Political system of Australia
Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen of Great Britain at its head.
It consists of six states and two territories.
The queen is represented by the Governor General, who is appointed by the Australian government. The Governor General appoints members of the Executive Council, his advisory cabinet.
The main legislative body in the country is Federal Parliament. It consists of the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The members of the Senate are elected for a six-year term. There are ten senators from each state and two from each territory in the Senate. The House of Representatives is elected by general direct vote for a three-year term.
The executive power belongs to the queen and the government. It is headed by the Prime Minister. The ministers are chosen from members of Parliament and the Executive Council.
There are two major political parties in Australia: the Australian Labour party and a coalition of the Liberal and the Agrarian parties.
Till the 1930s Australia mostly depended upon Great Britain in its political affairs. But in 1931 Australia became fully independent from Great Britain.
The Australian Constitution took effect on January 1st 1901. There are six state-governments (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania), two self-governing territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory), and a national government (also called Commonwealth government).
The Commonwealth parliament can make laws about external affairs, interstate and international trade, defense and immigration. The state parliaments cannot make laws that are inconsistent with Commonwealth laws.
The national legislative power is divided between two chambers, or “Houses”: the House of Representatives and the Senate, both directly elected by the Australian people. The Australian government is formed by the party or coalition of parties that has the majority in the House of Representatives. Currently, Malcolm Turnbull is a Prime Minister.
1)Answer for the questions.
1.Who is the Head of Australia?
2. Who is appointed by the Australian government?
3. When did Australia become fully independent from Great Britain?
4. What is the main legislative body in the country?
5. What are two main political forces in Australia?
2)Complete the sentence according to the information from the text:
1. Australia is a constitutional monarchy…
2. The Governor General appoints members of the Executive Council...
3. Federal Parliament consists of …
4. There are ten senators from each state and …
5. The ministers are chosen from members of …
6. Till the 1930s Australia mostly depended upon …
7. The Australian Constitution took effect on
8. The Commonwealth parliament can make laws …
9. The national legislative power is divided between two chambers, or …
10. State parliaments and governments are responsible for: …
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I didn't like London but I have already got used to living in London now.
Would you go cycling when you were five?
Tourists would not come here years ago.
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I have benn living in China for years. At first I didn't like the food but now i have already got used to eating their strange delicacies.
Years ago we used to see her a lot because she liven near us.
I am used to wearing glasses now but it took me a long time because i found it very uncomfortable.
When I was young, i used to visit my grandmother every summer.
While studying at the university, I used to go swimming twice a week.
A hobby is a favourite pastime of a person. Hobbies differ like tastes. If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting.
Numerous hobbies can be subdivided into four large classes: doing things, making things, collecting things, and learning things.
The most popular of all hobby groups is doing things. It includes a wide variety of activities, everything from gardening to travelling and from chess to volleyball. Gardening is one of the oldest man’s hobbies, especially in some countries (Britain, for example). A relatively new hobby which is becoming more popular is computer games.
Making things includes drawing, painting, making sculpture, designing costumes, and handicrafts. Some hobbyists write music. Two of the most famous hobby painters were President Eisenhower and Sir Winston Churchill.
Almost everyone collects something at some period in his life: stamps, coins, matchboxes, books, records, postcards,, toys, watches. Some collections have no real value. Others become so large and so valuable that they are housed in museums and galleries. Many world-famous collections started in a small way with one or two items. People with a good deal of money often collect paintings, rare books and other art objects. Often such private collections are given to museums, libraries and public galleries so that others might take pleasure in seeing them.
No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has the opportunity of learning from it. By reading about the things he is interested in, he is adding to what he knows. Learning things can be the most exciting aspect of a hobby.