Ask all types of questions about the text. Be ready to answer them. (Work in pairs)

Оглавление

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UK.. 4

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USA.. 26

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.. 35

TERMS OF EDUCATION.. 43

JOKES.. 46

SUPPLEMENTARY READING.. 49

¨ Библиографический список. 52

 

 

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UK

Universities in the UK

Today there are 47 universities in Britain. They fall into 4 broad categories: the ancient English foundations, the ancient Scottish ones, the «red-brick» universities, and the «plate-glass» ones. They are all private institutions, receiving direct grants from central government.

Oxford and Cambridge, founded in the 13th and 14th centuries respectively, are the most famous of Britain’s universities. Today, «Oxbridge», as the two together are known, educate less than one tenth of Britain’s total university student population. But they continue to attract many of the best brains, partly on account of their prestige but also on account of the seductive beauty of many of their buildings and surroundings.

Scotland boasts of 4 ancient universities: Glasgow, Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Aberdeen, all founded in the 15th and 16th centuries. These universities were created with strong links with the ancient universities of continental Europe, and followed their longer and broader course of studies.

In the 19th century many red-brick universities were established to respond to the greatly increased demand for educated people as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of Britain’s overseas empire. Many of these were sited in the industrial centres, for example Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bristol.

With the expansion of higher education in the 1960s many plate-glass universities were established, some named after countries or regions rather than old cities, for example Sussex, Kent, East Anglia, Strathclyde. After some initial enthusiasm for them, they had become less popular by the 1980s than the older institutions.

There is also a highly successful Open University, which provides every person in Britain with the opportunity to study for a degree, without leaving their home. It is particularly designed for adults who regret missed opportunities. It conducts learning through correspondence, radio and television, and also through local study centres.

 

TASKS: 1. Translate the text using a dictionary.

Ask all types of questions about the text. Be ready to answer them. (Work in pairs)

EDUCATION: UNIVERSITY

Subjects

You can normally do/study these subjects at university (but not always at school): medicine, law, philosophy, engineering, psychology, sociology, architecture, politics, business studies, agriculture, history of art.

Studying at university (in England and Wales)

If you want to go to(enter) university, you must first pass examinations that most students take at the age of eighteen (called «A» levels). Most students take three «A» levels (three examinations in three different subjects) and they must do well in order to get/obtain a place at university because the places are limited.

If you get a place at university, the tuition (the teaching) is free, and some students also get (receive) a grant (the money to pay for living expenses, e. g. food and accommodation) as well. Students at university are called undergraduates while they are studying for their first degree.

Most university courses last (go on for/continue for) three years, some courses last four years, and one or two courses, e. g. medicine may be even longer. During this period students can say that they are doing/studying history, or doing/studying for a degree in history, for example. When they finish the course and pass their examinations, they receive a degree (the qualification when you complete a university course successfully). This can be a BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BS (Bachelor of Science), e. g. I have a friend who has a BA in history, and another who has a BS in chemistry.

Postgraduate courses

When you complete your first degree, you are a graduate. (In the US students also use this word as a verb and say, they ‘ graduated in history ’ or ‘ graduated in chemistry ’, for example). Some students then go on to do a second course or degree (postgraduate course / postgraduate degree). These students are then postgraduates. There are usually three possible degrees: MA (Master of Arts) or MS (Master of Science); usually one year, and MPhil (Master of Philosophy); usually two years; PhD (Doctor of Philosophy); at least three years. When people study one subject in great detail (often to find new information), we say they are conducting/doing/carrying out research, e. g. I’m doing some research into/on the languages of different African tribes.

School vs. university

At school you have teachers and lessons, at university you have lecturers and lectures. When a lecturer gives/does a lecture, the students listen and take /make notes (write down the important information), but do not usually say much, except to ask occasional questions.

 

Exercises

What do you call:

1. The money some students receive if they get a place at university?

2. The qualification you get at the end of university?

3. The name we give students during this period at university?

4. Teachers at university?

5. Students when they have completed their first degree?

6. Students studying for a second degree?

7. The study of one subject in great depth and detail, often to get new information?

8. The talks that students go to while they are at university?

 

 

OXBRIDGE

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Great Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge. Both universities are independent. Only the education elite go to Oxford or Cambridge. Most of their students are former public school leavers.

The normal length of the degree course is three years, after which the students take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Some courses, such as languages or medicine, may be one or two years longer. The students may work for other degrees as well. The degrees are awarded at public degree ceremonies. Oxford and Cambridge cling to their traditions, such as the use of Latin at degree ceremonies. Full academic dress is worn at examinations.

Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of a number of colleges. Each college is different, but in many ways they are alike. Each college has its name, its coat of arms. Each college is governed by a Master. The larger ones have more than 400 members, the smallest colleges have less than 30. Each college offers teaching in a wide range of subjects. Within the college one will normally find a chapel, a dining hall, a library, rooms for undergraduates, fellows and the Master, and also rooms for teaching purposes.

Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is the second largest in Britain, after London. The town of Oxford is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 911 A. D. and it was popular with the early English kings (Richard Coeur de Lion was probably here). The university’s earliest charter is dated to 1213.

There are now twenty-four colleges for men, five for women and another five which have both men and women members, many from overseas studying for higher degrees. Among the oldest colleges are University College, All Souls and Christ Church.

