A) Present Simple and Present Continuous

We are going/go to Italy next week. We take/are taking the plane. Usually we have/are having two weeks' holiday, but this year we have/are having four. We don't take/aren't taking the car because the journey takes/ is taking too long. We stay/are staying at a friend's house in Verese. Usually he works/is working in Milan but at the moment he spends/is spending the summer in New York.

B) used to / would

Howard Hughes, the American film producer, lived/used to live for fifteen years completely on his own. He was spending/used to spend all day lying on his bed watching films. He would/used to hate touching any thing that wasn't/didn't use to be sterile. He was living/used to live on tinned chicken soup for weeks, and was changing/ used to change to a diet of ice cream. When he died/ used to die, he was/ used to be a billionaire.

Ex. 3. Use the required form of the verb in the Active Voice.

1. The Party which (obtain) the majority of seats in the House of Commons (form) the Government.

2. There (be) a legend that the Tower (fall) if it (lose) its ravens; therefore the English carefully (guard) the birds with clipped wings.

3. The collection of books in the British Museum Library (increase) systematically, and the famous circular Reading Room of the Museum, planned by Sir Antonio Panizzi, (offer) unique research facilities to scholars.

4. The plane (leave) early tomorrow, and in three hours it (land) in one of the airports in London.

5. When Scotland (be) an independent Kingdome, it (be) often at war with England until 1603 when King James VI of Scotland (become) King of England.

6. The Great Fire of London 1666 (clear) away the old wooden houses and dirty narrow streets, and after the fire they (begin) to build wider streets and brick houses in the city.

7. I think I (visit) lots of fascinating places in England and (see) a lot of interesting in London by the time my holiday (be) over.

8. I (write) to tell you my exciting news. I (win) a competition. I am sure my life (change) a lot since now.

9. Next week John (leave) for Oxford to visit his sister, who he (not, see) for a year since she (go) to study there.

10. They (come) back from England by the end of July, and then we (throw) a big party for all our friends.

11. King Alfred (849 – 899) (be) the only monarch in English history who (receive) the title “Alfred the Great”.

12. In 1301, after defeating the native Prince of Wales, King Edward I of England (name) his son “Prince of Wales”. Since then the eldest son of the king or queen of England tradiditionally (have) this title.

13. In 1536 Wales (become) the part of the English system by the Act of Union.

14. Edward I (complete) the subjection of Wales, and it (be) he who (make) his son, afterwards Edward II, the Prince of Wales.

15. The Welsh language (be) still a living force, and the Welsh (study) it side by side with English in schools of Wales.

16. In 1707 Scotland and England (become) a united part, but the Scots (keep) there own legal system, religon and administrative system and still (keep) them now.

17. The Romans (build) Hadrian’s wall, the greatest monument of the Roman occupation of Britain, to act as a defence against the Celts from Scotland.

18. Sir Christopher Wren, the great architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral (die) in 1723, at the age of 90, and they (bury) him in the building which his genius and toil (creat).

19. Today Soho (become) a meeting place for all kinds of people who (come) to London from all over the world, whatever the hour of day or night.

20. The Frenchman, you (look) for yesterday, (learn) English at school quite well, but half (forget) it by the time he (stay) in London on business. I (see) him there a month ago. He (promise) that he (improve) his English by the time he (arrive) in London again.

Types of questions. Degrees of comparison. Articles.

Ex. 4. a) Use the proper form of the verbs; b) Put the questions to the following sentences.

1. The word chocolate, which (come) from (the, a, -) Aztec language is (a, the, -) only Aztec word in (the, -, a,) English. (Disjunctive question)

2. (-, A, The) first person who (bring) chocolate to Europe (be) Cortes, who (be) an explorer. (Who...?)

3. Henri Nestle, who was Swiss, (develop) the process of making (a, the,-) milk chocolate. (What...?)

4. This week the police (arrest) a couple in (the, -, a) Switzerland, where they (try) to sell chocolate secrets. (Where...?)

