда, в таком согласии не было отказано ни разу с 1707 года.

Члены верхней палаты – палаты лордов – не избираются всеобщим голосованием. В нее входят епископы англиканской церкви, представители наследственной аристократии – эти группы заседали в парламенте со времени его основания. Кроме них, в палату лордов входят некоторые верховные судьи (их называют «судебные лорды»), которые стали заседать в палате лордов с конца прошлого века, а также возникшая в 1958 году категория «пожизненных пэров», представляющая собой бывших членов палаты общин или других выдающихся людей, проявивших себя в различных сферах общественной жизни. Считается, что всего в стране 1100 лордов, но в заседаниях регулярно участвуют около 270 человек.

В палате общин 650 избираемых членов парламента. Партия, имеющая большее число мест в палате общин, формирует правительство. Наиболее важные министерские посты обычно занимают члены палаты общин. Партия, обладающая самым большим числом мест после правящей, именуется «Официальной оппозицией». Представителем палаты общин является Спикер, сидящий на специальном возвышении и облаченный традиционно в парик и черную мантию. Спикер должен быть беспристрастным в своих суждениях и не принимать сторону ни одной из партий.

Члены парламента от правящей партии сидят по правую руку от Спикера, а члены оппозиции – по левую. В первом ряду сидят министры и члены так называемого «теневого кабинета» - представители официальной оппозиции.

Парламент заседает круглый год, прерывая работу только на короткие периоды во время праздников и на более длительные летние каникулы. На официальных открытиях парламентских сессий королева зачитывает речь.

Законодательная процедура чрезвычайно сложна. Чтобы билль прошел все стадии обсуждения и утверждения и стал законом, может потребоваться более двух лет. Когда палата общин принимает решение об окончательной формулировке законопроекта, он поступает в палату лордов. Если лорды решат, внести изменения, то законопроект должен вернуться в палату общин для окончательного согласования. Когда-то лорды обладали правом накладывать вето на любое законодательное решение нижней палаты, но теперь они могут лишь замедлить процедуру. Только после утверждения обеими палатами законопроект поступает на подпись королеве и становится законом.

Если билль не успел пройти все стадии и не стал законом до того, как закончилась парламентская сессия, на следующей сессии все начинается сначала. Особенно уязвимы в этом отношении частные билли, ждущие своей очереди после биллей правительства.

X. Read the text and render it in Russian:

Prince of Wales

The story of the title goes back to the conquest of Wales by Edward I who had conquered Wales in 1284. Great leaders of the nation had been killed, but the Welsh, though they had been beaten, were rebellious. The chiefs of the conquered nation came to Edward and said that they wanted to be ruled not by an English king but by the Prince of Wales, born in Wales of royal blood and not speaking English or French. They wanted a prince whose life had been good and who hadn’t wronged any man. After a little thought Edward told them to ask all the chiefs and their followers to come to his castle in a week’s time and he promised to give them what they had asked for – a Prince of Wales who satisfied all their conditions.

The next week the square outside the castle was crowded with excited people. From the balcony of the castle Edward I addressed the crowd: “People of Wales! You wanted a Prince of Wales! Here is your Prince – born in Wales a week ago. He is a native-born prince of royal blood. He cannot speak English or French. He has wronged no man. Promise to obey him!”

Since then the title the “Prince of Wales” is conferred to the eldest son of the Royal Family of Great Britain.

 

 

UNIT 2

LONDON

Introductory text

London Overview

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life: for there is in London all that life can afford -, wrote Samuel Johnson in 1777. He would recognize many of the great sights on both sides of the Thames, which winds its way downstream from the Windsor and Hampton Court, past Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedra l, the Tower, and on down to Greenwich and the sea.

When H. G. Wells wrote in 1911 that “ London is the most interesting beautiful and wonderful city in the world to me ”, horse drawn carriages and Edwardian splendour were on their way out.

The 20^th century was about to enforce dramatic changes on the London skyline – skyscrapers in the City, the Telecom Tower, an arts center on the South Bank and arising now, Docklands, the business center for the 21^st century.

