N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (doc) (798446), страница 12
Текст из файла (страница 12)
The two Houses of Parliament, the Lords and the Commons, share the same building, the Palace of Westminster. The present buildings of the Palace were erected between 1840 and 1852. Parts of the Palace including the Commons Chamber itself were badly damaged in an air raid made by fascists in 1941, and have been rebuilt since 1945.
Words and Phrases:
apart from - наряду occasion - причина, случай
particular - особый significance - значение
to reject - отклонять for so long as - пока
to submit - представлять nonhereditary - не переходящая по наследству
власть
Tasks:
1. Answer the following questions.
a. What is the supreme legislative authority in the UK?
b. How long does "session" last in the Parliament?
с How many Houses does the Parliament consist of ?
2. Practice with your partner asking and answering questions.
THE GOVERNMENT
The party, which has the largest number of members in the Parliament, is balled the Government. The second largest party is called the official Opposition. The government sits on the right of the Speaker's chair in the Parliament and the Opposition on the left.
The Prime Minister is the head of the Government. He is usually the leader of the party, which has the most members in the House of Commons and is an e,ected member of the House. He chooses from the Lords and Commons about 60 men to take the main offices and form the Ministry. 20 men are chosen from them to form the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister and the Cabinet represent the executive body. They ar responsible for directing the national policy of the United Kingdom. The Prima Minister lives and works in his official residence No 10 Downing Street. One0f the rooms is the Cabinet room, where the Cabinet usually meets once a week Ьщ sometimes more often.
The Cabinet and its committees work in great secrecy. No outside person i$ allowed to see any Cabinet papers until they become only of historical interest.
The Government cannot legally spend any money without the permission of the House of Commons. The money the Government spends is the people's money.
Words and Phrases:
outside person - посторонний to permit - позволять, разрешать
responsible - ответственный permission - разрешение
badly - зд. очень to damage - повреждать
Tasks:
1. Answer the questions.
a. Who is the head of the Government in the UK?
b. How is the Cabinet formed?
c. Where does the Prime Minister live and work?
d. Is the Government controlled by the House of Commons?
e. Whom does the executive power belong to?
2. Speak about: a. the Russian Government;
b. the role of our State Duma in our life;
c. the Prime Minister of Russia and the Prime Minister of GB.
CITIES AND TOWNS
LONDON
London is the capital of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is the largest city in the British Commonwealth. The name "London" is Celtic in origin. London was originally established by the Romans, as Londinium in the 1st century ВС, and became the capital of England in the 11th century. It is "A City" which arose from a number of towns and villages.lt survived the Plaque which killed nearly 100,000 people and the Great Fire which followed. Little damage occurred during World War I, but World War II brought tremendous destructions. Many buildings of great historic value were laid in ruins and to-day the face of London is changed.
Actually there are several Londons: the City, the West End, Westminster and the East End. Each of them is architecturally different from the others, each has its own main street and square, its own shopping center. Many monuments of London's history can be found in the city.
The oldest part of the metropolis is the "City of London". The City extends over an area of about 2.5 sguare kilometres in the heart of London. It is about two thousand years old. Nowadays the City is the financial center of Britain s banks,
insurance companies, trading companies. It is full of life in daytime, but at night it is almost completely empty (5,000 people live here). St. Pauls Cathe-jral has always dominated its centre. The masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren, st. Paul's Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 to replace the old Cathedral that was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. This Cathedral can boast also of some superb carving by Grinling Gibbons. Wren himself is buried here, his tomb carrying the fitting injunction, "Lector, si momentum requires" (Reader, if you see his monument, look around you). It is an architectural masterpiece and one of the greatest English churches. Admiral Nelson is buried here, too.
The West End is the region for the rich. It is a very beautiful region with a lot of nice, cosy, old houses and a lot of expensive shops, cinemas, restaurants. All the historical places and famous parks are in the West End. The West End, spreading from the political centre Westminster includes Piccadilly Circus and the fashionable Covent Garden. For generations Piccadilly has been the heart of London West End. London's busiest spot was named by a long - forgotten tailor Higgins, whose fortune had been made largely by the sale of collars known as "piccadillies". When he retired Higgins built himself a grand house, which he called Piccadilly Hall. Every day over 50,000 cars, coaches and buses, carrying 200,000 people, pass the famous central fountain on the top of which stands a statue of Eros, the Greek God of love. Piccadilly is a fine street stretching from the circus to Hyde Park Corner. It has seen much history over the centuries, and it has changed considerably. Many Londoners resort to Hyde Park on Sundays. Speakers from various political parties often hold public meetings here.
Trafalgar Sguare is the natural centre of London. It hosts museums and galar-ies among them: the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and the British Museum. The main feature of the Square is Nelson's Column with the figure of the great seaman on the top. Trafalgar Square is one of the busiest places in London.
