UNIT 10

COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS

1. Read, translate and render the text given below

The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states. All but two of these countries (Mozambique and Rwanda) were formerly part of the British Empire, out of which it developed.

The member states cooperate within a framework of common values and goals as outlined in the Singapore Declaration. These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace. The Commonwealth is not a political union, but an intergovernmental organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.

Activities of the Commonwealth are carried out through the permanent Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, and biennial meetings between Commonwealth Heads of Government. The symbol of their free association is the Head of the Commonwealth, which is a ceremonial position currently held by Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth II is also monarch, separately and independently, of sixteen Commonwealth members, which are known as the "Commonwealth realms".

The Commonwealth is a forum for a number of non-governmental organisations, collectively known as the Commonwealth Family, which are fostered through the intergovernmental Commonwealth Foundation. The Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth's most visible activity, are a product of one of these organisations. These organisations strengthen the shared culture of the Commonwealth, which extends through common sports, literary heritage, and political and legal practices. Due to this, Commonwealth countries are not considered to be "foreign" to one another. Reflecting this, diplomatic missions between Commonwealth countries are designated as High Commissions rather than embassies.

The Commonwealth's objectives were first outlined in the 1971 Singapore Declaration, which committed the Commonwealth to the institution of world peace; promotion of representative democracy and individual liberty; the pursuit of equality and opposition to racism; the fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease; and free trade. To these were added opposition to discrimination on the basis of gender by the Lusaka Declaration of 1979, and environmental sustainability by the Langkawi Declaration of 1989. These objectives were reinforced by the Harare Declaration in 1991.

The Commonwealth's current highest-priority aims are on the promotion of democracy and development, as outlined in the 2003 Aso Rock Declaration, which built on those in Singapore and Harare and clarified their terms of reference, stating, "We are committed to democracy, good governance, human rights, gender equality, and a more equitable sharing of the benefits of globalisation." The Commonwealth website lists its areas of work as: Democracy, Economics, Education, Gender, Governance, Human Rights, Law, Small States, Sport, Sustainability, and Youth.

2. Learn the following lexics

Intergovernmental – міжурядовий

Promotion – просування, сприяння

Governance – влада

Diverse – відмінний, інший

Biennial – дворічний

Realm - королівство

Extend – тягтися

Outline – окреслювати

Clarify – вносити ясність

Pursuit – переслідування

Poverty – злидні

Ignorance – неосвіченість

3. Answer the questions.

1. What are goals of the Commonwealth of Nations?

2. What is the Commonwealth Family?

3. When were he Commonwealth's objectives outlined?

4. How are diplomatic missions between Commonwealth countries designated?

5. What areas of work does the Commonwealth website list?

6. What objectives were reinforced by the Harare Declaration in 1991?

7. What organisations strengthen the shared culture of the Commonwealth?

4. Act as an interpreter

Формально держави-члени Співдружності не вважаються чужоземними одна щодо іншої, тому дипломатичні місії в цих країнах визначаються не якпосольства, а як «високі комісії».

Окрім урядової організації існує низка неурядових організацій, що об'єднують представиників країн Співдружності. Сукупність цих організацій відома під назвоюСім'я Співдружності. Міжурядовий Фонд Співдружностіздійснює над цими організаціями опіку. Одна з цих організацій опікується проведеннямІгр Співдружності.

5. Match the words and phrases with the definitions.

1. declaration
2. governance
3. biennial
4.intergovernmental
5. foundation
6. reinforce
7. heritage
8. monarch
9. pursuit
10. racism
11. equitable
12. ignorance / a. lack of knowledge, information, or education; the state of being ignorantb. impartial or reasonable; fair; just
с. the belief that races have distinctive cultural characteristics determined by hereditary factors and that this endows some races with an intrinsic superiority over others
d. the act of pursuing, chasing, or striving after
e. a sovereign head of state, esp a king, queen, or emperor, who rules usually by hereditary right
f. something inherited at birth, such as personal characteristics, status, and possessions
g. to give added strength or support to
h. that on which something is founded; basis
i. conducted between or involving two or more governments
j. occurring every two years, lasting two years
k. government, control, or authority
l. an explicit or emphatic statement

6. Imagine that you are taking part at the Commonwealth of Nations conference. Act as 1) a journalist of BBC, 2) a journalist of New York Times.

GRAMMAR BOX: PAST CONTINUOUS AND FUTURE CONTINUOUS

PAST CONTINUOUS

USAGE:

1  A process or a progressive action at the past moment or at the period of time in the past. E. g. We were working in the garden. (At that moment, at midnight, at 3 o’clock).

FORMS:

Стверджувальна форма / Питальна форма / Заперечна форма
I was selling / Was I selling? / I wasn’t selling
You were selling / Were you selling? / You weren’t selling
He, she, it was selling / Was he, she, it selling? / He, she, it wasn’t selling
We were selling / Were we selling? / We weren’t selling
You were selling / Were you selling? / You weren’t selling
They were selling / Were they selling? / They weren’t selling

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

USAGE:

2  A process or a progressive action at the future moment or at the future period of time. E.g. John will be writing the letter in the afternoon.

FORMS:

Стверджувальна форма / Питальна форма / Заперечна форма
I shall be driving / Shall I be driving? / I shan’t be driving
You will be driving / Will you be driving? / You won’t be driving
He, she, it will be driving / Will he, she, it be driving? / He,she, it won’t be driving
We shall be driving / Shall we be driving? / We shan’t be driving
You will be driving / Will you be driving? / You won’t be driving
They will be driving / Will they be driving? / They won’t be driving

VIII. Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets:

1.  Look! I can help you. This generator (to charge) (заряджати) the batteries of your camera only for half an hour and soon everything will be ready to work.

2.  The Committee (to determine) the candidate in the best position to become the nominee next week?

3.  All six babies (not to celebrate) their first birthday in the hospital where they had been born.

4.  Those who (ride) in scary new thrill ride (to keep) quiet last week, because if any noise was heard they would be removed from the ride.

5.  Only some amateur actors (to talk) well, which showed that talking is rather a difficult thing.

6.  Lacey Chabert (to act) in low-budget movies over the last few years.

7.  During the epidemics of cholera and typhoid in the eighteenth century people (to move) into damp basements and rooms with no windows.

8.  The Mexican divers (to examine) the wreck of a sunken ship into the Gulf of Mexico soon?

9.  Jane’s boy friend was on vacation with his parents and she (to miss) him during that period strongly.

10. He (to wear) a shabby (розтріпаний) suit and the expression on his face will be gloomy (понура).