Commons. Even the Prime Minister must answer questions every Tuesday and Thursday in the Commons---this is called Prime Minister‘s Question Time and can be one of the most interesting discussions in British politics. Everyone wants to know what has been decided behind the closed doors of the Cabinet room!
在大选中赢得多数席位的政党领袖当选为首相。首相选出一个由部长组成的委员会---内阁。内阁通常包括下议院的一些资深议员和上议院的某些议员。
国家由内阁来管理。每位大臣负责一个政府部门。譬如，教育大臣负责管理英国所有的学校、大学和教师。 内阁在首相的宫邸开会。内阁作为一
投我一票 Vote for Me!
General elections for the House of Commons are held every five years. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. Each constituency is represented by one MP in the House of Commons.
Every citizen can become an independent candidates , but they have little chance to be elected, except if they are candidates supported by the main parties: Labor, Conservative or the Liberal Democrats.
Each British citizen over the age of eighteen has a vote. The winner is the candidate who gets more votes than any other single candidate, even if the difference is only one vote.
A candidate can stand for any constituency even though he has nothing to do with the area. Therefore, if you lose the general election, you can run for the next one by representing another
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个团体出现，所有的部长必须接受“团队”的决定。部长们必须在公众场合表现一致，因为他们要对团队的决定负责。如果某位部长不同意其他部长的决定，他通常会辞职。内阁的会议高度保密，其中的内容至少要保密30年。前首相玛格丽特.撒切尔试图改变内阁的工作方式，引起了其他部长的不同意见而被迫辞职，此事一度引起争议。
然而内阁大臣们并不能随心所欲！他们要对议会负责，必须接受下议院议员的质询。即使是首相也必须在每周二和周四去下议院回答提问---这被称作首相答问时间，是英国政界最有趣的谈讨之一。每个人都想知道在禁闭的内阁大门里面，内阁做了什么决定！
constituency.
Generally speaking, as soon as the results are released, people know which party will run the country. The party which wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons will form the government.
下议院的大选每五年举行一次，英国分为650个议会选区，每个选区在下议院里都占一个议席。每个选区参加选举的人数不限。
在英国，任何公民都可以成为独立的候选人，但他们被选中的机会很小，除非他们是由工党、保守党或自由民主党支持的候选人。
每位年满十八岁的公民都有投票权。得票最多的候选人当选。即使只有一票之差也是如此。
每个后选人都可以成为任何选区的代表，即使他和这个区域无半点联系。所以，即便你在大选中落败，也可以代表其他选区再参加下一届竞选。
一旦大选揭晓，人们有就知道了哪个占多数席位，那么政府就由它组成了。 政党执政。如果一个政党在下议院中
资料链接
选举棒棒糖 Election Lollipops
A British chocolate maker is giving voters a chance to take a bite out of the main party leaders with the sale of special 英国巧克力厂商发售特制的选举棒棒election lollipops---and the bestseller is 糖，给选民提供了在主要政党领导身Prime Minister Tony Blair. Thorntons, 上咬一口的机会---最好销的是首相which has more than 300 stores 托尼.布莱尔。这家在全国有300多家nationwide, has milk chocolate lollipops 连锁店的索恩顿斯公司制造了分别带featuring the heads of Blair, 有布莱尔、保守党领袖威廉.黑格和自Conservative Party leader William 由民主党领袖查尔斯.肯尼迪头像的Hague and the Liberal Democrat‘s 牛奶巧克力棒棒糖，每块售价55便士。Charles Kennedy---at 55 pence each. 索恩斯顿公司的一位女发言人告诉记Sales of the Blair lollipops are far ahead 者，这种糖自面试以来共售出4000块，with 1,800 out of a total 4,000 sold since 其中布莱尔以1800块的销量遥遥领the sweets first hit the shops, a 先。黑格的“粘糊糊的自我”卖出了spokeswoman for Thorntons told 300块，肯尼迪棒棒糖则赢得了600个reporters. Hague‘s sticky alter ego sold 买家。这算不上什么以外，因为《每1,200 times, while the Kennedy lollipop 日快报》所做的一次民意测试显示， found 600 buyers, This is not a big （布莱尔领导的工党在6月7日的选surprise as a poll for the Daily Express 举中以51%的支持率领先。这位女发言put Labor in the lead at 51% in the June 人说：“今年我们不得不重新描画所有7 election. The spokeswoman said. ―We 的模型，因为我们有了3个新的政党had to start from scratch with all the 领袖，而布莱尔在度过了压力重重的4models this year as we now have three 年后也已经开始谢顶。 new party leaders and Tony Blair has started to lose his hair after four stressful years.‖
皇室的权杖 The Mace of the Monarch The Royal Family 皇室
The Royal Family appears in abroad. Their various responsibilities newspapers from time to time. The reflect tradition, their own personal Britons are very curious about what is interests and Britain‘s former imperial happening in Buckingham Palace. Royal status.
