2. Read the following international words and guess what they mean in Russian:

Congress, senate, senator, federal, federation, elective, elect, elections, veto, president, majority, override, automatically, session, balance, authority, declare, regulate, commerce, military, serve, populate, population, represent, specific, geographic, initiate, impeach, official.
3. Translate the following words paying attention to word-building elements:

Congress – congressional - congressman, senate - senator, federal – federation – federalism, to elect – elective – elections - elector, to populate – population – popular - popularity, to represent – representation – representative, to specify -specific, geography - geographic, to initiate – initiation – initial - initially, to impeach – impeachment, to preside – president – presidential, to appoint – appointment, to reject – rejection, to confirm – confirmation, crime – criminal – criminality – to criminalize.

4. Look through the text and find English equivalents to the following Russian words and expressions in the text:

двухлетний срок, ответственный за, однако, в независимосит от, платить налоги, в зависимости от населения, отвергнуть договор, для того чтобы сбалансировать, председательствовать в Сенате, создатели Конституции, переписать законопроект, переработка, особые обязанности, регулировать торговлю между штатами, одобрение президента, судебная ветвь власти.
TEXT 1

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF US GOVERNMENT

Every society needs laws. In the United States, the power to make laws is given to Congress, which represents the legislative branch of government.

The legislative branch is one of three branches of the U.S. government -- the executive and judicial are the other two -- and it is the one charged with creating the laws that hold our society together. Article I of the Constitution established Congress, the collective legislative body made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The primary function of these two bodies is to write, debate and pass bills and to send them on to the president for his approval or veto. If the president gives his approval to a bill, it immediately becomes law. However, if the president vetoes the bill, Congress is not without recourse. With a two-thirds majority in both houses, Congress may override the presidential veto.

Congress may also rewrite a bill in order to win presidential approval; vetoed legislation is sent back to the chamber where it originated for reworking. Conversely, if a president receives a bill and does nothing within 10 days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.

Congress can also investigate pressing national issues and it is charged with supervising and providing a balance for the executive and judicial branches as well. It has the authority to declare war; in addition, it has the power to coin money and is charged with regulating interstate and foreign commerce and trade. Congress also is responsible for maintaining the military, though the president serves as its commander in chief.

In order to balance the concerns of smaller but more populated states against those of larger but more sparsely populated ones, the framers of the Constitution formed two disparate chambers. The Senate has 100 members, with each state allowed two representatives, regardless of size or population. The House of Representatives

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currently has 435 members, with each state's representation dependent upon its population. Each member of the House represents a specific geographic district within the state, while senators represent their whole state.

Each house has some specific duties as well. The House can initiate laws that require people to pay taxes and can decide whether public officials should be tried if accused of a crime. Representatives are elected to two-year terms.

The Senate can confirm or reject any treaties the president establishes with other nations and is also responsible for confirming presidential appointments of Cabinet members, federal judges and foreign ambassadors. The Senate also tries any federal official accused of a crime after the House votes to impeach that official. Senators are elected to six-year terms. The vice president presides over the Senate and has the right to cast his vote in the event of a tie.
5.Say if the following is true or false:

Useful expressions:

It is quite so. It is true. You are right. No doubt. That’s right. Exactly. I quite agree with you. Yes, certainly. I’m afraid it is not true. I can’t agree. Far from that. You are wrong here. You are not right in saying so. Quite on the contrary.

1. The legislative branch of power belongs to the Congress.

2. The Senate has 200 members, with each state allowed two representatives, regardless of size or population.

3. The House of Representatives has 435 members, with each state's representation dependent upon its population.

4. Representatives are elected to three-year terms.

5. The vice president presides over the House of Representatives and has the right to cast his vote in the event of a tie.

