Study the vocabulary and memorize new words.

emphasis, n	акцент, упор, особое внимание
curricular, adj	учебный
in response to	в ответ на
adopt, v	внедрять, принимать на вооружение
elect, v	выбирать, избирать
effort, n	усилие
inertial guidance	инерциальная система наведения
faculty, n	амер. профессорско-преподавательский состав
enroll, v	зачислять, принимать
affiliate, v	присоединять, принимать в члены
entrepreneurial culture	культура предпринимательства
aggregate, v	объединять
revenue, n	доход, прибыль
alumni, n	выпускники
expenditure, n	затраты
magnetic core memory	память на магнитных сердечниках
seminal, adj	основополагающий, эпохальный
generative grammar	генеративная грамматика
encompass, v	охватывать, включать в себя
rooftop, n	кондиционер на крыше
conduct / do research	проводить исследование
discovery and breakthrough	открытие и прорыв
vibrant folk dance	зажигательный народный танец
outreach programme	просветительская программа
off-limit area	запретная зона
adorn, v	украшать
misconception, n	заблуждение, ложное представление

 

Reading Comprehension

Skim the text and try to explain why MIT is at the top of engineering schools of the world.

Background

MIT is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research.

Founded in 1861 in response to the increasing industrialization of the United States, the institute adopted the European polytechnic university model and emphasized laboratory instruction from an early date. MIT's early emphasis on applied technology at the undergraduate and graduate levels led to close cooperation with industry but curricular reforms under Karl Compton and Vannevar Bush in the 1930s re-emphasized basic scientific research.

MIT was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1934 and researchers were involved in efforts to develop computers, radar, and inertial guidance in connection with defense research during World War II and the Cold War. Post-war defense research contributed to the rapid expansion of the faculty and campus under James Killian.

MIT enrolled 4,232 undergraduates and 6,152 graduate students for 2017–2018. It employs about 1,009 faculty members. 76 Nobel Laureates, 50 National Medal of Science recipients, and 35 MacArthur Fellows are currently or have previously been affiliated with the university. MIT has a strong entrepreneurial culture and the aggregated revenues of companies founded by MIT alumni would be the seventeenth largest economy in the world.

Research

MIT was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1934 and remains a research university with a very high level of research activity.

In electronics, magnetic core memory, radar, single electron transistors, and inertial guidance controls were invented or substantially developed by MIT researchers. In the domain of computer science, MIT faculty and researchers made fundamental contributions to cybernetics, artificial intelligence, computer languages, machine learning, robotics, and cryptography.

Current and previous physics faculty have won eight Nobel Prizes, four Dirac Medals, and three Wolf Prizes predominantly for their contributions to subatomic and quantum theory. In the domain of humanities, arts, and social sciences, MIT economists have been awarded five Nobel Prizes and nine John Bates Clark Medals Linguists Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle authored seminal texts on generative grammar and phonology.

The MIT Media Lab, founded in 1985 within the School of Architecture and Planning and known for its unconventional research has been home to influential researchers such as constructivist educator and Logo creator Seymour Papert.

Activities

MIT has over 380 recognized student activity groups, including a campus radio station, The Tech student newspaper, an annual entrepreneurship competition, and weekly screenings of popular films by the Lecture Series Committee. Less traditional activities include the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction" in English, a model railroad club, and a vibrant folk dance scene. Students, faculty, and staff are involved in over 50 educational outreach and public service programmes through the MIT Museum, Edgerton Center, and MIT Public Service Center. The Independent Activities Period is a four-week long "term" offering hundreds of optional classes, lectures, demonstrations, and other activities throughout the month of January between the Fall and Spring semesters. Students also have the opportunity of pursuing externships at companies in the U.S. and abroad.

Many MIT students also engage in "hacking", which encompasses both the physical exploration of areas that are generally off-limits (such as rooftops and steam tunnels), as well as elaborate practical jokes. Recent hacks have included the theft of Caltech's cannon, reconstructing a Wright Flyer atop the Great Dome, and adorning the John Harvard statue with the Master Chief's Spartan Helmet. It is a popular misconception and myth though that MIT students have the hobby of creatively editing Wikipedia articles.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology)

Answer the questions.

1. Is MIT a public or private university?

2. Where is it located?

3. When was MIT founded?

4. What did MIT's early emphasis on applied technology at the undergraduate and graduate levels lead to?

5. What was invented or developed in electronics, computer science by MIT researchers?

6. What kind of activity do MIT students take part?

Writing Points

WRITING ESSAY

Descriptive Essay Descriptive essay is a piece of creative writing that contains many descriptions. This type of essay often provides information about a person, a place, an object etc. In this type of an essay, the writer can capture the attention of the readers by using a lot of sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste). There is no strict format as this genre of essays permits lot of artistic freedom to the writer.

Narrative Essay As the name suggests, a narrative essay narrates a story. A good writer of a narrative essay can make the readers feel that whatever he is writing is genuine and interesting. First person point of view is generally used in narrative essays. A conversational tone is used in this genre as the essay contains a story.

Paragraph Essay

A 5 paragraph essay is the simplest and most usual form of essay. The basic structure contains an introduction, three paragraphs forming the main body of the essay and a conclusion summarising the main thesis of the essay.

§ The introduction briefly states the thesis of the essay and the method to be used in the essay to examine and prove the thesis in such a way as to engage the reader's attention.

§ The first paragraph of the main body contains the point that the writer considers primary to the thesis.

§ The second paragraph contains either the second strongest point or a follow-up to the point made in paragraph one, extending and enlarging it.

§ The third paragraph follows the pattern established in paragraphs one and two, i. e. point or continuation plus supplementary evidence.

§ The conclusion is a summation of the thesis of the essay. Whilst no new evidence will be included at this stage, it is permissible to use quotation. The conclusion to the essay should restate the thesis, summarise the three main points and indicate the direction that further study might take.