CPE - Holiday Weekend Assignment - The U.K. Election

With public holidays falling over the next two weekends, our next lesson won't be until Saturday 9th May. In the meantime though, you can practice your English by completing the following assignment. Read the articles in the links below and listen to the podcast from The Public Philosopher. We can discuss your answers, views and observations when we meet again in May - by which time we will know the result. 

The U.K. Election (May 7th 2015) 

Discussion:

1. What do you know about this year’s U.K. Election (the parties/the leaders/the issues)?
2. Will the outcome have any effect here in Europe/Italy (politically/economically)?
3. What is the first past the post system? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting
4. How can wasted votes and gerrymandering lead to unfair results?
5. How does FPP compare with Italy’s system?
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each system?
7. Which do you think is more democratic?
8. Which do you think leads to better government?
9. Should you vote with your head or your heart?

Vocabulary:

Before you read, check the meaning of the following terms:

swing vote, marginal seat, to lag, to bewail, psephology, out of kilter.

Reading:

1. What does the author mean by it’s nose-peg time?
2. Why are swing votes and marginal seats so important this election?
3. What does the author think of the first past the post system?
4. Find examples of the writer’s political bias. 
5. Would you ever consider using an app like Vote-swap? Why/Why not?

Britain’s rotten electoral system means that once again it’s nose-peg time

Polly Toynbee 15/04/2015

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/15/britain-rotten-electoral-system-nose-peg-vote-swap-tories-out?CMP=fb_gu

Going Further

Listening

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/r4sandel/r4sandel_20150120-0754c.mp3

Why Democracy?

Tue, 20 Jan 15

Duration:53 mins

Michael Sandel presents a special BBC Democracy Day edition of The Public Philosopher, recorded in the Palace of Westminster with an audience of MPs, peers and the public. This is an extended version of the recording broadcast on Radio 4's Today programme.

See also: http://seansstudypage.blogspot.it/2015/04/election-time-english.html