US CONSTITUTION

 Ex. 1. Read the following international words properly, translate them:

political, practical, standards, basic, to form, to interpret, historian,

conservative, privileged class, position, preamble, pressure, satisfaction, guarantee,

limit, individual, elementary, control, oligarchy, to regulate, petition.

Ex. 2. Read and translate the words. Use a dictionary if necessary:

language, regulations, custom, though, essentially, advantage, advantageous,

widespread, significantly, bourgeois, to enumerate, to violate, enterprise, wealthy, at the expense of, unemployment, poverty, income, to profit.

Ex. 3. Read and translate the adverbs. Give the corresponding adjectives they arc

formed of: practically, regularly, essentially, collectively, properly, widely, significantly, relatively, personally, carefully.

Ex. 4. Read, translate the word units, try to say them again by heart:

in American political language; the set of rules, laws, regulations and customs;

Supreme Court decisions; to be aimed at preserving the advantageous position; to

regard as an essentially conservative document; widespread dissatisfaction;

guarantees of basic freedoms and individual rights; to consolidate the gains of the

Revolution; to be advantageous for the capitalist class; the elementary bourgeois

democratic freedoms; to violate the rights; freedom of enterprise; to expand personalfreedoms; on the contrary; in practice; freedom of the wealthy; at the expense of theworking people; to face unemployment and poverty; to need a guaranteed income; aguaranteed health care.

Read and translate the text:

US CONSTITUTION

The form of the US government is based on the Constitution of 1787, adopted after the War of Independence. A “constitution” in American political language means the set of rules, laws, regulations and customs which together provide the political norms or standards regulating the work of the government. The document known as the Constitution of the United States, though a basic document, is only apart of the body of rules and customs which form the whole of the American Constitution. Supreme Court decisions, interpreting parts of the US Constitution, law regulations, customs arc part of the basic law (the so-called live constitution). Most historians regard the US Constitution as an essentially conservative document.

The US Constitution consists of the Preamble, seven articles and twenty seven amendments, the first ten of them called collectively the Bill of Rights and adopted under the popular pressure in 1791. When the Constitution was first proposed in 1787, there was widespread dissatisfaction because it didn’t contain guarantees of certain basic freedoms and individual rights. The Constitution consolidated those gains of the revolution that were advantageous for the capitalist class. Significantly, nothing was said about the elementary bourgeois democratic freedoms

In December 1791, the Congress adopted ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill enumerated what the government controlled by the oligarchy was not going to be allowed to do. It was, of course, an important democratic gain for the people at that time. But nowadays some of these ten amendments are relatively unimportant.

The Bill of Rights is sometimes violated by the judicial and law enforcement

practice. Americans feel that of all the freedoms proclaimed in the Constitution only one freedom — freedom of enterprise is in fact guaranteed.

If there is no freedom to work, no guaranteed labour, you face unemployment

and poverty. The main freedoms after all a man needs arc a life of security, a

guaranteed income and guaranteed health care.

Notes:

“live constitution” — ≪живая конституция≫

what the government controlled by the oligarchy was not going to be allowed

to do. ...что правительству, которое контролировалось олигархией, не

разрешалось делать.

Ex. 1. Give the English equivalents for the following:

свод законов, правил, постановлений и обычаев; считать конституцию

США, по существу, консервативным документом; документ, принятый в 1787 году и дополненный поправками; принять конституцию (закон); широко

распространенное недовольство; элементарные буржуазно-демократические

свободы; нарушать Билль о правах; свобода предпринимательства;

сталкиваться с безработицей и бедностью; гарантированный заработок;

гарантированная охрана здоровья

Ex. 2.Say the sentences using the Passive Voice:

Model: In December 1791, the Congress adopted ten amendments to the

Constitution.

St.: Ten amendments to the Constitution were adopted by the Congress in

December, 1791.

1. They said nothing about the elementary bourgeois democratic freedoms in

the Constitution of 1787.

2. The Constitution of 1787 bases the form of the US government.

3. The judicial and law-enforcement practice sometimes violate the Bill o f

Rights.

4. They proposed the Constitution first in 1787.

5. Most historians regard the US Constitution as an essentially conservative

document.

6. The privileged class made the Constitution for themselves.

7. The ruling class aimed their constitution at preserving their interests.

Ex. 3. Confirm or deny the statements using the following phrases:

It’s rig h t....

Quite so ....

I quite agree with i t ....

I don’t agree with i t ....

Excuse me b u t ....

On the contrary ....

I am afraid it is not quite so ....

1. The form of the US government is based on the Constitution of 1787,

adopted after the War of Independence.

2. The Bill of Rights is often violated in the USA.

3. The US Constitution is regarded as a democratic document by most

historians.

4. The privileged class made the Constitution for the working people in 1787.

5. A life of security, health carc, income arc guaranteed for all the people in

America by the Constitution of the USA.

6. The US Constitution was adopted in 1787 and then was added by amendments.

7. The US Constitution consists of the Preamble, seven articles and twenty seven

amendments.

8. The people in America were not satisfied with the Constitution of 1787

bccausc it didn’t guarantee certain basic freedoms and individual rights.

Ex. 4. Answer the questions:

1. What docs a “constitution” in American political language mean?

2. What is the US Constitution aimed at? Why?

3. What docs the US Constitution consist of?

4. Why was there widespread dissatisfaction among the people when the

Constitution was first proposed in 1787?

5. What did this dissatisfaction among the people lead to (result in)?

6. Was the adoption of the Bill of Rights an important democratic gain at that

time?

7. What are the main freedoms a man needs?