The Form of the British Constitution

Контрольная работа №4

Вариант I

The Form of the British Constitution

When people take part in any activity they have to act according to certain rules. A nation needs a set of agreed rules by which it may govern itself. We call these rules a Constitution. From this you will soon realize that when we describe a country as a “Constitutional Monarchy” we mean a country with a King who regards himself as limited in his actions by the nation’s rules.
Now we often say that some countries have a “written constitution”. For example, the United States of America and France have written constitutions. In both these countries the whole of the constitution is set out in an official volume which anyone can buy and study. On the other hand, it is often said that the British Constitution is unwritten, meaning that it is not written in a single official handbook. In this sense it is quite true that Britain has an unwritten constitution. Some of the rules, those which have been made by Parliament, are written down in statutes but many more depend on customs. Here is a good example of the unwritten nature of the British Constitution. At any time during the last two hundred years, an educated Englishman would understand what was meant by the term “Prime Minister”. Yet it was only in the year 1917 that the Prime Minister was recognized officially by being mentioned in an Act of Parliament.
Britain is a constitutional monarchy. That is to say, a monarch reigns but is limited by the rules of the State, rules which depend partly on written laws but even more on established customs which have been handed down from generation to generation. Let us see how this works out in practice.
The Sovereign. First of all there is the Sovereign, at present Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her office is hereditary, meaning that it is handed down from one generation to the next. You will notice that this is the main difference between a Monarchy and a Republic. In a Republic, for example the United States of America or France, the head of the State is elected; he is known as the President and holds office for a limited number of years only.
The Monarchy is the oldest part of the British Constitution. The Sovereign once had very great personal powers but in practice these are now Taskd by the Queen’s advisers, the Ministers. For this reason it is sometimes said that the Queen reigns but she does not rule.
The House of Lords. Originally this was a very powerful body indeed, much more powerful than the House of Commons, but today its powers are strictly limited and the real powers have passed to the “Lower House”, the House of Commons.
The House of Commons. The third, but much the most powerful of the three elements which form part of the British Constitution, is the House of Commons. This body is directly elected by the people of Britain and nearly everyone over the age of twenty-one has the right to vote. General Elections must take place at least every five years but in practice they usually occur more frequently than this. Since 1902, successive Prime Ministers have been members of the House of Commons and never of the House of Lords.
Parliament. The Queen, the Lords and the Commons form the Parliament. You should notice that “Parliament” is a, word which sometimes causes confusion. Very often in ordinary conversation people refer to Parliament when really they mean the House of Commons or sometimes the Government. But strictly speaking, Parliament means much more than just the House of Commons; it means the Queen, the Lords and the Commons all acting together.

Task 1. Answer the questions:
1. What is a Constitution?
2. What is meant by “unwritten constitution?
3. What is the difference between a Monarchy and a Republic?
4. Explain “The Queen reigns but she does not rule”.
5. Who has the real powers in Parliament?
6. What does Parliament mean?

 

Task 2. Find equivalents:

- ограничен в своих действиях

- общепринятые правила

- занимает свою должность лишь в течение ограниченного количества лет

- передается из поколения в поколение

- королева правит, но не управляет

- реальная власть переходит к

- происходит значительно чаще

- по крайней мере, каждые 5 лет

- её Величество Королева

- всеобщие выборы

 

Task 3. Match the words and expressions:

A) - to take part - to depend on - to be limited - the main difference be tureen - the right to vote - established custom - refer to - official volume - hereditary

Б) - ограниченный - право голоса - ссылаться на - наследственный - главное различие между - установившийся обычай - официальный - зависит от - принять участие

 

Task 4. К указанным ниже словам подберите из текста синонимы и переведите их на русский язык.

1. principal 2. person 3. to own 4. Property 5. to reward

6. to employ 7. to organize 8. to permit 9. to purchase 10. profit

 

Task 5. К указанным ниже словам подберите из текста антонимы и переведите их на русский язык.

