Lawmaking process in the USA

List of words

Read the words and learn them:

to amend the draft	вносить поправки в законопроект
to approve the draft	oдобрить законопроект
the committee on House Administration	Комитет по контролю исполнительной власти (палаты)
a congressman	конгрессмен
to confer together with	совещаться
to be examined by	рассматриваться
the House of Representatives	Палата представителей
to initiate new legislation	oсуществлять законодательную инициативу
to be passed by	быть одобренным, принятым
the proposed legislation/a bill	предложенный законопроект
the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration	Комитет Сената по контролю норм права и административной деятельности
to shelve the draft	оставить без рассмотрения; не дать ход законопроекту
to be signed by	быть подписанным кем-либо
the speaker	cпикер, председатель палаты парламента, конгресса

 

Ex. 1. Read the text and render it into Russian:

The US Congress, the lawmaking arm of the federal government, consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Any congressman in either house, or the president, may initiate new legislation.

The proposed legislation, or bill, is first introduced in the House of Representatives, and then referred to one of the standing committees, which organizes hearings on it and may approve, amend or shelve the draft. If the committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives as a whole. If passed there, it goes to the Senate for a similar sequence of committee hearings and general debate.

In cases of disagreement, the House of Representatives and the Senate confer together. Once passed by the Senate as a whole, the bill has to be examined by two more standing committees - the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration - and is then signed by the speaker of the House and by the president of the Senate.

Finally, it must be signed by the president, who has the right to veto it. If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become a law - but only if it is passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.

 

Ex. 2. Find English equivalents in the text

1. Палата представителей

2. Сенат

3. Конгресс

4. Законодательная ветвь

5. Слушание

6. Цикл слушаний

7. Постоянный комитет

8. Общие прения

9. Большинство, составляющее две трети,

10. Право налагать вето

Ex. 3. Answer the questions

1. What is the structure of the US congress?

2. Who may initiate new legislation?

3. Where is the bill first introduced?

4. Who initiates hearings on the bill?

5. What are these hearings for?

6. Where is the bill referred afterwards if the standing committee passes the bill?

7. What is the next stage of passing the bill?

8. Is the process of committee hearings and general debate the same in the Senate?

9. What happens in cases of disagreement?

10. What committees examine the bill if it is passed by the Senate?

11. Who is the bill signed by?

12. What is the last stage of passing the bill?

13. The president doesn’t have the right to veto the bill, does he?

14. Can the bill still become a law if the president vetoes a bill?

 

Ex. 4. Decide if the following sentences are True or False.

1. The US Congress consists of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

2. Only the president may initiate new legislation.

3. The bill is first introduced in the Senate.

4. The bill passes through a number of stages called readings.

5. The House of Representatives have a similar sequence of committee hearings and general debate.

6. In cases of disagreement the Senate prevails.

7. Once passed by the Senate as a whole, the bill is then signed by the speaker of the House and by the president of the Senate.

8. The bill needn’t be signed by the president.

9. The bill can become a law in case it has been vetoed by the president if it is passed by an absolute majority in both houses of Congress.

 

Ex. 5. Develop the sentences:

1. The US Congress consists of two houses…

2. Any congressman in either house, or the president…

3. The bill is first introduced in…

4. Then hearings on the bill are organized by one of the standing committees to...

5. If the committee passes the bill…

6. If passed by the House of Representatives, …

7. In cases of disagreement…

8. Once passed by the Senate as a whole…

9. The bill is then signed by…

10. Finally, it must be signed by…

11. If the president vetoes a bill,…

Ex. 6. Restore the stages of passing a bill:

One of the standing committees, the Senate, the speaker of the House, the House of Representatives, the Committee on House Administration, the president of the Senate, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the president.

Ex. 7. Role-play: experts in lawmaking process in the USA and students

The students are divided into 2 groups: experts in lawmaking process in the USA and students of a law faculty.