Yet London, the world’s capital, has kept its heart. Johnson would still be able to drink coffee in Covent Garden, or meander through the City’s narrow streets to churches and livery companies with echoes of Medieval days. H.G. Wells might, today, listen to debates in the Houses of Parliament, attend a concert in the Albert Hall or listen to a military band in a royal park. Today London is a sprawling, cosmopolitan metropolis, about 1600 square km, an exciting world which many visitors from abroad see first from the sky, surprised that the ribbon-like Thames is so curvaceous and a score of bridges so decorative. Down there, seven million people are at home, not in anonymous suburbs but in the Cities of London and Westminster and in districts which have remnants of their countrified past, in Marylebone and Kensington, Hampstead and Highgate with their own high streets and historic monuments remembering famous men and women who built a London which each generation discovers anew. Documented history goes back to the time when Westminster was still a marsh. The Romans had inhabited the land which became the City, building a bridge across the Thames by AD 60 and creating a celebrated center of commerce filled with traders. Westminster, established as a royal palace shortly before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066, gradually grew in importance as it became the seat of government, beside the Thames and next door to Westminster Abbey a couple of minutes from the City. Big Ben, the voice of London, has been telling the time to the second since 1859. Construction of the 96 m clock tower began in the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, 1837, as part of the reconstruction of the Houses of Parliament following the devastating fire of 1834. Clock designer, Sir Edmund Grimthorpe, the architect and clockmaker all died before the 13 ½ ton bell was mounted behind the four clock faces, which each measure 7 m in diameter.

The Great Bell cracked, was recast and cracked again, giving us the famous, flawed, resonating boom. Why Big Ben? There are two answers – either can be chosen. It could have been named after Sir Benjamin Hall, chief commissioner of works at that time, and a Welshman of great girth. Or, perhaps, it was named by workmen who brought the bell from Whitechapel Foundry on a cart pulled by 16 white horses. Their hero of the day was Benjamin Caunt, a 17 stone prize fighter.

 

I. Read the text using a dictionary and translate it into Russian. The following comments may be useful to you:

livery company - «ливрейная компания» (одна из 83 гильдий лондонского Сити. Такие гильдии возникли в средние века; их члены имеют особую форму одежды для торжественных церемоний)

countrified – имеющий деревенский вид

high streets – ровные прямые улицы

William the Conqueror – Вильгельм Завоеватель, герцог Нормандский, под предводительством которого в 1066 году норманны завоевали Англию; стал английским королем Вильгельмом I

flawed resonating boom – вызванный трещиной резонирующий гул

commissioner – специальный уполномоченный; член комиссии

girth – размер в обхвате

Whitechappel Foundry – литейный цех в Уайтчепеле (одном из беднейших районов Ист-Энда)

stone – стоун (мера веса, равная 6,35 кг)

prize fighter – профессиональный боксер

 

II. What impression does this text make on you? What is the main idea of it?

III. What do you know about Samuel Johnson and H. G. Wells?

IV. Explain why London is called “ a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis”. What do the words “cosmopolitan” and “metropolis” mean?

V. Why, in your opinion, the names of Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror and Queen Victoria are mentioned first among “famous men and women who built a London which each generation discovers anew”?

VI. State the field of knowledge to which the text belongs.

Around Whitehall

Downing Street, the official residence of Prime Ministers for more than 250 years, was built on land where an Abbey brewhouse had been sited. During restoration remnants of Roman pottery, Saxon wood and fragments of Whitehall Palace were unearthed. Whitehall Palace was once the main royal residence in London, home for the monarch from the time of Henry VIII until it was destroyed by fire in 1698. The famous cul-de-sac of Downing Street was created by Sir George Downing, MP, around 1680. Number 10 is one of the original Downing Street houses to survive.

Acquired by the Crown in 1732, it was offered as a gift to Sir Robert Walpole, First Lord of Treasury (a title which eventually became “Prime Minister”).

No. 10 has seen the most significant comings and goings of each era from riots to suffragettes chaining themselves to the railings. In recent years it has witnessed the arrival of the first female Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher. No. 11 is the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and No. 12 is the office of the Chief Whip, whose job is to ensure MPs toe the party line.

Downing Street leads into Whitehall, home of government ministries and the setting for state processions, and for the annual memorial services at the Cenotaph. This was designed to remember the dead of the First World War, with an inscription added after the Second World War. Nearby, Charles I was executed in 1649. The offices of the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and the Foreign Office are situated nearby.

Comments

brewhouse - пивоварня

remnant – след, пережиток

pottery –керамика; гончарные изделия

cul-de-sac – тупик; глухой переулок

riot – бунт; мятеж

suffragette – суфражистка; борец за избирательные права женщин

to chain – приковывать цепями

railings – ограда, перила

Chancellor of the Exchequer – министр финансов

Chief Whip – «главный кнут», главный организатор парламентской фракции, следящий за соблюдением партийной дисциплины и обеспечивающий поддержку политики своей партии и присутствие членов фракции на заседании парламента

to toe – переносн. строго придерживаться правил; подчиняться требованиям

state processions – зд. место проведения государственных мероприятий

Cenotaph ['senouta:f] - Сенотаф, Кенотаф (обелиск, воздвигнутый в 1920 в честь погибших во время первой мировой войны). Здесь раз в год проходит официальная церемония возложения венков (от лат. пустая могила).

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official London residence. Built in 1702-1705 for the Duke of Buckingham, it was sold in 1761 to George III. King George IV insisted that the architect for his stately new home must be John Nash. The Palace was little used by royalty until Victoria's accession to the throne in 1837.