5. (The, -, a) people in (the, -, an/a) Britain (spend) 98p (a, the, -) week (on , for, at) chocolate except in Scotland, where they (spend) (much). (How much... ?)

6. Chocolate, which contains (a, the, -) special chemical, (make) us feel as if we (fall) in love. (General question)

7. (The,- A) champagne is one of (much) expensive drinks in the world. It (come) from France. (Alternative question)

8. The Brazilians (export) (much) coffee in the world. They (produce) (a, the, -) million tons a year. (Indirect question)

9. The avocado pear (contain) (much) calories of (any, some, every) fruit. It (have) (much) protein than milk. (What, How much)

10. (The, -, An) Incas (discover) popcorn. They (live) in (-, the, a) South America in (a, the, -) fifteenth century. (When, Who)

11. As we (queue) at the passport control, a group of soldiers (surround) us. (Who, When)

12. While I (stay) with the English family I learnt some English. (Where, What)

13. She (do) her shopping when he first (meet) her. Six months (late, later, latest) they (get) married and since that time they (live) together. They are (happy) family I (ever, meet). (When, What, General)

14. (The, A, -) tea, which (grow) in India and China, (be) the national drink (of, off, at) Britain. (What, Where, Whose)

15. Mrs. Geen (wait) for the doctor for half an hour. When he (examine) the boy, he said, "(The, A, -) child must stay in (a, the, -) bed (as, just, until) he (get) (good)." (How long, Why, Who)

16. Hijackers (still, hold) twenty passengers in a plane at (a, the, -) Manchester airport. (How many, Where, Who)

17. The hostages (now, sit) in the plane without food or water for two days. (How long, Where, Indirect)

18. I think that people (be, only) (interested/interesting) in news which (happen) near them or which (affect) them (economical/ economically). (What?)

19. There (be) too (much/ many) news about people and personalities and not (many, enough, quite) about (the, - , a) politics and current affairs. (Indirect)

20. I (send) the invitation already. I hope I (receive) the reply as soon as they (get) it. (Who, When)

Ex. 5 Put the necessary prepositions: of, off, to, by, on, with, in, from.

Limitations on the Lords

Limitations … the power … the Lords reveal … the fact that most Government bills introduced and passed … the Lords pass through the Commons without difficulty, but if a Lords bill were unacceptable … the Commons it would generally not become law. The Lords, … the other hand, do not generally prevent a bill insisted upon … the Commons … becoming law, though they will often amend and return it … the Commons … further consideration. … convention the Lords pass bills … taxation or national expenditure without amendment. (Under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1945, a 'money' bill that deals only … taxation or expenditure must become law within one month of being sent to the Lords, whether or not they agree … it). If no agreement is reached between the two Houses … a non-financial Commons bill the Lords can delay the bill … two sessions, or roughly one year.

The Lords' role today is believed … many to act as a chamber … revision, complementing rather than rivalling the elected House.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Палата общин играет ведущую роль в деятельности парламента.

2. С 1949 года за палатой лордов сохранялось лишь так называемое право отлагательного вето – право отсрочки принятого палатой общин законопроекта, в то время как раньше палата лордов могла отвергать любые законопроекты, одобренные нижней палатой парламента.

3. Высшая исполнительная власть в стране возложена на кабинет министров, который осуществляет разработку национальной политики во всех сферах.

4. Премьер-министром по традиции становится лидер партии, получившей большинство мест в палате общин, и утвержденный королевой.

5. Конституция Соединенного Королевства – неписаная. Она не содержится, в отличие от конституций других стран, в каком-либо одном документе, а основана на многочисленных законах, на общем праве и обычаях.

6. Как и любой другой монарх в условиях конституционной монархии, Елизавета II «царствует, но не управляет».

7. За королевой сохранено право созывать и распускать парламент, назначать премьер-министра, подписывать договоры и объявлять войну, назначать высших военачальников, судей, епископов, только королева может пожаловать дворянский титул.

8. В обширном хозяйстве королевы одна из самых роскошных коллекций почтовых марок в мире, широкое собрание антиквариата, картин и драгоценностей.