The local car industry in East Oxford gives an important addition to the city’s outlook. There is a great deal of bicycle traffic both in Oxford and Cambridge.

Cambridge University started during the 13th century and has grown until today. Now there are more than thirty colleges.

On the banks of the Cam willow trees drown their branches into the water. The colleges line the right bank. There are beautiful college gardens with green lawns and lines of tall trees. The oldest college is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King’s College because of its magnificent chapel, the largest and the most beautiful building in Cambridge and the most perfect example left of English fifteenth-century architecture. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well known.

The University was only for men until 1871, when the first women’s college was opened. In the 1970s, most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Almost all colleges are now mixed.

Many great men studied at Cambridge, among them Desiderius Erasmus, the great Dutch scholar, Roger Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Oliver Cromwell, the soldier, Newton, the scientist, and Kapitza, the famous Russian physicist.

The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine. Sport is part of students’ life at Oxbridge. The most popular sports are rowing and punting.

VOCABULARY

1. prestigious — влиятельный, авторитетный, уважаемый

2. elite — элита

3. public school leavers — выпускники частных привилегированных школ (e. g. Harrow, Eton, Rugby)

4. to award a degree — присваивать степень

5. degree ceremony — церемония вручения ученых степеней, званий

6. to cling to the traditions — оставаться верным традициям

7. full academic dress — парадная форма одежды

8. coat of arms — герб

9. undergraduate — студент университета

10. fellow — младший научный сотрудник колледжа или университета

11. Master — глава колледжа

12. the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle — «Англосаксонскaя Хроника», летопись

13. AD = Anno Domini — лат. нашей эры

14. Richard Coeur de Lion — Ричард Львиное Сердце (1157—1199) (английский король с 1189 г.; последний из династии Плантагенетов)

15. charter — устав

16. overseas — заморский, заграничный (e. g. overseas students, overseas trade); overseas (adj.) is used only before noun

17. University College — Юниверсити-Колледж (основан в 1249г.)

18. All Souls — Олл-Соулз (основан в 1438г.)

19. Christ Church — Крайст-Черч (один из самых крупных аристократических колледжей Оксфордского университета; основан в 1525г.)

20. the city’s outlook — внешний вид города

21. Kings’s College — Кингз-Колледж, Королевский колледж (один из самых крупных колледжей Кембриджского университета; основан в 1441г.)

22. architecture — архитектура

23. choir — хор

24. Desiderius Erasmus — Дезидерий Эразм Роттердамский (1469—1536), гуманист эпохи Возрождения

25. Roger Bacon — Роджер Бэкон (ок. 1214—1292), английский философ; профессор в Оксфорде

26. Oliver Cromwell — Оливер Кромвель (1599—1658), деятель английской буржуазной революции XVII в.

27. physicist — физик (physicist — someone who studies physics; physician — a doctor (AmE)

 

 

TASKS: Answer the following questions:

1. What are the two famous universities often called?

2. How long does the degree course usually last?

3. What degrees can students be awarded?

4. When was Oxford University founded?

5. How many colleges are there at Oxford University now?

6. Which is the oldest college of Cambridge University? When was it founded?

7. When were women first admitted to Cambridge?

8. Do you know any great men who studied at Cambridge? What are they?

9. What are the most popular sports at Oxford and Cambridge?

10. Speak on the degrees at Oxbridge

CAMBRIDGE

Cambridge must be one of the best-known towns in the world and can be found on most tourists’ lists of places to visit. The main reason for its fame is its University which was founded in the 13th century, today there are more than twenty colleges.

The oldest college is Peterhouse which was founded in 1284 and the newest one is Robinson college which was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King’s because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well-known.

The University was only for men until 1871 when the first women’s college was opened. In the 1970s most colleges opened their doors to both men and women.

Every year in summer thousands of folk music fans arrive in Cambridge for one of the biggest festivals of folk music in England. The Cambridge festival is very well organized and there are never any of the serious problems which can be caused by large crowds.

TASKS:

Ask questions on the text.

Retell the text

КЕМБРИДЖ

Кембридж расположен на расстоянии 70 миль от Лондона. Это один из красивейших городов Англии. Отличительной чертой Кембриджа является его известный университет, центр образования и обучения. Ньютон, Дарвин, Байрон и многие другие ученые и писатели получили образование в Кембридже. В Кембридже 27 колледжей. Колледж — это место, где вы живете, независимо от того, какой профессии (специальности) вы обучаетесь: так, студенты, изучающие литературу и те, кто учит физику, могут относиться к одному и тому же колледжу. Во главе каждого колледжа — декан.

TASK: Translate the text into English.

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE

The two oldest and most famous universities in England are Oxford and Cambridge, dating from the 12th century. London University is the biggest of the modern ones. It comprises a large number of various colleges and other institutions.

We find well-equipped laboratories, lecture-rooms, museums, workshops for different subjects and great libraries holding thousans of volumes there. One must say that some of our remarkable Russian scientists and writers are Honoured Doctors of Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

The chief subjects which are taught at Oxford and Cambridge include ancient languages, philosophy, history, law, theology, medicine, natural sciences and mathematics. Each university has different courses, and the number of credit tests varies.