6. Congress is not allowed to rewrite a bill in order to win presidential approval.

7. The Senate can initiate laws that require people to pay taxes and can decide whether public officials should be tried if accused of a crime.
6. Match the following English and Russian equivalents:

sparsely populated states	a) полномочие создавать законы
the power to make laws	b) президентские назначения
to override the presidential veto	c) законопроект становится законом
pressing national issues	d) малонаселенные штаты
the bill becomes law	e) в случае равного распределения голосов
to be accused of a crime	f) преодолеть вето президента
to represent the whole state	g) актуальные национальные проблемы
presidential appointments	h) отдать свои голос
to cast one’s vote	i) представлять штат в целом
in the event of a tie	j) быть обвиненным в преступлении

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7.Fill in the blanks with prepositions.

to consist _____ two houses	to send bills ____ ____ the president
accused _____ a crime	to be responsible ____ something
regardless _____ size	to be dependent ____ the population
to preside ____ the Senate	a geographic district ____ the state

8. Fill in the table below.

Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
		legislate
accusation
	representative
			decisively
		populate
	specific
election

9. 
   Read the text and answer the following questions:
   

1. 
   What represents the legislative branch of government in the USA?
   
2. 
   What is the legislative branch charged with?
   
3. 
   What houses is the legislative branch of government made up of?
   
4. 
   What is the primary function of the two houses of Congress?
   
5. 
   When does a bill become law?
   
6. 
   Can Congress override the presidential veto?
   
7. 
   What other function does Congress have?
   
8. 
   Why does Congress have two houses?
   
9. 
   How many members does the Senate have?
   
10. 
    How many members does the House of Representatives have?
    
11. 
    What are some of the specific duties of each house?
    

10. 
    Read text 2 for more information about the US Congress.
    

TEXT 2

U.S. CONGRESS

The legislative power of national government belongs to the Congress which consists of two houses - the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the houses has a different role, different powers.

The House of Representatives is the dynamic institution of the federal government. The states are represented on a popular basis and are divided into congressional districts or constituencies of roughly equal size - around 520,000 people. Currently there are 435 members who are elected every two years. By law all the states must adopt the system of single-member constituencies with a simple majority vote.

Vacancies arising from death , resignation, etc., are filled by by-elections. The chairman of the House of Representatives is the speaker who is elected by the House and has important responsibilities which give him considerable influence over the President. Moreover, should the President and Vice-President die before the end of their terms, it is the speaker who becomes President.

The Senate is the conservative counterweight to the more populist House of Representatives. Each state has two senators who, since 1913 (Seventeenth amendment), have been chosen by the electorate in the way decided by the state legislature in each state. Senators are elected every six years, but one-third of the Senate is elected every 2 years. A vacancy caused by death or resignation is filled until the next congressional elections by the nomination of the state governor. Currently there are 100 senators. The Senate has the special privilege of unlimited debate to safeguard the rights of minorities but this can enable a small group of senators to prevent the passage of the bill by pronouncing endless speeches; this practice is called filibustering.

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11. 
    Make up a summary of the text read and be ready to reproduce it.
    

SUPPLEMENTARY READING
1. Read the text and prepare its summary in Russian.

TEXT 3

How Congress Works

What does a member of Congress do?

Members of Congress represent the people of their district in the United States Congress by holding hearings, as well as developing and voting on legislation. All bills must pass Congress before they can go to the President to be signed into law. In order to provide the best representation for Michigan’s 7th District, I spend many hours each week meeting with people in South Central Michigan to discuss my current activities in Congress and listen to their concerns and ideas regarding a variety of issues.

What are the qualifications to run for office in the House of Representatives and Senate?

The required qualifications are found in Article 1 of the Constitution:

House of Representatives - 25 years of age - A citizen of the United States for at least 7 years - At the time of election, be a resident of the state.

U.S. Senate - 30 years of age - A citizen of the United States for 9 years - At the time of election, be a resident of the state.

How many members of Congress are there?

There are a total of 535 Members of Congress. 100 serve in the U.S. Senate and 435 serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

How long do members of Congress’ terms last?

Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even year. Senators however, serve six-year terms and elections to the Senate are staggered over even years so that only about 1/3 of the Senate is up for reelection during any election.

How many members of Congress come from each state?

Each state sends two Senators to represent their state in the U.S. Senate. However, in the House of Representatives, a state’s representation is based on its population.  For example, smaller states like Vermont and Delaware have one representative while large states like California have 53 representatives.

How many people do congressmen and senators represent?

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives each represent a portion of their state known as a Congressional District, which averages 700,000 people. Senators however, represent the entire state.