9. Елизавета II не вправе даже отдать какой-нибудь карьеристке собственную шляпку. Все разонравившиеся она обязана сдать в специальный музей ее головных уборов. Там шляпку кладут за стекло, снабжают надписью, когда и где королева в ней появлялась, прикрепляют соответствующую фотографию.

10. Специфическим институтом британской общественно-политической жизни являются клубы. «Клубный принцип» - неотъемлемая черта тайного механизма власти. Британия, как подчеркивают сами англичане, управляется через разветвленную сеть личных контактов и связей. Клубы признаны опосредствовать эти контакты и связи. В настоящее время в стране функционируют несколько десятков клубов.

11. Английский клуб – учреждение уникальное. Он напоминает гостиницу закрытого типа. Член клуба может провести здесь по желанию несколько дней, недель, месяцев. При клубе существует ресторан, библиотека, рабочие кабинеты, жилые номера. Женщины в клубы, как правило не допускаются. К числу наиболее знаменитых клубов относятся: «Карл-тон» (клуб консерваторов), «Сент-Джеймс» (клуб дипломатов) и т.д.

Text B.Read and translate the text. Get ready to discuss the main points given below.

The Queen

The United Kingdom is one of the six constitutional monarchies within Europe (the other five being Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain). Britain's monarchy is the oldest, dating back to the 9th century. It existed four centuries before Parliament and three centuries before the law courts. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is directly descended from Saxon king Egbert, who united England under his rule in 829.

The full royal title in Britain is Queen, «Elizabeth the Second, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith» The title reflects the union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland with Ireland in 1801 and the emergence of the Commonwealth.

The present royal family belonged to the House of Saxe-Cobtirg and Gotha until 1917 when, in the light of the First World War, it was considered more appropriate for theKing to have an English rather than a German name. It was therefore proclaimed that Queen Victoria's descendants in the male line would adopt the name Windsor. In 1952 Queen Elizabeth II declared that she and her children should be known as the House and the Family of Windsor.

The Queen’s duties. The Queen personifies the State in law. She is the head of the executive and of the judiciary, an integral part of the legislature, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the Crown and the 'supreme governor' of the established Church of England. As a result of a long process of evolution, especially since 1689, the monarchy's absolute powers have been progressively reduced, the Queen today is only a formal ruler and does not actually govern: nowadays monarchs reign but do not rule.

The constitutional and legal doctrine declares that the Queen can do nothing wrong. In practice this has come to mean that the Queen does not act independently. Whatever she does must be done on the advice of a Minister; and that Minister is politically responsible for the royal act.

Though Britain is actually governed by Her Majesty's Government, it would be wrong to underestimate the role of the monarchy in Britain. The official and state duties of the Queen are numerous. The Queen's involvement is still required in many important acts of government. It is the Queen who summons, prorogues (suspends until the next session) and dissolves Parliament. She normally opens each session with a speech from the throne, which outlines her Government's programme. Before a bill that has passed all its stages in both Houses of Parliament becomes a law it must receive the Royal Assent.

It is the Queen's duty to make appointments of many important office holders, including government ministers, judges, officers in the armed forces, governors, diplomats, bishops and other senior clergy of the Church of England. She also confers all peerages, knighthoods and other honours. While the Queen normally does all this on the direction of the government, there are a few honours conferred on her personal selection — the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Order of the Merit and the Royal Victorian Order.

The Order of the Garter was created in the fourteenth century by King Edward III. He selected the twenty-four bravest soldiers in England and made them knights of 'The Order of the Carter'. These days most knights of the Garter aren't soldiers - they are politicians, earls or church leaders. The Order's home is at Windsor. Each year all the knights meet there on a Monday in June. Then they walk (watched by thousands of visitors and tourists) from the Castle to St George's Chapel where a special ceremony takes place, in fact the garter ceremony always happens on the Monday of 'Ascot Week', a famous horse-racing event.