Universities in Great Britain are autonomous and responsible only to their governing bodies. The regulations differ from university to university. In Oxford and Cambridge there are a number of separate colleges, each with its own tutorial system as well as lectures. Each student has a tutor who requires him to write essays and papers on the subjects he is studying and submit them to him regularly (about once a fortnight) for correction and discussion.

As Oxford and Cambridge are rather far from London and other large cities, the students have to live in the university flats (hostels) or in private rooms, and the rent is very high. Besides, students must pay for tuition, exams, credit tests, for laboratory work, teaching aids, and so on. The students are almost entirely from schools which serve only the aristocracy. Some low income students get scholarships, but the number of these students is comparatively small.

At present some of the newer universities concentrate on technology. Besides traditional university subjects, they teach agriculture, applied sciences and engineering.

 

TASKS: 1. Translate the following words and word combinations from the text above:

Well-equipped laboratories, governing bodies, applied sciences, Honoured Doctors, workshops, essays, teaching aids, credit tests.

2. In 8—10 sentences give the main idea of the text

OXFORD

THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

To outsiders, few places in Europe seem as indifferent to millennial change as the University of Oxford. There are some obvious signs of modernity: the high street has sprouted an Internet cafe and a Starbucks, and the snarl of traffic through the city center can test the patience of the most phlegmatic don. But to step into the secluded quadrangles of Oxford’s 39 colleges, or browse through the 15th-century tomes in the Bodleian Library, or sit in Oxford’s gothic dining halls, is to surround yourself in the past. A fusty tradition remains as central to Oxford’s identity as the «dreaming spires» that mark its skyline.

But lately life under those spires hasn’t been so idyllic. Oxford is roiling, due to a convergence of forces and events that have raised questions about whether Europe’s most prestigious university still reasonably deserves to be ranked among the world’s best. Oxford regularly finishes behind its longtime rival, Cambridge, and London’s Imperial College in annual newspaper rankings of Britain’s top universities.

Like all British universities, Oxford faces deep cuts in government funding, which would force it to consider charging students’ tuition for the first time in its history. The endowment of the university and its colleges is dwarfed by those of American competitors such as Harvard, Yale and Stanford — and amounts to only about half the assets possessed by Cambridge.

And the gap seems likely to widen. Far earlier than Oxford, Cambridge recognized the vital importance of cozying up to the technology industry. Cambridge inked a $135 million deal to create a new research institute with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and earlier this year attracted a $200 million gift from Bill Gates to endow 225 international scholars at Cambridge.

Money lies at the heart of Oxford’s problems. Like other major institutions, Oxford’s ability to attract research funding — which finances other university operations — depends on its reserves of prominent professors and top graduate students. Oxford has long traded on its prestige to lure top scholars to teach within its walls and convince bright young students to remain in academia. But that’s no longer good enough. «Academic salaries have gone through the floor», says Alan Ryan, the warden of Oxford’s New College. «And so now our competition comes from other professions that used to look unattractive».

It is a contest Oxford isn’t winning. While U. S. universities and some upstart British ones dangle lavish compensation packages to woo academic stars, Oxford remains bound to a policy of standardized pay across all disciplines. As a result, a top scientist at Oxford makes only half of what she would command at a large American university.

+ VOCABULARY:

«hard knocks»— difficult life experiences

sprouted has grown or developed

Starbucks a very popular chain of cheap coffeehouses

snarl growling (like a threatening animal)

phlegmatic don calm and unexcitable Oxford/ Cambridge professor

secluded screened or hidden from view

tomes large, heavy books

fusty old-fashioned

idyllic an ideal, simple and happy period of life

roiling irritated

endowment a provision for a large amount of money

cozying up developing a close relationship for personal advantage

inked signed

traded on used to gain an advantage

lure to attract with prospects of reward

through the floor very low; a reversal «through the ceiling»

dangle to hang temptingly in front of someone

lavish extravagant, luxurious

woo to court, to try to attract

 

Bodleian Library Бодлианская библиотека Оксфордского университета; вторая по значимости в Великобритании после Британской библиотеки; имеет около 5 млн. томов; является библиотекой с правом получения обязательного экземпляра [copyright library]. Основана в 1598; названа по имени основателя Т. Бодли [Thomas Bodley]

 

TASK: Translate the text in written form.

ОКСФОРД: УНИВЕРСИТЕТ И ЛЕНДЛОРД

I. ГОРОД

От Лондона до Оксфорда чуть более часа езды на автобусе по живописной местности. В Оксфорде живет 130 тыс. человек, включая 16000 студентов, и его площадь невелика. От центра до окраин можно дойти пешком за 30—40 минут. В центре все здания университетские. В жилых кварталах нет многоэтажек, все живут в семейных особняках, а кто победнее — в районе таунхаузов, в двухэтажных квартирах с отдельными входами.

Каждый восьмой житель Оксфорда — студент, почти каждый десятый работает в университете. Интеллигентных лиц здесь намного больше, чем в Лондоне или Манчестере.

II. УНИВЕРСИТЕТ

Оксфордский университет можно сравнить с федеративным государством. Здесь есть свои «отрасли» и «регионы». «Отрасли» — это факультеты, часто называемые школами. Все студенты и преподаватели университета распределены по колледжам, напоминающим провинции. Колледжи старше факультетов. Именно они были его историческими ядрами.