How do the House and Senate chambers differ?

In the House of Representatives, the majority party holds significant power to draft chamber rules and schedule bills to reach the floor for debate and voting. In most cases, House rules will limit debate so that important legislation can be passed during one legislative business day.

In the Senate however, the majority has the power to schedule when various bills come to the floor for voting but a single Senator can slow legislation from coming to the floor for a vote. Since debate in the Senate is not concluded until 60 senators vote for a cloture (прекращение прений) motion to approve a bill for consideration, the majority must also coordinate with the minority part to set the rules for debate on legislation. Under this system, legislation can be debated for one or two weeks on the Senate floor alone. 

Why does Congress use the committee system?

Congress deals with a broad variety of different policy issues and it is more efficient to have work done at the committee level than on the House or Senate floor. In addition, this system allows members to gain expertise in specific issue areas they are interested in. Throughout history, committees have been created to address particular issues before Congress. The House has 23 committees while the Senate has a total of 20 committees.
2. Reproduce the key information of text 3 in a dialogue form. Use conversation phrases given below.

CONVERSATION & WRITING PRACTICE
1. Study the following phrases:

Asking for Clarification / More Information

I didn't understand what you said about…	Could you be more specific about...?
I'm sorry, I didn't catch what you said about…	Could you expand a little bit on what you said about...?
I'm sorry, could you repeat what you said.	What did you mean when you said…?
Sorry, but I'm not quite clear on…	Could you give an example of...?
I'd like to ask you about....	Could you explain in more detail…?
I didn't understand the bit about the ...	So you're telling me that I can't...?
What does … mean?	So what you're saying is that...?
I'm not sure what you mean.	So you mean that…?
I don't see what you mean.	Are you saying that…?
Could we come back to that?	Am I correct in assuming that…?
Could you explain that again, please?	Let me just make sure - your point is that...
If I have understood you correctly, your point is that…

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4. Role-play the conversation “How Congress Works” with your partner.
5. Translate the following text in writing.

U.S. LEGISLATURE

The Congress of the U.S. is the legislative branch of the national government, in effect (по сути) the national legislature. Its existence, authority and limitations are provided by the Constitution, Art. 1, which begins as follows:

“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in (возложена на) a Congress of the U.S., which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.”

The function of the legislative branch of the government is to make the laws and to finance the operation of the government through levying (взимание) taxes and appropriating (выделение) money requested by the executive branch of the government.

Congress must hold an annual meeting commencing (начинаться) normally on January 3.

The time of meeting is fixed by each house. Under standing order (по существующему порядку) the house ordinarily meets at 12 o’clock noon and usually remains in session until 5 or 6 p.m.

“Filibuster” meant originally a buccaneer (пират) such as plundered (грабить) the Spanish colonies in America, and later, adventurers (авантюристы) who led private armed expeditions. From this general idea, the term has come to be colloquially used to designate organized obstructionist tactics in legislative bodies. It is the practice of deliberately taking advantage of freedom of debate in the Senate with a view (с целью) to delay or prevent action on a measure under discussion.
3. Translate the following into English in writing:

1. Законодательной ветвью федеральной власти США является конгресс, состоящий из двух палат: палаты представителей и сената.

2. Вся территория США разделена на 435 избирательных округов (congressional districts), каждый округ имеет приблизительно 520000 жителей, т.е. более густо (densely) заселенные штаты получают больше мест в конгрессе.

3. Председателем палаты представителей являются спикер, которого избирает сама палата.

4. В настоящее время в сенате США 100 сенаторов.

5. Законопроект может быть предложен как в палате представителей, так и в сенате.

6. У конгресса США широкие права и полномочия: законодательная деятельность, контроль за политикой и деятельностью исполнительной власти, защита интересов штатов.

UNIT 4

The Legislative Power in the UK

1. Grammar Focus:	Infinitive
2. Topic Activities (Reading & Speaking):	Text 1. The UK Legislature Text 2. The Houses of Parliament Text 3. The House of Lords
3. Conversation & Writing Practice:	.Evaluating

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Инфинитив – словарная неопределённая форма глагола, основа для образования всех глагольных форм, формальный признак – частица to

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