Paraphrase the italicized parts in the following sentences using words and phrases from the text.

1) The work in the pharmacy is rather nervous.

2) Many people prefer to spend summer in the village.

3) You should be mature enough to look after small children.

4) A good university can help you to become a qualified specialist.

5) My grandmother thinks that I look like her.

Fill in the table with the following adjectives describing personality.

POSITIVE	NEGATIVE	BOTH

6. Describe your group mate so that others can recognize him or her. The following words can help you:

E.g. This person is short, slim, with fair wavy hair and big blue eyes.

This person is very quiet, calm and reserved.

 

Translate into English.

1) Катя родилась в маленькой деревне в Белгородской области, но сейчас она живет в Туле.

2) Сейчас все меньше и меньше девушек хотят быть домохозяйками.

3) Дети должны помогать родителям по дому.

4) Благосостояние их семьи оставляет желать лучшего.

5) Дети должны учиться ухаживать за своими домашними животными.

6) Я приложу все усилия, чтобы сдать экзамены на отлично.

7) Родители обычно гордятся своими детьми.

8) Говорят, что дочери, похожие на своих отцов, бывают счастливы в жизни.

 

Tell about yourself.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

Higher education plays an important part in the life of any country as it provides the country with highly-qualified specialists for future development and progress. It trains people to become teachers, engineers, doctors and other professional workers.

In all the industrial countries standards of living are steadily changing; this means that the kind of education, which was good enough thirty years ago, is not necessarily good for them today. The serious need to find ways and means of ensuring continuous and thorough adaption of the universities to contemporary needs in our rapidly changing world is widely recognized. And this means that styles of teaching, quality of learning materials and organization of the university itself have to be continuously brought up to date and improved.

Besides, knowledge and information which comes through the mass media must also be taken into consideration. This informa­tion explosion³ has affected every field of study, especially, of course, in the natural and applied sciences and in all other sciences as well. The increase of information requires new methods and new approaches to students' training and instruction.

At present a new system of education is introduced in this country — a distance education system. This computer system of learning helps working professionals to continue their education while remaining at their jobs. This system enables people to get knowledge and a good foundation in the sciences basic to his or her field of study. Distance learning has developed over years from satellite video courses to modern videoconferencing through per­sonal computers.

The academic year usually lasts 9 months and is divided into two terms (semesters). The first- and second-year students obtain thorough instructions in the fundamental sciences of mathematics, physics, chemistry and drawing as well as computer engineering and a number of others. The curricula are enriched and broadened⁶ by instructions in such subjects as foreign languages, history and economics.

At the third year students get more advanced knowledge and begin to concentrate on their special interests, so to say, their «ma­jor» subject and take many courses in this subject. Specialized study and courses will help students to become specialists and prepare them for their future work.

After four years students will get a bachelor's degree. Then the students may go on with their studies and in a year or two of further study and research get a master's degree. After graduating from the university they may go on with their study and research and may get a still higher degree.

About 75 percent of students receive state grants and 15 percent are sponsored by enterprises. Universities have their own students' hostels and some of them have large and excellent sport centers.

Education is a process through which culture is preserved, knowledge and skills are developed, values are formed, and infor­mation is exchanged.

Education is the way to success.

 

Learn the vocabulary.

1. learning materials — учебный материал

2. to bring up to date — довести до современных требований

3. information explosion — информационный взрыв

4. training and instruction — подготовка и обучение

5. over years — за многие годы

6. curricula are enriched and broadened — программы (курсы обучения) обогащаются и расширяются

 

2. Give Russian equivalents:

Higher education, highly-qualified specialists, development and progress, standards of living, ways and means of ensuring, adaption of the universities to contemporary needs, in our rapidly changing world, to take into consideration, a distance education system, more advanced knowledge, specialized study and courses, a master's degree, аfter graduating from the university.

3. Translate into English:

Высшее образование, знание и информация, естественные и прикладные науки, фундамнетальные науки, степень бакалавра, новая система обрааазования, форма образования, индустриальные страны, новые методы и новые подходы.

 

4. Answer the following questions:

1.When does the academic year begin in this country? 2. How many exams did you pass to enter the University? 3. Do you pay for your education? 4. Do students get grants? 5. What subjects do stu­dents study in the first year? 6. Which subject is the most interest­ing for you? 7. Is there a sport center in your University? 8. What degree do students get after four years of study? 9. What degree can a student get after two years of further study and research? 10. What new education system is introduced in this country? 11. What spe­cialities do people get after graduating from a university? 12. Why is higher education important in the life of every country?