В колледже преподаватель занимается со студентами индивидуально.

Колледжи и факультеты «разбросаны» по всему городу. Улицы в Оксфорде узкие. У преподавателей есть кабинеты как в колледжах, так и на факультете. Поэтому студентам и преподавателям приходится добираться из одного конца города на другой на велосипедах.

III. КОЛЛЕДЖ: ЧТО ЭТО?

Оксфордский колледж — это не только общежитие, но и своеобразная университетская коммуна со своими обычаями и традициями. Одна из традиций — общие обеды. Эта традиция зародилась в те времена, когда преподаватели сами жили в колледже. Каждый день студенты и их наставники собираются на ланч. По особо торжественным случаям все собираются на так называемый «хай тейбл» (high table).

Всего в университете 40 колледжей, десять из них — только для магистров и аспирантов. Когда студент поступает в университет, он выбирает область знаний и специализацию, тем самым прикрепляя себя к факультету и колледжу, при котором он будет обучаться и жить. В колледже студенты живут и питаются, так как это намного дешевле, чем в городе.

Колледжи отличаются друг от друга набором дисциплин, (составом преподавателей) штатом преподавателей, богатством и престижем.

В университете существует система взаимопомощи (College Contribution Scheme) — налог на богатые колледжи для помощи бедным.

В разных колледжах — свой конкурс, разная плата за обучение, своя история. Половина колледжей создана до XVIII в., старейшие Balliol College, University College и Merton College — основаны в 40—60-х годах XIII в. Десять колледжей появились в ХХ в. Эти современные, но невысокие здания расположены ближе к окраинам.

Самое знаменитое из старинных зданий университета — Бодлианская библиотека (библиотека имени Томаса Бодли) Bodleian Library.

Оксфордские колледжи — это также и обособленные экономические структуры со своим бюджетом и землевладением.

На ранних ступенях развития колледжи были монастырями, и в них учились только монахи. Женщин разрешили принимать в университет только в XIX в.

IV. КОЛЛЕДЖ ЦЕРКВИ ХРИСТА
(CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE)

Колледж получил название в честь церкви Христа, самой большой в городе и известной всей Англии. Церковь старше колледжа, ей более 1000 лет.

В начале XVI в. Томас Уолси, кардинал Йорка, задумал создать колледж, который превзошел бы все остальные. В 30-х гг. того же века финансирование проекта изменилось, и он стал называться колледжем Генриха VIII. В конце концов колледж получил компромиссное имя в честь церкви.

Именно в этом колледже Льюис Кэрролл — автор популярной книги «Алиса в стране чудес»— преподавал математику.

Несколько столетий колледж был монашеским. Он был отделен от церкви в XIX в. Сейчас в колледже 2 декана — формальный и реальный. Формальный декан — это священник. Реального избирают преподаватели на 4 года.

Список коллектива колледжа открыает a Visitor — королева Великобритании. Затем идет декан-священник и шесть каноников-профессоров и специалистов по теологии. В колледже более 50 старших преподавателей (Students) разного статуса: профессора, тьюторы-руководители (Tutors) и Research Students (примерно соответствуют доцентам). Кроме учебной работы, они занимаются наукой, пишут статьи и книги, ездят на международные конгрессы. Но их главная забота — студенты (undergraduates), магистры (masters) и аспиранты (post-graduates).

В колледже еще 22 почетных преподавателя (Honorary Students), 21 заслуженный профессор в отставке (Emeritus Students), 50 лекторов (Lecturers) и Различные научные сотрудники (Research Fellows, Junior Research Fellows и Visiting Research Fellows), а также довольно большая администрация.

 

TASK: Give the gist of the text in English.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USA

I. The American educational system offers about 3,300 higher educational institutions for more than 12 million students. This system comprises different types of institutions: four-year colleges, universities, community/junior colleges, upper-division colleges, technical institutes, and others. Any of these institutions may be public or private, depending on the source of its funding.

Four-year colleges award a bachelor’s degree at the completion of four years of full-time college study. Many four-year colleges also offer graduate study. Four-year colleges may be liberal-arts colleges or specialized colleges.

Liberal arts colleges are undergraduate colleges, sometimes known as colleges of arts and sciences. The study of liberal arts is intended to develop general knowledge and reasoning ability as opposed to specific preparation for a career. Students at colleges of arts and sciences usually study letters/literature, philosophy, history, foreign languages, social sciences and natural sciences. Most liberal arts colleges are privately controlled.

They generally do not offer as many majors in technical and scientific disciplines as comprehensive colleges or universities. One of the best known liberal arts colleges is Dartmouth College.

Specialized colleges concentrate their offerings in one or two specific areas. They include agricultural/technical, art/music, Bible, business, engineering, health sciences, military and teachers’ colleges.

A University generally offers a broad range of both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Universities are generally larger than other types of institutions. They typically offer more majors and have more research facilities.

Thus, a university is usually a collection of several colleges (liberal arts and specialized colleges) that grant bachelor’s degrees. Besides, every university has one or more graduate schools for those continuing in specialized studies to obtain a master’s or a doctoral degree. The master’s degree requires one or two years of studies beyond the bachelor’s degree. Frequently a thesis is required, or a final oral or written examination.

