Exercise
1
Put in
the missing sentences.
History of the flag
The history of the
flag goes back to 1955. But a separate body with a larger membership – the
Council of Europe – had been set up several years earlier and was busy
defending human rights and promoting European culture.
The Council of
Europe was considering what symbol to adopt for its own use. In various
traditions, twelve is a symbolic number representing perfection. The circle is
a symbol of unity. So the European flag was born, representing the ideal of
unity among the peoples of Europe.
The Council of
Europe then encouraged other European institutions to adopt the same flag and,
in 1983, the European Parliament took up the call.
All European
institutions have been using it since the beginning of 1986. Other EU
institutions and bodies use an emblem of their own in addition to the European
flag.
Key: 1E, 2A, 3C, 4B, 5D
Exercise 2
Open the brackets.
The European anthem
The European anthem (to
be) the anthem not only of the European Union but also of Europe in a wider sense. The melody (to
come) from the Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by Ludwig Van Beethoven. When
used as the European anthem, it (to have) no words.
For the final movement
of this symphony, Beethoven (to set) to music the "Ode to Joy” written in 1785
by Friedrich von Schiller. This poem ((to express) Schiller’s idealistic vision
of the human race becoming brothers – a vision Beethoven (to share).
In 1972, the Council of
Europe (to adopt) Beethoven’s "Ode to Joy” theme as its own anthem. The
well-known conductor Herbert Von Karajan (to ask) to write three instrumental
arrangements – for solo piano, for wind instruments and for symphony orchestra.
Without words, in the universal language of music, this anthem (to express) the
ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity for which Europe (to stand).
In 1985, it (to adopt)
by EU heads of State and government as the official anthem of the European
Union. It (not to intend) to replace the national anthems of the Member States
but rather to celebrate the values they all (to share) and their unity in
diversity.
Exercise 3
Put the parts of the article into the correct order.
The EU market and Ukraine
A) And
so, the benefits Ukraine could derive from integration into
the EU would be the appearance of new markets, demonopolisation, greater
economic efficiency and effectiveness, and an increase in the supply of goods
and services available to its citizens.
E) Free
movement of services means that any service
can be provided within the entire area of this internal EU
market. Free movement of capital means that the right to
invest, buy property and securities, and use profits
freely is ensured in any state within this
market. Free movements of people means the unlimited freedom to live, establish
one’s own business, and work in any country which belongs to the EU. The abolition of trade barriers would make it possible for Ukraine to take full advantage of this
united market. The total volume of trade – as well as of production of export goods – would
rise; this would permit the exploitation of
the advantages of scale economics.
O) Membership in the EU would mean that Ukraine would be required to contribute dues to
the EU; Ukraine would, in turn, receive funding from the EU budget for the
benefit of Ukraine’s less economically developed regions. It could be forecast
that payments to Ukraine would be of greater monetary value than its EU
membership dues.
Q) The
EU is a vast united market, and includes about 400 million residents. The EU
market has no internal borders, and therefore merchandise, people, and capital
move freely there.
U)
Currently, Ukraine is influenced by the decisions made by the EU; at the same time,
it cannot influence the EU as an EU member might. Only after having become a
member Ukraine would have the opportunity to influence the decisions and
politics of the EU.
T) Admission into the EU would mean fewer protectionist actions taken
against Ukraine. This would both increase the volume of exports from Ukraine to
other countries and encourage investment of
foreign capital into the Ukrainian
economy. The appearance of new companies inside Ukraine would augment
competition and lead to a more rational use and distribution of the economic
resources of work and capital. This, in turn, would mean a greater choice of
more inexpensive, higher-quality goods.
Key: Q, E,
T, U, O, A
Exercise
4
Add
necessary suffixes to complete the words.
The European Parliament
The European Parliament is the only directly elected parliament__
institution of the European Union. It has been described as one of the most
power__ legislatures in the world. The Parliament and the Council of the
Europe__ Union form the high__ legislative body within the Union. The
Parliament is composed of 785 MEPs, who serve the second largest democrat__
electorate in the world.
It has been direct__ elected every five
years by univers__suffrage since 1979. Although the European Parliament has
legislat__ power it does not have legislat-__ initiat__ like most nation__
parliaments. While it is the "first institution” of the European Union, the
Council has great__ powers over legislat__ than the Parliament. It has,
however, had control over the EU budget since the 1970s and has a veto over
the appoint__ of the European Commission.
The European Parliament has two meet__
places in Strasbourg, France, which serves for twelve four-day plenary sessions
per year and is the official seat, and in Brussels, Belgium, which serves for
committee meetings, politic__ groups and complementary plenary sessions. The
Secretariat of the European Parliament, the Parliament's administrat___ body,
is based in Luxembourg.
The President
of the European Parliament (its speak__) is current__ Hans-Gert Pöttering,
elect__ in January 2007. The last
Union-wide elections were the 2004 Parliament__ Elections, however Romania and
Bulgaria joined in 2007 and elected their members in 2007.The next union-wide
parliamentary elections are in 2009.
Exercise
5
Find the
mistakes
The European Commission
1) The European Commission is the executive
branch of European Union. 2) The body is responsible proposing legislation,
implementing decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties and the general
day-to-day running Union.
3) The
Commission is operates in the method of cabinet government, with 27
Commissioners. 4) There is one Commissioner per and member state, though
Commissioners are bound to represent the interests of the EU a whole rather
than their home state. 5) One of the 27 is the Commission President (currently
José Manuel Barroso) appointed the European Council with the approval of the
European Parliament. 6) The present Barroso Commission took office in late 2004
and should serve five-year term.
7) The term
"Commission” can mean the college of Commissioners mentioned above, or the
larger institution; including the administrative body about 25,000 European
civil servants who in departments called Directorates-General. 8) It is
primarily based in Brussels it also has offices in Luxembourg, representations
in all EU countries offices in many capital cities around the world. 9) The
Commission represents the EU the world stage. 10) Its internal working
languages are English, French and German.
Key:
