Assignments
English history of 18 century looks like a stopping train. 200 years later the Great Revolution, the Reform Bill became a low. It happened on the 7th of June, 1832. According to the Bill the number of electors changed from 200 000 to 670 000 with the population 14 mln people. But that document had its consequences.
First of all, handing the political power over the middle class, the Bill strengthened the liberal county. Some northern cities sent their representative people to the Parliament and as a result there was built a new political group, more radical than liberal. They followed the independent course.
From the other hand, the Bill changed the balance of forces. The House of Commons make it impossible for lords to influence on the Parliament. King’s doings also changed. He took a great part in political power.
The last consequence is that workers who fought for that Act understood that this Reform gave them nothing and became a reason of developing of Chartist movement.
Lesson 2
- ORAL COMPOSITION
Assignments
Lords decide the fate of Loch Ness monster
On the orders of the day of the meeting of the House of Lords there was a question about sending an expedition to Loch Ness Lake, where was a home of a great monster. Lord Kidmani posed a question on that boring meeting about the danger that might be done to that animal and to the environment at all. He asked about guarantees that the scientists would follow the Act of 1966, saving rare and extinct animals. For that purpose they should have special pneumatic tools. But lords didn’t like such a notice. They commented that the scientists had to decide with what animals to deal and what tools to chose.
Lesson 3
- WRITING A SUMMARY
Assignments
Summary
Toilet of a patriot
In this text the author speaks about the policy of Great Britain.
There is two major parties in Great Britain – the Labourites and the Conservatives. The party, which received the majority of places, forms the government. The leader of the party becomes a prime-minister. Members of cabinet become his nearest colleagues. English newsdealers call this procedure ‘’ jobs for the boys’’.
The party which took the second place is official opposition. If the policy, spent by the government, does not collect the majority in parliament, it retires and new elections are appointed in the country. The cabinet is obliged to explain the decision in parliament, and the opposition can scarify it.
The strong, ruthless opposition is an old tradition of the Great Britain. English artists drew the King’s cartoons three hundred years ago. Nowadays, they present to politics the most malicious caricatures. Politics accept them and hang up in a toilet.
The Great Britain is the most developed example of ‘’ Civil Society’’.
- ORAL COMPOSITION
Assignments
1.
to form a queue (to stand in a line) - выстраиваться в очередь
Dapper - щеголеватый
in the gangway - в проходе
to be housed in - размещаться
half-filled chamber - полупустой зал
to be quoted - подлежать цитированию
in the committee rooms - в комитетах
legislative assembly - законодательное собрание
inconveniences - неудобства
the observance of traditions - соблюдение традиций
stability – стабильность, неизменность.
Summary
The observance of traditions
Somehow in the evening one mister (our author) passed near the Houses of Parliament before the opening of session. Gentlemen formed a queue (stood in a line) near the door.
Mister asked dapper dressed old man “what does it mean and why do they stand here?”
He answered that the turn consisted from members of parliament, because they didn’t want to stand in the gangway in the morning.
The Westminster palace, where the British Parliament is housed in, became too close for members of parliament. In usual days it was not a problem: parliamentary debates took place in half-filled chamber. But in great days, such as an opening of session - there was no place.
Mister said that it would be better to build new modern building for legislative assembly. And an old man answered – in that case, the Parliament could lose its prestige, if got over in standard modern building.
But the author thought the loss of prestige was not the only reason, which made the members of parliament to agree with that inconveniences.
The observance of traditions helps to keep illusion about an invariance of the world.
Lesson 4
3.
1. The British Parliament has absolute legislative power, and it means that there is no person or organization in the country which could hamper the bill adopted by Parliament to become law. Typically, the bill is paid the lower chamber, while the upper can only approve it or to delay for a year.
2. Magna Carta gave aristocrats legal right to participate on the board of the country and thus deprived the king the right to operate as he pleases. However, all the kings were broking this law, relying on "divine right of kings": if the power of God then no one dares to disturb the king to dispose free of this power.
3. Puritans were industrious people whose religious fanaticism took ugly forms of the ban on different activities. Short cropped ('Roundheads"as they called them) in the dark simple dress, they seem beings from another world near the "cavaliers"- supporters of the king, dressed in silk and velvet.
4. In 1645 at the Battle of Neisby Royalists were defeated. Charles I fled to Scotland, but soon was handed over to his enemies, was charged with high treason and executed. In England the republic was proclaimed, and Cromwell was elected supreme ruler of the country.
5. When in 1658 Cromwell died, his son Richard was unable to retain the office. Charles II, son of the executed king, returned from France where he lived in exile, and drove to London with great rejoicing of citizens. Restoration of the Stuart monarchy began with the fact that Cromwell's body was dug from the grave and hanged in the square.
6. Bill to reform, consolidated the gains of the Glorious Revolution and strengthened the power of the House of Commons by a corresponding weakening of the House of Lords, was passed in July 1832, creating a political base of the Liberal Party, which was came to power.
7. The new law changed the balance of political forces in the country. The House of Commons won by that the abolition of «rotten places» and the provision of seats in parliament to the industrial centers almost deprived Lords of the opportunity to influence parameters of the lower chamber. The king lost the opportunity to engage in favoritism and bribery, like in the XVIII century and is to involve directly in the politics of parliament.
8. Since 1958, Queen Elizabeth began to erect a peerage for life, i. e. without the right to inherit the title, people who proved themselves in any sphere of public life: scientists, writers, politicians, etc. and even trade unionists, who by definition are enemies of peers’ privileges.
9. Members of the House of Commons are elected for five years by general election. The leader of the party who won most seats, is appointed prime minister and forms a "Her Majesty's Government", the highest of which is the cabinet. The party, which finished second by largest number of votes becomes the opposition.
10. Chairman of the House of Commons is named Speaker. In the election for the post he suspends his membership in the party from which he passed in the parliament, because his main function now is to conduct a neutral policy in the House and to stand above partisan interests.
11. Function of the opposition is to criticize the government, to take his place in the next election. It clings to any misses, mimics, parodies it, every day reminding citizens that the rulers are just ordinary people who are hired for the people's money for several years to rule the country. If they are driving badly, then they need to be driven and to hire new ones.