Модуль I Иностранный язык для общих целей (62 ч.)

Цель данного модуля – совершенствовать имеющиеся у студента определённые навыки чтения, перевода, устной речи на материале бытового, страноведческого характера и дать знания в области чтения и перевода оригинальной научной литературы.

Модуль содержит тематический раздел «Страна изучаемого языка», рассчитанный на 9 аудиторных занятий, включает словарь, основной и дополнительный тексты, а также задания, направленные на развитие диалогической и монологической речи. После изучения каждой темы студент должен уметь представить устное монологическое сообщение и вести беседу по данной теме.

В течение данного модуля отрабатываются такие грамматические темы, как «Артикль», «Множественное число имён существительных», «Степени сравнения имён прилагательных», «Структура предложения в иностранном языке: повествовательное (утвердительное, отрицательное), вопросительное, побудительное), «Простое предложение», «Сложное предложение: сложносочиненное, сложноподчиненное», «Наречие», «Модальные глаголы», «Неопределённые времена», а также словообразование: приставки, суффиксы, окончания разных частей речи.

Особое внимание уделяется речевому этикету повседневного общения (знакомство, представление, установление и поддержание контакта, запрос и сообщение информации, побуждение к действию, выражение просьбы, намерения, согласия/несогласия с мнением собеседника/автора, завершение беседы).

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

EXERCISE 1. Read the text using a dictionary if necessary. Make up a list of unknown words.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles, which include two large islands (Great Britain and Ireland) and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers. The British Isles are separated from the Continent by the North Sea and the British Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast respectively. The UK is a highly developed country. It produces and exports machinery, electronics, textile. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

The UK is a parliamentary monarchy and the King (Queen) is the formal head of the government. For centuries the monarch had the total power, but now the Queen is said “to reign, not to rule”. Now the Queen of Britain is Elizabeth II. The British Parliament, the legislative body of the country, is the oldest in the world. It was formed in the 13^th century. It consists of the House of Lords, the House of Commons and the Monarch. The House of Lords was previously a hereditary, aristocratic chamber, but currently it includes a number of hereditary members, bishops of the Church of England and appointed members (life peers). Life peers are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Government for various services to the nation. The House of Lords was the final Court of Appeal up to 2005. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 transferred its judicial functions to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The head of the House is Lord Chancellor.

The House of Commons consists of 650 members elected by popular vote. The House elects its own president who is called the Speaker. Since 1707 the House of Commons has been the major element in the British Parliament. In comparison with the House of Lords only its debates really matter during the legislative process.

The executive functions belong to the Government, which is responsible to the House of Commons. It is headed by the Prime Minister, who forms the Cabinet consisting of 17 chief ministers, the Government’s inner ruling body. The main parties which give the majority of members to the House, are the Conservative party (or Tories), the Labour party and the Liberal Democratic party. The leader of the majority party becomes the Prime Minister of Britain.

London is the capital of the UK, its economic, political and cultural centre. It is one of the world’s most important ports and one of the largest cities in the world with the population of about 11 million people. The most famous places in London are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, the British Museum and many others.

EXERCISE 2. Give Russian equivalents for the following English words and word combinations:

a highly developed country, monarchy, to reign, legislative body, hereditary chamber, to appoint, Court of Appeal, judicial functions, the United Kingdom, popular vote, executive functions, be responsible to, ruling body, majority party.

EXERCISE 3. Give English equivalents for the following Russian words and word combinations:

Западное побережье, Великобритания, кораблестроение, королева, править, управлять, епископ, пожизненные пэры, заслуги перед отечеством, Верховный суд, глава, избирать, по сравнению с, законодательный процесс, возглавлять.

EXERCISE 4. Match up the adjectives in column A with the nouns in column B to form meaningful phrases.

A B

Northern chamber

Hereditary body

Parliamentary court

Legislative Ireland

Supreme monarchy

EXERCISE 5. Decide which of the verbs on the left collocate with the nouns on the right.

To produce members

To appoint functions

To elect machinery

To transfer the Cabinet

To head life peers

EXERCISE 6. Speak on advantages or disadvantages of having a monarchy.

EXERCISE 7. Complete the following text with the words and expressions from the box:

Cabinet benches Foreign Secretary

backbenchers Budget Shadow Cabinet

Prime Minister Speaker Home Secretary

ministers front bench Leader of the opposition

debates Opposition Chancellor of the Exchequer

The House of Commons

This is the House of Commons, where the Members of Parliament take their seats on the green leather … according to their party and position. One of them is chosen to be the … , who acts as a kind of chairman of the … which take place in the house. In front of him on his right sit the MPs of the biggest party, which forms the government, and facing them sit the MPs of the parties who oppose them, the … . The leaders of these two groups sit at the front on each side. MPs without special position in their parties sit behind their leaders at the back. They are called … . The leader of the government, the … , sits on the government … , of course, next to his or her … . The most important of these form the … . The minister responsible for relations with other countries is called the … . The one responsible for law and security is called the … . The one who deals with financial matters and prepares the annual … speech on the economic state of the country is called the … . Opposite this group sits the … (the main person in the largest party opposing the government) and the … , each member of which specializes in a particular area of government.

EXERCISE 8. Scan the text and find the answers to the following questions:

1. How can a person become a candidate for the election?

2. Who does an MP represent?

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

4. How is the job of an MP paid?

People who want to be elected to Parliament need to be nominated by one of the main political parties. A candidate has to put down a deposit of 500 pounds and collect ten signatures from residents in the constituency where he wants to stand. A candidate who gets less than 5 per cent of the total votes loses his deposit. Although MPs will support a particular party, they are not controlled by that political party and theoretically don’t have to vote with their party in Parliament. MPs represent everyone in the constituency, not just the people who voted for them. A lot of MPs’ work has nothing to do with voting in Parliament. There are hundreds of things MPs must deal with in the day-to-day business of constituency life, such as housing or health care. MPs are there to help people and to try to make sure their rights under the law are not violated. Some MPs hold an advice bureau in their constituencies, where people can go for advice. Members of Parliament have been paid salaries since 1911. The rate has lately been nearly twice the average industrial worker’s wages. Since 1965 the allowances for travel, living in London, and paying part-time secretaries and research assistants have all been increased. Still many MPs have outside earnings, through journalism, work at the law courts or business.

EXERCISE 9. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the full name of the country?

2. What is the total area of the country?

3. How many parts does the UK consist of?

4. What is the capital of Scotland?

5. Who is the head of the country?

6. What is the legislative body of the UK?

7. Who does the House of Lords include?

8. Who are the heads of both Houses of Parliament?

9. What House of Parliament has more power?

10. What court was established by the Constitution Reform Act 2005?

11. What body exercises executive functions?

12. What are the main political parties in the UK?

13. Who is the Prime Minister nowadays?

14. What is London famous for?

EXERCISE 10. Surf the Internet for the information about a) London and its places of interest; b) parts of the UK; c) the royal family, etc. and make up a presentation for your groupmates.

EXERCISE 11. Compare the British and Russian state systems and speak on differences between them.