Plan the Perfect «Core» College Curriculum.

The professors of your university are very upset by recent studies showing that the average graduate from your school is less competent than the average graduate of 20 years ago. As a result, the professors have insisted that the entire educational approach be changed. Instead of students taking only elective courses, they must take three years (144 units) of «core» (basic) courses. Only during their senior year they may take electives (non-required courses chosen by a student) in their major (student’s main field of interest).

According to the professors, «the core courses must be designed to give the student a broad background in the general humanities and sciences with the result that the student possesses analytical skills and written and verbal activity necessary to be a leader in society.

Consider

Each course in four units. You may require a student to take more than four units (or no units) in the following subjects:

anthropology	economics	philosophy
art	engineering	physical education
astronomy	foreign languages	physics
biology	geography	political science
botany	geology	psychology
business administration	history	religion
chemistry	journalism	sociology
composition	linguistics	speech
computers	literature	statistics
dance	mathematics	zoology
drama	music

The core plan (144 units; 12 courses – 48 units per year)

	I. Freshman Year
Fall Quarter	Winter Quarter	Spring Quarter
1._____________	1.______________	1._____________
2._____________	2.______________	2._____________
3._____________	3.______________	3._____________
4._____________	4.______________	4._____________
	II. Sophomore Year
Fall Quarter	Winter Quarter	Spring Quarter
1._____________	1.______________	1._____________
2._____________	2.______________	2._____________
3._____________	3.______________	3._____________
4._____________	4.______________	4._____________
	III. Junior Year
Fall Quarter	Winter Quarter	Spring Quarter
1._____________	1.______________	1._____________
2._____________	2.______________	2._____________
3._____________	3.______________	3._____________
4._____________	4.______________	4._____________

Discuss

Verbally compare your decision with those of the classmates in your discussion group.

Explain and defend your opinions. Listen carefully to your classmate’s opinions, but do not be afraid to disagree with those opinions. Try to reach a group consensus on the best solution to the problem. One person on the group should write down the group’s decision.

Extend

1. When is the best time to choose a major – before university studies? Or at some point during studies (what point)?

2. Is it a god idea for every student to study the same basic subjects before choosing a major?

3. In some countries, such as Japan, there is little relationship between what a student major in and her ultimate job after graduation. What do you think of this system?

4. Rate the following subjects in order of importance to students (1 = most important, 8 = least important):

___psychology	___native language	___philosophy
___biology	___art	___mathematics
	___foreign languages

American idioms

«People the world over who are studying English as a second language do not find it easy to use idiomatic expressions fluently. Even those well trained in English are often puzzled by the idiomatic structure of the language. And if they steer clear of idiomatic usage, their speech and writing tend to become formal and stilted.» (1, P. 4).

Use these exercises to become familiar with the idioms. You may want to refer to the definitions and examples at the end of this chapter while you do them.

Exercise 1. Read the following dialogues