State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliamentis a glamourous annual ceremony opening every new session of Parliament. The Queen's gilded coach parades from Buckingham Palace through Whitehall to Westminster, escorted by brilliantly uniformed Household Cavalry. As the Queen enters the Houses of Parliament the air shakes with the booming of heavy guns, and all London knows that the processes that have so long protected England from oppression have once again been renewed with all their age-old ceremony.

The State Opening of Parliament is a procedure which is strictly scheduled, its every minute is significant. Yet when the Queen is seated on the throne there comes a long and awkward pause. Since the Civil War in the 17th century, when Oliver Cromwell defeated and abolished monarchy (Charles I was beheaded) and established a republic for 11 years, no monarch has ever been allowed into the House of Commons. So, sitting on a throne in the House of Lords, the Queen sends her representative, Black Rod, to knock on the door of the Commons to ask the 650 members of Her Majesty's House if they will go and listen to her speech outlining Parliamentary business of the new session. Black Rod is to cross the building to reach the opposite end of the Palace where the House of Commons is situated. The door is closed in front of him. He is to knock humbly 3 times. The door is opened and he announces the Queen's order. And ministers in pairs hurry after the messenger: the Prime Minister with the Leader of the Opposition, ministers in power with the ministers of the Shadow Cabinet. But there are no seats for them in the House of Lords. So they crowd at the entrance and listen to the Queen standing at the door.

The State Opening Speech is drafted by the Queen's Government and describes what the Government intends to implement during the forthcoming session. During the next week or so the Government and Opposition debate aspects of the Queen's Speech in the House of Commons and vote on the amendments which the Opposition proposes. Since the speech is a statement of policy, defeat on any vote would oblige the Government to resign.

Notes to the text:

State Opening of Parliament – официальное открытие сессии парламента

gilded coach – позолоченная карета

to parade – шествовать, проходить строем

Household Cavalry – Королевская конная гвардия (состоит из двух полков: Лейб-гвардейского конного полка и Королевского конногвардейского полка)

oppression – притеснение, гнет

to abolish – отменять, упразднять

Black Rod – «Черный жезл», герольдмейстер (постоянное должностное лицо в палате лордов; назначается монархом; приглашает членов палаты общин на тронную речь монарха; во время церемоний несет черный жезл)

humbly – робко

to draft – составлять

Task 7. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations: эффектный, ежегодная церемония, вековой, неловкий, установить республику, представитель, посыльный (курьер), толпиться у входа, предстоящая сессия, поправка, политическое заявление, уходить в отставку.

Task 8. Find participles I and II in the following sentences:

1. The Queen's gilded coach parades from Buckingham Palace through Whitehall to Westminster, escorted by brilliantly uniformed Household Cavalry.

2. So, sitting on a throne in the House of Lords, the Queen sends her representative, Black Rod, to knock on the door of the Commons to ask the 650 members of Her Majesty's House if they will go and listen to her speech outlining Parliamentary business of the new session.

3. So they crowd at the entrance and listen to the Queen standing at the door.

Task 9. Guess the words used in the text by their definitions: which happens once a year; a person, who brings information sent; to give up a job; to group together; soon to appear; system of government with a hereditary ruler such as a king or queen.

Task 10. Answer the questions:

1. Why is the State Opening of Parliamentcalleda glamourous ceremony?

2. Is a monarch allowed to enter the House of Commons? What time did this tradition date back?

3. What is the role of Black Rod?

4. Is the State Opening Speech an important event in the political life of the country? Explain why you think so.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20