The students are eager to inquire about the peculiarities of the lawmaking process in the USA and they ask different questions to get the necessary information. The experts answer the questions, explaining the procedure of passing a bill and other peculiarities of the lawmaking process in the USA

Ex. 8. Compare the lawmaking process in GB and in the USA:

1. In which House does new legislation usually start?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA

2. What is a bill? How does a bill become a law?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA

3. Who has the right of veto?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA

INSURANCE

List of words

Read the words and learn them:

to accept	принимать, брать; соглашаться
on smb’s behalf	от лица, от имени (кого-л.)
to capture	захватывать, брать в плен
claim	требование; претензия; притязание
to club together	собираться вместе
earnings	заработок
to enforce	принуждать, вынуждать (к чему-л ).
fund	фонд, капитал
to hold back	воздерживаться, удерживаться
indemnity	гарантия от убытков, потерь
insurance policy	страховой полис
insurer	страховая компания, страховое общество, страховщик
liability	обязательство, ответственность
life assurance	страхование жизни
loss	потеря, лишение
pirate	пират, морской разбойник
profit	выгода, полезность, прибыль
ransom	выкуп
to retire	уходить в отставку, на пенсию

 

Ex.1 Complete the phrase by matching the words from A with its best association from B. Translate the phrases.

A	B
1. to suffer	a) ransom
2. to pay	b) losses
3. to gain	c) profit
4. to hold back	d) liability
5. to escape from	e) information

 

Ex. 2. Match the words with their definitions:

1. complete honesty	a) a principle used in insurance contracts, legally obliging all parties to reveal to the others any information that might influence the others' decision to enter into the contract;
2. utmost good faith	b) absolute integrity and sincerity;
3. insurable interest	c) a financial or other interest in the life or property covered by an insurance contract, without which the contract cannot be enforced;
4. indemnity	d) the statistically determined average number of years of life remaining after a specified age for a given group of individuals;
5. life expectancy	e) compensation for loss or damage.

 

Ex. 3. Fill in the gaps with appropriate prepositions:

1. Insurance has existed, ___ one form or another, ___ thousands ___ years.

2. Part of their earnings went ___ fund ___ their behalf.

3. In the days when pirates used to attack ships ___ sea.

4. The insurance contract is going to be enforced ____ the insurer.

5. The insurer has held ____ some information.

6. It depends ___ the age ___ the person, how healthy he or she is.

 

Ex. 4. Translate the following phrases into Russian and use them in the sentences of your own.

a) Insurance, earnings on smb’s behalf retired from the army, they were given this money to help them start a new career, to retire, pirates, to attack ships at sea, to club together by putting money into a fund, to be captured, to pay ransom.

b) Complete honesty, to be enforced against the insurer,.to affect the willingness of the insurer, to accept the risk, to escape from liability, utmost good faith, insurable interest, indemnity.

c) Many types of insurances, life assurance, to calculate the probability of death, life expectancy, the more likely person is to die, to be expected to pay into the fund, the fixed amount, scheme.

 

Ex. 5. Restore the word order in the sentences.

1. Insurance for existed thousands has of years.

2. part of earnings of soldiers fund their Roman went into on behalf.

3. If they this money killed then in were given to battle was their families.

4. Gradually principles insurance the were basic of growing.

5. honesty Complete is essential.

6. one of the Utmost good of insurance faith is principles.

7. fundamental rule Another is insurable interest.

8. indemnity of insurance is Another axiom.

9. there are Nowadays many of insurances types.

10. assurance is type of widespread insurances Life the most.

 

Ex. 6. Find out which definition on the right matches which word on the left.

1. premium	a) A person who advises on insurance
2. underwriter	b) A document which proves you are insured
3. insurance	c) Payment for insurance company
4. broker	d) Insurance protection
5. claim	e) A form you will fill in when you apply for insurance
6. compensation	f) An insurer at Lloyd’s of London
7. small print	g) A limited liability company
8. policy/insurance	h) The conditions and clauses in a document of insurance, usually in small writing
9. proposal form	i) You are paid when insured property is damaged
10. cover	j) A request for payment when your insured property is damaged

 

Ex. 7. Decide which word goes in which gap in the passage below.

Mr. Bean wanted to insure his shop. He wanted¹...............against fire and theft. He filled in the²..............and sent it to his³...............who arranged the insurance with an⁴............... Mr. Bean had to pay quite a high⁵...............each year, but it was worth it because a lot of goods were stolen. Mr. Bean put in a⁶...............for⁷............... Unfortunately, the⁸...............refused to pay him the full amount. Mr. Bean had not read the⁹..............in his¹⁰...............properly.

