Выполните следующие упражнения к тексту «United States of America»
1. Найдите в словаре и запишите транскрипцию и перевод слов, подготовьте их контрольное чтение:
reserved powers, commonwealth, to impede, machinery, tyranny, census, circuit, administrative regulation
2. Изучите слова и выражения, которые будут использованы в тексте:
contiguous states – соседствующие (прилежащие) штаты
to put into effect – осуществить, вступить в силу
external affairs – международные (внешние) дела
concurrent powers – совпадающие (общие) полномочия
home rule - местное самоуправление
system of checks and balances – система сдержек и противовесов
Department of State – госдепартамент (министерство иностранных дел)
Department of Treasury – министерство финансов
Department of the Interior – министерство внутренних дел
Department of Commerce – министерство торговли
Department of Veterans Affairs – министерство по делам ветеранов
the Senate – Сенат (верхняя палата Конгресса)
the House of Representatives – Палата Представителей (нижняя палата Конгресса)
the Congress - Конгресс
the Tax Court – суд по государственным налогам и сборам
statutory construction - толкование законодательных актов
judicial review – судебный контроль
3. Просмотрите текст, выпишите в свой словарик незнакомые слова, которые затрудняют понимание текста.
United States of America
1. United States of America, popularly referred to as the United States or as America, is a federal republic on the continent of North America, consisting of 48 contiguous states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii.
2. The supreme law of the land is the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution was drafted by a convention in 1787, was ratified by the required two-thirds of the states by June 1788, and was put into effect in 1789. The Constitution provides for a union of states, now numbering 50, each with its own constitution, republican form of government, and reserved powers, within a federal system. The national government is responsible for external affairs and has concurrent powers with states, commonwealths, and self-governing territories over domestic matters. The chief of state is the president of the United States and the seat of government is the District of Columbia, which has limited home rule and no voting representation in the national legislature.
3. The Constitution establishes three separate branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Each branch has its own area of authority. These areas overlap, making it necessary for the three branches to share in, and compete for, the power to govern effectively. Each branch has some constitutional authority that it can use to impede the functioning of the other branches, creating a system of checks and balances. The purpose of this machinery of government is to prevent the concentration of power in a small group of politicians, which could lead to tyranny.
4. Since the adoption of the Constitution, the national government has increased its functions in economic and social matters and has shared more responsibilities with the states. The executive branch of the government, headed by the President, comprises 14 departments: the Department of State, Department of Treasury, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, and Department of Veterans Affairs.
5. All legislative powers are exercised by the Congress of the United States. Congress consists of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate contains 100 senators, two representing each state - a provision of the Constitution not subject to amendment. The 435 members of the House are elected by the different states on the basis of their population at the most recent U. S. census. California has the largest number of representatives, 52; several states, such as Delaware and Vermont, have only 1. Representatives serve two-year terms, and senators six-year terms. Every two years all 435 members of the House are elected, and one-third of the senators.
6. The federal court system includes the Supreme Court of the United States, established by the Constitution; and 12 courts of appeal (sometimes called circuit courts), 91 district courts, and special courts such as the Tax Court and the Court of Veterans' Appeals, all established by Congress. The federal courts perform two constitutional functions. First, they interpret the meaning of laws and administrative regulations; this is known as statutory construction. Second, the courts determine whether any law passed by Congress or state legislatures, or any administrative action taken by the national or state executive branches, violates the U. S. Constitution; this is known as judicial review.
4. Подготовьте контрольное чтение и устный перевод текста.
5. Подготовьтесь к собеседованию по тексту на основе следующих вопросов:
1. How old is the US Constitution?
2. How many states are in the USA? Are all of them contiguous?
3. Each state has its own constitution, doesn’t it?
4. What is the US national government responsible for?
5. The seat of the national government is New York, isn’t it?
6. What is the purpose of creating a system of checks and balances?
7. How many members are chosen to the US Congress?
8. Do all states have the same number of members of the House of Representatives?
9. Are all senators reelected every two years?
10. What is the structure of the federal court system?
11. Why are federal courts sometimes called constitutional courts?
