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Архитектура Аудит Военная наука Иностранные языки Медицина Металлургия Метрология Образование Политология Производство Психология Стандартизация Технологии |
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE UNITED STATES QUIZСтр 1 из 11Следующая ⇒
1. What do you know about these people: Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson? 2. What do you know about these documents: the Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation; the US Constitution? 3. How many states are there in the US? 4. How many original states were there in the US? 5. What is the flag of the US called? 6. How many stars (stripes) are there on the flag? Why? 7. What is the capital of the country? 8. What does Washington D.C. mean? 9. Is the United States a democracy or a dictatorship? 10. How do you understand the word ‘democracy’?
2.FIRST READING OF THE TEXT. Skim (read quickly) the text to decide what it is about in general and put the following headings into the correct numbered positions (1-6). Do not try to read the text in detail for this activity. a) CONSTITUTION b) ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION c) ORIGINS OF DEMOCRACY d) WAR AND INDEPENDENCE E) DEMOCRACY F) NEW WORLD The United States is a democracy. But what is the meaning of the word ‘democracy’ and what do Americans mean when they use the word? The word comes from the Greek demos, which can be translated as ‘the people’ and kratos, which means ‘power’. So, democracy is the power of the people. It’s clear, however, that when populations are large the people are forced to delegate their power to a smaller and more functional group of citizens (Parliament, Congress and so on) who will represent their interests and govern the country. In other words, a democratic system of government is based on the idea that the citizens of a nation should elect their officials and thus have a voice in governing their country. This is called indirect democracy, or rule of the people through their representatives. Abraham Lincoln, one of the best - loved and most respected of America’s presidents, said that the United States had a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” No one has formulated a better way of describing the principles of the American political system as Americans understand it. The idea that the citizens of a nation should elect their officials and have a voice in making laws was not a new one when the United States came into being. Athens and other city-states of ancient Greece had forms of democracy. Later democracy as a form of government disappeared from ancient Greece and, over the centuries, most people were ruled by kings, queens, emperors or small elite groups and had no voice in their government. That was the situation in Europe in 1492 when an Italian named Christopher Columbus, in ships provided by the king and queen of Spain, sailed westward, seeking Asia, and landed in the ‘New World’. The New Worldconsisted of what are now the continents of North and South America. Most Europeans did not know until after Columbus had made his great voyage that these land masses existed. Within a few years, the more powerful nations of Europe were claiming great areas of each continent and establishing colonies to support their claims. By the 1700s, England had established 13 colonies in the eastern part of what is now the United States. Most of the colonists were English or from other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Each colony had its own government. But in fact, all were ruled by the representatives of the British king, with some consultations with the colonists. As time passed, the colonists began to resent the governing power that Britain exercised over them. In 1775 a fighting broke out between New England militia and British soldiers and the War of Independence began. On July 4, 1776, the delegates from the colonies met in Philadelphia and issued a Declaration of Independence, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, a farmer and lawyer from the colony of Virginia. This document declared that from that time the “United Colonies” were no longer colonies of England. The Declaration described them as “free and independent states ” and officially named them the United States of America. Besides declaring the colonies a new nation, the Declaration of Independence set forth some of the principles of American democracy. The document says that all people are created equal, that all have the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”, and that governments obtain their power from the “consent of the governed”. With help from France, England’s old enemy, and other Europeans, the American armies led by George Washington, won the War of Independence. When peace came, the United States was not one unified nation as it is today. During the war the states had agreed to work together by sending representatives to a national congress called the ‘Congress of Delegates’. The agreement that set up this plan for cooperation was called the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress needed or with each other. The Congress had no given authority to force any state to do anything. Many Americans worried about the future. They believed that the Congress needed more power. The Congress asked each state to send delegates to a convention in Philadelphia, the city where the Declaration of Independence had been signed, to discuss the changes that would be necessary to strengthen the Articles of Confederation. The smallest state, Rhode Island, refused, but the delegates from the other 12 states participated. The meeting, later known as the Constitutional Convention, began in May of 1787. George Washington, the military hero of the War of Independence, was the presiding officer. Fifty-four other men were present. In the course of the Convention, the delegates designed a new form of government for the United States, so-called federal system. The plan for the government was written in very simple language in a document called the Constitution of the United States. In writing the Constitution, the delegates had to deal with two main fears shared by most Americans. One fear was that one person or group might become too powerful and create a tyranny. To guard against this possibility, the delegates set up a government consisting of three parts, or branches, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. Each branch has powers that the others do not have and each has a way of counteracting and limiting any wrong actions by another branch. Another fear was that the new central government might weaken or take away the power of the state governments to handle their own affairs. To deal with this the Constitution specified exactly what power the central government had and which power was reserved for the states. The states were allowed to run their own governments as they wished provided that their governments were democratic.