 

Ex. 8. Read the text and translate it into Russian:

Insurance has existed, in one form or another, for thousands of years. When Roman soldiers were paid, part of their earnings went into fund on their behalf. If they were killed in battle then this money was given to their families. Or, if they were retired from the army, they were given this money to help them start a new career.

In the days when pirates used to attack ships at sea, many sea captains used to club together by putting money into a fund. Then when one of these captains was captured, money from the fund was used to pay his ransom.

Gradually, over centuries, the basic principles of insurance were growing.

Complete honesty is essential if the insurance contract is going to be enforced against the insurer. If the insurer has held back any information which would affect the willingness of the insurer to accept the risk, then the insurer may escape from liability when a claim is made under the policy. Utmost good faith is one of the principles of insurance.

Another fundamental rule is that there must be insurable interest. This means that any person taking out an insurance policy must be in a position to suffer a direct loss if the event insured against happens.

Another axiom of insurance is indemnity. The effect of this principle is that you cannot expect to make a profit out of the insurance contract.

Nowadays there are many types of insurances. They are pet insurance, car insurance, dentist insurance, life assurance, marine insurance and others.

Life assurance is the most widespread type of insurances. In1762 a mathematics teacher, James Dodson, calculated the probability of death for each individual who wanted life assurance. Today it is known as life expectancy – how long the person can expect or hope t o live. It depends on the age of the person, how healthy he or she is, and how risky the job he or she does. James Dodson realized that the more likely person was to die, the fewer he or she would be expected to pay into the fund and, therefore, the more he or she should pay each year. With this information, James Dodson calculated the fixed amount that a person should pay each year; this scheme is widely used nowadays in life assurance cases.

 

Ex. 9. Find the English equivalents for the words below in the text:

1. страхование;

2. карьера;

3. постепенно;

4. страховая компания;

5. готовность;

6. обязательство, ответственность;

7. страховой полис;

8. аксиома, постулат;

9. страхование автомобилей;

10. морское страхование (судов и грузов);

11. вероятность, возможность, шанс;

12. ожидаемая продолжительность жизни.

 

Ex. 10. Use the information from the text to answer the questions:

1. Has insurance existed for many centuries?

2. What were the first types of insurance?

3. What are the main types of insurance?

4. What are the essential principles of insurance?

5. What is utmost good faith?

6. What is indemnity?

7. What is life expectancy?

 

Ex. 11. Decide if the following sentences are True or False:

1. Insurance has existed, in one form or another, for thousands of years.

2. When Roman soldiers were retired from the army, they were given no money.

3. Utmost good faith is one of the principles of insurance.

4. If the insurer has held back any information which would affect the willingness of the insurer to accept the risk, then the insurer must escape from liability when a claim is made under the policy.

5. Fundamental rule of insurance is that there must be insurable interest.

6. Indemnity means that you can expect to make a profit out of the insurance contract.

7. Nowadays there are few types of insurances.

8. Life assurance is the least widespread type of insurances.

9. Life expectancy is how long the person can expect or hope t o live.

10. Life expectancy depends on the age of the person, how rich he or she is.

 

Ex. 12. Develop the sentences:

1. Insurance has existed …

2. In the days when pirates used to attack ships at sea…

3. Gradually the basic principles...

4. Complete honesty is …

5. Utmost good faith is one…

6. Another fundamental rule is...

7. Another axiom of insurance is...

8. Nowadays there are many types of insurances...

9. Life assurance is …

10. Life expectancy is…

 

Ex. 13. Make a dialogue. At the insurance company.

A: you are a lawyer and you want to insure you new house and your life.

B: you are a broker. Help your client.

Ex. 14. Reduce the text to one fifth of its original length giving the most important information.

a) Make an outline of the text consisting of 5-8 sentences.

b) Retell the text according to its outline.