Just behind the Trafalgar Sguare is the National Gallery where there is one of the finest collections of pictures in the world. The Natinal Gallery contains mostly European art from all periods between 1200 and the end of the 19th century.
The British Museum is one of the greatest and best-known museums in the world, both in the diversity of its collection and in their wide range and high qual-'ty- Of the all major departments into which the museum is divided, the most out-handing are: the Assyrian, the Egyptian and the Greek and Roman Antiquities. There are also extremely important ethnological collections.
The library, which is contemporary with the museum, consisted initially of the election of books from the King's Library. The British Museum Library is a read-ln9-room and a reference library, but not the lending one. It contains a collection of unique manuscripts and rare books.
The Houses of Parliament is the seat of the British Parliament. The official naTie of the Houses of the Parliament is the Palace of Westminster. It is a remarkable example of Gothic architecture. The Houses of Parliament were connoted a century ago. The Clock Tower, which contains the hour-bell called "Big Ben" is known all over the world.
Buckingham Palace is the official home of the British royal family in Lond0n containing 600 rooms. Today the Queen lives at the Palace for only a part of th year and when she is in her residence the Royal Standard is flown.
The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey face each other acroSs Parliament Sguare. Wesminster Abbey is not a Cathedral. It is a "Royal Peculiar royal property. In this lovely building we can learn much. Most of the kings and queens of England since William the Conqueror have been crowned here, arid one may see the ancient Coronation chair. Many great men have been honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey. And the church is full of memorials to kings queens, statesmen, writers, and scientists, all of whom have played a part in shaping Britain's history.
No10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence, is over 200 years old. It has all modern conveniences. It has light, central heating, and several bathrooms. The Cabinet meets there. As "No10" two hundred years ago served rich men, so does the Executive of British Government, and its main administrative organs, tend to serve the rich men above all at present.
The Tower of London was first built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror for the purpose of protecting and controlling the city. The Tower has been a fortress, a palace, and a prison, and an arsenal of small arms and now it is a museum. The Tower of London is quarded by Beefeaters, who are dressed in old-fashioned traditional uniforms.
The East End is the region for the poor. The East End is as different from the West End as can be. This is a vast area running eastwards from the City. It includes all the main dock areas and is heavily industrialized. Despite many houses built by the council there are still miles of little dwellings and slums. The Port of London is also in the East End.
One can say that "the CITY is the money of London", "the WEST END is the goods of London", "the EAST END is the hands of London".
There are many parks and gardens in London. The best known are Hyde Park, Regent's Park and St James's Park. They are all within easy reach of the centre of London. Hyde Park is a royal park since 1536.lt is famous for its Speaker's Corner, where people go when they want to tell other people about their political opinions. Regent's Park is in the north-west of London. It is the home of the London Zoo. St. James's Park is the oldest and the smallest of the royal parks. It is near the Buckingham Palace.
London is known by its system of public transport which includes red buses, black taxis, and an underground railway called "the Tube".
London is one of the world's most enjoyable capitals of Europe.
CARDIFF
Being the capital of Wales, financially and industrially, Cardiff is the most №
portant city in an upland country. Hundreds of thousands of the inhabitants of
Wales live and work here. In the roads leading to the docks of Cardiff you will find
much as in Liverpool, Marseilles or any other great commercial port, the
extraodinary mixture of humanity that great ocean-going ships always seem t0 attract. Here you will find little that is typically Welsh, here is Tiger Bay.
But away from the docks Cardiff is a beautiful city. Cathay's Park, the centre of the civic life of the city, with its exceptionally fine group of municipal buildings and its National Museum of Wales, where you will find an enthralling collection of Welsh art and handicraft, both ancient and modern, is a splendid place. With the university and its animated groups of Welsh youths and maidens who swarm around its building, you touch upon one of the essential enthusiasms of the Welsh people, their passionate love and desire for knowledge.
There is much cultural activity in Wales,especially in literature, drama and fliusic.Two of the major annual professional arts festivals are held at Swansea, Wales second largest city, in St. David's Hall in Cardiff. Numerous amateur festivals are held regularly. Welsh is the official language of the festival; the Welsh try to use the festival to keep alive the ancient Welsh language.Prizes are awarded for music, prose and poetry, art and drama.
The establishment of the University of Wales situated in Cardiff is closely connected with the founding of the National Library of Wales and the National Museums and Galleries of Wales and the revival of the largest of these festivals i.e. the Royal National Festival, known as Eisteddfod. It is the largest youth festival in Europe.
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, it is in the east of the country on the river Forth, Edinburgh is the centre of business, industry and education of the country.
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