1. flexible 2. to take 3. sole (adj) 4. large 5. to employ

6. legal 7. to permit 8. local 9. to sell 10. a unit

Task 6. Раскройте скобки, употребив сложное дополнение.

1) If you don’t want (your business, to know, anyone) keep your mouth shat.

2) They wanted (to relax, she, in the mountains, somewhere).

3) Everybody knows (to be, a responsible man, he).

4) The boss expects (the report, to finish, by Monday, you).

5) The parents watched (laugh and talk, their children, in the yard).

 

Task 7. Переведите на русский язык, обращая внимание на сложное дополнение.

1) I like people to tell the truth.

2) I expect him to come and help me.

3) He wants his son to become a lawyer.

4) We don’t want to be interrupted.

5) I have never heard him tell the truth.

 

Task 8. Переведите на русский язык, обращая внимание на сложное подлежащее.

1. These devices are considered to be very effective.

2. The apparatus seemed to be in excellent condition.

3. You appear to have found in him something that I have missed.

4. He is said to be a good lawyer.

5. The number of crimes is reported to be increasing with every year.

 

Task 9. Переведите предложение на английский язык, употребляя сложное подлежащее.

1. По - видимому, штраф - самое лёгкое наказание за правонарушение.

2. Известно, что он большой любитель детективов.

3. Ожидают, что члены суда придут к соглашению.

4. Многие здания, как сообщали, были повреждены.

5. Кажется, преступник не покинул город.

Task 10. Вставьте пропущенные предлоги.

Ted Robinson has been worried all the week. Last Tuesday he received a letter... the local police. In the letter he was asked to call... the station. Ted wondered why he was wanted... the police, but he went to the station yesterday and how he is not worried any more. At the station he was told... a smiling policeman that his bicycle had been found. Five days ago, the policeman told him, the bicycle was picked up... a small village four hundreds miles away. Iti is now being sent... his home... train. Ted was most surprised when he heard the news. He was amused too because he never expected the bicycle to be found. It was stolen twenty years ago when Ted was a boy... fifteen!

Task 11. Вставьте пропущенные артикли.

People are not so honest as they once were. The temptation to steal is greater thar ever before — especially in large shops.... detective recently watched... well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in... shop than usual, when... woman came in. So it was easier for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time she chose one of... most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to... assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. Then the woman simply took... parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop- assistant was her daughter. The girl «gave» her mother... free dress once... week!

Task 12. Разделите текст на несколько логических частей и озаглавьте каждую из них. Выразите главную идею каждой части одним или двумя предложениями.

Task 13. Составьте 5 типов вопросов к тексту.

Вариант II

How Laws are Passed

Nearly all important bills are introduced by the Government. About fifty bills are passed each year, some short, some long, some needing much discussion. Once the Government has decided to introduce a bill, a minister is put in charge of it. The preparation of the text may take many months, with long consultations involving civil servants in the minister’s department on the one hand and Parliamentary Counsel on the other.
At last the bill is ready to be submitted to Parliament. It will have to be passed by both Houses of Parliament, one after the other. It can begin its journey in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords, though all really important bills are in fact submitted to the House of Commons first.
The typical bill of moderate importance, then, will begin in the House of Commons. According to very ancient practice, it must have three “readings” there. The “first reading” is in effect merely an announcement that the bill is coming forward. Then after being in circulation for a reasonable length of time (usually one or two weeks at least) it goes to the ‘second reading”. This is the main debate on the general principles of the bill, and at the end of the debate a vote is taken. The important thing about this stage is not the final decision, but the words spoken in the debate, the arguments for and against, the discussion of principles and of details from many points of view.
After the bill has passed its second reading, a “standing committee” of up to forty-five MPs is set up to consider it in detail. The bill is printed in clauses and committee members may propose changes to the text. After the committee has finished with the bill, the next stage is called “the report stage”. The House itself now repeats the committee stage, though taking much less time. The House has before it the new text of the bill, incorporating the committee’s amendments. Some new amendments are proposed and there may be further discussion of the amendments which were proposed in committee but withdrawn so as to give the minister time to examine them thoroughly.
The last stage is the debate on the proposal to “read the bill a third time”. This debate is usually short. It is a final review and discussion of the
bill as it stands after amendment.
Next the bill must go through the same stages in the House of Lords. If the House of Lords rejects a bill which has been passed by the Commons, the bill can go no further for a few months; but if the Commons pass it again, in the same form as before, it must go to the Queen for her signature no matter what the Lords do. The Lords can merely delay bills which they don’t like.
A bill becomes an Act of Parliament when the Queen signs it.

