The House of Commons

Parliament's paramount power is to make laws. It provides, through taxation, the means to govern, a democratic process ensured by the party system which provides each government with an Opposition. Parliament consists of two chambers - the House of Lords and the Commons with 650 elected members.

Beyond the Central Lobby is the Members lobby, so called because only lobby correspondents can accompany Members this far. Beyond here are the Aye and No lobbies where Members pass through for a count when a vote or Division is called during the debate.

In the main chamber, the Speaker presides with the symbol of his authority, the Mace, on the table. The Prime Minister and Government Ministers sit on the front bench on the right side. The Opposition are on the left side.

For relaxation, the Members of Parliament have reception rooms which lead onto the riverside terrace. That could not be used until 1865 when London's new sewerage system opened and reduced the stink from the polluted Thames.

In the gardens across the road is the Jewel Tower, a stone structure built in 1365 to 66 as a royal treasure house. Among modern sculptures to have been placed in the vicinity is a masterpiece by Sir Henry Moore, while Sir Winston Churchill presides over Parliament Square, with his larger-than-life size sculpture raised on a plinth.

1. What is the House of Lords composed of?

2. How is the Lord Chancellor's seat called?

3. Who is the highest civil subject in the land?

4. What is depicted on either side of the Peer's Corridor?

5. How is the official report of Parliament's business called?

6. What is Parliament's paramount power? What does it provide?

7. What does Parliament consist of?

8. When was the Jewel Tower built?

11. Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases to your partner then use them to speak about the House of Lords and the House of Commons:

1. to compose	5. a sack	9. the means
2. to inherit	6. to take precedence	10. to accompany
3. to appoint	7. intrusion into	11. sewerage
4. to qualify	8. paramount	12. plinth

12. Translate the following words and word-combinations into Ukrainian. Then transcribe them to avoid possible mispronunciation and miscommunication in future:

bishops; archbishops; peers; be appointed for life; the supreme court of appeal; the Lord Chancellor; to take precedence; intrusion; paramount power; taxation; be ensured by the party system; preside; mace; sewerage system; reduce the stink; be placed in the vicinity; larger-than-life size sculpture; raise on a plinth.

13. Complete the following sentences:

1. The House of Lords is composed of … bishops and …, peers who have inherited … and … who are appointed ….

2. Those members who are qualified in the law, also sit as a court of law - … in the United Kingdom.

3. In the Chamber – where State … of Parliament take place with the Queen reading from the throne – the Lord Chancellor, who is also …, has a seat called …, formerly made of a large … of wool.

4. The Lord Chancellor is the highest civil … in the land and takes … with the exception of the Archbishop of ….

5. The average attendance at the House of Lords, which … on about … days a year is …, but in the course of a year some … partake in the proceedings.

?14. Translate into English:

єпіскопи та архієпіскопи Англіканської церкви; лорди, що отримали свій титул у спадщину; вищий апеляційний суд; найвища форма влади парламенту; засоби для управління державою; гарантувати наявність опозиційної партії у кожному уряді; кулуари для депутатів; башта коштовностей; поблизу.

— 15. Work in pairs and remember what events or facts these numbers refer to.

17^th century

?16. Match the words from the box with their definitions below.

1. Precedence	2. Partake	3. Skull	4.Representative	5. Stink
6. Origin	7. Sewerage	8. Authority	9. Supreme	10. Lobby
11. Summon	12. Exquisite	13.Secularize	14. Paramount	15. Plinth

a.	the place or moment where something begins to exist
b.	to make something less religious or stop it from being controlled by religion
c.	extremely beautiful and delicate
d.	smell very unpleasant
e.	the bones of the head
f.	a square piece of stone that forms the bottom of a column or statue
g.	a place in the British parliament building where politicians meet and talk to journalists
h.	a more important position or status than something or someone else, or the right to a more important position or status
i.	the power to make decisions or tell people what to do; the power to influence other people because they respect your opinions or knowledge
j.	a system of pipes and passages that carry sewage
k.	someone who has been chosen or elected by a person or group to vote, give opinions, or make decisions for them
l.	most important or powerful
m.	be involved in an activity
n.	more important than all other things
o.	officially order someone to come to a place, especially a court of law

— 17. In pairs remember the word combinations from the texts.

1. Westminster		8. Lord
2. Treasure		9. Democratic
3. Central		10. Exquisite
4. Stranger’s		11. Sewerage
5. Prime		12. Jewel
6. Supreme		13. Hammerbeam
7. Take		14. Paramount

?18. Translate the text into English:

Вестмінстерський палац – будівля на берегу Темзи у лондонському районі Вестмінстер, де відбуваються засідання Британського парламенту. Він поєднується з Трафальгарською площею вулицею Уайтхолл.

Раніше (до 1529 р.) палац слугував столичною резиденцією англійських королів. Після пожежі 1834 року його відновлено за неоготичним проектом Ч. Баррі та А. У. П’юджина. Від середньовічного палацу залишилися лише Вестмінстерська зала прийомів (1097) і башта Коштовностей (збудована для зберігання казни Едуарда Ш).

У палаці 1200 приміщень, 100 сходів і більше кілометра коридорів. Серед башт палаца найбільш відома часовня – Біг Бен. В 1987 р. палац та церкву святої Маргарити (1486-1523), що розміщена поруч, визнали гідними Списку всесвітнього спадку.

& 19. a) Read the text and answer the questions below. Make up the most suitable heading for each part of the text.

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