Task 1. Review the text. Supplementary Reading

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

Task 26. a)Give the third person form of the verbs in these sentences.

Task 22. Answer the following questions.

1. Who does an MP represent?

2. How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?

3. What does the job of an MP consist of?

4. What is the equivalent of MPs in Ukraine? What does their work involve?

Task 23. Prepare to describe the legislative system of Government in Ukraine. Use the elements of the UK system of government as a guide & make brief notes if you like. Include the following points:

The head of State: appointment, functions and powers, relationship with other state organs.

Legislature: composition, functions and power, relationship with other organs.

Task 24. Think the new information about the legislative system you’ve got to know & make up a list of their specific features.

Task 25. Work in pairs & discuss the most important points concerning the activity of the Legislative branch of the UK, share your ideas with other groupmates.

b)Show whether you would pronounce the third person form as [s], [z], [iz]:

1. They perform certain important acts.

Queen performs certain important acts. [z]

2. They summon and dissolve Parliament.

She …. [ ]

3. We give formal assent to laws passed by Parliament.

She …. [ ]

4. They play the major part in lawmaking.

The House of Commons …. [ ]

5. They choose a number of ministers.

The Prime Minister …. [ ]

6. The members of the second largest party become the Official Opposition with it’s leader and “shadow cabinet”

The second largest party …. [ ]

The monarchy is the most ancient secular institution in the United Kingdom.

Prerogative rights are of legislative, executive and judicial character. The Monarch must give the Royal Assent before a Bill which has passed all its stages in both Houses of Parliament can become a legal enactment (Act of Parliament). The Monarch's consent and approval is required before a Cabinet can be formed or a minister take up office. As Head of State the Monarch has the power to sign international agreements, to cede or receive territory, and to declare war or make peace. The Monarch confers honours and makes appointments to all important offices of state, including judges, officers in the armed services, diplomats and the leading positions in the Established Church. As the 'fountain of justice', it is only the Monarch who is able to remit all or part of the penalties imposed upon persons convicted of crimes through the exercise of the prerogative of mercy on the advice of the appropriate minister. At the present time the Monarch, although exercising residual authority by consent of Parliament and according to the advice of the government of the day, is regularly informed and consulted on many aspects of public affairs. The Privy Council is the body on whose advice and through which the Monarch exercises most statutory and many prerogative powers. There are about 330 members of the Privy Council, which, however, only meets as a full body on the death of the Monarch. It conducts much of its business in committees at which the Monarch may not constitutionally be present. All Cabinet ministers are members; other members are appointed by the Monarch on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Task 2. Read & comprehend the text.

ENGLISH TITLES

The British, like other nations, like to honour their distinguished countrymen and countrywomen by awards, decorations, and titles, The Order of Merit, for instance, has 24 members only, and so it is rare to see O.M. after anyone’s name. The titles conferred, such as "Sir" and "Lord", are usually the same as the hereditary ranks which were established far back in British history.

It is much more usual today, however, to confer titles which are not heritable, e.g. there are many "life peers" who have done out­standing public work and are given the title so that they may sit in the House of Lords and help it with their knowledge and experience. For example C. P. Snow (whom Russians know as Charles Snow) recently became Lord Snow, as a life peer. Life peeresses, with the title "Lady", are also created. Also, since peers cannot sit In the House of Commons, it has now been made possible for persons who have inherited, for example, the rank of "Lord", to resign that rank for their own lifetime; this is owing to the efforts of Mr.Wedgwood Benn, an active Labour member of the House of Commons, who did not want to become Lord Stansgate on the death of his father.

The correct use of titles on formal occasions is often found puzzling by foreigners and indeed, now that British manners have become so informal, by British people also.

Peers or noblemen, all members of the House of Lords, are of five ranks: in ascending order—baron, viscount, earl, marquees, and duke. Their wives are baroness, viscounts, countess, marchioness, and duchess. There are very few dukes or marquises, and the other three ranks are more often referred to as "Lord", e.g. Lord Attlee (Prime Minister, ds Mr. Attlee, 1945-51), rather than Earl Attlee, Wives of these three ranks are also more often referred to as "Lady".

Titles in these five ranks are inherited by the eldest son, unlike the custom in many European countries where all sons acquire the title. If there is no male heir the title usually becomes extinct.

Confusion arises because the children of peers have "courtesy titles". The children of a duke or marquees put "Lord" or "Lady" as a prefix in front of their first name and family name. Thus at the end of last century one of the sons of The Duke of Marlbprough was Lord Randolph Churchill, but as he was not the eldest son he did not succeed to the dukedom, and his son was plain Mr. Winston Churchill (until, after the last war, he was knighted and became Sir Winston Churchill). Persons with courtesy titles are not counted as peers, and may sit in the House of Commons until they inherit a peerage.

The only heritable honour apart from a peerage is a baronetcy. Baronets have the title "Sir" in front of their first name and family name, and usually add "Baronet" or "Bart.", or "Bt." after it.

Knights, of whom there are many, are also known as "Sir", but this title is not inherited. The peculiarity about knights and baronets is that the title "Sir" is used with the first name, and never with the family name alone. Sir John Falstaff is "Sir John" if one does not use his full name; "Sir Falstaff" is the typical foreigner's mistake. The same applies to the title "Dame" which was invented during this century to give distinguished women the equivalent of a knighthood in their own right. Thus the actress Edith Evans is Dame Edith Evans or "Dame Edith"; "Dame Evans" is impossible.

The wives of knights and baronets, however, put "Lady" in front of their surnames; the wife of Sir Geoffrey Harrison, British Ambassador in Moscow, is Lady Harrison.

But the same rule about first names applies also to courtesy titles, 'e.g. "Lord Randolph", not "Lord Churchill". It applies to the prefix "The Honourable" which may be used (though it is often ignored) by the children of barons, viscounts, and earls; and also to the prefix "The Reverend" which is usually put instead of "Mr." before the names of ministers any religion, e.g. "The Rev. John Smith", never "The Rev. Smith".

The prefix "The Right Honourable" (used only in formal contexts) means that the person so titled is a member of the Queen's Privy Council, a body older than Parliament, which performs certain formal functions. The title is not hereditary.

Finally there remains in regular use, though less common than formerly, the suffix "Esq.", meaning "Esquire", whose formal use are now understood by very few. It can be written after the name of any adult-male who has no title, e.g. "John Smith, Esq." But if you put "Esq." you must not put "Mr." in front of the name.

I should like to assure readers of Anglia that English life is not cluttered up with titles in ordinary social intercourse; a short time ago I had Colleague (a very good administrator) who was a duke, but in the office we all called him "Charles".

Task 3. Review the text.

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