Education in the usa

1. There is no national system of higher education in the United States. Basically, American higher education developed its own pattern by the adaptation of two traditions: the collegiate tradition of England and the university tradition of the Continent.

2. In the USA there is no consistent distinction between the terms “college” and “university”. The general tendency, however, is to call a college a higher educational institution offering mainly courses of instruction leading to the Bachelor’s degree; a university is a college or group of colleges leading not only to the Bachelor’s degree but also to the Master’s and the Doctor’s degrees.

3. The American college has developed into an institution which has no counterpart in Europe. The college course of study (at first three years in duration) was soon extended to four years and the classes are uniformly known as the freshman, the sophomore, the junior and the senior.

4. The traditional degree which crowns the college course is that of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). The studies ordinarily insisted on in case of candidates for this degree are Latin, Greek, mathematics, English, philosophy, political economy, history, at least one modern European language and at least one natural science.

The degrees of Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph.B.), and Bachelor of Letters (B.L.) are often conferred by colleges upon students who have pursued systematic courses of study which do not include Greek or Latin required for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

5. University instruction is given chiefly at the following institutions: California University, Catholic University of America, Cornell University, Harvard University, John Hopkins University, Stanford University, Wisconsin University, Yale University and some others.

6. The crowning honour of the university students is the degree of Ph. D. (Doctor of Philosophy). The minimum period of study accepted for the degree of Ph.D., is two years after obtaining the bachelor’s degrees, but in practice, three, and even four years of study are found necessary. In addition to carrying on an investigation in the field of the main subject of study, the candidate for the degree of Ph.D. is usually required to pass examinations in one or two subordinate subjects.

The methods of instruction in the universities are the lecture discussion and work in laboratory or seminary. The degree of Master of Arts is conferred upon students who, after one year of university residence and study, pass certain prescribed examinations. This degree like those of DD (Doctor of Divinity) and LD (Doctor of Laws) is often conferred by colleges and universities as a purely honorary distinction.

7. To meet the demands for higher education two-year junior colleges have been opened. They were originally designed to provide two years of education beyond high school, but now are being used by hundreds of thousands of students as the first two years of a four-year college education. It usually offers courses related to local industry, agriculture or crafts. Many of the students who take these courses at night have day-time jobs related to them.

8. It has become common for the college program to be divided into broad fields, such as languages and literature, the social sciences, the sciences and mathematics, and the fine arts. Many colleges require all freshmen and sophomores to take one or two full-year courses in each of three fields.

9. During one semester, a student will study four or five different subjects. The students’ progress is often evaluated through quizzes (short oral or written tests), term papers, and a final examination in each course. Each part of a student’s work in a course is given a mark which helps to determine his final grade. A student’s record consists of his grade in each course. This system is unlike that of most European countries.

10. Institutions of higher learning supported by public funds are not absolutely free. The state colleges and universities charge a tuition fee. This fee is higher for those who come from outside the state. Working one’s way through college is commonplace. Usually there is no admission examination required by a state university for those who have finished high school within the state. 11. Private colleges and universities were established in various states. The first state university was the University of Virginia, founded in 1819. Some state universities have large endowment funds which provide a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of income are student fees, gifts and endowments.

Задание 2 Прочитайте текст еще раз и определите: а) верны (В), б) не верны (НВ) следующие утверждения или в) в тексте отсутствует информация (ИО). Если утверждение неверно, дайте правильный ответ.

1. Higher education in the USA is characterised by a consistent national system.

2. Students graduating from a college or university get the Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctor’s degrees.

3. The course of study in colleges is divided into three semesters.

4. A general structure of American colleges is the very same to the college structure in Europe.

5. To get the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) a curriculum should include dead languages (Latin, Greek), some humanities (philosophy, history, modern languages), maths and at least one natural science.

6. Getting the degree of Ph. D. includes three or four years of studies after accepting the bachelor’s degree, carrying out some investigation and passing examinations in one or two subordinate subjects.

7. The Doctor’s degrees are usually conferred to junior students who have pursued systematic courses of study.

8. There is a number of colleges in the USA that offer two-year education related to local industry, agriculture or crafts.

