The birth of democracy

Text 1
1. Прочитайте текст
Democracy

1. The birth of democracy

As people grew dissatisfied with their rulers, a new type of government was born: democracy. The word democracy means “rule by the people.” The earliest form of democracy was in ancient Greece. In some cases, Greek towns were so small that the entire population would gather together to decide on issues of government. But in the large Greek city-states, the people were ruled by a small group who represented them in the affairs of government. This type of government is known as a representative democracy. It is similar to the modern government in the United States, where senators, congressmen, and other leaders represent large groups of people from their home states and regions.
Representative democracy may seem like aristocracy, because only a few people manage the government. However, in a democracy the people choose their leaders, and if they feel they are not being represented, they can elect new representatives. On the other hand, the earliest form of democracy in ancient Greece was not entirely democratic, because it did not represent all the people. Only the rich landowners could vote, and women and slaves were not considered citizens.

2. The rise of modern democracy

Europe was forever changed after the discovery of America in 1492. The rulers of Europe sent fleets of ships to explore new areas and to set up colonies that would benefit their homelands. However, England, Spain, France, and other governments were too far away from their colonies to rule them effectively. The colonies often needed their own governments to oversee trade and to protect their people. The people in these colonies grew increasingly unhappy with the countries that governed the colonies. One reason was a matter of religion. Many colonists, such as the Pilgrims, had come to America because they were mistreated for their beliefs in England and other countries. They viewed America as place where they could practice their religion safely.
But the main reason why the colonists were dissatisfied with England was because they did not feel represented by the government. The English colonies were subject to English law, but there were no representatives from the colonies in Parliament. The king of England repeatedly refused to grant greater powers to his colonies. By the mid-18th century, a series of protests among the colonists gave way to a movement for independence. This led to the American Revolution.
Once the colonists gained independence, it took more than a decade for government to take its shape in the young United States. By 1789, the country had a constitution in place. The first three words of the constitution, “We the people,” indicate that the government is democratic. Unfortunately, as in ancient Greece thousands of years earlier, democracy in the early United States did not mean that everyone was represented. Women and slaves were not allowed to vote. African Americans would not gain the right to vote until 1870, and they were often prevented from voting due to unfair and racist laws until the 1960s. Women did not gain the right to vote in the United States until 1920.


2. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. 
   Where was the earliest form of democracy?
   
2. 
   What is a representative democracy?
   
3. 
   Why was the earliest form of democracy in ancient Greece not entirely democratic?
   
4. 
   What happened in 1492?
   
5. 
   Were England, Spain, France, too far away from their colonies?
   
6. 
   Why did the people in these colonies grow increasingly unhappy with the countries that governed the colonies?
   
7. 
   What was the main reason why the colonists were dissatisfied with England?
   
8. 
   What events led to the American Revolution?
   
9. 
   Did the USA have a constitution in place by 1780 or by 1789?
   
10. 
    Did the democracy in the USA mean that everyone was represented?
    

3. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты:
1. представлять (интересы)
2. выбирать (голосованием)
3. землевладелец
4. рабы
5. гражданин
6. эффективно
7. торговля
8. независимость
9. к сожалению
10. право


4. Заполните пропуски в предложениях следующими словами:

unfortunately explore increasingly ancient unfair trade democracy prevent population protect

3. 1. Scientist discovered an … civilization recently.

2. A … is a system of government in which people vote to choose the people who will govern them.
3. Less than 40% of the … voted in the last election.
4. He wants to … new functions of the human brain.
5. Spain wants to develop its … with the Philippines.
6. Are you prepared to … yourself in case of attack?
7. Her job is becoming … difficult.
8. …, Jack is leaving the company.
9. Regular cleaning may help … infection.
10. It is … that not everyone got the chance to vote.