论文部分内容阅读
Would you like to be a politician? If you were a politician, what would be the most important to you: changing your society for the better or representing the views of the people? In the UK, there are worrying signs that the British people don’t believe their politicians do either of these things.
The number of British people choosing to vote has been falling. In the 1992 general election, 78 per cent of the electorate voted, while in 1997 only 71 per cent of those eligible to vote decided to do so. Then, in 2001, the voter turnout was only 59 per cent. There was a slight improvement in 2005 with 61 per cent, but that rise was probably because of the introduction of the postal ballot (being able to vote by post) in 2004. There were problem with fraud around this postal ballot, so we can’t say the 2005 figure definitely represented an increase. In some areas of the country in 2005, only a third of voters exercised their right to vote at the polling station.
So what’s going on in the UK? Have the people lost faith in their politicians? Well, I’m afraid to say that it looks like they have. The biggest falls in the number of people voting have been among young people and ethnic minorities. Traditionally, like in many other countries, it is the UK’s university students who have always been the most politically active group in society. If they are choosing not to vote, then that choice is a protest.
In the UK, the older generation will often be heard to say to young people: People died so that you could vote! It’s your duty to vote! It is true that many have died to give democratic rights to the people. We could go back to the Magna Carta, the document that first began to protect the rights of the people, and which King John was forced to sign in 1215 after much fighting. We could point to the English Civil Wars of the 17th century, when Parliament broke away from the rule of the monarch. Then there was Emily Davison, the suffragette who died in 1913 and helped women win the right to vote.
Or you may think of the Second World War, in which many died fighting against the totalitarian dictatorships of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. People have died throughout UK history so that people of all classes have the right to vote democratically. At the same time, however, we must remember that democracy also gives people the right to choose not to vote. When UK people choose not to vote, they are not just being lazy or disrespectful; they are actually protesting through passive resistance, the sort approach taken by the Polish people during the Second World War when their country was occupied by the army of a foreign dictator.
Are things likely to improve quickly in the UK? No. You may have heard about the expenses scandal in the UK. The British people have just found out that a significant number of their politicians have been claiming large and unreasonable amounts of money for their living expenses. That money comes from the British people’s taxes. As a result of the scandal, a significant number of politicians have lost their jobs and the confidence of British voters in politicians has been damaged. In this year’s European Parliament elections, only 34 per cent of the British electorate voted, which was well below the European average of 43 per cent.
British politicians have a long way to go if they are to save their reputation. They have a long way to go if they are to save the country’s economy from the credit crunch. They have a long way to go if they are to persuade young people and ethnic minorities to start voting again.
Activity 1: Vocabulary
Look at the definitions and find the right word from the article.
1Standing for = _ _ p _ _ _ _ _ _ing
2Opinions = v _ _ _ _
3The place where votes are cast =_ _ _ _ _ _ _station
4Cheating = f _ _ _ _
5King or Queen = m _ _ _ _ _ _
6Discovered = _ _ _ _ _out
7Harmed = _ _ _ _ ged
Activity 2: Comprehension
According to the article, have the following things been successful (S) or unsuccessful (U)?
1the postal ballot
2the fight for democracy in the UK
3politicians claiming living expenses
4saving the economy
5persuading young people to vote
Activity 3: Reflection
According to the article…
1if you were a British voter, what year would you prefer to live in?
2if you were a British politician today, what would you consider the UK’s biggest problem to be?
3if you were an ethnic minority living in the UK today, what changes would you like to see?
Answers
Activity 1
1representing
2views
3polling station
4fraud
5monarch
6found out
7damaged
Activity 2
1U
2S
3U
4U
5U
Activity 3
Suggestions:
11992? (but it’s up to you)
2Saving the economy? (but it’s up to you)
3Politicians I could trust and want to vote for? (but it’s up to you)
The number of British people choosing to vote has been falling. In the 1992 general election, 78 per cent of the electorate voted, while in 1997 only 71 per cent of those eligible to vote decided to do so. Then, in 2001, the voter turnout was only 59 per cent. There was a slight improvement in 2005 with 61 per cent, but that rise was probably because of the introduction of the postal ballot (being able to vote by post) in 2004. There were problem with fraud around this postal ballot, so we can’t say the 2005 figure definitely represented an increase. In some areas of the country in 2005, only a third of voters exercised their right to vote at the polling station.
So what’s going on in the UK? Have the people lost faith in their politicians? Well, I’m afraid to say that it looks like they have. The biggest falls in the number of people voting have been among young people and ethnic minorities. Traditionally, like in many other countries, it is the UK’s university students who have always been the most politically active group in society. If they are choosing not to vote, then that choice is a protest.
In the UK, the older generation will often be heard to say to young people: People died so that you could vote! It’s your duty to vote! It is true that many have died to give democratic rights to the people. We could go back to the Magna Carta, the document that first began to protect the rights of the people, and which King John was forced to sign in 1215 after much fighting. We could point to the English Civil Wars of the 17th century, when Parliament broke away from the rule of the monarch. Then there was Emily Davison, the suffragette who died in 1913 and helped women win the right to vote.
Or you may think of the Second World War, in which many died fighting against the totalitarian dictatorships of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. People have died throughout UK history so that people of all classes have the right to vote democratically. At the same time, however, we must remember that democracy also gives people the right to choose not to vote. When UK people choose not to vote, they are not just being lazy or disrespectful; they are actually protesting through passive resistance, the sort approach taken by the Polish people during the Second World War when their country was occupied by the army of a foreign dictator.
Are things likely to improve quickly in the UK? No. You may have heard about the expenses scandal in the UK. The British people have just found out that a significant number of their politicians have been claiming large and unreasonable amounts of money for their living expenses. That money comes from the British people’s taxes. As a result of the scandal, a significant number of politicians have lost their jobs and the confidence of British voters in politicians has been damaged. In this year’s European Parliament elections, only 34 per cent of the British electorate voted, which was well below the European average of 43 per cent.
British politicians have a long way to go if they are to save their reputation. They have a long way to go if they are to save the country’s economy from the credit crunch. They have a long way to go if they are to persuade young people and ethnic minorities to start voting again.
Activity 1: Vocabulary
Look at the definitions and find the right word from the article.
1Standing for = _ _ p _ _ _ _ _ _ing
2Opinions = v _ _ _ _
3The place where votes are cast =_ _ _ _ _ _ _station
4Cheating = f _ _ _ _
5King or Queen = m _ _ _ _ _ _
6Discovered = _ _ _ _ _out
7Harmed = _ _ _ _ ged
Activity 2: Comprehension
According to the article, have the following things been successful (S) or unsuccessful (U)?
1the postal ballot
2the fight for democracy in the UK
3politicians claiming living expenses
4saving the economy
5persuading young people to vote
Activity 3: Reflection
According to the article…
1if you were a British voter, what year would you prefer to live in?
2if you were a British politician today, what would you consider the UK’s biggest problem to be?
3if you were an ethnic minority living in the UK today, what changes would you like to see?
Answers
Activity 1
1representing
2views
3polling station
4fraud
5monarch
6found out
7damaged
Activity 2
1U
2S
3U
4U
5U
Activity 3
Suggestions:
11992? (but it’s up to you)
2Saving the economy? (but it’s up to you)
3Politicians I could trust and want to vote for? (but it’s up to you)