 

FACTORY PRODUCTION

List of words

Read the words and learn them:

advantage	преимущество, выгода, польза
batch production	серийное производство
to bring about	осуществлять; вызывать
cargo	груз
continuous production	непрерывное производство
contribution	пожертвование, взнос, вклад
to convince	убеждать, уверять (в чём-л.)
craft	ремесло; профессия
disarmingly simple	обезоруживающе просто
to draw attention to	привлекать внимание
earth-shattering effects	шокирующие действия, влияния; эффекты
to gain	добывать, зарабатывать
to increase	возрастать, увеличиваться; расти
job production	изготовление продукции по заказу
mass-production	массовое производство
misery	страдание, бедность, нищета, нужда
order	заказ
owe	быть должным (кому-л.)
pace	скорость, темп
phenomenon (pl. -ena or -enons)	событие, феномен, явление
to be responsible for	ответственный
to solve the problems	решать, разрешать (проблему)
specialization	специализация
to spread out	1)рассредоточиваться, 2)планировать, 3) налаживаться (о бизнесе)
technique	техника, технические приёмы, метод
trail	след (человека или животного
upsurge	повышение, подъём, рост
vote of thanks	"вотум благодарности", выражение благодарности (организаторам встречи и т.п.)
worldwide	мировой

 

Ex. 1 Complete the phrase by matching the word from A with its best association from B. Translate the phrases.

A	B
1. to gain	a) the craft
2. earth-shattering	b) advantages
3. to practise	c) the problem
4. to solve	d) cargoes
5. to carry	e) effects

 

Ex. 2. Read the text and translate it into Russian.

Over two hundred years ago, Adam Smith introduced some ideas which were to bring about a world revolution. If we enjoy a high standard of living in modern society, we owe much to this Scottish economist and philosopher. If we enjoy driving in sleek motor cars, wearing fashionable shoes, or flying away to distant places for exciting holidays, we should perhaps give an occasional vote of thanks to the man who made it all possible.

What then was Adam Smith's contribution? Like so many ideas which have earth-shattering effects, his was a disarmingly simple notion. He watched workers practicing their craft of pin making. One man would heat the strip of metal, stretch it out, cut off an appropriate length, shape it, cool it and finally smooth and shine it. Smith drew attention to the advantages which could be gained if these various tasks were performed by different workers. Let one be responsible for keeping the brazier glowing and preparing the metal. Another for stretching and cutting. Another for shaping. Another for finishing. He described this technique as the Division of Labor, whereby workers perform short work-cycles, repeating the same actions again and again and again. Smith convinced the world that specialization could solve the problems of poverty and want.

What was the result? The Industrial Revolution, specialization became the order of the day. Productivity was increased to an incredible degree. For Britain, where the revolution started, there was an upsurge in prosperity which made them the richest country in the nineteenth century world. British trains - and railway lines - spread out like a spider's web across the world, opening up the great continents of America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. British ships - built of iron and steel - were used to carry the new bountiful cargoes (including human beings) from every corner of the world, to every corner of the world.

The revolution is not over. It is still with us, but now it is a worldwide phenomenon. Everywhere, factories producing large numbers of more or less identical units are in continuous production. What were called mass-production lines yesterday are called robotic production lines today. If anything, the pace of change is increasing. And if these techniques have brought us prosperity, they have also brought us a trail of misery in overcrowded towns, boring jobs and, worst of all, unemployment.

 

Ex. 3. Use the information from the text to answer the questions:

1. Why is the name of Adam Smith remembered?

2. What technique was he responsible for introducing?

3. Why was Britain the richest country in the world in the nineteenth century?

4. What do you understand by the term «robotic production lines»?

5. Why do you think some jobs might be boring?

6. How can we blame Adam Smith for our present overcrowded towns?

7. How does large-scale production cause unemployment?

Ex. 4. Mark the following sentences as true or false

1. Over three hundred years ago, Adam Smith introduced some ideas which were to bring about a world revolution.

2. Smith convinced the world that globalization could solve the problems of poverty and want.

3. Unit costs will always tend to be low when large numbers of individually designed items are produced.

4. Advertising is often necessary to ensure that stocks of finished goods do not pile up in the factory.

5. Higher output can be obtained by running the cheap machines over two or three shifts per day.

6. The orders consist of a significant number of similar items.

7. Both labour and machines have to be more versatile than in the case of mass production, but less so than in the case of job production.

Ex. 5. Develop the sentences:

1. Over two hundred years ago, Adam Smith introduced …

2. Adam Smith's contribution was …

3. Smith drew attention to...

4. He described the technique …

5. Smith convinced the world that …

6. Specialization became …

7. Productivity was increased …

8. There was an upsurge …

9. The revolution is not...

10. The techniques have brought us …

11. At the same time the techniques have also brought…