An important function of the Queen is appointing the Prime Minister, but when doing so she is bound to invite the leader of the political party, which commands a majority in the House of Commons to form a government.

In international affairs the Queen, as the head of the state, has the power to declare war and make peace, to recognise foreign states and governments, to conclude treaties and to annex or cede territories.

The ambassadorial role of the Queen and the other members of the royal family is very important. On average, Britain's top ten 'royals', spend one month per year on official foreign tours. When visiting the other countries of the Commonwealth, the Queen is usually accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. Other members of the royal family also pay official visits overseas, sometimes representing the Queen or often in connection with an organisation with which they are associated. Their presence at scientilic, artistic, industrial and charitable events attracts considerable interest. They arealso closely involved in the work of many charities especially as presidents or patrons. The Duke of Edinburgh, for example, being particularly interested in science and technology, the environment and overpopulation, is Patron of the Industrial Society and International President of the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Prince Charles is associated as president or patron, with more than 200 organisations; Princess Ann, among her many patronages and presidencies, is head or 'Chancellor' of London University and President of the Save the Children Fund. On behalf of all these she has undertaken extensive tours of Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and South America.

For advice on such matters the Queen has her own Privy Council. In earlier times it was a body of advisers of English monarchs and was the chief source of executive power in the State. As the system of Cabinet government developed, the Privy Council declined in importance. The present-day Privy Council exists mainly to give effect to policy decisions made elsewhere. The Privy Council consists of members of the royal family, the Archbishops and all senior ministers and ex-ministers, together with others to whom membership has been given as an honour. There are about 300 of them altogether.

The Queen is also active in the smooth working of government: apart from holding meetings of the Privy Council, she gives audiences to her ministers and other officials in Britain and overseas, reads dispatches and signs numerous state papers, these arrive in special 'red boxes'. Some are new laws that need her 'assent'. Others are reports, documents or telegrams from ambassadors. This is an important part of the Queen's job. She is not a political leader, but she has 'the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn'. That is also why the Queen is visited by the Prime Minister every Tuesday evening to receive an account of Cabinet decisions, as she must be informed and consulted on every aspect of national life. Since 1952 the Queen has given audience, as it is called, to ten Prime Ministers and her forty years' experience gives importance to those meetings.

Points for discussion:

1. Hereditary succession (monarchy passes from one member of the family to another).

2. The Queen presents the main government policies.

3. The Royal Prerogative is the same today as it was many years ago.

4. 4.The monarch’s consent is required before the Cabinet can be formed.

5. 5.’The Queen reigns but does not rule.’

6. 6.The monarch may not be present at Privy Council meetings.

Text C.Read the text and make up the plan for discussing.

Electoral System

The maximum legal life of the House of Commons is five years and the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister may dissolve it before the end of this term. The Prime Minister is bound to do this if his Ministry is defeated on an important issue by the vote of the House of Commons. Nowadays, though, when the electorate often votes for a particular party leader rather than the party itself, government leaders try to use the power of dissolving Parliament and hold elections at moments of the highest popularity, as, for example, Mrs. Thatcher did after her victory in the Falklands War.

When it has been decided to hold a General Election,the old Parliament is dissolved and 20 clear days must elapse before the new Parliament meets. A notice, or writ, has to be sent to each constituency, where the Returning Officer makes provisions for the holding of the election.

For electoral purposes the whole of the United Kingdom is divided into 659 electoral constituencies. Each constituency usually contains about 66,000 voters and returns one member to the House of Commons. To ensure that constituencies electorates are kept roughly equal, four permanent Parliamentary Boundary Commissions, one each for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, keep constituencies under review.

General elections for parliamentary seats are by secret ballot. British citizens, together with citizens of other Commonwealth countries and citizens of the Irish Republic resident in Britain, may vote provided they are at least 18 years old, are registered in the annual register of electors for the constituency and are not subject to any disqualifications. People not entitled to vote include the Royal Family; members of the House of Lords; mentally ill people, convicted prisoners still in prison; and person convicted within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices.

