Полезное:
Как сделать разговор полезным и приятным
Как сделать объемную звезду своими руками
Как сделать то, что делать не хочется?
Как сделать погремушку
Как сделать так чтобы женщины сами знакомились с вами
Как сделать идею коммерческой
Как сделать хорошую растяжку ног?
Как сделать наш разум здоровым?
Как сделать, чтобы люди обманывали меньше
Вопрос 4. Как сделать так, чтобы вас уважали и ценили?
Как сделать лучше себе и другим людям
Как сделать свидание интересным?
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Language focus
session – заседание, сессия
abbey – аббатство
to entertain – принимать, угостить
set – установленный, предписанный
reluctance – неохота, нежелание
replica – реплика, точная копия
Close by Westminster Abbey on the riverside stands the Palace of Westminster, generally known as the Houses of Parliament. Although these buildings are in Gothic style, they are not truly historic, for they were built in 1840 on the site of the old Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1834.
Parliament consists of two separate chambers whose membership and duties have evolved slowly over centuries: the House of Lords (or Upper House), whose members sit there by hereditary right or conferred privilege (there is an increasing number of life peers, whose titles cease when they die), and the House of Commons, where the elected Members of Parliament sit.
Although the Upper House is the larger in membership – more than one thousand peers have the right to attend the sittings – nearly all the legislation is initiated in the House of Commons and presented to the lords for approval. This is, however, little more than a formality, for the powers of the House of Lords are strictly limited. The Queen opens Parliament at the House of Lords.
The six hundred and fifty elected members of the House of Commons meet in a Chamber which is still sometimes called St. Stephen's Chapel. The original chapel where the first parliaments assembled centuries ago was lost in 1834, and the present Chamber is a replica of the one built in 1840, but destroyed during World War II. The members sit on two sides of the Chamber, one side for the Government and the other for the Opposition. Between them sits «Mr. Speaker,» who acts as chairman in the debates. Traditionally, his role was to inform the House of Lords and the monarch of decisions taken by the elected parliament, and as there have been periods in British history when such a duty could be dangerous, the member chosen to be Mr. Speaker always accepted the position with the pretence of great reluctance and fear!
It is a privilege of democratic government that anyone may visit the Houses of Parliament and may sit in the Strangers' Gallery, looking down into the House of Commons, to listen to a debate. The Central Lobby entrance hall is usually busy with people coming and going, some just curious to see the inside of the buildings, others wanting to see their own elected MPs. On fine days, the terrace overlooking the river is crowded with small tables where Members can entertain their guests to tea.
The Parliamentary session begins in November and, with recessions at holiday periods (Christmas, Easter and in summer), lasts for about one hundred and sixty days. The sittings begin at 2.30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and at 11 a.m. on Friday. There is no set finishing time for sittings and if there is urgent business to discuss the sittings may go on until late at night or, indeed, all through the night. All the time Parliament is in session, a flag flies at the top of the Victoria tower, and when the House is still sitting after dark, a light burns over the clock face of Big Ben.
Discussion
1. Where are the Houses of Parliament situated?
2. What is another name for them?
3. When were the present Houses of Parliament built and why?
4. What are the two Chambers in Parliament?
5. What is the present role of Mr. Speaker and what was it in the past?
6. Where do visitors to the House of Commons sit?
7. When is Parliament actually in session?
8. What signs are there which indicate when Parliament is sitting?
The British Houses of Parliament
The House of Commons meets every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday at 2.30 p.m. Normally it sits until 10.30 p.m. although sometimes the debates continue until well after midnight.
The life of Parliament is divided into periods called sessions. At the end of every session Parliament is prorogued; this means that all business which has not completed is abandoned, and Parliament does not meet again until it is formally summoned by the Monarch.
The beginning of a new session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament. This ceremony takes place in the House of Lords, with a few members of the Commons crowded together at the far end of the Lord's Chamber. The Monarch reads the Speech, which is a document, prepared by the Government. In this speech the Government gives a summary of the things which it intends to do during the Session which is about to begin. A debate on particular aspects of the Monarch's speech follows, usually lasting five or six days. When the debates on the Speech are finished, Parliament begins with the work of the session.
The British Parliament is often referred to as the Legislature – the body which makes laws. New laws can only come into force when they have passed through Parliament and got the Royal Assent. A proposal for a new law is known as a bill. Most bills, and nearly all important bills, are introduced by the government about fifty bills are passed each year. Every bill brought in by the Government has been approved first by the Cabinet.
Once the Government has decided to introduce a bill, one minister is put in charge of it. The preparation of the text often takes many months, with long consultations involving civil servants in the minister's department and with the parliamentary Counsel.
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