The doctorate is the highest academic degree. It requires a minimum of two years beyond the master’s degree, success in qualifying examination, proficiency in one or two foreign languages and/or in a research tool (such as statistics) and completion of a doctoral dissertation.

The oldest and the most famous universities in the USA are: Harward, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Stanford University (the so-called ‘Ivies’).

Community or junior colleges are two-year colleges that award associate degrees. The majority of them are public and have open admissions policies. 40% of all American students study in junior colleges.

Upper-division colleges offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to the bachelor’s degree. Students generally transfer to upper-division colleges after completing an associate degree, or after finishing their second year of study at a four-year college.

Technical Institutes award mostly the Associate of Applied Science degree. They provide such courses as: computer-aided drafting, electrical and electronics equipment repair, electronic technology, drafting and design technology, etc.

 

II. The cost of going to college includes direct educational costs (tuition and fees, books and supplies) and living costs (room and board and other expenses).

Tuition and fees for the students of private universities are about $ 15,000—19,000 per year (can go up to $ 30,000 per year). Tuition and fees for the students of public universities are much lower, about $ 3,000—5,000 per year (can go up to $ 10,000 per year). Most universities charge a nominal tuition and fees to students from the same state, and a much higher tuition and fees for the out-of-district or out-of-state students.

Many students receive financial aid to help them get their education: grants, scholarships, jobs and loans. Loans usually have low interest rates and must be repaid, but generally only after the graduation.

III. The academic year usually begins in September and ends in July. Students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshman is a first-year student, a sophomore — a second-year student, a junior — a third-year student and a senior is a fourth-year student. Those who study in graduate schools are called graduate students.

During one semester a student studies from 4 to 7 subjects. The first two years of study in most American colleges are devoted to general education. After 2 years of study students select their ‘major’ (the field in which they want their degree), plus a number of ‘electives’.

Typically a student has to earn 30 credits per year (e. g. 1 subject is equal to 5 credits if it meets five times a week) or 120 credits in order to receive a bachelor’s degree at the end of four years of college. Besides, a ‘major’ is taken into consideration (e. g. if a student is majoring in history, he has to earn 50 credits in history subjects to get a Bachelor of Arts).

 

TASKS:

1. Write out the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations from the text:

Младший колледж, колледж высшей ступени, технический институт, государственный колледж, присуждать степень, степень бакалавра, гуманитарный колледж, специализированный колледж, предмет специализации в колледже, возможности для исследовательской работы, аспирантура, степень магистра, степень доктора, степень младшего специалиста, открытый порядок приема, требования при поступлении, взимать плату за обучение, получать финансовую помощь, специализироваться по предмету, диссертация на степень магистра, докторская диссертация.

2. Make up your own sentences using the words and word combinations above.

 

NOVEMBER 7, 1636

HARVARD ESTABLISHED

On November 7,1636 — or October 28, according to the Julian, or Old Style, calendar then in use — the General Court of Massachusetts ordered the establishment of a «schoale or colledge» and appropriated $400 for it. This was an impressive amount for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, whose founding had taken place less than 10 years earlier and whose population of under 10,000 had scarcely secured the necessities of life.

During its early history, the college was closely allied with the Congregational Church (later with the Unitarian), although the state, as founder and patron, long considered it a state institution. Starting with John Harvard, Harvard College was increasingly supported by private contributions.

During the second half of the 19th century especially, Harvard experienced a period of unprecedented development under the presidency of the noted educator Charles W. Eliot. Although the college continued to be the hub of intellectual activity, Harvard became after 1869 a university in the highest sense. Schools that had previously been established — Medicine in 1782, Divinity in 1816, Law in 1817, and Dental Medicine in 1867 — were raised to graduate level, and others were founded: Arts and Sciences in 1872, Business Administration in 1908, Education in 1920, Public Health in 1922, Design in 1936, and Public Administration — now named the John Fitzgerald Kennedy School of Government — in 1937. Radcliffe College, established in 1879 as an institution of higher learning for women, is officially connected with Harvard. It received its present name in 1894, in honor of Ann Radcliffe, who had given Harvard College its first scholarship in 1643.

Harvard University, an enormous educational complex with a huge endowment, has over the years acquired unique prestige and influence. It is the alma mater of notable Americans in politics, law, science, literature, the arts, business and finance, education, and religion. Among its distinguished graduates are John Adams, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Its faculty often provides cabinet officers and presidential aides and advisers. Many foreign students, including potential government leaders, are sent to Harvard.

Whereas Harvard College excels as an undergraduate institution, the university is renowned too for its professional schools. It is served by rich art collections, advanced science facilities, and the largest university library in the world, with a collection of over 8 million volumes.