Task 1. Find the English equivalents for the words and word-combinations given below.
Государственные служащие (чиновники), законопроект средней важности, чтения, сообщение, находиться в обращении, точка зрения, постоянная комиссия, статьи, объединяющий, основательно.

Вариант III

Вариант IV

Вариант V

Parliamentary Elections in Great Britain

Parliament is one of the most important parts of national life in Britain. You will also recall that the most important part of the Parliament is the House of Commons, the body composed of the elected representatives of Great Britain.
Elections to the House of Commons, known as parliamentary elections, form the basis of Britain’s democratic system. Unlike heads of Government in some countries, the Prime Minister is not directly elected by voters, although he or she is an elected Member of Parliament — an MP. Instead, The Prime Minister depends on the support of a majority of his or her fellow elected representatives in the House of Commons.
There are two types of elections, General Elections and By-Elections and of these the first is, naturally, the most important. In a General Election every seat throughout the whole country is usually contested, but a By- Election occasioned by the death or resignation of one particular member, is fought over one seat only. According to law, General Elections must be held at least every five years, although in very exceptional circumstances they may not take place so often (for example, during the Second World War).
Britain is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. Each constituency is a geographical area; the voters living within the area select one person to serve as a member of the House of Commons. The average number of electors in each constituency in England is about 70,000; in other parts of Britain the average numbers are slightly lower.
The simple majority system of voting is used in parliamentary elections in Britain. This means that the candidate with the largest number of votes in each constituency is elected, although he or she may not necessarily have received more than half the votes cast. It is thought that this system favours a two-party system, particularly when the parties’ support is concentrated geographically, as in the case with the Conservative and Labour Parties. It does not favour parties whose support is spread across constituencies, such as the Liberal Democrats, as they tend to accumulate relatively small numbers of votes in each constituency and do not win many seats. Voting is by secret ballot.
All British citizens may vote if they are aged 18 years or over and are not legally barred from voting. Under recent legislation, British citizens living abroad may register to vote for up to 20 years after leaving Brit Voting in elections is voluntary. On average about 75 per cent of the electorate votes.
Any person aged 21 or over who is a British citizen, or citizen another Commonwealth country or the Irish Republic, may stand for elec40 to Parliament, providing they are not disqualified. Those disqualif include:
- people who are bankrupt;
- people sentenced to more than one year’s imprisonment;
- clergy of the Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church 0c Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church;
- members of the House of Lords; and
- a range of public servants and officials, specified by law. They include judges, civil servants, some local government officers, full-ttme members of the armed forces and police officers.
Candidates do not have to live in the constituencies for which t}ey stand. However, candidates who are on the electoral register in constituencies for which they are standing may vote in their constituencies. Candidates must be nominated on official nomination papr5, giving their full name and home address. The nomination paper must be signed by ten electors. At the same time a sum of 500 pounds must deposited on behalf of each candidate: candidates who receive less than cent of the votes cast in the election lose this deposit. Candidates from the main parties very rarely lose their deposits. Candidates normally belon o one of the main political parties. However, smaller political parties j groups also put forward candidates, and individuals without party sup0 also stand.
For the purposes of voting, each constituency is divided into a nunbe of polling districts. In each there is a polling station: many types of buildig, including schools, are used. The official expenses of parliamentary electic5 as opposed to individual candidates’ expenses, are paid by Government.

