Section II. Reading material
TEXT A. BRITISH UNIVERSITIES
Task: read the text and translate it in written form; for reference see Section I.
There are more than forty universities in Britain, of which 36 are in England, 8 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales. The two oldest universities in England are Oxford and Cambridge. These date from the Middle Ages. Oxford is the oldest of these two universities, it is more philosophical, classical, theological. The history of Oxford began in 1249, that of Cambridge — in 1348. Among theу English universities Oxford and Cambridge have a special eminence, and they are different from the others.
England had no other universities, apart from Oxford and Cambridge, until the nineteenth century. The universities which were founded between 1850 and 1930, including London University, are known as redbrick universities (they were called so because that was the favourable building material of the time). They are in London, Durham, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Nottingham, etc. The University of London is the largest of them. The division between Oxford and Redbrick is sharp. The division is essentially a class one. Redbrick universities were built to provide a liberal education for the poorer boys and to give technological training. Oxford and Cambridge graduates scorned them.
The universities which were founded after the Second World War are called «the new universities». They are in Staffordshire, Kent, Essex, Lancaster, Sussex, York. Some of them quickly became popular because of their modern approach to university courses.
All British Universities are private institutions. Every university is independent, autonomous and responsible only to its own governing council. Although they all receive financial support from the state, the Department of Education and Science has no control over their regulations, curriculum, examinations, appointment of staff, or the way they spend money. The number and type of faculties differ from university to university. Each university decides each year how many students it supposes to admit. The admission to universities is by examination or selection (interviews). The students receive grants. They have to pay fees and living costs1 but every student may receive from the local authority of the place where he lives a personal grant which is enough to pay lodging and food — unless his parents are rich. Most students take jobs in the summer for about six weeks, but they do not normally do outside work during the academic session.
Students who pass examinations at the end of three or four years of study get Bachelor's degree. The first postgraduate degree is normally that of Master conferred for a thesis based on at least one year's fulltime work. Universities are centres of research and many postgraduates are engaged in research for higher degree, usually Doctorates.
The British government does not think to build more new universities. There is a tendency to expand the older ones. The most interesting innovation is Open University.
Notes:
lto pay fees and living costs - платить за обучение и жилье
EXERCISES:
Ex. 1. Read the international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.
'history
'course
'session
'interview
'student
'centre
'faculty
'popular
'special
'private
'normal
'liberal
'modern
'interesting
phi'losophy
au'tonomous
se'lection
de'partment
fi'nance
ma'terial
the'ology
,techno'logical
e,xami'nation
,inno'vation
,edu'cation
,uni'versity
.insti'tution
,theo'logical
Ex. 2. Memorize the following pairs of derivatives:
N -> Adj
finance — financial philosophy — philosophical theology — theological technology — technological history — historical education — educational difference — different independence — independent autonomy — autonomous
V -> N
divide — division educate — education found — foundation decide — decision regulate — regulation examine — examination appoint — appointment govern — government pay — payment
Ex. 3. Transform as in the models:
M о d e 1 1: to educate people — education of people to found the university, to regulate the studies, to examine students, to appoint the tutors;
M о d e 1 2: degree of a bachelor — bachelor's degree of a master, life of the students, parents of students, the report of the scientist;
M о d e 1 3: Department of Education — Education Department centres of research, colleges of the University, history of Oxford, faculty of Law.
Ex. 4. Match English and Russian equivalents:
1. higher education
2. private institutions
3. university curriculum
4. to receive grants
5. local authority
6. academic session
7. to pass exams
8. research centre
a. получать стипендию
b. местные власти
c. учебный триместр
d. сдать экзамены
e. учебный план университета
f. высшее образование
g. научно-исследовательский центр
h. частные учебные заведения
Ex. 5. Choose the right word:
1. Oxford is ... of all British universities.
a) the youngest b) the oldest c) the poorest
2. All British universities are ... institutions, a) state b) old c) private
3. The ... to the Universities is by examination or selection, a) admission b) regulation c) innovation
4. Most students take ... in the summer for about six weeks, a) exams b) job c) accomodation
5. The students ... grants.
a) spend b) receive c) pay
Ex. 6. Complete the sentences:
1. The oldest Universities in Britain are ... . 2. There is a sharp division between ... 3. New universities became popular because ... . 4. Every university is independent, and responsible only to ... . 5. Students who pass exams after three or four years of studies get ... . 6. There is a tendency to expand ....
Ex. 7. Insert the right word:
(British, Oxford, Britain, Oxford and Cambridge, Open University)
There are 47 universities in ... . The oldest universities are ... . The history of ... began in 1249. These two universities are different from all other ... universities. Redbrick universities were built to give technological training. ... universities are private institutions, but they receive financial support from the state. The British government does not think to build new universities. The most interesting innovation is ... .
Ex. 8. Mark the statements that are true:
1. All British universities are private institutions. 2. The admission to the University is by examination or selection. 3. The Department of Education and Science controls appointment of staff. 4. The number and type of faculties is the same at all British universities. 5. Students never work in summer, they work during the academic year. 6. The first postgraduate degree is that of Master. 7. Universities are centres of research.
