Studying at a British University

undergraduates lecture get pass

tuition courses (3) degree lectures

enter subjects grant notes

graduate postgraduate lecturers postgraduates

If you want to … university, you must first … examinations that most students take at the age of eighteen (called A-level). Most students take three A-levels (three examinations in three different …) and they must do well in order to … a place at university because the places are limited. At the moment, about 30% of young adults go to university in Britain.

If you get a place at university, the … is free, and some students also receive a … as well. Most university … last three years, some … last four years, and one or two …, e.g. medicine, may be even longer. During this period students can say they are doing/studying law, or doing/studying for a … in law, for example.

At school, you have teachers and lessons, at university you have … and … . When a lecturer gives a … , the students listen and take …, but do not usually say much, except to ask occasional questions.

Students at university are called … while they are studying for their first degree. When you complete your first degree, you are a … . Some students then go on to do a second course or degree - … course. They are … .

Task 14. Practise the following for pronunciation.

quality /'kwPlIti/ proficiency /prq'fISqnsi/

vary /'veqri/ financial /faI'nxnSl/

privately /'praIvItli/ annual /'xnjuql/

standardized /'stxndqdaIzd/ various /'veqriqs/

criterion /kraI'tIqriqn/ option /'PpSqn/

criteria /kraI'tIqriq/ assign /q'saIn/

eligibility /"elIGq'bIlIti/ obligatory /q'blIgqtqri/

cumulative /'kjHmjVlqtIv/ resume /'rezjVmeI/

throughout /TrH'aVt/ potential /pq'tenSl/

Task 15. Read and translate the text.

University Education in the United States

In the United States the quality of college education does not vary significantly across the states and is set at a high level. In fact there is not much of a difference between a university and a college. A university is normally comprised of a number of colleges. Universities can be either sponsored by the state, or privately. Private universities are generally more expensive and offer a higher quality education.

Admission to universities in the United States is done on a standardized basis. Normally, two criteria are used when applicants’ eligibility¹ is considered. The first criterion is the applicant’s GPA (Grade Point Average)². It represents a cumulative number which is the average of all GPAs that a student earned throughout his/her high school years.

Another criterion for admission is the score that the student receives for a standardized national entrance exam. An applicant is to take a test composed of three parts: language proficiency³, mathematics, and logic.

If an applicant has been admitted to the university, the next problem he/she will face will be a financial one. Annual tuition and various fees vary in the range from ten to fifty thousand dollars depending on the type of the university. Students coming to college from military service don’t have to worry about any academic expenses. Unless they fail the courses they are taking, all their university bills will be covered by the military.

Once in college students have to make a decision concerning their major field of study. Unlike Russian universities, which admit students to specific departments already chosen by the applicants, American colleges give students an option of choosing their field during the first two years of study. During these years the student can take classes from the list of obligatory general requirements. While at college the students are assigned to academic advisors who guide them throughout their college years suggesting courses necessary to meet graduation requirements.

In the last year of college students start sending out resumes⁴ to potential employers and very often by the time they graduate they already have a couple of offers from interested organizations.

____________

¹eligibility - приемлемость, право на зачисление в университет

²Grade Point Average – средний балл (характеристика успеваемости учащихся, определяемая путем деления суммы оценочных баллов на количество зачетов и экзаменов; учитывается при поступлении в университет)

³language proficiency - владение языком

⁴resume - краткая автобиография (предоставляется претендентом на должность или при поступлении в учебное заведение)

Task 16. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations.

1. предлагать более высокое качество образования

2. зачисление в университет

3. критерии для зачисления

4. ежегодная плата за обучение

5. расходы на обучение

6. оплачивать счета за обучение в университете

7. принимать студентов на определенный факультет

8. предоставлять кому-либо право выбора

9. перечень обязательных общих требований

10. прикреплять к учебному наставнику

11. отвечать требованиям

12. рассылать резюме

Task 17. Say whether the following statements are true or false; correct the false ones.

1. The quality of university education in the United States vary greatly from state to state.

2. Generally there is no difference between a university and a college, a college may be part of a university.

3. In the USA there are private and state universities, and the quality of education in both types is practically the same.

4. Each university has its own rules of admission.

5. The tuition in American universities is rather expensive.

6. In the United States the students choose the major field of study after the admission to university.

7. Academic advisors guide the American students throughout their college years and find jobs for them after their graduation.

8. Very often most students have offers from interested organizations before their graduation from the university.

Task 18. Fill the gaps with the words from the box; read and translate the text.

family support financial jobs tuition

education costs difficulties grants

expenses fees campuses dormitory

Students all over the world have to work for their education. A college … in the United States is expensive. The … are so high that most families begin to save for their children’s education when their children are babies. Even so, many young people cannot afford to pay the … of full-time college work. They do not have enough money to pay for school costs. … for attending the university, books for classes, and … costs are high. There are other expenses such as chemistry and biology laboratory … . The cost of a college education increases every year. However, … are still crowded with students. Some American students depend on … to pay for college. Perhaps some of the students have scholarships or money …, but many do not. How do the rest of the students manage?

There are two obvious answers to the money … of college students. They can borrow money, or they can find … and earn it. In either case, thousands of students everywhere find answers to their … problems.

Task 19. Put the verbs in the brackets in the proper tense form – Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous; read and translate the text.

