Vocabulary. Text 2. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Text 2. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Text 1. Travelling

People began to travel ages ago. The very first. travellers were explorers who went on trips to find wealth and fame. Their journeys were very dangerous at that time. Nowadays it's not as dangerous and much more convenient. Millions of people travel all over the world, as they want to see other countries and continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, and beautiful picturesque places.

Most people like a change of place. If they live in the country, they like to go to a big town and spend their times going on sights, visiting museums, art galleries, theatres and sometimes looking at shop windows. If they live in a city they like a quite place in the hills or by the sea, doing nothing but walking, swimming or lying in the sun.

It's always interesting to watch different ways of life, to meet and communicate with different people, to try their national food, to learn their customs and traditions. While travelling I always try to follow the proverb "When in Rome do as Romans do". That means that you should follow the customs of the peo­ple you are visiting or lived with. And that's help a lot, as the people look at you more friendly and try to be very helpful.

When you are going to travel many companies can help you. They'll give a lot of useful information about the country you are going to. They'll take care of your tickets, make hotel's reservation and arrange transfers for you. If you don't speak the language of the country, there are interpreters who will help you. With modern services you can go around the world. And thousands of people consider the trip around the world to be the greatest adventure of their lives. I think it's great to feel a million kilome­tres away from the frost and routine of home. You can choose the means of transport you like: plane, train, ship, car. You can travel hiking or use rather exotic mean of transport such as raft. All means of travel have their advantages or disadvantages. People choose them according to the plans and desti­nations.

Officially – официально

to be separated from smth – отделяться от чего-либо

total area – общая площадь

to be referred to as – называть

comprise – охватывать

the most populous country – наиболее густонаселенная страна

inhabitant – житель, обитатель

official language – официальный язык

the Church of England – английская церковь

the Anglican Church – англиканская церковь

to have a remarkable variety of landscapes – иметь замечательно разнообразный ландшафт

highlands -высокогорье

lowlands – низины, равнины

low range of hills – низкая гряда холмов

bleak moors – зловещие болота

warm ocean current – теплое океанское течение

to account for the mildness of cli­mate – объяснять умеренность климата

world's leading industrialized na­tion – ведущая индустриальная страна мира

lack of raw materials – недостаток сырья

machine tool – станок

automation – автоматизация

railroad equipment – оборудование для железных дорог

motor vehicle – автомашина

aircraft – самолет

electronic equipment – электрооборудование

communications equipment – оборудование для связи

chemicals – продукция химической промышленности

petroleum – нефть

food processing – производство пищевых продуктов

textiles – ткани, текстиль

banking services – банковские услуги

insurance services – страховые услуги

to employ workforce – предоставлять работу рабочей силе

industrial and commercial area – промышленный и коммерческий район

conurbation -конурбация

constitutional monarchy – конституционная монархия
hereditary sovereign – наследственный монарх
elected House of Commons – выборная Палата Общин
hereditary House of Lords – наследственная Палата лордов
centuries-old accumulation of smth – сложившееся веками собрание чего-либо

statute – законодательный акт парламента, статут

judicial decision – судебное решение

the arbiter of last resort – арбитр последней инстанции

to be limited to exercising ceremonial functions – сводиться к церемониальным функциям

dissolution of Parliament – роспуск Парламента

to form a government – сформировать правительство

clear majority – явное большинство

the supreme legislative power – высшая законодательная власть
to be vested in smth – принадлежать чему-либо
chamber – палата

to seat for five years – заседать в течение 5 лет

life peers and peressess – пожизненные пэры и пэрессы

popularly elected member – член парламента, избранный народом

bill – законопроект

to be proposed by the Cabinet – быть предложенным кабинетом министров

to veto a bill – наложить вето на законопроект

to delay smth for – отложить на

executive power – исполнительная власть

the Crown -Корона

to be headed by Prime Minister – возглавляться премьер-министром

to command a majority in smth – иметь большинство в чем-либо

to be appointed by smb – назначаться кем-либо

to be individually and collectively responsible to smb – индивидуально и коллективно отвечать перед кем-либо

to propose a bill – предлагать законопроект

to be alternated between – принадлежать попеременно

to be in office – находиться у власти

long-established party – давно существующая партия

Great Britain, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North­ern Ireland is situated on the British Isles, off Astern Europe. It is separated from France by only 34 kilometres of water. The country's total area is over 244 thousand square kilometres. The country is often referred to as Great Britain, Britain or the UK. But to be precise, Great Britain comprises England, Wales and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, while the United Kingdom includes Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The capital of the United Kingdom is London, in England. The capitals of Scotland, Ireland and Wales are Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff respectively. Great Britain is the fourth most populous country in Europe, it has about 57 mil-lion inhabitants. The English are more than 80 % of the country's population. English is the official language of Great Britain. The Church of England, also called the Anglican Church, is the official church in England.