+ VOCABULARY:

1. Julian calendar — юлианский календарь

2. to order the establishment of a college — дать предписание (приказ) об основании колледжа

3. to appropriate — ассигновать

to appropriate sth for: to take money to use for a particular purpose

The General Court of Massachusetts appropriated $400 for the establishment of a college

4. an impressive amount — значительная сумма

5. to scarcely secure the necessities of life — едва обеспечивать себя предметами первой необходимости

6. to be closely allied with — быть тесно связанным с

7. Congregational Church — Конгрегационная церковь

Unitarian Church — Унитарная церковь

8. Unitarian — connected with a Christian group that believes its members should be free to believe what they want

9. patron — покровитель

10. a state institution — государственное учреждение

11. to be supported by private contributions — поддерживаться за счет частных пожертвований

12. to experience a period of unprecedented development — переж/ивать, -ить период небывалого развития

13. under the presidency of the noted educator — под руководством известного педагога

14. the hub of intellectual activity — центр интеллектуальной деятельности

15. an enourmous educational complex with a huge endowment — огромный образовательный комплекс (центр) с внушительным финансированием

16. to acquire prestige and influence — приобретать престиж и влияние

17. a distinguished graduate — выдающийся выпускник

18. to excel as — выдаваться, выделяться

to excel as an undergraduate institution — пользоваться славой известного высшего учебного заведения

19. to be renowned for — славиться чем-либо

to be renowned for professional schools — славиться профессиональными школами

20. to provide cabinet officers and presidential aides — готовить служащих кабинетa министров и помощников президента

 

TASKS:

I. QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT:

1. When and how was Harvard founded?

2. What was it closely allied with during its early history?

3. What schools are there at Harvard? When were they established?

4. How did Radcliffe College get its name?

5. What is Harvard like nowadays?

6. Who is sent to Harvard?

7. What is the university renowned for?

8. What facilities are there at Harvard?

 

II.

СOLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Since its founding in 1754, Columbia University has attracted students interested in the issues of their times. Even before the revolution, King’s College, renamed Columbia College in 1787, began to develop the impressive curriculum that resulted in its designation, in 1912, as Columbia University. Instruction in engineering, law and medicine, as well as liberal arts was available before 1800. By the turn of the century, Barnard College for women, the Graduate Faculties of Philosophy and of Pure Science, the schools of Architecture and the Political Science, and Teachers College had been established. Since 1900, the University has grown to include more than 20 schools and programs for undergraduate and graduate study in disciplines as diverse as the arts, business, health sciences, international affairs, liberal arts, library service and social work.

Columbia University is a magnet for leaders in the arts and politics as well as for prominent scholars in all academic fields. Art exhibits, commercial and student-made films, poetry readings, concerts, dance recitals, and every other sort of musical experience are offered on the campus. Whether directly or indirectly related to the students course of study, participation in the City’s activities stimulates the individual and narrows the gap between learning and living.

TASK: Translate the text in written form.

 

HIGHER EDUCATION
IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the right to higher education to all citizens, regardless of race, nationality, sex, property or social status, and religion, and that right is ensured by an extensively developed network of higher educational institutions.

After finishing the 11^th form of a secondary school, a lyceum, or a gymnasium one can go on in higher education. Higher educational institutions admit persons up to the age of 35 who have completed secondary schooling. (There is no age limit for evening and correspondence students). All applicants must take competitive examinations in the subjects closest to the selected specialisation and in the Russian language and literature. Various kinds of reference materials and academic aids are published annually in mass editions to help applicants to higher educational institutions, and numerous preparatory groups and courses are offered at higher educational institutions.

Higher educational institutions, that is, institutes or universities, offer a 5-year programme of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields, as well as a graduate course. If one finishes a graduate course and writes a thesis, he or she receives the candidate degree.

Higher educational institutions are headed by rectors (chancellors). Prorectors (vice-chancellors) are in charge of the academic and scientific work of higher educational institutions. Higher educational institutions are composed of departments (faculties) which train undergraduate and graduate students in one or several related specialisations, provide refresher courses for specialists, and also guide the scientific research of the subdepartments (chairs). The department is headed by a dean. Among the structural subdivisions of higher educational institutions are branches of higher educational institutions and academic consultation centres, which are organised to assist correspondence students at their places of work or residence.

A council of the higher educational institution (or department), organised by the office of the rector (dean), deals with the basic questons of the work of the department.

Higher educational institutions which have been granted the right by the Supreme Attestation Commission to hear the defence of candidate’s and doctoral thesis have specialised councils for conferring advanced academic degrees.

The following positions have been established for the professorial and the teaching staff of higher educational institutions: head of the subdepartment, professor, assistant professor, senior instructor, instructor, and assistant, all of whom are appointed or reappointed every five years.

Higher educational institutions organise the academic process according to curricula and syllabuses, developed by leading scholars, discussed by the councils of the given higher schools, and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

+ VOCABULARY:

1. secondary schooling, secondary education — среднее образование;

2. general secondary education — общее среднее образование.

3. competitive examinations — вступительные конкурсные экзамены

4. academic aids — учебные пособия

5. preparatory groups and courses — подготовительные отделения

6. rector, principal, chancellor — ректор

7. vice-chancellor, prorector — проректор

8. faculty, department — факультет

9. faculty — профессорско-преподавательский состав вуза

10. subdepartment, department, chair — кафедра

11. the Supreme Attestation Commission (Committee) — Высшая аттестационная комиссия

12. curriculum — учебный план; pl. curricula/curriculums

13. syllabus, pl. syllabuses, syllabi — программа

 

TASKS:

Retell the text.

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY

There are skyscrapers in Moscow and one of them is the home of the renowned university of Russia. It is situated on Sparrow Hills. The edifice on Sparrow Hills appeared in the middle of the 20^th century, but the University itself has a long history.