events such as coronation, royal birthday, The Royal Family‘s money comes from and marriage attract people‘s attention two sources: government funds and their not only from Britain but also form all own personal wealth, which is over the world. considerable. On the one hand the Many members of the Royal Family Queen is certainly one of the richest undertake official duties in Britain and women in the world in the world, while
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on the other hand her power is limited by the fact that so many of her expense are paid for by government money. Parliament has had effective control of the monarch‘s finances since the seventeenth century.
A survey in 1989 found that 70% of people in Britain thought that the Royal Family offered value for money---this was fewer than in previous surveys. As many as 74% thought the younger Royals should ―get proper jobs.‖
皇室成员经常见报。英国人对白金汉宫里发生的一切事情都怀有浓厚的兴趣。皇室大事例如加冕、生日、婚礼吸引了英国人乃至全世界人的眼球。
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June, 1953, sixteen months after her accession to the throne on 6 February, 1952. It was the first coronation ever to be shown on television.
Today, known as a ―constitutional monarch,‖ Queen Elizabeth II is no longer responsible for governing the country, but she carries out a great many important tasks on behalf of the nation. The Queen has both the right and the duty to offer advice to the government. She has to approve all new laws that Parliament wishes to make, and meets regularly with the Prime Minister to discuss the government‘s plan. She also carries out similar tasks for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies.
She must read and, if necessary, sign the documents and reports from government ministers and Commonwealth officials.
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许多皇室成员承担着许多对内对外的公职。他们不同的公职是传统、个人兴趣以及英国前帝国地位的体现。 皇室的金钱有两个来源：政府基金以及个人财富。他们的个人财富是相当丰厚的。一方面，女王是世界上最富有的女性之一；另一方面，她的权利相当有限，因为她很大一部分花销是由政府支付的。自从17世纪以来，议会就开始对君主的财政实行有效控制。
1989年的一项调查显示70%的英国人认为皇室所花的钱是值得的---这个数字比前次调查有所下降。74%的人认为年轻的皇室成员应该“从事合适的工作”。
英女王伊丽莎白二世1952年2月6日继承王位，十六个月后与1953年6月2日在威斯敏特教堂加冕。这是第一个电视直播的加冕礼。
现在，作为“立宪君主”的英女王伊丽莎白二世，尽管不再管理国家，她还是要代表国家履行许多重要事务。 女王有权利和义务给政府提建议。她要通过议会将要制订的一切法律，与首相会面讨论政府计划。她对苏格兰议会、威尔士以及北爱尔兰议会都要履行类似的义务。
她得阅读，如果有必要的话，还要签署内阁大臣和英联邦官员的文件和报告。
As Head of State, the Queen often goes on official State Visits abroad. She also invites other world leaders to come to the United Kingdom.
The Queen is also Head of the Armed Forces. She is the only person who can declare when the country is at war and when a war is over, although she must take advice from her government about it first.
The Queen also represents the nation at times of great celebration or sorrow. One example of this is the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph monument in Whitehall. The Queen lays a wreath there each year to honour the members of the armed forces who have died fighting for their nation.
Alongside her other duties, the Queen spends a huge amount of time traveling around the country visiting hospitals, schools, factories and other places and organizations.