3. READING FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION. Quickly scan the text to find the following information: 1. The names of three basic documents which are considered the foundations of American democracy. 2. Three important dates in the history of the United States. 3. Three names which refer to persons who played an important role in the foundation of American democracy. 4. READING FOR GENERAL UNDERSTANDING. Read the text again and choose a) b) or c) to complete the following sentences. 1. Democracy is rule of … a) the majority b) a small elite group c) the people 2. The idea of democracy as a form of government first appeared in … a) the United States b) ancient Rome c) ancient Greece 3. Christopher Columbus discovered America in … a) 1492 b) 1490 c) 1491 4. The ships for Christopher Columbus’ voyage were provided by the … a) king of England b) queen of England c) king and queen of Spain 5. By the 1700s England had established … colonies in the eastern part of what is now the US. a) 12 b) 13 c) 15 6. Each colony was, in fact, ruled by the … a) British king b) British queen c) colonists 7. The Declaration of Independence was issued in … a) 1774 b) 1775 c) 1776 8. The Declaration of Independence was primarily written by … a) George Washington b) Thomas Jefferson c) Abraham Lincoln 9. The Articles of Confederation failed because … a) there was no central government under this agreement b) the central government was too strong and took away the power of the state governments c) the central government was too weak 10. The US Constitution is … years old. a) 211 b) 218 c) over 217 WORD STUDY. 5.1 Work out the meaning of the words in italics in the context of the text. 5.2 Fill in the synonyms from the list. to make sb do sth; to take part; to choose; power; to set up; dictatorship; to bring forward; to look for; to rule; to ensure; agreement; to handle;
5.3 Find a word or a phrase in the text that has a similar meaning.
5.4 Choose the words from the list to fill in the gaps. Use the text to help you. officer; government; democracy; power; Constitutional; governed; have; a way of; came; Articles; sailed; system;
5.5 Fill in the prepositions from the list where necessary. into; of; over; with; in;
to have a voice … sth; to come … being; to seek … sth; to consist … sb (sth); to claim … sth; to exercise power … sb; to deal … sth; to handle … sth; 5.6 Translate the following word combinations into English using the expressions from the text.
власть народа принимать участие в управлении страной претендовать на территории создавать колонии получить власть с согласия управляемых разработать новую форму правления правительство, состоящее из трех частей способ противодействия и ограничения вести свои внутренние дела
LANGUAGE STUDY: PROVIDE a) Look at these sentences from the text: (1) That was the situation in Europe in 1492 when an Italian named Christopher Columbus, in ships provided by the king and queen of Spain, sailed westward, seeking Asia, and landed in the ‘New World’. (2) The states were allowed to run their own governments as they wished provided that their governments were democratic.
b) Study the following table for the meanings and functions of the word ‘provide’.