In 1793 Matvei Kazakov, the well-known Moscow architect, created the building for the first Russian University founded by Mikhail Vasiljevich Lomonosov, the great Russian scientist.

The University founded in 1755 was the first European university which didn’t have a theological faculty. At first it had three faculties — philosophy, medicine and law with ten chairs. Later new chairs and faculties were organized including the first chair of agronomical sciences in the world. The University together with its remarkable library was burned down in 1812 but after the war was over architect Gilardi restored the old building to the state in which we see it now. The University grew and the so-called «new» building was erected in the 19^th century. It stands next to the older building. The new building was constructed by architect Tyurin in 1836 and a monument to Mikhail Lomonosov, the founder of the University, was placed in front of it.

The other buildings of the University went up behind the first two. However, they, too, proved inadequate to house the rapidly growing faculties. Therefore, the main 36-storeyed building and the complex of buildings for natural sciences faculties, students’ hostels and teachers’ flats were all built in Lenin Hills in the early 1950s. Lenin Hills were later returned their original name Vorobjovy Hills (Sparrow Hills).

The main University building is unique and of special interest. After the World War II the government decided to offer the building site on Vorobjovy Hills to Moscow State University because its only building in Mohovaya Street, could not house all its faculties. The work was given to Lev Rudnev who by that time had already built a considerable number of edifices.

According to the decree, MSU was offered a generous grant of 165 hectares, four times the area given to the Vatican. The task the architect had to cope with was not so simple. Rudnev was supposed to create a building for lecture halls, dormitory rooms, a concert hall, cafeterias, a swimming pool, as well as flats for the most distinguished professors.

Soon it became clear that it would be impossible to house all these faculties in a single building, and Rudnev managed to persuade the government to permit him to build two adjacent 10-storeyed buildings. The faculties of Philology, History, Philosophy, and Law are in the Humanities Building, and the other similar building houses the faculties of Economy and Information Science. It is interesting to note that work on foundation started in 1949 and in 1953 the University was officially opened on September 1.

The departments and faculties, libraries, assembly halls, museums are all located in the central tall structure. The teachers’ apartments and students’ rooms are in the wings. The University campus is a large students’ town in itself with its own shops, all kinds of services, several gymnasia and swimming facilities.

You can visit several museums in the main building of the University, attend different concerts and, of course, eat in the famous professorskaya stolovaya. In the center of the building, just under the stolovaya, lifts will transport you to higher floors. It is interesting to visit the 24-28^th floors, where the museum of soil science is situated. There you will see scientific trinkets, like a 40-kilogram meteorite for example, and will get a bird’s eye view of Moscow.

Strange as it may seem but the building of MSU has its twin in Poland, more precisely in Warsaw. It was a gift of the Soviet government to the Polish people in 1954. However the Poles, in contrast with Muscovites, do not like the building at all.

Apart from the history of construction of MSU a special mention should be made of its origin. The foundation of Moscow University was inspired by the radical philosophical and political views of Mikhail Lomonosov (1711—1765). The University was established by the order of Elizabeth I, the Russian Emperess. In the late 18^th century Moscow University became the center of advanced Russian science and social thought. The University gave the world a lot of outstanding personalities. Among its graduates were Lermontov, Pirogov, Sechenov, Timiryazev and many others.

Moscow State University ranks among the top universities of the world. It is known world-wide for its academic excellence. Moscow State University (Moscow Lomonosov University), the largest educational institution in Russia teaches almost in all subject areas: Arts, Sciences, Law, Engineering, etc. The staff are knowledgeable in their subject areas. The top research institutions of Moscow State University enable to keep research and teaching up-to-date. Here students can learn skills which fit them for a better career. The reputation of the University stays with its graduates — and their achievements in turn add to that reputation.

 

TASK: Divide the text into parts and entitle each part.

TERMS OF EDUCATION

MIND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONS:

College/university

Although the word college is applied loosely to any institution offering postsecondary education, it has a number of specific meanings. As an institution of higher learning, a college may grant baccalaureate degrees (for example, BA, or Bachelor of Arts, and BS, or Bachelor of Science) after a four-year course of study. Or, like a junior college (now often called a two-year college), it may grant associate degrees after a two-year course. While some colleges are independent, others are part, perhaps undergraduate divisions, of universities. A college that is a graduate school within a university may grant master’s and doctoral degrees in such specialized courses of study as liberal arts, law, medicine and architecture. Another kind of college is a postsecondary school that offers specialized instruction in some profession or occupation; for example, a secretarial college. (The terms secretarial college, secretarial school, business college, and business school are sometimes used interchangeably. However, business school is more often applied informally to a graduate school of business administration within a university or to an undergraduate college of business administration.)

A university is an educational institution of the highest level. In the United States, it typically has one or more undergraduate colleges, together with a program of graduate studies and a number of professional schools. The degrees it confers include the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s.

 

TASK: MATCH THE WORDS WITH THEIR DEFINITIONS:

 

An educational institution of the highest level	A private school
An elementary or secondary school that is a part of a system of free schools maintained by public taxes and supervised by local authorities (in the USA)	A community college
A junior college established to serve a certain community and sponsored by a unit of local government	A public school
A private secondary school that prepares students to enter college (in the USA)	A university
An educational establishment that is operated for profit by an individual or a nongovernmental agency (in the USA)	A preparatory school or prep school

JOKES

Professor: Can you tell me anything about the great chemists of the 17^th century?

