Text 1. Ecology and Conservation, MSc

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/925/ecology-and-conservation/

Key expressions to help you render the text:

1. to provide flexibility 2. to gain knowledge and skills 3. to meet one’s career aspirations 4. to run through a full year 5. to start with a field course 6. to culminate in a major research project 7. to gain hands on experience 8. field survey 9. chairing discussions 10. statistics and modelling 11. report writing 12. identifying important ecological questions 13. writing a scientific paper 14. to go on the top of one’s profession 15. to get to know peers 16. week-long field research skills course 17. stunning surroundings 18. to be followed by 19. plant community ecology 20. animal population ecology 21. to select from our broad palette of courses 22. to take advantage of 23. renowned advanced statistics course 24. to aim to work in  consultancy 25. Environmental Impact Assessment 26. to place study in a broader, interdisciplinary context 27. to enable to develop expertise and contacts

Our MSc programme provides flexibility to enable you to gain knowledge and skills to meet your career aspirations, whether in research or as a practicing ecologist. The programme runs through a full year (3 semesters), starting in September with a field course and culminating in a major research project. You will have the opportunity to gain hands on experience of everything from field survey to chairing discussions, from statistics and modelling to report writing and from identifying important ecological questions to researching them and writing a scientific paper. Previous graduates have gone on to the top of their chosen profession in research, consultancy, conservation, policy, education and advocacy.

You will get to know your peers at the outset on a week-long field research skills course held at our field centre in the stunning surroundings of Bettyhill on the north coast of Sutherland. This is followed by core training in plant community ecology, animal population ecology, GIS and experimental design and analysis (which includes use of R), 15 credits each course. Thereafter, you select from our broad palette of courses (which will add you 15-30 credits). Students wishing to gain research training may take advantage of our renowned advanced statistics course and join our informal ecology research group seminars throughout the year. Those interested in applied ecology may choose to study catchment management, marine spatial management and conservation management planning, amongst others. A key course for those aiming to work in consultancy is Environmental Impact Assessment. The opportunity to place your ecological study in a broader, interdisciplinary context is provided through a very popular course on ecology, conservation and society.

In the final semester you will all complete a research project which enables you to develop expertise and contacts in a topic of your own choosing. Preparation may begin as early in the year as you like, as you discuss ideas with staff and external organisations.

The programme is assessed entirely by continuous assessment. There are no exams. The final assessment is your project report submitted in the form of a scientific paper manuscript.

Tuition fees for international students: ₤16900

Student A, retell this text to your partner from your own person, following the plan of the original text and using all expressions from the box above. Be emotional and convincing. Then answer your partners’ questions and listen to his/her story about the University of Aberdeen. Ask him/her in return:

1. Could you please repeat, when…

2. Sorry, I didn’t catch: how many …?

3. Could you explain what it means… (“state-of-the-art facilities” etc.)

4. Sorry, could you say once again where…

5. Do you really mean they have the world-class…?

Text 2. Aberdeen University

Key expressions to help you render the text:

1. founded in… 2. throughout the 20th century 3. to consistently increase 4. picturesque and historic 5. to invest heavily in 6. time and again 7. state-of-the-art facilities 8. to match the splendour 9. to encourage participation 10. world-class 11. Olympic-standard 12. international-standard 13. to be located adjacent to 14. to owe much to the determination and vision 15. handful of visionaries and pioneers 16. a distinguished list of scholars 17. to shape the University into the world-class institution

Founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and Chancellor of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen is Scotland's third oldest and the UK's fifth oldest university.

Throughout the 20th century Aberdeen has consistently increased student recruitment, which now stands at 14,000. In recent years, picturesque and historic Old Aberdeen, home of Bishop Elphinstone's original foundation, has again become the main campus site.

The University has also invested heavily in medical research, where time and again University staff have demonstrated their skills as world leaders in their field. The Institute of Medical Sciences, completed in 2002, was designed to provide state-of-the-art facilities for medical researchers and their students. This was followed in 2007 by the Health Sciences Building. The Foresterhill campus is now one of Europe's major biomedical research centres. The Suttie Centre for Teaching and Learning in Healthcare, a £20m healthcare training facility, opened in 2009.

2012 saw the opening of the £57 million Sir Duncan Rice Library in Old Aberdeen, a great modern building to match the splendour of the University’s 500 year old campus.

The new Aquatics Centre opened in May 2014. The centre provides a first class training and competition venue for elite athletes and offers a community facility that encourages participation in water based activities at all ages and abilities. The world-class facility, located adjacent to Aberdeen Sports Village, includes a 50-metre, 10 lane Olympic-standard swimming pool, an international-standard diving pool with moveable floor and a health suite.

The fact that the University has become what it is owes much to the determination and vision of a handful of visionaries and pioneers, including a distinguished list of scholars who in their own unique ways, helped to shape the University into the world-class institution we have today.

Student B, retell this text to your partner from your own person, following the plan of the original text and using all expressions from the box above. Be emotional and convincing. Then answer your partners’ questions and listen to his/her story about the MSc Ecology and Conservation.

Ask your partner after he/she finishes:

1. Have I got you correctly? You say the programme starts…

2. Could you clarify, please, what …?

3. Do you happen to know where …?

4. Is it true that students can…?

5. Could you, please, say once again, when…?

 

Grammar focus

Participles

v Task 2.4.