Margaret
Thatcher, Great Britain's first woman prime minister, was born
in 1925. Thatcher served longer than any other British prime
minister in the 20th century. She initiated social and economic
changes in many aspects of Britain's postwar state. She was
famous for her 'strong arm' policy.
Margaret Thatcher
studied chemistry at Oxford and later became a lawyer. She was
elected to Parliament as a Conservative in 1959. In 1970 she
became Secretary of State for education and science. The
Conservative party elected her its first woman leader in 1975.
Thatcher led the Conservatives to an electoral victory in 1979
and became prime minister.
Thatcher tried to
reduce the influence of the trade unions and fight inflation.
Her economic policy rested on changes along free-market lines.
She reduced government spending and taxes for higher-income
individuals. In 1982, when Argentina invaded the Falkland
Islands, a British colony, Britain started a war which was
successful. Thatcher's government privatized national
industries, including British Gas and British
Telecommunications. Her policies forced coal miners to return to
work after a year on strike. In foreign affairs, Thatcher was an
ally of President Ronald Reagan and opposed the Communist
countries. She allowed the United States to station (1980)
nuclear cruise missiles in Britain and to use its air bases to
bomb Libya.
In 1987 Thatcher
led the Conservatives to a third electoral victory. She proposed
free-market changes to the national health and education systems
and introduced a new tax to pay for local government. After
that, she was criticized for having no compassion for the poor.
Thatcher refused
to support a common European currency and integrated economic
policies. She resigned as prime minister, and John Major became
her successor. In 1992 Thatcher left the House of Commons and
became Baroness Thatcher.
Translate the
following sentences into English.
1. Маргарет Тэтчер была первой женщиной —
премьер-министром Великобритании и служила дольше, чем любой
другой британский премьер-министр XX века; она была известна
своей политикой «твердой руки».
2. Тэтчер была избрана в парламент от консервативной партии,
затем стала министром образования и науки, привела
консервативную партию к победе на выборах в 1979 году и стала
премьер-министром.
3. Она пыталась уменьшить влияние профсоюзов, бороться с
инфляцией, сократила государственное финансирование и налоги на
лиц с высокими доходами.
4. Ее правительство приватизировало государственные отрасли
промышленности и заставила шахтеров возобновить работу после
года забастовки.
5. Во внешней политике она была союзником США и разрешила
разместить крылатые ядерные ракеты в Британии и использовать
воздушные базы страны для бомбардировок Ливии.
6. Она привела консерваторов к третьей победе на выборах,
предложила изменить систему здравоохранения в соответствии с
законами рынка.
7. Она ввела новый налог для оплаты работы местных органов
власти и подверглась критике за то, что не испытывала
сострадания к бедным.
8. Она не поддерживала идею создания единой европейской валюты и
экономической политики и была вынуждена уйти с поста
премьер-министра.
9. Ее преемником на посту премьер-министра стал Джон Мейджор.
1. Margaret
Thatcher was Great Britain's first woman prime minister and
served longer that any other British prime minister in the 20th
century; she was famous for her 'strong arm policy'.
2. Thatcher was elected to Parliament as a Conservative, then
became secretary of state for education and science, led the
Conservatives to an electoral victory in 1979 and became prime
minister.
3. She tried to reduce the influence of trade unions and fight
inflation; she reduced government spending and taxes for higher
income individuals.
4. Her government privatised national industries and forced coal
miners to return to work after a year on strike.
5. In her foreign policy she was an ally of the USA and allowed
to station nuclear cruise missiles in Britain and use British
air bases to bomb Libya.
6. She led the Conservatives to a third electoral victory,
proposed free market changes to the national health and
education systems.
7. She introduced a new tax to pay for local government and was
criticized for having no compassion for the poor.
8. She refused to support a common European currency and
integrated economic policy, and had to resign as prime minister.
9. Her successor in the position of prime minister was John
Major.
Из пособия "ЕГЭ. Английский язык.
Устные темы" Занина Е.Л. (2010, 272с.) - Part
two.
Additional topics.
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