Parliament of Great Britain

Officially the head of the United Kingdom is the Monarch. The power of the Monarch is not absolute but constitutional and is restricted by Parliament.

Parliament in Britain exists since 1265. It is one of the oldest parliaments in the world.

Parliament is the supreme legislative body. Only Parliament has the right to make or unmake any law. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

The House of Commons is a nation wide representative body. It is the main source of the law. People are elected to the House of Commons during a General Election held every five years. There are 646 Members of Parliament (MPs).

The House of Lords, or the Upper House, consists of Peers. The members of the House of Lords must examine the law proposed by the House of Commons and suggest amendments to it if it is necessary.

Of the two great political British parties-Conservative and Labour- the party which gets the majority of seats in the House of Commons is called the Government, and the other the Opposition. The leader of the majority party becomes the Prime Minister.

Any member of the House of Commons may introduce a Bill. After three readings in the House of Commons it must be approved by the House of Lords. After that the Monarch signs the Bill and it becomes an Act of Parliament.

Упр. 6. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту.

1. What is the supreme legislative body of Great Britain?

2. What are the Houses of Parliament?

3. How often is a General Election to the House of Commons held?

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

5. What are the duties of the Peers?

6. Who becomes the Prime Minister?

7. How does a Bill become an Act of Parliament?

Упр. 7. Выпишите в отдельные (а, в, с,) колонки: a) cуществи-тельные; b) прилагательные; c) наречия. Переведите их на русский язык.

constitutional, legislative, restriction, officially, conservative, government, representation, majority, governmental, widely, constitution, introduction, existence, official, only, amendment, lawyer

Упр. 8. Переведите следующие предложные словосочетания.

1. in Parliament, by Parliament, to Parliament, from Parliament;

2. by a representative body, to the nation representative body, from a legislative body, in the supreme legislative body;

3. the head of the state, the power of the Monarch, the House of Commons, a Member of Parliament, the source of law, the majority of Parliament seats, the leader of the majority party, an Act of Parliament.

Упр. 9. Подберите к колонке А окончания предложений из колонки В.

А В

1. The House of Lords is made up of… 1. by Parliament.

2. The head of the state in the UK is… 2. every five years.

3. The British Parliament has … 3. a Bill.

4. The House of Commons is elected… 4. the Monarch.

5. The power of the Monarch is restricted… 5. two Houses.

6. Any Member of Parliament may introduce… 6. Peers.