开怀一笑 Jokes Change Brain 换脑
A wealthy man lay critically ill. ―There‘s only one thing that will save you,‖ his doctor said, ―A brain transplant. It‘s experimental and very expensive.‖ ―Money is no problem,‖ the man said. ―Can you get a brain?‖
―There are three available. The first was from a university professor, but it‘ll cost you 10,000 pounds.‖
―Don‘t worry. I can pay. What about the second?‖
―It was from a rocket scientist. It‘ll cost you 100,000 pounds.‖
―I have the money. And I‘d be a lot smarter too. But what about the third?‖ ―The third was from a government bureaucrat. It will set you back half a
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作为国家元首，女王需到国外作官方访问。她也邀请其他国家的领导人到访英国。
女王还是军队的领袖。她是唯一能够宣布过是处于战争状态以及战争结束的人，尽管在此之前她必须征询政府的意见。
女王也需要代表国家出席庆典或追悼会。举个例子，在白厅西诺托夫纪念碑举行的纪念日活动，女王每年都要在那儿放花环来向那些为国捐躯的士兵致敬。
除了这些以外，女王还要花大量的时间在国内巡视，参观医院、学校、工厂以及其他地方和机构。
million pounds.‖
―Why so much for the bureaucrat‘s brain?‖ the patient asked. ―Never been used.‖
一个富翁病入膏肓。他的医生说：“只有一个办法可以救你的命---大脑移植。这种方法是实验性的而且非常昂贵。”
“钱不成问题。”那个富翁说，“你能弄得到大脑吗？”
“现在有三个选择。第一个是一名大学教授的，但要花1万元。 ” “别担心，我付得起。第二个呢？” “第二个是一名火箭科学家的。你得付10万元。”
“这个钱我有。这样我会更聪明些。那第三个是什么呢？”
“第三个是一名政府官僚的。他的脑子将花你50万元。”
“为什么官僚的脑子会这么贵？”富翁问道。
“因为他的脑子从未用过。”
Chapter3 Festivals and Holidays 节日和假期
银行假日 Bank Holidays
Many public holidays in Britain are known as ―bank holiday‖---so called because these are holidays on which banks are legally closed. Most fall on
Mondays.
In England and Wales there are six bank holidays: New Year‘s Day, Easter Monday, May Day (not necessarily on 1 May), Spring and Late Summer Holidays at the end of May and August respectively, and Boxing Day. There are also two common law holidays on Good Friday and Christmas Eve.
In Scotland there are nine public holidays: New Year‘s Day, 2 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day (not necessarily on 1 May), Spring and Late Summer Holidays at the end of May and the beginning of August respectively, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In Northern Ireland there are seven bank holidays: New Year‘s Day, St Patrick‘s Day (17 March),Easter Monday, May Day (not necessarily on 1 May), Spring and Late Summer Holidays at the end of May and August respectively, and Boxing Day. There are also two common law holidays on Good Friday and Christmas Day and a public holiday on the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne (12 July)
There are holidays in lieu of those
圣诞节次日 Boxing Day
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public holidays which fall at weekends. Shops, museums and other public attractions, such as historic houses and sports centers, may close on certain public holidays, particularly Christmas Day.
在英国，很多公众假日被称为“银行假日”---因为在这些节日里银行通常停止营业，大多数是星期一。
英格兰和威尔士有6个银行假日：新年、复活节后的星期一、国际劳动节（不一定是5月1日）、五月底的春假、八月底的暑假、圣诞节次日等。还有两个普通法定假日：耶稣受难日和平安夜。
苏格兰有九个公众假日：新年、1月2日、耶稣受难节，复活节后的星期一、国际劳动节（不一定是5月1日）、五月底的春假和八月初的暑假，圣诞节和圣诞节次日。
北爱尔兰有七个银行假日：新年、圣派趣克节（3月17日）、复活节后的星期一、国际劳动节（不一定是5月1日），五月底的春假、八月底的暑假、圣诞节次日等。还有两个普通法定假日：耶稣受难日、圣诞节和一个公众假日，拜恩战役纪念日（7月12日）。 在某些地方，上述公众假日定在周末。商店，博物馆和其他公共景点，譬如历史建筑和体育中心可能会在某些公众假日，特别是在圣诞节停止对外开放 。