Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. What main principles is the constitution based on?

2. What are the main features of the federal system of government?

3. There is a belief that if any one part of the government has all, or even most powers, it will become a threat to the freedom of individual citizens. How is the belief realized in reality?

4. How many branches is the Government in the United States divided into?

5. How is the legislative branch of the Government called?

3. What branch of the Government has the responsibility to carry out the law?

4. What branch of the Government do the Supreme Court and lower national Courts make up?

5. Why do President and Congress have almost complete political independence from each other?

6. What happens to a legislative bill passed by Congress, if the President vetoes it?

7. What happens to a treaty with a foreign government signed by the President, if Congress refuses to ratify it?

8. What protects individual rights and freedom of citizens from government interference?

9. What major powers does the Constitution assign to each branch of Government?

10. What is the attitude of the Americans to their system?

Task 4. Say whether the statements given below are true or false.

1. The Constitution's Framers (whodrafted the United States Constitution) set out to design a government in which no branch of government could become all powerful.

2. The Constitution's Framers divided the powers of government among lawmakers, judges, and a chief executive, and they made it possible for each group to balance and check each other's powers.

3. It is impossible in the American System to have the leader of one political party win the Presidency, while the other major political party wins most of the seats in Congress.

4. The cornerstones of the Constitution include the system of checks and balances, federalism, and individual rights.

Task 5. Complete the sentences.

1. The executive branch, symbolized by the office of the president of the United States, ___
2. The legislative branch, symbolized by the U.S. Congress, ___
3. And the judicial branch, symbolized by the Supreme Court, ___

A) enforces the law.

B) makes the laws.

C) interprets these laws and decides whether they are compatible with the Constitution.

Task 6. Electoral Quiz.

1. The President of the US is elected every ____years.

2. Name the two major political parties in the USA and their animal symbols.

3. What is the name of the type of the election in which political party members vote for their favorite among candidates from their own party?

4. What is the name of the political event at which a political party's Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates are determined and the party platform is formalized?

5. Can everyone living in the US vote for the President?

6. In what month are the US Presidential elections held?

7. Does every state have the same number of Electoral College votes?

8. Who becomes President, the winner of the popular vote or the winner of the Electoral College vote?

9. On what date is a new President of the US inaugurated (sworn into office)?

10. How long does a single term of a US president last?

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Grammar Revision:

· Past Simple

· Past Continuous

· Past Perfect

· Past Perfect Continuous

· Prepositions on/in/at (place)

Exercise 1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple Tense.

It (be) the 4th of July of the year 1776 when the colonies (declare) their independence from England. In the following years the political system (be based) on the "Articles of Confederation", which (be) a non-binding 'contract' for the member states. Seeing that this system (not / work out), the Continental Congress (introduce) the draft of a 'binding contract', later called the Constitution. This draft of the Constitution (be formally accepted) in 1787 and needed 9 state votes to be ratified. That (be) in the following year and (start) with the State of Delaware, today nicknamed "the First State". Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina and New Hampshire followed. The official date for the American Constitution to become effective (be) March 4th, 1789.

Exercise 2. Study the following examples.

1. As I was walking down the road I saw Bill.

2. The phone rang while I was having dinner.

Exercise 3. Put verbs into the Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1.At six o'clock this morning I (have) a wonderful dream, but then the alarm (go) off. 2. This time yesterday I (lie) on the beach. 3. I saw Sid when I (come) to work this morning. He (shop). 4. She (meet) her husband while she (travel) in Egypt. 5. While I (talk) to Mrs Singleton somebody (walk) into my office and (steal) the computer. 6. I (look) out of the window and (see) that we (fly) over the mountains. 7. I (wake) up to find that water (pour) through the bedroom ceiling. 8. He (break) his leg while he (play) football. 9. She (tell) me she (have) a bad time with her husband. 10. When Jake (come) in everybody (stop) talking.

Exercise 4. Study the following examples.

1. When I got to the car park I realized that I had lost my keys.

2. She told me that she had worked in France and Germany.

3. He arrived late; he hadn't realized that the roads would be so icy.

4. She was upset because Andrew hadn't telephoned.

5. All the roads were blocked: it had been snowing all night long.

6. After I had been walking for an hour, I decided to have a rest.

7. She felt ill because she had been working too hard.

8. Mary could see that the child had been crying for some time.

Exercise 5. Put verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or Past Perfect.

1. I (be) sorry that I (not / be) nicer to him. 2. Nobody (come) to the meeting because Angela (forget) to tell people about it. 3. I (see) her before somewhere – I (know). 4. Because he (not / check) the oil for so long, the car (break) down. 5. She couldn't find the book that I (lend) her. 6. All the people we (invite) turned up, and some that we (not / invite). 7. They (never find) where he (hide) the money. 8. It was a firm that I (never hear) of. 9. When she (come) in, we all knew where she (be). 10. The lesson (already start) when I (arrive).

Drive, lie, repair, work

John Latton, 39, an engineer at Felton Plastics in Upton, had a lucky escape after an accident on the A34 in the early hours of the morning. Mr. Latton fell asleep while driving and crashed into a pile of sand left by workers who (1) ___ road. When he left Felton Plastics at 3.00 this morning, Mr. Latton (2) ___ for 72 hours without any sleep.

A passing motorist discovered the accident after the engineers (3)___ in his car with a broken leg for half an hour. Ambulance workers said that if Mr. Latton (4) ___ any faster his injuries might have been much worse.

Exercise 7. Complete the sentences with in, at or on.

1. Write your name ___ the top of the page.

2. I like that picture hanging ___ the wall ___ the kitchen.

3. There was an accident ___ the crossroads this morning.

4. I wasn’t sure whether I had come to the right office. There wasn’t name ___the door.

5. ___the end of the street there is a path leading to the river.

6. You’ll find the results ___ the back page of the newspaper.

7. I wouldn’t like an office job. I couldn’t spend the whole day sitting ___ a desk.

8. My brother lives ___ a small village ___ the south-west of England.

9. The man the police are looking for has a scar ___ his right cheek.

10. The headquarters of the company are ___ Milan.

Exercise 8.Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on +one of the following:

the window your coffee the mountains that tree  my guitar the river the island the next garage

1. Look at these people swimming _____.

2. One of the strings ____ is broken.

3. There’s something wrong with this car. We’d better stop _____.

4. Would you like sugar _____ ?

5. The leaves ____ are a beautiful colour.

6. Last year we had a wonderful skiing holiday ____.

7. There’s nobody lining _____. It’s uninhabited.

8. He spends most of the day sitting ____ and looking outside.

Things to do

Task 1. Speaking.

1. Speak about the political system of the UK.

2. Explain the characteristics of the political system of the UK.

3. What are the differences and similarities in the political systems of the UK and the USA?