Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box and translate them into Russian.

In most countries, except (a)_________, there are several different political parties. The one with the (b)_________ of seats normally forms the government, and the parties which are against the government are called (c)________. Sometimes no single party wins enough seats, and several parties must combine together in a (d)__________ to form a government. The principal ministers in the government from a group are called the (e)________. The leader of this group, and of the government, is the (f)________. Of course, there are many different kinds of parties and governments. A socialist or communist party is often described as (g)_______. A conservative party on the other hand, is usually said to be (h)_________. Political situations are always changing. Sometimes in a party or between two parties there is a big argument or deep difference of opinion. This is called a (i)__________. When, on the other hand, two parties work together, this is sometimes called an (j)___________.

Complete the following sentences with the words from the box.

(a) I voted_________________ the Liberal candidate.

(b) Put your voting papers_______________ the ballot box.

(c) He’s very right-wing, so he’s______________ the socialists.

(d) She belongs____________ the Communist Party.

(e) The Liberals formed an alliance__________ the Social Democrats.

(f) There’s a split___________ the two parties.

(g) There’s a spilt___________ the party.

It’s interesting to know

Parliamentary Oath: «I … swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God».

 Members of both Housed of Parliament are required by law to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown on taking their seat in Parliament. Until the oath/affirmation is taken, a Member may not sit in the House or vote, and may not receive salary or make use of the facilities of the House.

To hear the Queen’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament the Commons are summoned by an official known as «Black Rod». In a symbol of the Commons’ independence, the door to their chamber is slammed in his face and not opened until he has knocked on the door with his staff of office.

Before the State Opening, the cellars of the Palace of Westminster are to this day searched by the Yeomen of the Guard – a precaution dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605.

Supplementary Reading

Text №1

THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

Read the text.

           In theory, the constitution has three branches: Parliament, which makes laws, the government, which «executes» laws, i.e. puts them into effect, and the law courts, which interpret laws. Although the Queen is officially head of all three branches, she has little direct power.

           Parliament has two parts: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the voters of 650 constituencies. They are known as MPs, or Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister , or leader of the Government , is also an MP, usually the leader of the political party with a majority in the House of Commons.

          The Prime Minister is advised by a Cabinet of about twenty other ministers. The Cabinet includes the ministers in charge of major government departments or ministers. Departments and ministries are run by civil servants , who are permanent officials. Even if the Government changes after an election, the same civil servants are employed.

           The House of Lords consists of Lords Temporal and the Lords Spiritual. The Lords Spiritual are the Archbishops of York and Canterbury, together with twenty-for senior bishops of the Church of England. The Lords Temporal consist of hereditary peers who have inherited their titles; life peers who are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government for various services to the nation; and the Lords of Appeal (Law Lords) who become life peers on their judicial appointments. The latter serve the House of Lords as the ultimate court of appeal. This appeal court consists of some nine Law Lords who hold senior judicial office. They are presided over by the Lord Chancellor and they form a quorum of there to five when they hear appeal cases.

Answer the questions.

1. Which of these people are not elected: a peer, an MP, a civil servant, the Prime Minister?

2. What is the difference between life peers and hereditary peers, Lords Temporal and Lords Spirit?

3. What are civil servants?

4. Which areas of government do these people deal with: the Chancellor of the Exchange, the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor?

5. Find two examples executive organizations outside central government?

Text №2

1. Read the text.

Making New Laws: Bills and Acts

The functions of Parliament are: making laws; providing money for the government through taxation; examining government policy, administration and spending; debating political questions.

Every year Parliament passes about a hundred laws directly, by making Acts of Parliament. Because this can be a long process, Parliament sometimes passes a very general law and leaves a minister to fill in the details. In this way, it indirectly passes about 2,000 additional rules and regulations.

  No new law can be passed unless it has completed a number of stages in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The monarch also has to give a Bill of Royal Assent, which is now just a formality. Since 1707 no sovereign has refused a Bill. Whit a law is still going through Parliament it is called a Bill. There are two main types of Bills-Public Bills which deal with matters of public importance and Private Bills which deal with local matters and individuals.

  Public and Private Bills are passed through Parliament in much the same way. When a Bill is introduced in the House of Commons, it receives a formal first reading. It is then printed and read a second time, when it is debated but not amended. After the second reading the Bill is referred to a committee, either a special committee made up of certain members of the House, or to the House itself as a committee. Here it is discussed in detail and amended, if necessary. The Bill is them presented for a third reading and is debated. If the Bill is passed by the Commons it goes to the Lords, and provided it is not rejected by them, it goes through the same procedure as in the Commons. After receiving the Royal Assent the Bill becomes an Act of Parliament. In order to be enforced, it must be published in Stature form, becoming a part of Stature Law. The power of the Lords to reject a Bill has been severely curtailed. A money Bill must be passed by the Lords without amendment within a month of being presented in the House. The Act of 1949 provides that any Public Bill passed by the Commons in two successive parliamentary sessions and rejected both times by the Lords, may be presented for the Royal Assent, even though it has not been passed by the Lords. The Lords, therefore, can only delay the passage of a Public Bill, they cannot reject it.