There are 6 passages in the text. Title these passages. Find the key words for each passage.

Complete the chart using the text. Then, speak about the British Parliament using the chart below.

9. Answer the following questions:

1)What kind of system does Great Britain have?

2)What are the three branches of the British constitution?

3)What can you say about the functions of Parliament, government and the law courts in Great Britain?

4)What parts does the British Parliament consist of?

5)Which of the two Houses of Parliament has

true power?

6)How many constituencies are there in Great Britain?

7)Who is the official head of the state in the UK?

10. Think of the state system of your native country and answer the questions:

1. Who is the head of the state and how is such system called?

2. What body exercises legislative power?

3. What chambers does the Federal Assembly of Russia consist of?

Render the following text in Russian (10 minutes).

The Russian Federation is set up by the constitution of 1993.

Under the Constitution Russia is a presidential republic. The federal government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Each of them is checked and balanced by the President.

The Federal Assembly is the legislative body of Russia. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation; the Lower Chamber is the State Duma. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. Legislature may be initiated in either of the two Chambers. But to become a law a bill must be approved by both Chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill.

The executive power belongs to the Government which is headed by the Prime Minister. The first action of the Prime Minister on appointment is to form the Cabinet.

The judicial branch is represented by the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the regional courts.

The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by popular vote for a four-year period.

Title the text. Then, divide into two groups. One group will find all the differences and the other one will find similarities between the state system of Russia and that of the UK. Then, make up two charts reflecting the political systems of Russia and Great Britain.

Unit III

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

Parliament

The Palace of Westminster with Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Bridge viewed from across the River Thames

1. Before you read the text below, remember what you have already known about the British Parliament and then, answer the following questions:

1. What branch of government does Parliament represent: the executive, the legislative or the judicial?

2. How many chambers does British Parliament consist of? What are they?

3. Which of the two chambers is more powerful?

4. What is the main function of Parliament?

Vocabulary