ACTIVITY I

SUPPLEMENTARY READING:

PART I

DIRECTIONS:

Read the text.

Text 3 A College in America

I. Choosing a college

If you meet a group of twelfth grade students they are all talking about one thing: What are they going to do next year? Some students don’t want to go on with their education. When they leave school they will look for a job. Other students are thinking about colleges. They are each writing letters to three or four different colleges, and sending in forms. Colleges accept only those students who have done well in high school. They want to meet these students before they decide to accept them. Colleges want to know why students have chosen them, and how they will pay for their college education.

Students choose from about 2000 colleges in the US. Every school has its own special flavor. Top students may choose famous « Ivy League» schools like Princeton, Harvard, or Yale. They are the oldest colleges in the country — excellent, but very expensive.

Other students choose large universities because they teach lots of different subjects. Some choose small religious colleges. There are differences between colleges and the type of study programs they have. For example, many four-year «Liberal Arts» colleges are small and teach only the most important subjects for a general education. State universities are large. They teach many subjects and have some programs that last longer than four years. State universities are paid for by money from the state. Students from that state pay less to study there. Colleges are paid for privately, so students usually pay more to go there.

Whether a student chooses a small college or a large university, the cost of higher education in the United States is rising every year. Many parents find it too expensive. Colleges and universities often have money for students who cannot pay, but it is not enough for everyone. Some have part-time jobs while they are at college. Studying and working at the same time can be very hard. But these students think it’s worth all the hard work to get the college education they want.

II. Going to college

Going to college usually means leaving home for the first time. Most college students live on campus, which is the place where all the college buildings are. Some have rooms in buildings called dormitories. Others may live in «fraternity» or «sorority» houses. These are clubs of men or women students. They choose their members carefully. Some students prefer to live off campus. They try to find rooms or apartments near the campus.

A college diploma is called a degree. There are three degrees that students can earn. The first four years of college gives an undergraduate degree. Students in undergraduate school study lots of subjects. They do not choose their most important subject until the end of undergraduate school. They earn credits for the classes they complete. They must have a certain number of credits in their most important subject and some credits in other subjects, too. Then they get a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

With a BA degree, college students can go on to graduate school. After two or three years, they can get a Master of Arts (MA) degree. They take only subjects that lead to the MA. These are subjects that will be important for their later work. Graduate school can prepare students to become teachers or lawyers, for example. With a Master of Science degree (MSc), they can become scientists. They can prepare for work in business with a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA). Students can go on in graduate school to get a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). That is the highest degree university students can get. Most university teachers must have a PhD.

In the U.S., many students stay on at college to get a master’s degree, because a bachelor’s degree is often not enough to get the job they want. It can take a long time, and a lot of money. It can take at least ten years to become a lawyer, and five or six years to become a teacher. Many students are in their mid or late twenties when they finally start work.

PART I

DIRECTIONS:

Say whether these statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. To enter a college students have to go through a set of oral and written examinations.

2. Students can apply for admission to a number of colleges.

3. All you need to become a student at an «Ivy league» college is the money to pay for your education.

4. State universities offer shorter study programs than colleges.

5. Many students receive grants to pay their tuition fee.

6. Dormitories are recreation rooms.

7. Fraternities accept both men and women as their members.

8. Students receive a general education until they get their first degree.

9. Graduate students study a wide range of subjects.

10. Only a PhD entitles you to work as a school teacher.

PART II

DIRECTIONS:

Check Yourself

Choose the right variant

1. After he’d graduated from the university he became a(an) ____.

a) senior; b) aspirant; c) postgraduate

2. Do you ___ school?

a) visit; b) attend; c) go to

3. He is doing his second year in Harvard. He is a (an) ___.

a) pupil; b) undergraduate; c) graduate

4. Let me introduce our colleague from Washington. He is a ___ in the school.

a) headmaster b) tutor; c) principal

5. She works and studies. She is ___.

a) full time; b) graduate; c) part time

6. The student gets the help of his own ___ whom he meets regularly.

a) princi pal; b) tutor; c) monitor

7. After three years of studies and successful final examinations in British University you can get a ___ degree.

a) PhD; b) BA; c) MA

8. Studies such as ancient and modern literature, history are called ___.

a) humanity; b) humanities; c) humanitarians

9. Before he left school, his father told him to start thinking about choosing a___.

a) business; b) career; c) profession

10. Before you are called for interview they will read your letter of ___ carefully.

a) appliance; b) request; c) application

11. Most member of our staff are university ___.

a) undergraduates; b) graduates; c) professionals

UNIT 4

TOPIC “OUR INSTITUTE”

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

parliamentarism, n

entrepreneurship, n

found, v

faculty, n

short form of studying

journalism, n

political science

law, n

culture studies

document studies and information

supply of management

accounting, analysis and audit

finance and loan

state management

economics and business management

international economics

business-administering

journalist, n

specialist, n

lawyer, n

qualification, n

economist, n

manager, n

term of studying

certificate, n

special secondary economic education

according to, phr prep

speciality, n

admit, v

center for rearing and pre-institute

training, n

provide, v

training courses

professionally-oriented, a

focus, v

preparation, n

centralized testing

basic, a

free, a

internet-technology, n

participant, n

candidate of sciences

professor, n

assistant professor, n

own, a

unique, a

publishing center