Today the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have private suites in the North Wing, overlooking the Green Park. In summer their home is open to guests, attending garden parties. The State Apartments, which contain generations of royal treasures, are now open to the public in August and September. Buckingham palace, facing the Mall and the white marble and gilded Queen Victoria Memorial, flies the royal standard when the Queen is in residence.

The gardens have a lake, cascading water and the wild life includes flamingoes. Buckingham Palace is a working setting for the monarchy – with a large staff involved in tasks from running the household to organizing banquets for visiting heads of state, arrangements for ambassadors to present their credentials and subjects to receive awards. From here the Queen leaves on ceremonial duties such as the State Opening of Parliament in early winter and Trooping the Colour to mark her official birthday in June.

The Queen’s Gallery houses changing exhibitions taken from the Royal Collections. This is open to the public. So are the Royal Mews with the Queen’s horses, their trappings, the breathtaking State Coach and more modern royal carriages and cars.

Lon­don's most popular spectacle is Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It takes place in the forecourt and lasts about 30 minutes.

Comments

stately home – величественный дом или замок

Duke of Edinburgh – герцог Эдинбургский (с 1947 г. титул супруга королевы Елизаветы II принца Филипа)

suite [swi:t] – апартаменты

State Apartments – официальная резиденция

Mall – Малл, Мэлл (улица в центральной части Лондона, ведущая от Трафальгарской площади к Букингемскому дворцу)

staff – штат служащих

credentials – вверительные грамоты

subject – подданный

State opening of Parliament – официальное открытие сессии парламента

Trooping the Colour – вынос знамени, торжественный развод караулов с выносом знамени, когда навстречу монарху выносят знамя гвардейского полка, несущего караульную службу во дворце в текущем году (проводится ежегодно в официальный день рождения монарха). Официальный день рождения монарха – это национальный праздник в первой половине июня, не совпадающий с его/ее фактическим днем рождения; он отмечается не только церемонией выноса знамени, но и награждением орденами и медалями и присвоением титулов.

Royal Mews – «Ройал мьюз», Королевские конюшни (где помещаются королевские кареты и лошади, используемые во время торжественных церемоний)

trappings - конская сбруя, попона

State Coach – карета Ее Величества

forecourt - внешний двор (перед домом)

 

St. Paul’s Cathedral

There are some famous ancient buildings within the City. Perhaps the most striking of them is St. Paul's Cathedral, the great­est of English churches and the seat of the Bishop of London. It is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. It stands at the top of Ludgate Hill on a site where a Christian church has stood since the 7th century. The construction of the Cathedral started in 1675 and was not finished until 1709. It replaced Old St. Paul’s which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The magnificent classical structure is crowned by the dome. Inside the dome there are scenes from the life of St. Paul. Here too is the famous Whispering Gallery from which many famous painting can be seen. There are many monuments to many celebrated men and women in the Cathedral including those to heroes such as the Duke of Wellington and Admiral Lord Nelson.

The old churchyard is a public garden.

Comments:

Whispering Gallery – Галерея Шепота

Duke of Wellington – герцог Веллингтон

Admiral Lord Nelson – Адмирал Нельсон (famous for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar)

The Tower of London

The Tower of London is also situated in the City. It has been closely associated with many important events in English history. It has served fortress, palace, home of the Crown Jewels and national treasures, arsenal, mint, prison, observatory, zoo and tourist attraction”, wrote the Duke of Edinburgh. The White Tower was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror to protect the city. During the earliest days royalty lived in this secure tower. Many il­lustrious prisoners, such as Sir Thomas More and Guy Fawkes arrived by boat and entered the Tower through the infamous Traitor’s Gate. Many notable people lost their heads on the executioner's block.

The royal menagerie departed to the Zoo in 1834, leaving only ravens behind. Tradition says that if the ravens leave, the Tower and the country will fall. Today, neither palace nor prison, the Tower maintains elements of tradition, from the uniform of Beefeater to the nightly Ceremony of the Keys acted out by the Chief Yeoman Warder in long red cloak and Tudor bonnet, and carrying a lantern on his approach to the Bloody Tower.

Trafalgar Square

Going down Oxford Street you come to Trafalgar Square which is yet another symbol of London. This square received its name from Trafalgar, the cape off which Admiral Lord Nelson defeated a Franco-Spanish fleet in 1805. Admiral Nelson, cast in bronze, stands on top of a tall column in the middle of the square guarded by a quartet of lions. Four bronze reliefs near the base are cast from French cannon captured at the naval battles they illustrate.

On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Not far away is the British Museum — the biggest museum in London. It contains a price­less collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures etc., and is famous for its library.

Trafalgar Square is frequented as much by pigeons as by people. A Christmas tree is sent as a gift each year from Norway and on New Year’s Eve crowds gather around the tree and the lions to herald in the new year.

