Text 2.The Political system of the United States of America

The United States is a democracy. But what do Americans mean when they use this word?

Abraham Lincoln one of the best-loved and most respected American presidents, said that the United States had a government “of the people, by the people and for the people”. No one has formulated a better way of describing the principles of the American political system as Americans understand it. The Constitution, laws and traditions of the United States give the people the right to determine who will be leader of their nation, who will make the laws, and what laws will be. The Constitution guarantees individual freedom to all.

The Constitution sets the basic form of government: it has three branches – legislative, executive and judiciary. Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government, is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives. Congress makes all laws, and each house of Congress has the power to support or reject a bill offered by the other. When they bots pass a bill on which they agree, it is sent to the president for his signature. Only after that a bill becomes a law.

The members of the House Representatives are elected for two years, and one-third of the Senators are elected every two years for six-year term of office. Each state, regardless of the populated states.

The president of the USA is elected every four years to four-year term of office with no more than two full terms allowed. The President is the chief executive of the United States and also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. At present USA is headed by the 43d president of the USA. George Bush, the leader of the Republican Party. The next presidential election will be held in 2004.

The judiciary branch is represented by the Supreme Court and federal courts at the national level. Today the United States has two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican party. Both these parties have supporters among a wide variety of Americans. There are other smaller parties in the US, but none of them has enough popular support to win a presidential election.

For most Americans, for most of the time, life is peaceful. They do their jobs and enjoy their homes and families, though most of them remain interested in politics. They keep up with the news of what the president or Congress is doing. Some may at times write letters to congressmen or to newspapers expressing their views. Others may be very involved in politics at the local, state of national level. But on the average however, unless something unusual is taking place, Americans quietly let their political system work.

Exercise 2. Decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1.The territory of the USA is larger than those of Ukraine and great Britain taken together._________________________________________________________

2.The whole country is situated on the continent of North America.

_________________________________________________________________

3.The USA borders on three countries.

_________________________________________________________________

4.More people in the USA live in the country than in the city.

________________________________________________________________

5.The western part of the country is more populated than the eastern.

________________________________________________________________

6.The Great Lakes are in the north of the country.

________________________________________________________________

7.The natural resources of the country enrich the economy of the USA.

________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3. Translate the following words into Ukrainian and remember them:

The largest country_________________________________________________

The southern part__________________________________________________

The northern part__________________________________________________

Trip_____________________________________________________________

Coast____________________________________________________________

To be washed by___________________________________________________

The population_____________________________________________________

Citizen___________________________________________________________

Half_____________________________________________________________

Rural area_________________________________________________________

Fertile land________________________________________________________

Rainfall___________________________________________________________

Crops____________________________________________________________

Wheat____________________________________________________________

Beef cattle________________________________________________________

Valuable forests____________________________________________________

Mineral recourses___________________________________________________

Coal deposits______________________________________________________

Deep canyons______________________________________________________

Exercise 4. Make up sentences using right words in the blanks:

1.The USA is rich in mineral ………………………..(deposits, forests, recourses)

2.USA has major deposits of ………………………..(oil, wheat, cities)

3.The USA is made up of 50 …………………………(states, countries, coasts)

4.The highest mountains in the USA are the…………………………………….. (Cordilleras, Mississippi, Ontario)

5. The USA is famous for its five Great ……………………………………… (Lakes, States, Forests)

Exercise 5. Translate the following word-combinations into English and remember them:

Демократія______________________________________________________

Уряд___________________________________________________________

Політична система_______________________________________________

Закони_________________________________________________________

Свобода________________________________________________________

Гарантувати_____________________________________________________

Законодавча влада________________________________________________

Виконавча влада_________________________________________________

Вибирати, обирати______________________________________________

 

Exercise 6. Decide whether the following statements are true or false:

1.Abraham Lincoln was the first president of the USA.

____________________________________________________________

2.The law-making body of the American government is called the Congress.

____________________________________________________________

3.The Congress consists of two chambers.

____________________________________________________________

4.The USA President is the head of its military forces.

____________________________________________________________

5.Presidential elections in the USA are held every five years.

____________________________________________________________

6.The elected President can serve as long as he wins elections.

____________________________________________________________

7.The USA nowadays has a two-party political system.

____________________________________________________________

Exercise 7. Find right item:

1.I ………….not like strong tea. (do, does)

2.My brother ………….not clean his room every day. (do, does)

3.These boys ………….not play football after classes. (do, does)

4.We ……………not go to the circus on Sunday.(do, does)

5.Rita …………….not quarrel with her sister. (do, does)

6.I know you ……………..not like loud music. (do, does)

7.She ……………….not work at weekends. (do, does)

 

 

Оцінка_________________ Викладач________________________

САМОСТІЙНА РОБОТА № 4

Тема для самостійного опрацювання: Канада і Австралія. Географічне положення. Державний устрій. Особливості культури. (4 год.)

 

Література: Бережная О.А. «1500. Сборник новых тем современного английского языка»;

Богацкий И.С., Дюканова Н.М. Бизнес-курс английского языка.

Т.М. Гужва Reason to speak. Сучасні розмовні теми, О.М.Павліченко «Граматичний практикум», двомовний англо-український, українсько-англійський словник

Хід роботи:

1.Прочитати, перекласти письмово текст «Geographical position of Canada»

2.Прочитати, перекласти письмово текст «Political system of Canada»

3. Прочитати, перекласти письмово текст «Geographical position of Australia»

4. Прочитати, перекласти письмово текст «Political system of Australia»

5.Скласти опорний словник за темою «Political system of Australia and Canada»

6.Приступити до виконання завдань, що подані у вигляді лексико-граматичних вправ

 

Вправи:

Exercise 1. Read and translate the texts:

Text 1. Canada

The national flag, adopted in 1965, consists of a white field, flanked by a red vertical field on either end, with a red maple leaf on the white field.

Canada covers all of the North American continent north of the US except Alaska and the small French Islands. Its total area of 3.851.809 square miles, makes it the second largest country in the word. Canada is washed by three oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Pacific. It is bordered by Alaska in the west and by the USA in the south. The population of Canada is 25, 7 million people (1987). The capital of the country is Ottawa.

Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: French and English. The two official languages of Canada are English and French.

The Canadian landforms are simple. A vast plain is bounded on the east and the west by great system of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.

The Great Lakes which include Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario Canada shares with the United States. Besides the Great Lakes there are also many smaller ones.

The most admirable sight which attracts tourists from all over the word is the Niagara Falls. They are on the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

All parts of the country have cold weather in winter. Winter lasts from four to five months with heavy snowfalls. There is much rain fall in the east and west, but not so much in central Canada.

Canada is a self-governing federal state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Though an independent nation, Canada, like Australia, has close institutional links with Britain. Formally the head of state is the King or Queen of England.

The Queen is represented in Canada by the Governor-General (now always a Canadian) whom she appoints, on the advice of the Canadian Cabinet, for a period of five to seven years.

Canada has a Parliament. The Canadian Parliament is made up of the House of Commons and Senate. The leader of the party that wins the largest number of seats in a newly elected House of Commons is asked to form the government. The cabinet is chosen by the Prime Minister.

There are the following main political parties in Canada: Le Party Quebecois, the Liberal Party, the Democratic Party.

Canada includes ten provinces: Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and two Territories: Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Quebec and Hamilton are Canada’s most important cities.

The country has also the largest ports in the word. Canada’s large ports are Quebec, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Canada has an Academy of Sciences. It conducts research in science and technology. There are some educational and cultural institutions such as universities, college, museum, libraries, and theatres in Canada.