British Institutions | Разное

Parliament is the most important authority in Britain. Parliament first met in the 13th century. Britain does not have a written constitution, but a set of laws. In 1689 Mary II and William III became the first constitutional monarchs. They could rule only with the support of the Parliament. Technically Parliament is made up of three parts: the Monarch, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The continuity of the English monarchy has been interrupted only once during the Cromwell republic. Succession to the throne is hereditary but only for Protestants in the direct line of descent.
Formally the monarch has a number of roles. The monarch is expected to be politically neutral, and should not make political decisions. Nevertheless, the monarch still performs some important executive and legislative duties including opening and dissolving Parliament, signing bills passed by both Houses and fulfilling international duties as head of state.
The present sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II who was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953. The House of Lords comprises about 1 200 peers. The house is presided over by the Lord Chancellor. The House of Lords has no real power but acts as an advisory council for the House of Commons. As well as having legislative functions, the Lords is the highest court of appeal. The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament who are elected by the adult suffrage of the British people in general elections which are held at least every five years. The country is divided into 650 constituencies each of which elects one Member of Parliament.
The Commons, therefore, has 650 Members of Parliament. The party which wins the most seats forms the Government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister. The functions of Commons are legislation and security of government activities. The house is presided over by the Speaker. The government party sits on the Speaker’s right while on his left sit the members of the opposition.

Questions:
1. What is the most important authority in Britain?
2. Does Great Britain have its constitution?
3. Who were the first constitutional monarchs?
4. What are the parts the Parliament made up of?
5. Does the monarch have any duties?
6. Who is present sovereign?
7. How many peers are there in the House of Lords?
8. Does the House of Lords have real power?
9. How are the Members of Parliament elected?
10. How many Members of Parliament are there in the House of Commons?
11. Who becomes the Prime Minister?

(No Ratings Yet)

Похожие топики по английскому:

Asia at risk of greater climate-sensitive diseases Aside from more droughts and floods, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the world has to deal with the impact of climate change...

The European Community – Европейское сообщество How it all began After World War Two, Europe was weak. Millions of its citizens had died. The age of Empire was dead. Two new...

Meals in Britain – Еда в Британии Traditionally English people have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served in the morning. It used to be a large meal...

Pubs in Great Britain Pubs can be found in every town or village. Social life for many people has centred on the pub for many years. Opening and closing...

London 10 In 1996, in winter I went to London. This city impressed me very much. When we leaved from Archangel the weather was terrible: it was...

After keeping us waiting, mark twain will finally reveal all The great American writer left instructions not to publish his autobiography until 100 years after his death, which is now Exactly a century after rumours...

Cinema (2) Cinematograph is one of the wonders of the modern world. In 1895 the Lumiere brothers gave the world’s first real cinema show in Paris to...

Jerome david salinger – go see eddie Go See Eddie The Kansas Review VII, December 1940, pages 121-124 HELEN’S bedroom was always straightened while she bathed so that when she came out...

Peter the Great Peter 1, or Peter the Great was one of the most outstanding rulers and reformers in Russian history. He was Tsar of Russia and became...

San Francisco San Francisco is a special place, very different from most American cities. It lies on a small finger of land with the Pacific Ocean on...

Кратко о City & Guilds / Briefly about City & Guilds Examination City & Guilds is based in 1878. The organization is under protection Royal family of the Great Britain and is one of the leading...

Great Britain 6 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with an area of some 244.000 square miles is situated on the British Isles which are...

Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean in the world, with the area of around 70,000,000 sq mi (181,300,000 sq km), occupying about one...

British Isles The British Isles haven`t always been a separate part of Europe. Long time ago Britain was a part of the European continent. Then about ten...

Great Britain 4 The official name of the country we usually call England and occasionally Great Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The...

My Parents – Мои родители My mother’s name is Elena Vasylivna. She is 37 years old. My father is three years older, he’s 40. His name is Serhiy Mykolayovych. They...

Cheerful, honest and sociable – Веселый, честный и общительный My name is Alexander. I am a student of Kostroma Technology University. I am 17 years old. I am rather tall, thin. I am well-built,...

Increase in poverty confirms social imbalance Increase in Poverty Confirms Social Imbalance 29 September 2011 By Howard Amos Luxury shopping is out of reach for the vast majority of Russians, with...

Great Britain 14 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. It consist of four parts: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern...

The Geographical Position of Great Britain – 1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland covers an area of some 244 thousand square miles. It is situated on the British Isles....