I. Read and translate the story.

COLLEGE LIFE

The merry-go-round of college life is something that you never forget. It's a fantastic, wonderful experience, no matter you are a full-time or a part-time stu­dent.

 

Who can forget the first day at the college when you turn from an applicant who has passed entrance exams into a first-year student? I did it! I entered, I got in to the college! You see the college building and serious people making speeches. Who they are? The headmaster, the heads of departments and lecturers. And where are our lecturers and the class mistress? Oh, how nice...

 

The monitors hand out student membership cards, student record books and library cards — you feel like a real person. First celebra­tions and then days of hard work. So many classes, so many new subjects on the timetable! The curriculum seems to be devel­oped especially for geniuses. Lectures, seminars and tutorials. Home preparations; a real stream of homework.

 

If you cannot cope with the work load of college you im­mediately start lagging behind. It is difficult to catch up with the programme later. Everyone tries hard to look diligent. First tests and examination sessions. The first successes and first failures: "I have passed!" or "He has not given me a pass!" Tears and smiles. And a long-awaited vacation.

 

The merry-go-round runs faster. W ritten reproduc­tions, compositions, essays, tests, t ranslations. "I have never played truant, I had a good excuse for missing classes ". Reading up for exams. "No, I have never cheated — no cribs!"

Junior students become senior. You know, Nora is going to be ex­pelled and Dora is going to graduate with honours. Yearly essays, graduation dissertations, finals...

What? A teacher's certificate? I am happy! It is over! It is over... Is it over? Oh, no...

The first of September. Where are the students of the fa­culty of foreign languages? Oh, how nice...

 

1. Say a few words about your college: say what it is called, speak about its faculties and their specializations.

2. Would you compare college life with a merry-go-round or with some­thing else?

Exercise 1

Act out the following mini-dialogues substituting phrases from the lists for the ones in bold italics.

1. — Where do you study? (does he, does she)

— I study at the Не rze п State Pedagogical University of Russia, St.Petersburg. (the Institute of Foreign Languages, the philological faculty, the faculty of oriental languages…)

2. — What's your favourite subject?

— I like English most of all. (Linguistics, Latin, Psychology, Literature, Philosophy, British Studies, American Studies, Methods of Teaching English, History of the Language…)

3. — What subjects do you take for the first year ?( the second year, the third year, the fourth year)

— If we speak about English, it is mainly Phonetics and Grammar. ( Conversation, Written Composition, Translation, Home Read­ing, Analytical Reading, Business English)

4. — What is David good at? (clever,poor)

— He is good at writing essays . (memorizing foreign words, doing grammar exercises, reciting po­ems, writing accurate translations, giving talks)

5. — Can you help me with grammar ?( pronunciation, the text, the exercise, spelling)

— Certainty ( Of course, I can. No doubt I can. You are welcome).

6. — Why didn't you attend the previous lesson in English? ( lecture on Literature, lecture on Linguistics, seminar on political economy, seminar on psychology)

— The thing is that I was not well . (was late for it, didn't know about it).

7. — What mark did you get for your composition ?( translation, test, examination)

— I was given an excellent mark. ( a good mark, a satisfactory mark, a bad mark)

8. — What are you going to do tomorrow morning ?( in the afternoon, tonight)

— I think I'll be reading up for the exam. ( writing an essay, reading up for the seminar, revising for the test, preparing for my class)

Exercise 5

The curriculum at the college consists of several sub­jects which all students must study. Make a list of these subjects. In class speak about your favourites and the ones you dislike. Explain to your partners why you enjoy or don't enjoy them.

Exercise 6

When do we say the following about people? Give answers, using the pat­tern.

► Pattern: She never misses classes.

We say, 'She never misses classes' if she attends all classes regularly.

 

1. Nick has a good command of English.

2. Richard has done well in his exams.

3. Dora lags behind her group.

4. After being ill, Brenda still keeps up with the rest of the group.

5. Susan has failed in her exam.

6. Ray is burning the midnight oil.

7. Sara can learn English just by picking it up.

8. David and Steve had never disrupted classes when they were at school.

9. Max never cribs at exams.

10. Brandon lacks fluency in English.

11. Helen is fond of playing truant.

Exercise 7

Name at least two or three situations that cause you feel the emotions listed below.

► Pattern: I find talking about things that don't interest me boring. I find writing long tests annoying.

