Elections

Britain is a democracy. Men and women over 18 have a vote. They have the right to elect a representative to Parliament. Voting is not compulsory.

The simple majority system of voting is used in parliamentary elections in Britain. This means that the candidate with the largest number of votes fin each constituency is elected, although he or she may not necessarily have I received more than half the votes cast.

A candidate is elected if he or she has a majority of votes over the next candidate. British citizens may stand and be elected as MPs (members of Parliament) if they are aged 21 or over and are not subject to any disqualifi­cation.

Those disqualified include bankrupts, people sentenced to more than one year's imprisonment, clergy of the Church of England, Church of Scot­land, Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Church, peers, members of the regular armed forces or the police service and some others.

For electoral purposes Britain is divided into constituencies; citizens in all the various British constituencies vote for their local MP.

The British government is elected for 5 years and it is the Prime Minister who chooses the date of the next General Elections. When the date is announced the Prime Minister usually asks the Queen to dissolve Parlia­ment. So, the election campaign is launched all over the country and it usu­ally lasts about three weeks.

Voting takes place on Polling Day. When the results are known and it becomes clear what party has a majority of seats in the House of Commons, its leader forms a government by Her Majesty's request.

New vocabulary:

vote — право голоса

to elect — выбирать

compulsory - обязательный

majority system — мажоритарная система

a constituency — избирательный округ

to stand — стать кандидатом

to sentence — приговаривать к...

General Election — Всеобщие выборы

to announce — объявлять

to launch an election campaign - начать избирательную кампанию

Ex. 1 Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующим соче­таниям.

сформировать правительство; продолжаться около трех не­дель; распустить парламент; объявить дату выборов; избира­тельный округ;

Ex .2 Соотнесите значения слов в левой колонке, с их эквивалента­ми в правой колонке.

a. choose 1. come to an end

b. minority 2. a period of planned activities

c. dissolve 3. a great number

d. compaign 4. a representative in the House of Commons

e. majority 5. express one's opinion during elections

f. vote 6. pick out of smth

g. MP 7. a small number

h. function 8. work

Ex. 3 Расположите предложения в логической последовательнос­ти так, чтобы получился пересказ текста.

1. For electoral purposes Britain is divided into constituencies.

2. When one of the parties wins, its leader is invited by the Queen to form a government.

3. It is the Prime Minister who chooses the date of the election.

4. The majority system of voting is used in parliamentary elections in Britain.

5. Men and women over 18 years old have the right to vote.

6. Voting takes place on Polling Day.

7. When the date of the election is known, the Prime Minister asks the Queen to dissolve Parliament.

8. The British Government is elected for five years.

9. The election campaign is launched

Ex. 4 Переведите письменно на английский язык.

1. Великобритания является монархией, но власть королевы не абсолютна, а конституционна.

2. Премьер-министр является лидером партии, которая имеет большинство в Палате Общин.

3. Кабинет обычно помогает премьеру принимать полити­ческие решения.

4. Власть монополистов в Великобритании достаточно сильна. Они имеют места в Парламенте и осуществляют давление на Кабинет Министров.

Ex.5Не заглядывая в текст, вспомните те слова и выражения, ко­торые понадобились бы вам для описания выборов в британ­ский парламент.

Ex.6Прокомментируйте по-английски следующее высказывание. " It is not the voting that is democracy, it is counting."

Ex.7. Read and pick out the sentences of real condition:

A) 1.Tell me if you will be ready by 3 o’clock.

1. We shall catch the train if we take a taxi.

B) 1. Will you ask him if he will take part in the excursion?

2. Will you go to the skating-rink if the weather is fine?

C) 1. If you promise not to be late, I shall let you go for a walk.

2.I want to know if she promises to come.

D) 1.If you see him, ask him to ring me up.

2. Ask him if he will come and see me soon.

E) 1. Ask her if she will go to the cinema.

2. I shall not go to the skating-rink if it is very cold.

Ex. 8. Read and say what you will do

If your mother is ill;

If you see an interesting book in a bookshop;

If your parents leave you alone for a week;

If you have your birthday next week;

If it is raining

If the dinner is not ready yet;

If your mother asks you to help her about the house;

If you want to see a new film.

Ex. 9. Copy the sentences putting in the verbs in the right form:

1. Don’t worry if I … late tonight (to be). 2. If I … any help, I …you (to need, to ask). 3. I … very surprised if he … the examination (to be, to pass). 4.If the weather …rainy we … at home (to be, to stay).5. If you … Alec ask him if he …me a book from the library (to see, to bring). 6.If I… time I… the football match on TV (to have, to watch). 7.He … for you if you … late (to wait, to be). 8.If you… shopping buy a loaf of bread for me (to go).