British Universities

1. There are 46 universities in Great Britain. But they are not open to everyone. The number of students on a particular course is strictly limited. That′s why school – graduates apply to get a place at university before they take final exams at school. Popular, high–prestige universities demand from school–leavers good exam results. The academic year in British Universities is divided into three terms: from the beginning of October to the middle of December, from the middle of January to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June or the beginning of July.

2. Officially, all universities in the country are equal in status. But they differ greatly in reputation and public image. In general, the older a university is, the higher its status. So the most prestigious are the ancient ones – Oxford and Cambridge, which are called the “intellectual eyes” of Britain. They are often collectively called “Oxbridge”. Only very rich and aristocratic families can afford to send their children to these universities.

3. The Oxford University was established in 1249. The name “Oxford” means the part of the river Thames where it was forded by oxen. There are twenty four men’s colleges, five women’s and another five where men and women study together. The colleges are surrounded by green lawns and parks. Three and a half thousand school – leavers enter Oxford every year. The ratio of applicants to available places is about 3:1. Fifteen thousand students and graduates study at Oxford University.

4. Cambridge started in the 13^th century. It has grown into an umbrella organisation which comprises more than thirty colleges, libraries, museums and laboratories. Almost all colleges are now mixed where male and female students study together. Lectures attendance is voluntary for students. The main type of tuition is tutorials. Students have to see their teachers quite regularly. For each tutorials they have to prepare essays. Consequently, playing truants and failure rates are very low.

5. British universities are very popular with overseas students. As education in Oxbridge is fee-paying, the fee for a foreigner is:

£ 8 – 10.000 at humanities faculty,

£ 11 – 13.000 at natural sciences faculty,

£ 17 – 20.000 at medicine and foreign languages faculty

The number of students who come from Africa, the Arab world and Far Eastern countries – Malaysia and Indonesia is becoming bigger and bigger. There are special exchange programs between universities in many countries of the whole world.

6. The normal length of the course of studies is 3 years. After it the students will get the Degree of Bachelor of Arts. (B.A.). Some courses, such as languages or medicine are one or two years longer. Then the students may continue to take the Master’s Degree and then – the Doctor’s Degree.

Задание 2 Ответьте письменно на следующие вопросы:

1. How many universities are there in Britain?

2. How many terms does the academic year in British universities consist of?

3. What people can afford to study at Oxford or Cambridge?

4. What does the word “Oxford” mean?

5. What is the ratio of applicants in Oxford?

6. What is the main type of studies in Cambridge?

7. Do foreign students have to pay for their studies at Oxbridge?

8. How long does the course of studies last?

9. What degree do the students get after graduation from University?

Задание 3 Образуйте новые слова – существительные от глаголов. Используйте словарь, если необходимо.

Глагол	Существительное	Глагол	Существительное
1. graduate 2. organise 3. prepare 4. motivate 5. present	graduation -?- … …	6. educate 7. operate 8. translate 9. create 10. transcribe	… … … …

Задание 4 Найдите в тексте и выпишите по одному предложению в:

1. Present Simple

2. Present Perfect

3. Past Simple

4. Present Progressive

5. Future Simple

6. There is/ there are

Задание 5 Найдите в тексте эквиваленты следующих слов и выражений. Используйте их в ваших собственных примерах.

1. число студентов строго ограничено (§ 1)

2. выпускные экзамены (§ 1)

3. самый престижный (§ 2)

4. могут позволить себе (§ 2)

5. конкурс поступающих (§ 3)

6. посещение лекций (§ 4)

7. пропуск занятий (прогулы) (§ 4)

8. иностранные студенты

9. «обменные» программы

10. курс обучения

Задание 6 Поставьте специальные вопросы к предложениям, подчёркнутым в тексте.

Задание 7а Выпишите предложения в пассивном залоге. Определите время.

Задание 7б Перепишите следующий текст, изменив предложения в активном залоге в пассивный залог.

Someone broke into the National Gallery late last night. The thieves had broken the alarm system before they climbed through a window. They stole some priceless works of art. They used a getaway car to escape. The police have questioned some suspects. They have not caught the thieves yet.

Задание 8 Выучите список слов по теме «Образование» (50 слов)

Задание 9 Представьте, что вам надо рассказать вашему другу по Интернету о жизни студентов в вашем университете. Составьте рассказ, состоящий из 20 – 25 предложений.

Задание 10 Подберите текст для дополнительного чтения (10 тысяч знаков) и выполните соответствующие задания (см. контр. работу №1, вариант I):

Контрольная работа №3 Вариант 2

Задание 1 Прочитайте и переведите текст, составьте словарь незнакомых слов.