 

boring

embarrassing

depressing

confusing

exciting

annoying

worrying

amusing    

 

attending lectures (seminars, classes)

cheating (in exams and tests)

coming late to my classes (exams)

correcting mistakes

doing grammar exercises

doing my homework

failing examinations

listening to the tapes

making reports in public

missing classes

participating in class discussion

reading up (for)

rendering texts

taking examinations

taking notes

translating from a language into language

working on one's thesis

writing essays at home

Continue the list. Compare your answers with those of other students in the class. Discuss these situations and the feelings they cause. Also discuss what activities you think difficult and what — easy.

Exercise 8

Work in pairs. Complain about some things or activities at college that annoy you. Talk about something that you do not enjoy. Explain why.

► Use:

For complaining:

I'm beginning to get rather tired of...

I've had (I have) a lot of trouble with...

The trouble with... is that...

I'm sick and tired of...

They should/ought to...

I'm not at all satisfied with...

For agreement:                                            For disagreement:

· Yes, it is a problem, isn't it?                  Really? I can't say I've particularly noticed that...

· Yes, it can be a problem, can't it?         Oh, come on, it isn't that bad.

· Yes, I know what you mean.                I can see what you mean but…

· I think I can understand how you feel.                     

                  

Exercise 9

Speak in class what you feel when:

you get a bad mark; you fall (lag) behind the group; you fail (in) an examination; you read up for an examination late at night; you miss classes; you come late to classes; you have to catch up with the rest; you have to retake an examination; you work in the library all the week­end; you work on your dissertation on holiday; you spend sleepless nights over a load of books; you look up every word in your dictionary when reading an English book; you are not prepared for the class; you are given actually no time to digest and remember several chapters; the telephone rings while you are doing your homework; your essay is well-received; you see another student cheats at an examination or test.

► Patterns: I feel like a failure when I fall behind the group. I feel pleased/confused/bored, etc. when I have to catch up with the rest.

Exercise 10

Translate into English.

1. Она поступила в университет прошлым летом и закон­чит его только через четыре года.

2. Лучше не пропускать занятия, а то можно быстро отстать от группы. Хорошо известно, что нагонять всегда сложнее.

3. Все студенты в группе получили зачёт по языкозна­нию. Это было серьёзное испытание.

4. Мой любимый предмет – английский. А ещё мне нравятся страноведение Великобритании и США.

5. Я не очень люблю писать диктанты и изложения, но понимаю, что это необходимо для приобретения на­выков письменной речи.

6. В расписании лек­ции чередуются с практическими занятиями.

7. Староста нашей группы получила стипендию от Бри­танского Совета. Она будет учиться в Лондонском университете и писать дипломную ра­боту.

8. Не думаю, что, готовясь к экзаменам, имеет смысл всю ночь не ложиться спать. Эффект от такой подготовки может быть плохой.

9. Больше всего я боюсь провалить экзамен по психо­логии, поэтому стараюсь всё выучить почти наизусть.

10. В колледже у нас три профессора, четыре доцента, несколько старших преподавателей.

11. Проверяя контрольные работы, преподаватель отме­чает ошибки красным цветом.

12. В эту сессию будет один письменный и два устных зачёта, а также четыре экзамена.

13. В начале года в деканате все первокурсники получили студенческие билеты и зачётные книжки.

14. Когда я начинаю делать домашнее задание, то долго не могу сконцентрироваться на работе — меня постоян­но что-то отвлекает.

15. В обучении ему не нужно прикладывать много уси­лий — он всё хватает на лету.

Exercise 11

Exercise 12

Exercise 13

Exercise 14

People like to learn differently. Some people learn better by listening, white others need to see the information. Your answers to the questions below may give you some idea of how you prefer to learn. When you have fin­ished, compare your answers with those of other people in your class.

 

1. Do you prefer to learn by listening to the teacher's lecture? (Yes or No)

2. Do you prefer to learn by reading and studying your text­books? (Yes or No)

3. Do you prefer to learn by studying or working with other people? (Yes or No)

4. Do you prefer to study by yourself? (Yes or No)

5. Do you like to ask the teacher questions? (Yes or No)

6. When you study for a test, you read your notes, don't you?

7. When you study for a test, you read your notes aloud, don't you?

8. When you study for a test, you rewrite your notes, don't you?

9. Do you like to memorize facts? (Yes or No)

10. Do you like to think about ideas? (Yes or No)

Exercise 15

Exercise 16

Exercise 17

The passages below are the beginnings of different stories. Finish the sto­ries, using the vocabulary from the text and the topical vocabulary.

'Finally, the summer ended and college began. Carol, dressed in jeans and a shirt, slung her book bag over her shoulder and reluctantly set out for her first lecture...'

'Thomas is sitting in the dining-room looking at the mess strewn around. He calls this his office. The table is covered with an assortment of books, pens, and papers. Hanging on the back of a chair is his black leather book bag. He is finally a col­lege student, but...'