Although a small island, Great Britain has a remarkable variety of landscapes. To the north and west are highlands — the mountains of Scotland, Cambria and Wales, and the Pennine Chain. To the east are flat plains, and in the south are lowlands broken by low ranges of hills. To the southwest are the bleak moors of Devon and Cornwall. A warm ocean cur­rent, the Gulf Stream, washes Britain's western shores and accounts for the mildness of its climate.

Great Britain is one of the world's leading industrialized nations. It has achieved this position despite the lack of most raw materials needed for industry. The country also must import about 40 % of its food supplies. The largest indus-tries include machine tools; electric power, automation, and railroad equipment; ships, motor vehicle, aircraft; electronic and communications equipment; metals; chemicals; petroleum; coal; food processing; paper, textiles, and clothing. By the late 1990s, banking, insurance, business services, and other service industries accounted for two thirds of the GDP and employed almost 70 % of the work­force. The main industrial and commercial areas are the great conurbations, where about one third of the country's population lives. The administrative and financial centre and most important port is Greater London.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a constitutional monarchy. It means that the United Kingdom is governed by hereditary sovereign, an elected House of Commons and a partly hereditary House of Lords. The constitution exists in no one document but is a centu­ries-old accumulation of statutes, judicial decisions, usage, and tradition.

The sovereign has the title of King (or Queen). The Sovereign has very few functions that really matter, such as the function of the arbiter of last resort in some matters. The hereditary monarch is almost entirely limited to exercising ceremonial functions. These matters can be dissolution of Parliament, and invitations to form a government where there is no clear majority. The Queen is Elizabeth II.

The supreme legislative power is vested in the Parliament, which seats for five years unless sooner dissolved. The Parliament has two chambers: the House of Lords with about 830 hereditary peers, 26 spiritual peers, about 270 life peers and peeresses, and the House of Commons.

The House of Commons has 650 popularly elected members. The House of Commons is the real government body of the United Kingdom. In order to become a law, a new bill proposed by the Cabinet, must be ap­proved by the both Houses of the Parliament. The Lords cannot veto a bill, but they can delay it for a maximum of 1 year. Financial bills cannot be delayed by the House of Lords.

The executive power of the Crown is exercised by the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister. Prime Minister, normally the head of the party com­manding a majority in the House of Commons, is appointed by the Sover­eign. Prime Minister appoints the rest of the Cabinet. All ministers must be members of one or the other House of the Parliament. They are individually and collectively responsible to the Crown and the Parliament. The Cabinet proposes bills and arranges business of the Parliament.

Government in Britain, since 1945 has alternated between only two political parties: the conservatives (the Tory) and the Labour Party. No other party has been in office at all since 1945 and there have been no coali­tions. The third long-established party, the Liberals, enjoyed moments of success, but no member of the Liberal Party has held government office since 1945.

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Великобритания, которую называют Соединенным королевством или Британией, объединяет Англию, Уэлльс, Шотландию и Се­верную Ирландию, является четвертой по плотности населения страной Европы, там 57 миллионов жителей.

2. Ландшафт Великобритании очень разнообразен, от высокогорий до низин, изрезанных низкими грядами гор.

3. Великобритания — одна из ведущих промышленных стран мира, самые развитые отрасли промышленности страны — производство станков, электроэнергии, автоматизированного оборудования, оборудования для железных дорог, автомашин, самолетов, элек­тронного оборудования и оборудования для связи, химической продукции, нефти, пищевых продуктов, банковский и страховой сервис.

4. Великобритания — конституционная монархия, это означает, что управление страной осуществляется наследственным монархом, выборной палатой общин и частично наследственной палатой лордов.

5. Конституция существует в виде веками складывающейся суммы статутов, судебных решений, практики и традиций.

6. Наследственный монарх ограничен осуществлением церемони­альных функций, таких как роспуск парламента, приглашений сформировать парламент в случае отсутствия убедительного большинства, и очень немногих действительно важных функций, таких как арбитр последней инстанции.

7. Высшая законодательная власть осуществляется парламентом, который состоит из двух палат: палаты лордов, в которую входят наследственные пэры, духовные пэры и пожизненные пэры и пэрессы, и палаты общин, состоящей из 650 членов, избираемых народом.

8. Законопроект предлагается кабинетом министров, должен быть одобрен обеими палатами, палата лордов может отложить зако­нопроект максимум на год.

9. Исполнительная власть монарха осуществляется кабинетом министров, который возглавляет премьер-министр, являющийся главой партии, имеющей большинство в палате общин и назначаемый монархом.

Answer the following questions:

1. Where is the UK situated? 2. What countries does the UK consist of? What are their capitals? 3. Is the UK a large country? 4. What channel separates the British Isles from the European continent? 5. Can you prove that Great Britain has a variety of landscapes? 6. What's the population of the UK? 7. What British symbols do you know? 8. Who does the real power in Britain belong to? 9. What does the British Parliament consist of? 10. What is the difference between the Commons and the Lord?

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