9. The students’ progress is evaluated on a five-point scale with letters to indicate the levels of achievements: A, B, C, D, E (the last letter denoted failure).

10 American universities are supported by public funds, tuition fees and gifts.

Задание 3 Найдите в тексте слова или словосочетания, которые соответствуют определениям, приведённым в задании. В скобках указан номер параграфа в тексте.

Пример: 0 - education at a university (1) - higher education

1 - a title given by a university or certain colleges to a student who has

completed a course of study successfully (2)

2 - the process of learning at university over a period of time (3)

3 - a first university degree (4)

4 - a large organization such as a university (5)

5 - the process of trying to find out all the details and facts about something (6)

6 – to give someone something that they want or need (7)

7 – a branch of knowledge or area of activity (8)

8 – a letter or a number that shows the quality of a student’s work (9)

9 – money that you pay to take lessons, especially at a college, university, or

private school (10)

10 – an amount of money that someone gives to an institution (11)

Задание 4 Определите видо-временные формы глаголов,

выделенных в тексте.

Задание 5 Поставьте глаголы в скобках в нужную форму Perfect.

1. Do you know where Julia is?

Yes, I _____ (just/ see) her.

2. Why was she so nervous in the plane?

She _____ (never/ fly) before.

3. What’s that book like?

I don’t know. I _____ (not/ read) it.

4. When will the film start?

It _____ (already/ start) by the time we get to the cinema.

5. What happened in your house last night?

When we got home last night, we found that somebody _____ (break) into the flat.

6. Do you have any news from your cousin?

Yes, she _____ (phone) me recently.

7. Can I meet with Ann at 9 o’clock tomorrow?

Oh sorry, she _____ (go) to work by this time.

8. Was Tom at the party when you arrived?

No, he _____ (already/ go) home.

9. When will your daughter come back from London?

She _____ (be) at home by next Sunday.

10. You look pale! What is wrong with you?

I _____ (cut) my finger. It’s bleeding.

Задание 6 Поставьте глаголы в скобках в нужную форму страдательного залога.

1 A: Did you have a nice time in Bali?

B: Oh, yes. We ___ (take) to some of the most amazing beaches I’ve

ever seen and we ate some delicious seafood.

2 A: Did they paint their house themselves?

B: No, it ___ (paint) before they moved in.

3 A: Where’s your bicycle?

B: It ___ (repair) at the moment.

4 A: What did you get for your birthday?

B: I ___ (give) the most beautiful pair of earrings I’ve ever seen.

5 A: This bread tastes wonderful.

B: Thanks. It ___ (make) by my mother.

6 A: When can I pick up my photos?

B: They ___ (develop) in the morning, so any time after lunch.

7 A: That’s a lovely watch.

B: It ___ (give) to me on my retirement.

8 A: When will your car be ready?

B: I don’t know. It ___ (still/fix) when I went to the garage this morning.

9 A: Did you reserve a plane ticket?

B: No, unfortunately the flight ___ (fully/book) by the time I got to the travel agent’s.

10 A: How often should I feed the fish?

B: They ___ (must/feed) once a day.

11 A: A new hospital ___ (build) in our town at the moment.

B: Yes, I know. It ___ (open) by the mayor when it’s finished.

12 A: How was the wedding reception?

B: It was lovely! The hall ___ (decorate) with beautiful flowers.

13 A: What’s going on?

B: A boy ___ (trap) in the lift and the firefighters are trying to get him out.

14 A: That was a terrible storm last night!

B: I know. Many houses ___ (flood).

15 A: When ___ (report/ finish)?

B: Hopefully by next week.

Задание 7 Преобразуйте следующие предложения из активного в страдательный залог.

1. An expert is restoring the antique car.

2. Steven Spielberg has directed a lot of successful films.

3. A number of reporters will meet the professor at the airport.

4. The Romans founded Bath in the first century A.D.

5. People chop down a lot of trees every year.

6. The mechanic will have repaired the car by the end of next week.

7. He had sent e-mail to his cousin before he left the office.

8. When our friends came to us we were still looking for the keys.

9. They ought to warm the public about him.

10. Scientists might discover a cure for cancer.

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):