'The studies are coming to a close. I look upon it with sadness. I think I will miss many of my teachers and the friendships I have made because...'

'I am looking forward to the next term, but I also get nervous thinking about my new classes. Each term the classes get harder and more challenging. I love to learn, but I still have a great fear of failing. For instance, once…'

Exercise 18

Exercise 19

Find out how colleges and universities in this country have changed for the last decades. Ask your teacher to tell you about what it was like when he or she was at college. Present an oral report on changes in Russian colleges and universities.

Exercise 20

COLLEGE LIFE

The merry-go-round of college life is something that you never forget. It's a fantastic, wonderful experience, no matter you are a full-time or a part-time stu­dent.

 

Who can forget the first day at the college when you turn from an applicant who has passed entrance exams into a first-year student? I did it! I entered, I got in to the college! You see the college building and serious people making speeches. Who they are? The headmaster, the heads of departments and lecturers. And where are our lecturers and the class mistress? Oh, how nice...

 

The monitors hand out student membership cards, student record books and library cards — you feel like a real person. First celebra­tions and then days of hard work. So many classes, so many new subjects on the timetable! The curriculum seems to be devel­oped especially for geniuses. Lectures, seminars and tutorials. Home preparations; a real stream of homework.

 

If you cannot cope with the work load of college you im­mediately start lagging behind. It is difficult to catch up with the programme later. Everyone tries hard to look diligent. First tests and examination sessions. The first successes and first failures: "I have passed!" or "He has not given me a pass!" Tears and smiles. And a long-awaited vacation.

 

The merry-go-round runs faster. W ritten reproduc­tions, compositions, essays, tests, t ranslations. "I have never played truant, I had a good excuse for missing classes ". Reading up for exams. "No, I have never cheated — no cribs!"

Junior students become senior. You know, Nora is going to be ex­pelled and Dora is going to graduate with honours. Yearly essays, graduation dissertations, finals...

What? A teacher's certificate? I am happy! It is over! It is over... Is it over? Oh, no...

The first of September. Where are the students of the fa­culty of foreign languages? Oh, how nice...

 

1. Say a few words about your college: say what it is called, speak about its faculties and their specializations.

2. Would you compare college life with a merry-go-round or with some­thing else?

Exercise 1

Act out the following mini-dialogues substituting phrases from the lists for the ones in bold italics.

1. — Where do you study? (does he, does she)

— I study at the Не rze п State Pedagogical University of Russia, St.Petersburg. (the Institute of Foreign Languages, the philological faculty, the faculty of oriental languages…)

2. — What's your favourite subject?

— I like English most of all. (Linguistics, Latin, Psychology, Literature, Philosophy, British Studies, American Studies, Methods of Teaching English, History of the Language…)

3. — What subjects do you take for the first year ?( the second year, the third year, the fourth year)

— If we speak about English, it is mainly Phonetics and Grammar. ( Conversation, Written Composition, Translation, Home Read­ing, Analytical Reading, Business English)

4. — What is David good at? (clever,poor)

— He is good at writing essays . (memorizing foreign words, doing grammar exercises, reciting po­ems, writing accurate translations, giving talks)

5. — Can you help me with grammar ?( pronunciation, the text, the exercise, spelling)

— Certainty ( Of course, I can. No doubt I can. You are welcome).

6. — Why didn't you attend the previous lesson in English? ( lecture on Literature, lecture on Linguistics, seminar on political economy, seminar on psychology)

— The thing is that I was not well . (was late for it, didn't know about it).

7. — What mark did you get for your composition ?( translation, test, examination)

— I was given an excellent mark. ( a good mark, a satisfactory mark, a bad mark)

8. — What are you going to do tomorrow morning ?( in the afternoon, tonight)

— I think I'll be reading up for the exam. ( writing an essay, reading up for the seminar, revising for the test, preparing for my class)

Exercise 5

The curriculum at the college consists of several sub­jects which all students must study. Make a list of these subjects. In class speak about your favourites and the ones you dislike. Explain to your partners why you enjoy or don't enjoy them.

Exercise 6

When do we say the following about people? Give answers, using the pat­tern.

► Pattern: She never misses classes.

We say, 'She never misses classes' if she attends all classes regularly.

 

1. Nick has a good command of English.

2. Richard has done well in his exams.

3. Dora lags behind her group.

4. After being ill, Brenda still keeps up with the rest of the group.

5. Susan has failed in her exam.

6. Ray is burning the midnight oil.

7. Sara can learn English just by picking it up.

8. David and Steve had never disrupted classes when they were at school.

9. Max never cribs at exams.

10. Brandon lacks fluency in English.

11. Helen is fond of playing truant.

Exercise 7

Name at least two or three situations that cause you feel the emotions listed below.