Last September I (1.graduate) from university. It (2.be) a day that my friends and I (3.look forward to) for ages, and we (4.be proud) to be there after three years of hard work.

On the morning of the graduation ceremony, I (5.arrive) early and (6.meet) my friends outside the main building. We (7.go) to a large room where they (8.give) us our black caps and gowns¹. After that we (9.write) our names in the graduation book and (10.go off) to get ready for the ceremony.

Two hours later, we (11.sit) in the huge graduation hall, waiting for the ceremony to begin. We (12.smile) at our parents who (13.sit) on the balcony watching. Once all the students (14.sit down), the university officials (15.come) into the hall. The chairman of the university (16.give) a speech, then he (17.start) calling our names. One after the other we (18.walk up) to the stage and (19.collect) our degree certificates. Then everyone (20.cheer) as we (21.go back) to our seats. Finally, there (22.be) some more speeches before we all (23.go) outside into the university gardens to take photographs of each other.

We (24.be) all extremely proud, happy and exited to have graduated, but we (25.be) sad, too. Graduation (26.mean) that we (27.be not) students any more. It (28.be) the end of our university days, but it (29.be) also the beginning of something new.

_______

¹gown /gaVn/ - мантия

Task 20. Practise the following for pronunciation.

qualification /"kwPlIfI'keISn/ junior /'GHnIq/

specialized /'speSqlaIzd/ senior /'sJnIq/

architecture /'RkItekCq/ ancient /'eInSqnt/

barrister /'bxrIstq/ trainee /treI'nJ/

solicitor /sq'lIsItq/ association /q"sqVSI'eISn/

majority /mq'GPrIti/ counsel /'kaVnsql/

establish /I'stxblIS/ application /"xplI'keISn/

Task 21. Read and translate the text.

In Britain people do not always go to university to gain qualifications for certain professions. In many cases they go to specialized institutions which are separate from any university. You can study architecture at university, but most architects have learnt their profession at a separate School of Architecture. You cannot get a teacher’s qualification by doing an ordinary university course – most teachers get theirs at teacher training colleges.

You can study law at university but this alone does not qualify you to be a lawyer. The vast majority of barristers¹ and most solicitors² do in fact go to university, but they do not necessarily study law there. In fact neither kind of lawyer needs a university qualification.

All solicitors have to pass the Law Society³ exam. They study for this exam while ‘articled’⁴ to established firms of solicitors where they do much of the everyday junior work until they are qualified.

Barristers have to attend one of the four Inns of Court⁵ in London. These ancient institutions are modelled on Oxbridge colleges. After four years, the trainee barristers sit for exams. If they pass, they are ‘called to the Bar’⁶ and are recognized as barristers. However, they are still not allowed to present a case in a Crown Court. They can only do this after several more years of association with a senior barrister, after which the most able of them apply to ‘take silk’⁷. Those whose applications are accepted can put the letters QC (Queen's Counsel⁸) after their names.

___________

¹barrister - барристер (адвокат, имеющий право выступать в высших судах; является членом одного из «Судебных иннов»)

²solicitor - солиситор, стряпчий (юрист, консультирующий клиентов, в том числе организации и фирмы; подготавливает дела для барристера; имеет право выступать в низших судах)

³Law Society - общество юристов (профессиональный союз солиситоров; имеет собственный клуб с библиотекой и справочным отделом в Лондоне; может привлекать своих членов к ответственности за нарушение профессиональной этики, исключать из числа солиситоров и т.п.)

⁴to be аrticled - быть стажёром (конторы солиситора; работать без жалования в порядке компенсации за подготовку в области права и практической работы)

⁵Inns of Court - «Судебные инны» (четыре корпорации барристеров в Лондоне; пользуются исключительным правом приёма в адвокатуру; в школах при этих корпорациях готовят барристеров)

⁶to be called to the Bar - быть принятым в коллегию адвокатов, стать барристером

⁷to take silk - стать королевским адвокатом (silk – шелковая мантия королевского адвоката)

⁸Queen’s Counsel - королевский адвокат (высшее адвокатское звание; присваивается королевской грамотой по рекомендации лорд-канцлера; такой адвокат выступает на процессе раньше других адвокатов)

Task 22. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations; memorize them.

1. получить квалификацию (учителя, юриста и т.д.)

2. обучаться профессии

3. изучать право

4. готовиться к сдаче экзамена

5. ни один из …

6. представлять дело в суде

7. выполнять повседневную работу

8. ходатайствовать о получении звания королевского адвоката

9. удовлетворить ходатайство

Task 23. Make the sentences emphatic following the pattern; translate them into Russian.

Pattern: 1. In fact most solicitors go to university.

In fact most solicitors do go to university.

Фактически большинство солиситеров все же обучаются в университете.

2. Henry passed the Law Society exam.

Henry did pass the Law Society exam.

Генри действительно сдал экзамен в Обществе Юристов.

1. Most teachers get their qualification at teacher training colleges.

2. In Britain all solicitors pass the Law Society exam.

3. Barristers attend one of the four Inns of Court in London.

4. After four years the trainee barristers sit for exams.

5. The most able of the barristers apply to 'take silk'.

6. He passed the exam and was recognized as a barrister.

7. John studied law at university.

8. Peter attended one of the four Inns of Court in London to become a barrister.

Task 24. Fill the gaps with the prepositions from the box; read and translate the text.

in (5) for (5) with without of (4) by