c) Now translate the sentences in a) using your knowledge of the meanings of the word ‘provide’. d) Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the grammatical functions of ‘provide’. 1. I will agree to sign the contract providing ( that ) my expenses are paid. 2. Democracy is a system of government that provides the power of the people. 3. In a democracy citizens will delegate their power to a smaller and more functional group provided that this group represents their interests. 4. The government must provide their citizens with the right to social security, work and equal pay for their work. 5. Every American is guaranteed the rights and freedoms provided for in the Constitution. 6. The Founding Fathers of the Constitution provided for a government consisting of three parts, or branches. 7. Provided that your constitutional rights have been violated you may apply to a court. 8. The agreement provides that all disputes shall be referred to arbitration. 9. He has a large family to provide for. 7. READING FOR DETAIL. Read the text carefully. 7.1 Fill in the events.
7.2 Use information from the text to answer the following questions. 1. Where does the word ‘democracy’ come from? What does it mean? 2. What is a democratic system of government based on? 3. What is ‘indirect democracy’? 4. What did Abraham Lincoln say about the US government? 5. Is the United States the motherland of democracy? 6. What was the situation in Europe before Columbus’ voyage? 7. How did the situation in the world change after Columbus’ great discovery? 8. How many colonies did England establish in the eastern part of what is now the United States? 9. What is the importance of the Declaration of Independence? 10. Who led the American armies in the War of Independence? 11. Who won the War? 12. What did the Articles of Confederation set up? Why did they fail? 13. Why did the delegates from 12 states meet in Philadelphia in May 1787? 14. What did the delegates design in the course of the Convention? 15. What were the two main fears in writing the Constitution?
SPEAKING. 8.1 Define the following: democracy/ indirect democracy/ colony/ colonist/ convention/ government
8.2 Without looking at the text complete the following statements. Democracy as a form of government is based on … Indirect democracy means … The Declaration of Independence is considered the first foundation of American democracy because … The Articles of Confederation failed, because … In the course of the Constitutional Convention the delegates designed a … In writing the Constitution the delegates had to deal with two fears shared by most Americans …
DEVELOPMENT. 9.1 Fill in using your own ideas: Democracy … 1. .. the power of the people (it … 2 … from the Greek demos, which can be …. 3 … as ‘the people’ and kratos, which … 4 … ‘power’).
9.2 Make a sentence. Use all the given words.
A … 1 … that … 2 … itself “… 3 …” … 4 … that its … 5 … to … 6 … … 7 … … 8 … the … 9 … or … 10 … … 11 … the … 12 … 9.3 Fill in the gaps with the missing words. The number in brackets says how many times a given word appears in the text. governed (2); controlled (3); democratic (3); criticized (1); Western (1); the United States (1); Albania (1); dictatorships (2); government (1); There are two kinds of … a …: those which can be … b …, … c … and changed by the people who are … d … and those which cannot. Governments which are … e … by the … f … are called … g …, those which are not so … h … are in effect … i …, whether the ruling power is one man, a group or a party. The governments of Great Britain, … j … and most of … k … Europe are … l …, those of … o …, North Korea and Iraq are … p … of one kind or another. All modern … q … states have some kind of parliament, and all parliaments are ultimately derived from the British. But the British did not invent parliamentary government; it grew out of the history of nine centuries. (Taken from ‘Parliament’ by Kenneth Mackenzie)