People vote for any one of the candidates in the constituency in which they are registered. Each elector normally casts one vote in person, at a polling station. He or she will make a cross on a ballot paper next to the name of the candidate for whom the vote is cast, fold the paper and drop it folded through the slot in the ballot box. But there are always people who are not able to vote in person, e.g. the sick or physically incapacitated, members of the armed forces or Crown servants employed overseas. These people may apply for and become entitled to an absent vote — a vote by post or a vote by proxy (authorising another person to cast a vote). Certain voting rights also exist for expatriate Britons.

The candidate that obtains the largest number of voices in a constituency, irrespective of whether he or she has an overall majority, is returned as MP for that area. The other candidates, even if they come close to the winner, will not get a seat in Parliament and their votes are «wasted». This system is known as the simple majority, or the «first-past-the post». If there are more than two candidates in a constituency (which is usually the case), the MP, who is elected, represents very often a minority of the electorate. In practice it means that a government can be elected with a minority of the popular vote and is able to carry out its policies because it has achieved a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. This system also means that a party can obtain a considerable number of votes nationally but have very few MPs in the Commons, because these votes are distributed evenly among the various constituencies and thus wasted.

There is no voting in Britain by proportional representation (PR), except for local elections in Northern Ireland.

British citizens may stand and be elected as MPs provided they are over 21 and are not subject to any disqualifications. Among those disqualified are undercharged bankrupts; people sentenced to more than one year's imprisonment; clergy of the Church of England, the Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic Church; peers, and holders of certain offices like civil servants, some local government officers, members of the regular armed forces or the police service.

A candidate's nomination for election must be signed by two electors who net as proposer and seconder, and by eight other electors registered in the constituency. He or she, in theory, does not require any party backing in order to stand for election, but the practice today shows that no independent candidates succeed in being elected. A candidate must also pay a deposit (currently £500), which is lost if his or her votes do not exceed 5% of those validly cast.

In recent years the national election campaign, fought between the party leaders, has become more and more important and less importance is attached to the local campaign. One of the best known local activities still in existence is «canvassing», i.e. supporters of a candidate go from door to door arguing and persuading the residents to cast their votes for the candidate they represent. Expenditure by individual candidates and their agents is limited by law, but long-term expenditure is unlimited.

There have been many debates about the British electoral system. Many see it as unfair, because this system prevents numerically smaller parties from being represented in Parliament, and campaigns continue for the introduction of some form of proportional representation, which would create a wider selection of parties in the House of Commons and could cater for minority political interests.

Text D. Read the text and ask questions on it to be discussed in class

Political Party System

The electoral system in Britain depends much upon the political party system, which has existed in the country since the 17th century. Organised political parties present their policies in the form of manifestos to the electorate for consideration during the intensive few weeks of campaigning before General Election Day. A party candidate in a constituency is elected to Parliament on a combination of election manifesto, the personality of the candidate and the attraction of the party. It should be noted, though, that party activity is not limited by the election period itself but continues as the politicians battle for power and the ears of the electorate.

For the last 250 years a predominantly two-party system has operated in Britain. Until 1918 it were the Conservatives (still known by their previous nickname, the 'Tories') and Liberals (the party which traces its origins to the 18th century ^‘Whigs’) that took turns at holding power. Since 1945 either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party has held power.

The Conservative Party

The Conservative Party was formed by Robert Peel from what was left of the old Tory Party in the 1830s. Peel and his successor Benjamin Disraeli (the first Conservative Prime Minister) together shaped modern Conservatism. Originally the party of church, aristocracy and landed gentry, it has always been the party of the Right, identified with the idea of economic freedom and the existing social order. The Party gives emphasis to the importance of law and order, and the maintenance of strong armed forces to protect British interests. Today as in the 19th century, it appeals to a 'property-owning' democracy and is supported by wealthier classes, large business, a sizeable percentage of skilled and unskilled workers, and women who always vote Conservative. The Party is strong in southern England (the counties with traditional Conservative support arc called 'the Shires'); and it is in Scotland that the Conservatives have suffered serious setbacks.