Comments

a cape – геогр. мыс

to cast – отливать

to guard – охранять

a quartet – зд. четверка, четыре

a relief – рельеф (изображение)

a cannon – пушка, артиллерийской орудие

to capture – брать трофеи, трофейное имущество

to frequent [fri:'kwent] – часто посещать

to herald – возвещать; предвещать

 

Royal Residences

The Queen’s House. Described by Daniel Defoe as “the most delightful spot of ground in Great Britain” Greenwich has many attractions. Here are superb Royal Naval College, the Old Royal Observatory, and the fine restored Queen’s House. It was designed for James I’s wife, but was not completed until after her death when it became the home of another queen, Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I.

Some of today’s Royals reside in Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens. The first royal residents were William III and Queen Mary. This was their country mansion, and they asked Sir Ch. Wren to make necessary improvements. Thus Kensington expanded, and is still known as a royal borough. Today the palace is the setting for a glamorous Court Dress Collection, showing the fashions in vogue during two centuries.

St James’s Palace, an irregular picture-pretty brick building was created by Henry VIII. The gatehouse, parts of the Chapel Royal and the Tapestry Room survive from the 16^th century, much as they were when Mary I died here. Charles I spent his last days at this Palace, and since then, happier royal connections continued.

Magnificent Hampton Court Palace was built in the early 16^th century by Cardinal Wolsy but soon passed into the ownership of King Henry VIII and his successors. The Palace of Hampton Court is famous not only for its mellow exterior and splendid State Rooms but also for its superb setting beside the River Thames. First opened to the public by Queen Victoria, it has 60 acres of beautiful gardens including a knot garden, pond gardens, an orangery and smooth lawns.

Clarence House situated 200 meters from Buckingham Palace, along the Mall, for many years the residence of the former Queen Mother was built in 1825 for William IV when he was Duke of Clarence. It is adjacent to St James’s Palace.

Marlborough House was built for Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough who obtained a lease on land adjoining St James’s Palace from Queen Anne. The house, completed in 1711, was birthplace of the future George V in 1865. Nearly 100 years later the House was donated to the Government as a Commonwealth Center.

Comments

superb - великолепный; роскошный

borough – небольшой город, имеющий самоуправление

setting – окружающая обстановка; окружение

glamorous – очаровательный; эффектный

vogue – мода

irregular – нестандартный; несимметричный

gatehouse – сторожка у ворот

chapel – часовня; церковь

Tapestry Room – комната гобеленов

successor – последователь

mellow – зд. выдержанный в мягких тонах

exterior – внешний вид

acre – акр (~0,4 га)

knot garden – затейливо разбитая клумба со сложным орнаментом

pond garden – сад в водоеме, водный сад

adjacent, adjoining – прилегающий, примыкающий, соседний

a lease – аренда; договор об аренде

to donate – дарить, жертвовать

 

III. Prepare your own reports on the following topics (to get some additional marks):

1. Along the Thames

2. Theatres

3. Museums and Galleries

4. The Parks of London

 

Lesson Three. Questions for Revision

I. The United Kingdom

1. What does the abbreviation “UK” mean?

2. What is the geographical name of the country?

3. Where is the UK situated?

4. What is Great Britain?

5. What are the main countries of the UK?

6. What are their capitals?

7. What other languages do the people of the UK speak?

8. What do we call the flag of the UK?

9. What rivers, mountains and lakes in the UK can you name?

10. What can you say about the climate of the UK?

11. Why is the weather the favourite topic of conversation in the UK?

12. What natural resources is Great Britain rich in?

13. What are the largest cities in the UK?

14. What are the most important industries of the UK?

15. How was the UK formed? What dates are considered to be the most important in the history of the country?

16. What type of state is the UK?

17. Who is its head?

18. What are the powers of the Queen?

19. Who appoints all the Ministers?

20. What is the role of the British Parliament?

21. What chambers does British Parliament consist of?

22. Which of them is elected?

23. Who becomes Prime Minister?

24. What are the main political parties in the UK?

II. London

1. When and by whom was London founded?

2. Did any people live on the banks of the Themes when J. Caesar came there?

3. When did London become the capital of England?

4. What happened to London in 1666?

5. Why do we say that London does not have just one center?

6. Which of the two cities: London or St. Petersburg is older? How old is each of them?

7. What is the historical center of London?

8. What is the coronation place of the kings and queens in England?

9. What is the business center of London?

10. Why is the City very busy in the daytime? Why is it quiet in the evening?

11. What are the Downing Street, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, the Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus famous for? Where are they located?

12. Where is the center of the country’s judicial system found?

13. How many people live in it?

14. How many historical parts does London consist of? What are their names?

15. What part of London is called “the heart of London”? Why?