9.4 The following extracts focus on the principles underlying true democracy. Try to find the key word(s) in each extract. Then discuss the principles in class. A. In a democratic state there are certain freedoms closely linked to politics, which are limited as little as possible – freedom of speech, freedom to publish and freedom to meet and associate with others. How far should limits on the freedoms go? The important point is that the limits on various freedoms should be constantly debated. People’s views do not always stay the same, and if a political system truly represents the ‘power of the people’ it must be able to reflect changing opinions. The most important aspect of political freedom is to be able to discuss freedom itself. B. People are obviously unequal in most respects – in height, weight, wealth, looks, intelligence and so on. However equality does not depend on everyone being the same, or being treated in the same way. The principle of equality simply means that where we treat people differently we should have valid reasons for doing so. And if we cannot give any valid reasons we should treat them equally. For instance, ‘equality before law’. Two people who commit the same crime, in the same circumstances, should not be treated unequally because of differences in the color of their eyes, the size of their bank account, or any other reason. How far should equality go in a democratic society? It is not possible to give a definite answer, what matters is that it is constantly debated. C. The importance of public debate depends on a certain ‘openness’. Freedom of speech in clubs and pubs, on TV and in Parliament – is only a part of it. A democratic government should explain its thinking to the people, give reasons for its actions and try to gain public confidence. How else could it claim to have the consent of the people? However most governments resort to secrecy in certain circumstances(e . g. anything the government considers important for national security). It is the task of members of parliament, pressure groups and the mass media to keep secrecy to a minimum. In a democratic state people have a right to know what is going on in government. D. If the people are to exert power on the government, it is necessary for them to take part in political affairs. However before people can play an active part in democratic government they need a certain amount of political knowledge and experience. How is it gained? One way of getting experience is to participate in bodies as student councils, trade union branch meetings and local clubs and societies. People are much likely to take an interest in political affairs if they feel that their views count for something. One way of directly involving the public in decision making is to hold referendums, in which each voter is asked to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a particular question. When a new important issue emerges during the life of a government, the only sure way of getting an up-to-day guide to public opinion is to hold a referendum. E. A political system which allows disagreements to be openly expressed can only work if conflicting groups tolerate each other. To be tolerant of one’s rivals does not involve liking or agreeing with them. It simply means that one accepts their right to be different – to hold opposing views and to express them publicly. In a political system based on toleration, people are expected to settle their differences without hostility and violence. And the government is expected to use its powers to protect the rights of minority groups. This is an essential feature of all democratic governments. The British like to think of themselves as one of the most tolerant of all nations. Their language is full of expressions illustrating this: ‘live and let live’, ‘listen to the other fellow’s point of view’, ‘give him a fair hearing’ and so on. If there is a spirit of give and take, democratic government is strengthened. But where fear and distrust of rival groups produces intolerance, then the necessary conditions for a democratic society quickly disappear.
10. RESEARCH. Discuss in your class:
What changes could be introduced in your institute which, in your opinion, would make it a more democratic institution (e.g. be allowed to have a say in the content of lessons; be allowed 1, 2 or 3 or more free lessons; have a say in some aspects of institute policy such as length of holidays, frequency of exams, comments on teachers, choice of textbooks)?
UNIT II
AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES Ever since people began living in tribes and villages, they have had to balance order with liberty. Individual freedom had to be weighed against the need for security of all.
1. BEFORE READING. Suggest your answers to the following questions. 1. What is the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship; a monarchy and a republic; a federal and a unitary state? Give examples. 2. Why do you think power is shared among three branches of government in democratic countries?