Student: Yes, sir, they are all dead, sir.

 

Instructor: Cadet Brown, why aren’t you listening?

Brown: Yes, I am, sir.

Instructor: Then repeat my last words.

Brown: Cadet Brown, why aren’t you listening?

 

At a college examination a professor said: «Does the question embarrass you?»

«Not at all, sir,» replied the student, «not at all. It is the answer that bothers me».

 

«If the Dean doesn’t take back what he said to me this morning, I am going to leave college».

«What did he say?»

«He told me to leave college.»

 

Professor: Before we begin the examination are there any questions?

Student: What’s the name of this course?

 

Professor: You can’t sleep in my class.

Student: If you didn’t talk so loud I could.

 

In one of college classes the professor was unable to stay for the class, so he placed a sign on the door which read as follows: «Professor Blank will be unable to meet his classes today».

Some college lad, seeing his chance to display his sense of humour after reading the notice, walked up and erased the «c» in the word «classes». The professor noticing the laughter wheeled around, walked back, looked at the student, then at the sign with the «c» erased — calmly walked up and erased the «l» in «lasses», looked at the stunned student and proceeded on his way.

 

Professor: Never mind the date. The examination is more important.

Student: Well, sir, I wanted to have something right on my paper.

 

«Say, dad, remember that story you told me about when you were expelled from college?»

«Yes.»

«Well, I was just thinking, dad, how true it is that history repeats itself.»

 

«A telegram from George, dear.»

«Well, did he pass the examination this time?»

«No, but he is almost at the top of the list of those who failed.»

 

A young teacher just beginning his career asks advice of an older member of the faculty: «What have you learned in your years of experience?»

«I’ve learned one thing. Often you will find while you are giving a lesson in class that there is one young upstart who always disagrees with you. Tell me, would you stop him and try to make him shut up right then and there?»

«I suppose I would.»

«Well, don’t. He’s probably the only one who is listening to you.»

An upstart — выскочка

 

Too Fond of Talking

A politician was invited to give a talk on Americanisms to the pupils of the grammar school he had attended as a boy.

«When I see your smiling faces before me», he began in the accepted oratorical style, «it makes me back to my childhood. Why is it, my dear boys and girls, you are all so happy?»

He paused for the rhetorical effect, and instantly went up a grimy hand from the front row.

«Well, my lad, what is it?»

«The reason we’re so happy», replied the boy, «is if you talk long enough we won’t have a geography lesson this morning»

grimy hand — зд. рука ученика, пожелавшего сказать суровую правду

 

The chemistry professor wrote the formula HNOз on the blackboard. Then he pointed a finger at the inattentive student and said: «Identify that formula, please.»

«Just a moment,» answered the student, I’ve got it right on the tip of my tongue, sir!»

«Then,» said the professor softly,» you’d better spit it out. It is nitric acid.

HNO_з— nitric acid — азотная кислота

 

TASK: Change the jokes into Reported Speech

 

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

HIGHER EDUCATION IN CANADA

Universities in Canada date from the earliest days of European settlement, with Universitete Laval, founded in 1663 as the Seminaire de Quebec, among the oldest universities in North America. The first English-speaking university in Canada was the University of New Brunswick, established in 1785 in Fredericton as the Academy of Arts and Science. It was followed by the University of King’s College, sponsored by the Church of England, which opened its doors in Nova Scotia in 1789. Canadian universities have their roots in a mixture of religious, government and private support. They were small, elitist institutions, focusing on religious training and what today would constitute programs in the liberal arts. Only five had more than 100 students. Until 1875, when New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University awarded a bachelor’s degree to a woman, all graduates were men.

Today, large numbers of Canadians continue to see a university education as fundamental to their future well-being.

Canadian universities have a tradition of institutional autonomy and academic freedom. With the exception of the federal military college and a few institutions originally established by royal charter, provincial legislation is responsible for establishing universities and making changes in their charters. The boards of most universities are made up of representatives appointed by government, as well as members from the private sector, university administration, faculty, student association and alumni. Their function is to oversee university financial operations and to maintain liaison with governments and the general public. The titular head of a Canadian university is called the chancellor, who may be elected or appointed to serve in this post.

There are currently 500,000 full-time undergraduates at Canadian universities, 200,000 part-time undergraduates, and 75,000 full-time and 40,000 part-time graduate students. Canadian universities are highly accessible, with a participation rate of 17. 5 percent of the prime 18 to 21-year-old age group in 1996. Women have a higher participation rate than men. The social sciences remain by far the largest field of study in Canada, followed by education and the humanities. Biochemistry and computer science have been among the fastest growing disciplines at the bachelor’s level in the last five years.

Students vary greatly from university to university, with wide differences in their social and economic backgrounds, reasons for going to university and lifestyles. Many of today’s students are the first generation in their families to go to university. Most Canadian students do not live far from home while attending university. Even if they don’t live at home, most students choose a university close to home. And only about eight persent of Canadian students go to another province for their undergraduate work.

О. Ю. Новикова

ст. преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков

Т. С. Антошина

 

 

Glimpses of higher education =

Н50

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