Ex. 9. Answer the questions on the text:
1. How many universities are there in Great Britain? 2. What are the oldest British universities? 3. What Redbrick universities can you name? 4. Why did «the new universities» quickly become popular? 5. All British universities are private institutions, aren't they? 6. What university degree do you know? 7. Are universities centres of research?
Ex. 10. Make a short summary of the text. Do it according to the following plan:
1. The title of the text is ...
2. The text is devoted to ...
3. It consists of ...
4. The first passage deals with ...
5. The second (third, forth, etc.) passage deals with ...
6. The main idea of the text is ...
TEXT B. OXBRIDGE
Task: read the text; find the answers to the questions given below.
Two universities, Oxford and Cambridge, Oxbridge, as they are sometimes jointly called, for seven hundred years dominated British education, and today they dominate more than ever. The students of Oxbridge make up one of the most elite elites in the world. Many great men studied here. Among them Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Cromwell, the soldier, and Newton, the scientist. Many prominent Conservative and Labour leaders and ministers, members of the Royal family studied there too.
Today Oxford and Cambridge have less than one-tenth of all British university students (less than 1% of Britain's population). Only a small per cent of the candidates are chosen — mainly on the results of the written examinations.
The division between Oxford and Redbrick is sharp. The division is essentially a class one. A large per cent of Oxford undergraduates come from public schools. Only since the 1870s women have been admitted and the women's colleges constitute only 12% of the Oxbridge population.
Oxford and Cambridge preserve an antique way of life in the midst of the twentieth century. Oxbridge is only in session half the year. Both Oxford and Cambridge now consist of self- governing colleges where students live. The students have lectures and tutorials. Each student has a tutor who tells him to write papers on the subjects he is studying. Tutors are responsible for the students' progress.
1. What universities dominate British education?
2. What great men studied at Oxbridge?
3. Who is responsible for the students' progress?
4. Is the division between Oxford and Redbrick universities sharp?
TEXT C. THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
Task: read the text; get ready to render its contents in Russian.
The Open University was founded in 1964 by the Labour Government for those people who, for some reason, had not had a chance to enter any of the other universities, especially those above normal student age. It takes both men and women at the age of 21 and over. No formal academic qualifications are necessary for entry to these courses, but the standards of its degrees are the same as those of other universities. The first course began in 1971, and in a decade the number of undergraduates reached 65,000. It's a non-residential1 university. In teaching the university uses a combination of television and radio broadcasts, correspondence courses and summer schools, together with a network of viewing and listening centres2. Lecturers present their courses on one of the BBC's television channels and by radio. They have also produced a whole library of short course-books, which anyone can buy at bookshops. Students write papers based on the courses and discuss them with tutors at meetings or by correspondence once a month.
Degrees are awarded on the basis of credit3 gained by success at each stage of the course. Six credits are necessary for a BA degree4 and eight credits for a BA Honours degree. The time of staying on at the Open University is unlimited.
At the beginning of the 1990s some 150,000 students followed the Open University courses.
Notes:
1 non-residential — без постоянного помещения
2 viewing and listening centres — видео- и аудиоцентры
3 credit — «успешно» (оценка за сданные экзамены)
4 BA degree - Bachelor of Arts degree
TEXT D. STUDENTS' LIFE IN BRITAIN
Task: read the text and say, how students' life is organized at British Universities.
British Universities and colleges have Students' Unions which are concerned1 with students' life and studies. Unions have their Presidents, their role is basically to represent the interests of the students. Almost all power rests in the hands2 of the whole membership as expressed at General Meetings. For practical purposes the decision-making3 is delegated to Union Council.
Each Union Council has sub-committees each of which has the job of overseeing4 a small area of the Union's work. For example, the Union Council of the University of Leeds has the Cultural Affairs Committee, Executive Committee, Freshers5 Committee, General Athletics Committee, House Committee, Overseas6 Committee, Women's Affairs Committee, etc. They help to settle various students' problems in the academic year — with grants, accomodation, rents. They are also responsible for the coordination and organization of extra-curricular activities. If at any time a student needs advice, members of the Union Council will be glad
to be of assistance. All these committees are open - any student may take part in the elections to them.
There are numerous societies working within university and college Unions covering a wide range of-interests and activities. The above mentioned7 Leeds University Union has 150 Societies of the following categories: political, religious, national, cultural, recreational; among them Agricultural Society, Archaeology, Arts, Ballet, Biological, C.N.D8, Chinese, Christian Unity, Computer,Film, Green, Law, Music, Vegetarian, Yoga, etc.
Notes:
1 are concerned — зд. заботятся
2 rests in the hands — находится в руках
3 decision-making — принятие решений
4 overseeing —зд. наблюдение
5 freshers — первокурсники
6 overseas — зарубежные
' the abovementioned — вышеупомянутый
8 C.N.D. (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) — кампания за ядерное разоружение