► Pattern: I find talking about things that don't interest me boring. I find writing long tests annoying.

 

boring

embarrassing

depressing

confusing

exciting

annoying

worrying

amusing    

 

attending lectures (seminars, classes)

cheating (in exams and tests)

coming late to my classes (exams)

correcting mistakes

doing grammar exercises

doing my homework

failing examinations

listening to the tapes

making reports in public

missing classes

participating in class discussion

reading up (for)

rendering texts

taking examinations

taking notes

translating from a language into language

working on one's thesis

writing essays at home

Continue the list. Compare your answers with those of other students in the class. Discuss these situations and the feelings they cause. Also discuss what activities you think difficult and what — easy.

Exercise 8

Work in pairs. Complain about some things or activities at college that annoy you. Talk about something that you do not enjoy. Explain why.

► Use:

For complaining:

I'm beginning to get rather tired of...

I've had (I have) a lot of trouble with...

The trouble with... is that...

I'm sick and tired of...

They should/ought to...

I'm not at all satisfied with...

For agreement:                                            For disagreement:

· Yes, it is a problem, isn't it?                  Really? I can't say I've particularly noticed that...

· Yes, it can be a problem, can't it?         Oh, come on, it isn't that bad.

· Yes, I know what you mean.                I can see what you mean but…

· I think I can understand how you feel.                     

                  

Exercise 9

Speak in class what you feel when:

you get a bad mark; you fall (lag) behind the group; you fail (in) an examination; you read up for an examination late at night; you miss classes; you come late to classes; you have to catch up with the rest; you have to retake an examination; you work in the library all the week­end; you work on your dissertation on holiday; you spend sleepless nights over a load of books; you look up every word in your dictionary when reading an English book; you are not prepared for the class; you are given actually no time to digest and remember several chapters; the telephone rings while you are doing your homework; your essay is well-received; you see another student cheats at an examination or test.

► Patterns: I feel like a failure when I fall behind the group. I feel pleased/confused/bored, etc. when I have to catch up with the rest.

Exercise 10

Translate into English.

1. Она поступила в университет прошлым летом и закон­чит его только через четыре года.

2. Лучше не пропускать занятия, а то можно быстро отстать от группы. Хорошо известно, что нагонять всегда сложнее.

3. Все студенты в группе получили зачёт по языкозна­нию. Это было серьёзное испытание.

4. Мой любимый предмет – английский. А ещё мне нравятся страноведение Великобритании и США.

5. Я не очень люблю писать диктанты и изложения, но понимаю, что это необходимо для приобретения на­выков письменной речи.

6. В расписании лек­ции чередуются с практическими занятиями.

7. Староста нашей группы получила стипендию от Бри­танского Совета. Она будет учиться в Лондонском университете и писать дипломную ра­боту.

8. Не думаю, что, готовясь к экзаменам, имеет смысл всю ночь не ложиться спать. Эффект от такой подготовки может быть плохой.

9. Больше всего я боюсь провалить экзамен по психо­логии, поэтому стараюсь всё выучить почти наизусть.

10. В колледже у нас три профессора, четыре доцента, несколько старших преподавателей.

11. Проверяя контрольные работы, преподаватель отме­чает ошибки красным цветом.

12. В эту сессию будет один письменный и два устных зачёта, а также четыре экзамена.

13. В начале года в деканате все первокурсники получили студенческие билеты и зачётные книжки.

14. Когда я начинаю делать домашнее задание, то долго не могу сконцентрироваться на работе — меня постоян­но что-то отвлекает.

15. В обучении ему не нужно прикладывать много уси­лий — он всё хватает на лету.

Exercise 11

I. Read and translate the story.

Distractions are a problem Barbara has to deal with when she is supposed to be studying. She spends too much time on the phone. She intends to concentrate on her homework, but finds herself talking to friends or networking instead of read­ing, taking notes or writing essays. It is hard for her to say, 'No, I can't do this or go there. I have to study.' Her homework often suffers because she procrastinates. When she studies in her room, it is full of distractions. Her phone, radio, laptop and her cat are there. She finds herself daydreaming, answering the messages, listening to the radio or playing the cat. She is often disturbed by family members. It is easy to see where all her time goes — not to studying. Now she decided to quit all social networks while she is studying. She puts the cat out before she starts to study. Her homework should be now done before everyone gets home from work.