ПР № 16: Государственное устройство, правовые институты.

(8 часов)

Тип занятия: формирование умений и навыков.

Форма занятия: практическая работа.

Цель занятия: совершенствование и развитие навыков устной и письменной речи, навыков чтения и перевода текста профессиональной направленности на английском языке.

Образовательные задачи занятия:

- выработать навыки чтения, письменной и устной речи на английском языке

Воспитательные задачи занятия:

- развитие понимания сущности и значимости английского языка для получаемой профессии, устойчивого интереса;

Развивающие задачи занятия: продолжить развитие умений

- осуществлять поиск и использование информации, необходимой для эффективного выполнения задач, профессионального и личностного развития;

- работать в коллективе и команде, эффективно общаться с коллегами;

Обеспечение занятия: методические указания к практическим работам, проектор, экран.

Структура занятия:

1) Организационный этап.

2) Целеполагание.

3) Актуализация знаний (фронтальный опрос).

4) Выполнение практических заданий.

5) Контроль результатов выполнения практической работы.

6) Подведение итогов занятия, выставление оценок.

7) Домашнее задание, пояснения по его выполнению.

Задания:

1. Listen and read the text and answer the questions after it:

Political System of Great Britain

Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. The queen reigns, but does not rule.

The legislative power in the country is exercised by Parliament. Parliament makes the laws of Great Britain. It consists of the queen, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords.

The House of Commons is Britain’s real governing body. It has 650 members, elected by the people. Members of the House of Commons have no fixed terms. They are chosen in a general election, which must be held at least every five years. But an election may be called anytime, and many Parliaments do not last five years. Almost all British citizens 18 years old or older may vote.

The House of Lords is the upper house of Parliament. It was once the stronger house, but today has little power. It can delay – but never defeat – any bill. The House of Lords has about 1170 members. The people do not elect them. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary and life peers and peeresses. Their right to sit in the House passes, with their title, usually to their oldest sons.

The prime minister is usually the leader of the political party that has the most seats in the House of Commons. The monarch appoints the prime minister after each general election. The monarch asks the prime minister to form a Government. The prime minister selects about 100 ministers. From them, he picks a special group to make up the Cabinet.

The Cabinet usually consists of about 20 ministers. The ministers of the more important departments, such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Home Office, are named to every Cabinet.

The government draws up most bills and introduces them in Parliament. The queen must approve all bills passed by Parliament before they can become laws. Although the queen may reject a bill, no monarch has since the 1700’s.

Law courts of Great Britain operate under three separate legal system – one for England and Wales, one for Northern Ireland, and one for Scotland. In all three systems, the House of Lords is the highest court of appeal in civil cases. It is also the highest court of appeal in criminal cases, except in Scotland. The queen appoints all British judges on the advice of the government.

Political parties are necessary to British’s system of government. The chief political parties in Britain today are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. The Conservative Party developed from the Tories, and has been supported by wealthy people as well as professional people and farmers. The Labour Party has been supported by skilled and unskilled workers, especially union members.

The Constitution of Great Britain is not one document. Much of it is not even in writing, and so the country is said to have an unwritten constitution. Some of the written parts of Britain’s Constitution come from laws passed by Parliament. Some – from such old documents as Magna Carta, which limited the king’s power. Other written parts come from common law, a body of laws based on people’s customs and beliefs, and supported in the courts.

1. Is Great Britain a monarchy?

2. Who is the head of state in Great Britain?

3. What body is the legislative power in Great Britain exercised by?

4. What does the British Parliament consist of?

5. How many members has the House of Commons?

6. Has the House of Lords strong power?

7. Are the members of the House of Lords elected?

8. Does the monarch or the prime minister form the government?

9. How many ministers are there in the Cabinet?

10. What body draws up bills?

11. What body is the highest court of appeal?

12. What political parties are there in Great Britain today?

Read and translate

Political System of the USA

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states. Each state has its own government («state government*). In some ways the United States is like 50 small countries.

The government of the USA act according to the Constitution which was signed by the first thirteen representatives of thirteen original American states in 1787. The document was written in 1787 and since that time twenty six Amendments have been added. The first ten Amendments were simply rights or the Bill of rights. According to the Constitution the USA is a republic. So, the officials of any rank are elected by US citizens. Every citizen has rights which can not be violated.

The Constitution proclaims a federal system of government which keeps both the states and the federal power from getting too much power. It means that the federal government is given certain powers, for example, to make peace or war, to issue money and to regulate the trade and so on.

The federal power is located in Washington, D.C. It is based on legislative, executive and juridical branches of power.

The legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives, There are 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 senators in Congress. Each state elects two members for the Senate.

The executive branch is headed by the President who is assisted by the Vice President. The President enforces federal laws, serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The President can veto a bill unless Congress by a two-thirds vote shall overrule him. The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President, acts as chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death of the President, assumes the Presidency. The President of the USA is chosen in nationwide elections every 4 years together with the Vice.-President. The President can not be elected for more than two terms. The Cabinet is made up of Department Secretaries. The most important of them is the Secretary of State, who deals with foreign affairs.

The judicial branch is made up of Federal District Courts, 11 Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President for life.

Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between citizens of different states.

Constitution has been amended twenty six times. The Bill of Rights guarantees individual liberties: freedom of word,» religion and so on. Later amendments abolished slavery, granted the vote to women and colour people and allowed citizens to vote at the age of 18.

Political System of Canada

Canada is an independent federal parliamentary state.

The Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, is the official head of the state, but the Governor General acts as her representative. Canada combines the American federal form of government with the British cabinet system.

As a federation, Canada is made up of ten provinces and two territories. Canadian central government in Ottawa represents all the peoples of Canada. Each province has its own government and parliament. Parliament of Canada consists of two houses, the Upper House called the Senate, and the Lower House called the House of Commons. The Senate has 104 members. Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Senate has less power than the House of Commons. Members of the House of Commons are elected for a term of five years. The cabinet system of Canada unites the legislative and the executive branches. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are usually members of the House of Commons, which is the highest authority in the government. The Cabinet consists of 20 or more ministers, chosen by the Prime Minister from leaders of the majority party in the House of Commons. Today most of the Governor General’s powers have disappeared and he follows the directions of the Cabinet. The two leading political parties in Canada are the Progressive Conservative Party and the Liberal Party. The New Democratic Party is also rather influential. The Constitution of the country was only adopted in 1982.