The party is highly disciplined, and its leader is accepted as the director of its policies. The party's Central Office is responsible to the leader. The MPs are expected to observe discipline and to vote with the party.

Outside Parliament the party has more than a million individual members who pay annual subscriptions, with an association for each constituency. The most important function of an association is to choose the party's candidate for the next election, and then to keep in close touch with him as an MP if he is elected.

The National Union of Conservative Associations is the partner, in London, of the Central Office, on which it may exert pressure. Each autumn a few representatives of each local association go, with the MPs and national leaders, to a four-day conference at a seaside town. There each section of (the nation's business is debated for an hour or two and then voted on, usually by a show of hands with a conclusion supportive of the national leadership.

The most dedicated Tories welcomed the privatisation of nationalised industries, the sale of council houses and the rhetoric of the state's withdrawal from direction of the economy. They would be critical of an MP showing weakness on these matters (they call it «wetness»). At the 1997 General Election the Conservative Party suffered a defeat, getting its lowest 30.7% of votes and only 165 seats in the Commons.

The Labour Party

The Labour Party was founded by James Keir Hardie in 1892 at the Trades Union Congress as a result of the movement for independent political working class representation in Parliament. It has traditionally gathered its support from the trade unions, the working class and some middle-class backing.

The Labour Party is less disciplined but possibly more democratic, with more open disagreements between the leadership and other party members. Labour is pre-eminently the party of social justice, though its emphasis is less on equality than on the achievement of well being and opportunity for all members of society. It tends to put the collective well being of society above individual freedom, in the economic sphere at any rate. Traditionally it has been committed to public ownership of major industries, and to economic planning. The trade union movement, which founded the Labour Party, remains influential in the evolution of the party policy.

Labour's annual conference is the supreme policy-making body of the party, and the parliamentary leaders are expected to follow its general policies when in power or in opposition. At each conference the unions and other sections of the party elect their twenty-eight representatives on the National Executive Committee (NEC), which makes decisions week by week. The NEC includes the leader and, usually, several ministers or shadow ministers (when in opposition).

As has been mentioned, the form of the Labour Party's annual conference reflects the origins of the party as the political arm of the trade unions. Most of the union members are affiliated through the union to the Labour Party. The union pays part of each member's subscription to the party, which derives most of its funds from this source. Each union sends a delegation to the party's annual conference, and at each vote its delegates usually vote together as a single «bloc». The number of votes cast by a union depends on the number of its members who have been affiliated to the party. But usually the union's vote is decided in advance by the small number of union officers who comprise its executive body.

As well as trade unions, the party also has other affiliated organisations, notably co-operative societies, which also send delegates to the conference.

People may also join their constituency Labour Parties, each of which sends delegates to the annual conference, and each local delegation casts its votes, usually as a bloc, on the basis of decisions made at local party meetings. The individual party membership was estimated at about 300,000 in the 1980s.

The Labour Party's electoral strongholds have traditionally been in the old industrial areas of south Wales, Scotland and in the Midland and northern English industrial cities. In recent years the Labour party has reviewed its policies in order to broaden its appeal to wider masses and has taken into account changing economic and social conditions to remain a major force in British politics.

The Liberal Party

Before 1918 there had never been a centre party on the British political scene. With the formation of the new Labour Party, a party of the Left, first a small ally of the Liberal Party and eventually the main alternative to the Conservatives, there appeared a chance for the Liberal Party as a centre party. But after a disastrous division of the Liberals between the wars and the second split in 1931, the party seemed to have ceased any effective existence.

In the 1960s, however, growing dislike for both major parties helped Liberals to win some by-elections, and these local successes inspired a vigorous revival.

At the elections of 1974 Liberals received a fifth of the votes cast, though only a dozen MPs were elected. In 1977—78, when the Labour government lost its overall majority in the Commons, the Liberals gave support to the government, which consulted them in forming its policies. In the period of this «Lib-Lab» pact support for the Liberals, as shown by opinion polls, declined to 5%, but then rose again between 10 and 15% until 1981.