A Below are the main chapter titles from the Russian Constitution. Link the titles to the details of the contents of each chapter.
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| The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System
| a
| When taking office the President of the Russian Federation shall take the oath of loyalty to the people.
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| Rights and Freedoms of Man and Citizen
| b
| Changes in borders of the areas in which local self-government is administered shall be made with the consideration of the opinion of the population of the corresponding areas.
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| The Federal Structure
| c
| Everyone shall have the right to freedom and personal immunity.
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| The President of the Russian Federation
| d
| In case of a referendum the Constitution of the Russian Federation shall be considered adopted, if over half of the voters who came to the polls, supported it and under the condition that over half of the electorate participated in the referendum.
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| The Federal Assembly
| e
| The parliament of the Russian Federation shall be representative and legislative body….
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| The Government of the Russian Federation
| f
| The Russian Federation … is a democratic federal law-bound State with a republican form of government.
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| Judicial power
| g
| The courts shall be financed only from the federal budget…
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| Local Self-Government
| h
| The territory of the Russian Federation shall include the territories of its subjects, inland waters and territorial sea, and the air space over them.
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| Constitutional Amendments and Review of the Constitution
| i
| Not later than a week after appointment the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation shall submit to the President of the Russian Federation proposals on the structure of the federal bodies of executive power.
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B Match adjectives and nouns as they occur in the text.
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| legislative
| a
| act
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| complex
| b
| power
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| legal
| c
| referendum
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| fundamental
| d
| law
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| juridical
| e
| body
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| total
| f
| house
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| state
| g
| rights
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| rigid
| h
| Constitution
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| upper
| i
| procedure
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| domestic
| j
| number
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C Word families. Complete the chart.
| verb
| noun
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| introduce
| –––
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| –––
| separation
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| provide
| –––
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| –––
| government
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| nominate
| –––
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| –––
| procedure
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| –––
| amendment
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| stipulate
| –––
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| –––
| addition
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| –––
| proposal
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| verb
| noun
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| initiate
| –––
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| convene
| –––
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| develop
| –––
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| –––
| adoption
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| –––
| participant
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| –––
| electorate
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| –––
| modification
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| rule
| –––
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| decide
| –––
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Over to you
Below is the Preamble to the Russian Constitution. Judging by the contents of the Preamble and the Constitution of the Russian Federation can you say that the Russian Constitution adheres to the democratic principles? Justify your idea.
Preamble to the Constitution of the Russian Federation
We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation, united by a common fate on our land, establishing human rights and freedoms, civil peace and accord, preserving the historically established State unity, proceeding from universally acknowledged principles of equality and self-determination of peoples, revering the memory of ancestors who have passed on to us their love for the Fatherland and faith in the good and justice, reviving the sovereign statehood of Russia and asserting the firmness of its democratic basis, striving to ensure the well-being and prosperity of Russia, proceeding from the responsibility for our Fatherland before the present and future generations, recognizing ourselves as part of the world community, do adopt THE CONSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
Chapter IV THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
Unit 9 The British Government of Today
Before you read
Discuss these questions.
1 What forms of government do you know?
2 Is it possible for people to live without any government?
3 In your opinion, which society should be called democratic?
4 Do you think monarchy inevitably leads to tyranny, or democracy – to mob rule?
Text A