 

Task 1. Find the English equivalents for the words and word- combinations given below. Дополнительные выборы, отставка, избиратель, Консервативная партия, Лейбористская партия, Либеральные демократы, секретное голосование, добровольньтй, банкрот, в интересах кого-либо.

Контрольная работа №4

Вариант I

The Form of the British Constitution

When people take part in any activity they have to act according to certain rules. A nation needs a set of agreed rules by which it may govern itself. We call these rules a Constitution. From this you will soon realize that when we describe a country as a “Constitutional Monarchy” we mean a country with a King who regards himself as limited in his actions by the nation’s rules.
Now we often say that some countries have a “written constitution”. For example, the United States of America and France have written constitutions. In both these countries the whole of the constitution is set out in an official volume which anyone can buy and study. On the other hand, it is often said that the British Constitution is unwritten, meaning that it is not written in a single official handbook. In this sense it is quite true that Britain has an unwritten constitution. Some of the rules, those which have been made by Parliament, are written down in statutes but many more depend on customs. Here is a good example of the unwritten nature of the British Constitution. At any time during the last two hundred years, an educated Englishman would understand what was meant by the term “Prime Minister”. Yet it was only in the year 1917 that the Prime Minister was recognized officially by being mentioned in an Act of Parliament.
Britain is a constitutional monarchy. That is to say, a monarch reigns but is limited by the rules of the State, rules which depend partly on written laws but even more on established customs which have been handed down from generation to generation. Let us see how this works out in practice.
The Sovereign. First of all there is the Sovereign, at present Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her office is hereditary, meaning that it is handed down from one generation to the next. You will notice that this is the main difference between a Monarchy and a Republic. In a Republic, for example the United States of America or France, the head of the State is elected; he is known as the President and holds office for a limited number of years only.
The Monarchy is the oldest part of the British Constitution. The Sovereign once had very great personal powers but in practice these are now Taskd by the Queen’s advisers, the Ministers. For this reason it is sometimes said that the Queen reigns but she does not rule.
The House of Lords. Originally this was a very powerful body indeed, much more powerful than the House of Commons, but today its powers are strictly limited and the real powers have passed to the “Lower House”, the House of Commons.
The House of Commons. The third, but much the most powerful of the three elements which form part of the British Constitution, is the House of Commons. This body is directly elected by the people of Britain and nearly everyone over the age of twenty-one has the right to vote. General Elections must take place at least every five years but in practice they usually occur more frequently than this. Since 1902, successive Prime Ministers have been members of the House of Commons and never of the House of Lords.
Parliament. The Queen, the Lords and the Commons form the Parliament. You should notice that “Parliament” is a, word which sometimes causes confusion. Very often in ordinary conversation people refer to Parliament when really they mean the House of Commons or sometimes the Government. But strictly speaking, Parliament means much more than just the House of Commons; it means the Queen, the Lords and the Commons all acting together.

Task 1. Answer the questions:
1. What is a Constitution?
2. What is meant by “unwritten constitution?
3. What is the difference between a Monarchy and a Republic?
4. Explain “The Queen reigns but she does not rule”.
5. Who has the real powers in Parliament?
6. What does Parliament mean?

 

Task 2. Find equivalents:

- ограничен в своих действиях

- общепринятые правила

- занимает свою должность лишь в течение ограниченного количества лет

- передается из поколения в поколение

- королева правит, но не управляет

- реальная власть переходит к

- происходит значительно чаще

- по крайней мере, каждые 5 лет

- её Величество Королева

- всеобщие выборы

 

Task 3. Match the words and expressions:

A) - to take part - to depend on - to be limited - the main difference be tureen - the right to vote - established custom - refer to - official volume - hereditary

Б) - ограниченный - право голоса - ссылаться на - наследственный - главное различие между - установившийся обычай - официальный - зависит от - принять участие