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Vocabulary

The House of Commons

During 10 minutes look through the text and give its summary in Russian.

History knew Short and Long Parliament (Short lasted 2 weeks, Long – 12 years) but since 1911 every parliament is limited to a 5-year term of work. The work of Parliament is divided into sessions. Every session starts at the end of October or the beginning of November and lasts 36 weeks up to late August. Annual Opening of Parliament by the Queen is a traditional ceremony, very beautiful and pompous.

6. Make a presentation on the topic: “Excursion to the building of the British Parliament”.

1.See the dictionary and read the words correctly: bicameral, nobility, to represent/a representative, a community/-ies, a council, a retirement, the Foreign Secretary, financial, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to specialize, an immunity/-ies, a duty/-ies, an access, to exclude, vacant, a proceeding, Strangers' Gallery, Parliamentary procedure.

General Elections/by-elections	всеобщие /промежуточные выборы
a retirement [rɪ’taɪərmənt]	отставка
backbenchers [ˌbækˈbentʃə]	заднескамеечники
be responsible for	отвечать за
Foreign [’fɔ:rɪn] Secretary	министр иностранных дел
Home Secretary	министр внутренних дел
Chancellor [’tʃɑːnsələr] of the Exchequer [ɪks’tʃekə]	министр финансов
Shadow Cabinet	теневой кабинет
King's council [’ kaʊnsl]	королевский совет
community/-ies	сообщество
chairman	председатель
rights and immunities [ɪˈmjuːnɪti]	права и неприкосновенность
chamber [’tʃeɪmbər]	палата

The House of Commons plays the major role in law-making. It consists of Members of Parliament (MPs). Each of them represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. MPs are elected by the voters of 650 constituencies either at a general election or at a by-election following the death or retirement.

Members of Parliament take their seats on the green leather benches according to their party and position. One of them is chosen to be the Speaker, who acts as a chairman of the debates. In front of him on his right the MPs of the biggest party, which forms the government, and facing them sit the MPs of the parties who oppose them, the Opposition. The leaders of these two groups sit at the front on each side. MPs without special positions in their parties sit behind their leaders at the back. They are called backbenchers. The leader of the government, the Prime Minister, sits on the government bench next to his or her ministers. The most important ministers form the government. The minister responsible for the relations with other countries and security is called the Foreign Secretary. The one responsible for law and security is called the Home Secretary. The one who deals with financial matters is called the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Opposite this group sits the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Cabinet, each member of which specializes in a particular area of government.

Each of the Houses enjoys certain rights and immunities to protect them in carrying out their duties. They are: freedom of speech in debates, freedom from arrest, the right of access to the Crown (collective privilege for the Commons and individual for peers). The Commons have the right to exclude a MP and declare his seat vacant. The proceedings in both the Houses are public and visitors are admitted into the Strangers' Gallery. The number of visitors is limited to about 200, no cards or passes are required, but metal-control check is necessary. "First come, first go" – this principle works in both galleries. Since 1803 the reports on Parliamentary procedures have been published the following day. Proceedings of both Houses are now televised, the Lords since 1984 and the Commons since 1989.

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John Simon Bercow (born 19 January 1963) is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative Party

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David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party.

3.Who are these people?: an MP, a Speaker, a member of the government, a member of the Opposition, a backbencher, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Leader of the Opposition, a member of the Shadow Cabinet.

4. Name all the rights and immunities which each of the two Houses enjoys. How do you understand them?

6. Match the person with his definition:

Definitions:

1.- represents an area in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

2.-acts as a chairman

3.-MPs without special positions in their parties

4.-sits on the government bench next to his or her ministers

5.-the minister responsible for the relations with other countries and security is

6.-the one responsible for law and security

7.-deals with financial matters

8.-a member who specializes in a particular area of government.

People:

a)Home Secretary

b)backbenchers

c)Speaker

d)an MP

e)Prime Minister

f)Chancellor of the Exchequer

g)a member of the Shadow Cabinet

h)Foreign Secretary

5. Guess about the names of Ministries according to the names of their ministers:

The head of the Home Office is the Home Secretary;

The head of the Foreign Office is the Foreign Secretary;

The head of the Treasury is the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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