United Kingdom

A country in NW Europe consisting of ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND and the province of NORTHERN IRELAND is called UNITED KINGDOM. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are British Crown dependencies but are not an integral part of the UK.

The United Kingdom has a heavily industrialized economy with substantial, through declining, offshore oil production. Britain is one of the world's largest steel producers, but its wide range of manufacturing industry has declined in recent decades. There is a growing service sector and high-technology industries are being developed. London is a finance and banking center. The state sector shrank considerably during the 1980s and 1990s owing to policies of privatization. Coal is mined for domestic consumption and electricity generation. Agricultural productivity has been boosted by mechanization and intensive farming methods.

Britain was the first country in Europe to become fully industrialized, developing a predominantly urban, rather than rural, society by the mid-19th century. A series of parliamentary reform acts, beginning with the Reform Act of 1832, steadily increased the power of the House of Commons compared to that of the monarch and the House of Lords. Under Queen Victoria colonial expansion of the British Empire reached its height. However, growing pressure for independence from peoples within the empire meant that during the 20th century British dominions and colonies gradually gained independence; most of them elected to join the Commonwealth of Nations, established in 1931.During World War1 and World War2 Britain fought against Germany and its allies, emerging from both conflicts on the victorious side. Since 1967 gas and oil from offshore wells have been commercially produced, creating a major impact on the nation's economy. In 1973 Britain became a member of the European Economic Community, subsequently the European Union.

Britain is a monarchy, Parliamentary monarchy where the queen's power is severely limited. The supreme legislature in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, comprising the sovereign as head of state, and the two chambers, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Together, these chambers make up the House of Parliament, which occupy the Palace of Westminster.

Beginning in the 13th century as simply a formal meeting of the king and certain of his officials and principal lords, Parliament became partly representative, as in Simon de Montfort's Parliament(1265), which contained commoners (knights of the shire and burgesses of the boroughs)who were elected in there locality, and in Edvard 1's Model Parliament (1295).

Present-day workings of Parliament may be summarized as follows. The Prime Minister and the cabinet(a selected group of ministers from either House)are responsible for formulating the policy of the government. Acts of Parliament in draft form, known as Bills, each of which have to be 'read'(debated)three times in each House, are referred in the House of Commons (and occasionally in the House of Lords)for detailed consideration to parliamentary standing or select committees. The sovereign's powers of government are dependent on the advice of ministers, who in turn are responsible to Parliament. The monarch's prerogatives, exercised through the cabinet or the Privy Council, include the summoning and dissolution of Parliament.

The Treaty of Rome, which Britain accepted in 1972 when joining the European Community (now the European Union), provided for a gradual development of Community institutions. The British parliamentary system was adopted by many European countries and by most member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations when they gained dominion status or Independence.

3. Answer the questions.

1. What country is the UK like?

2. What kind of economy has the UK?

3. What was the society in Britain by the mid-19th century?

4. What happened to the British Empire during the 20th century?

5. Against what power fought Britain during World War II?

6. In what year did Britain become a member of the European Economic Community?

7. What is the supreme legislature in Great Britain?

8. How may be summarized present-day workings of the Parliament?

9. Was the British Parliamentary system adopted by some members of the Commonwealth?

10. What did the Treaty of Rome provide?

4. Say whether the statements are true or false, and if they are false explain why.

1. The state sector in British economy shrank considerably during 60s.

2. Britains don't mine coal for the domestic consumption, they mine for electricity generation.

3. First parliamentary reform acts increased the power of the House of Commons.

4. The British Empire reached its height in colonial expansion under Queen Victoria.

5. During 19th century British dominions gained independence.

6. Britain is a parliamentary monarchy.

7. British Parliament began in the 16th century as a formal meeting of the king and certain of his officials.

8. The Treaty of Rome was accepted by Britain in 1983.

9. Only few European countries adopted the British parliamentary system.

10. Knights and burgesses were never elected into Parliament.

5. Match the words with there corresponding definitions.

1. intensive a. developed to home or native country duties

2. power b. one of the countries that was a member of the

British Commonwealth in the Parliament

3. empire c. a mounted warrior of feudal times serving a king

4. dominion d. one that has control or authority

5. domestic e. a nation or state governed by a monarch

6. impact f. the advisory council of a head of state

7. monarchy g. highly concentrated

8. knight i. effect, a forceful contact

9. cabinet j. a large state or a group of states under a single

sovereign

6. Find the words in the text to describe a person who....

1) rules the cabinet = the Prime Minister

2) is responsible for formulating the policy of the government...

3) debates Bills...

4) advise the sovereign's powers of government...

5) exercises prerogatives through the Privy Council...

6) summons the Parliament...

7) can dissolve the Parliament...

7. Complete the following passage using the words listed below.

summoning, won, accession, definitively, supremacy, reformation, 1640, members, settled.

King Henry 8 effected the English Reformation through the long-lived... Parliament (1529-1536). King Charles 1 tried to manage without... a parliament (1629-1640) but by the 17th century the House of Commons had made themselves indispensable. Charles 1 had to call Parliament in... in order to raise money. Parliament led by John Pym led the opposition to him. The Parliamentary side... the English Civil War, and at the end of the Commonwealth period it was the... of the House of Commons who negotiated the Restoration of Charles 2 (1660) and the... of William3 and Mary2 (1688).The Legislation enacted in the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 and the Act of Settlement (1701)... the relationship of crown, Lords, and Commons... and made clear the ultimate... of the House of Commons.

8. Discussion. Read the following passage about British Empire, discuss it.

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