2. FIRST READING. Skim the text and put the following headings into the correct numbered positions (1-3). a) CHECKS AND BALANCES b) DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER c) SEPARATION OF POWER
In the course of the Constitutional Convention (May, 1787), the delegates designed a new form of government for the US, the so-called federal system . The main principles of federal system are: - decentralization of power - separation of power - checks and balances (maintaining a balance between freedom and order)
The governmental systems in the United States are federal government, state governments and local governments. Decentralizationof power means that power is shared between a central authority (Federal Government) and regional authorities (state and local governments). The Constitution limits the federal government to specific powers, such as national problems, international relations and interstate problems that involve more than one state. All others automatically belong to the states and local communities. The states and local communities in the US have rights that in other countries generally belong to the central government (e.g. education at any level; police force; driving laws; voting procedures; laws about drug use, capital punishment, and so on). The state governments have much the same pattern as the federal government. Each state has also its constitution. But all must respect the federal laws and Constitution and not make laws that interfere with those of the other states. Within the states local authorities must make their laws and regulations so that they fit their own state’s constitution. So, America has a great variety in its governmental bodies. Its system tries to satisfy the needs and wishes of people at the local level, while at the same time the Constitution guarantees basic rights to anyone, anywhere in America. The theory of separation of power was developed by the French political scientist Montesquieu. The essence of the theory is that no person or body should have full control of all three functions of government. The Constitution of the United States is expressly based on the separation of power. It provides for three main branches of government which are separate from one another – legislative (Congress), executive (President)and judicial (Supreme Court). Each branch has powers that the two others do not have (the power of Congress to make laws, the President’s power to make treaties with other nations, etc.). By contrast, the system is considered impracticable for the British system of government, where members of the executive are also members of the legislature (Prime Minister); the head of the judiciary, the Lord Chancellor, is a member of the Cabinet. But even the United States government does not conform exactly to the theory. Each body exercises control over the functions of the others through a complex system of checks and balances . Each branch has powers to counteract and limit any wrong actions of another branch. The system of checks and balances is used to keep any branch from gaining too much power or from misusing its powers For example, Congress has the power to make laws, but the President may veto any act of Congress. Congress, in its turn, can override a veto by a two-thirds vote in each House. And finally, if Congress passes and the President signs a law, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect. Another example is that the President has the sole power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions. The Senate, however, must approve all treaties and appointments before they become official. In this way Congress can prevent the President from making unwise decisions.
3. SCANNING READING. Scan the text to find the following information: 1. Three principles of the United States system of government. 2. Three governmental systems in the United States. 3. Three functions of government. 4. Three public officers mentioned in the text. 5. Three governmental bodies mentioned in the text.
4. READING FOR GENERAL UNDERSTANDING. Choose the correct alternative to complete each of the sentences below. 1. Decentralization of power means that the … a) central government exercises power over the state governments b) powers of the central and state governments are specified c) state governments have the same powers as the central government 2. The US Constitution specifies the powers of the … a) federal and state governments b) federal, state and local governments c) federal government only 3. The states are allowed to have their own constitutions only if they … a) are not in accordance with the US Constitution b) do not fit the US Constitution c) do not contradict the US Constitution 4. Separation of power means that each branch has … a) powers over the other two b) specific functions c) full control of all three branches 5. The system of checks and balances is … a) usurping power b) control of power c) misuse of power
5.WORD STUDY. 5.1 Find a word or a phrase in the text that has a similar meaning.
5.2 Find in the text the English equivalents. в ходе конституционного съезда; разработали новую систему правления; так называемый; правительственные системы; национальные проблемы; международные отношения; проблемы между штатами; издавать свои законы и постановления; соответствовать конституции своего штата; удовлетворять нужды и желания людей; гарантировать основные права; законодательное собрание; судебная система; система сдержек и противовесов; противодействовать и ограничивать; злоупотребление полномочиями; получение слишком большой власти; налагать вето; признавать неконституционным; 5.3 Suggest the Russian for the following. Use the context of the text to help you guess the meaning of the words you don’t know. to design; to limit; to involve; capital punishment; pattern; to interfere with; to fit; variety; essence; to provide (for); impracticable; to conform; to exercise control; to counteract; to gain; to misuse; to veto an act of Congress; to override a veto; a two-thirds vote; to pass a law; to sign; to make treaties with other nations; to make appointments; to approve sth; to prevent;
5.4 Fill in the synonyms from the list. legislative body; to obtain; to abuse; to fit sth; convention; death penalty; authority; is divided;
5.5 Choose the words from the list to fill in the gaps. the power; to make; to override; essence; punishment; gaining; to declare; checks and balances; problems; to veto; international; communities; constitution; limit;
5.6 Fill in the prepositions from the list where necessary. over; to; from; with; for; to limit sb … sth; to interfere … sth; to fit … sth; to guarantee … sth … sb; to provide … sth; to conform … sth; to exercise control … sb (sth); to approve … sth; to prevent … sb … doing sth; Популярное:
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