Практический курс разговорного английского языка

to revolve [                               ] – вращаться

to run [                   ] – управлять

to juggle [                            ] – жонглировать, зд. совмещать

tuition [                       ] – плата за обучение, обучение

Ex. 1. Learn the pronunciation of the following words:

Ex. 2. Read and translate the text.

SCHOOLING

American schools range from kindergartens to high schools, small colleges, large universities, institutions for adult education, vocational training.

Perhaps the most noteworthy feature about American education is the absence of a national administration or structure. Under the United States Constitution the federal government has no power to make laws in the field of education. Each of the 50 states controls and directs its own schools. Educational requirements are set by the state legislatures, and public schools are managed by local communities. Each state has a Board of Education (8-9 members elected by the public or appointed by the governor).

There is no uniform school organization or curriculum throughout the nation, but certain common features exist.

Preschool education includes nursery school for 3-5 year-old kids, which is optional, and kindergartens for 5 to 6 year-old kids, which may be the part of elementary school and is mandatory in most states. Secondary education usually lasts 12 years of classes not counting kindergartens. For American children schooling begins at the age of six and includes elementary school and high school: junior and senior. Sometimes Junior High School is known as Middle School. Students of each grade in high school have special names: 9 graders are called Freshmen, 10 graders – are Sophomores, 11 graders – are Juniors, 12 graders – Seniors. In different areas of the USA, the 12 grades are differently arranged (6-8 years elementary school and 6-4 years high school). The high schools are generally larger and accommodate students from four or five elementary schools.

Secondary schools have a “core curriculum” of English, a foreign language,  Math, science – Physics, Chemistry, Biology and History: Western Civilization, US History and World Cultures that is History and Literature; social studies, PE, classes teaching basic computer skills as well as variety of elective subjects. The number of subjects students study in this country may differ from school to school. There are subjects from which students can choose, besides, there are subjects that are optional. They are called electives such as painting, orchestra, woodworking, drama, photography, social work. Students have them once a week.

Usually the academic year lasts 10 months a year, school week - 5 days. One period lasts 40 minutes, except electives which last 1 hour 15 minutes. There are 7 periods every day. After third period there is a break called All-School Meeting for 15 minutes. Headmaster or teachers make all sorts of announcements. The exception is fourth period, which is a double period when students have electives or science lab or study hall where they can do their homework.  Schools typically have many three day weekends that revolve around federal holidays, a couple of weeks over Christmas in December, ending with New Year’s Day (Christmas holidays), a week in February, a week in April (the Easter holidays), 10 weeks off in the summer – summer vacations.

Approximately 85% of American students attend public schools, 15% - private schools. Four out of five private schools are run by churches, synagogues and other religious groups. Every High School has sports teams, most schools publish their own student newspaper, have bands, orchestras, choir, theatre, different clubs, etc.

In America many teens live a very busy life, “juggling” school and work. They want to be independent and make some money to buy something they want. There are other motives too. Working after and sometimes before school high school students want to earn money for their future university or college tuition. Besides, a part-time job gives a chance to get on-the-job experience and learn many of the on-the-job skills.

Those students who complete the full high program receive a high school diploma, or certificate of graduation.

Ex. 3. Find English equivalents in the text

Школа для малышей, законодательные органы штата, контролировать и управлять, устанавливаются, главные предметы, факультативные занятия, плата за будущее обучение в колледже, аттестат об окончании полного курса средней школы, по всей стране.

Ex. 4. Give Russian equivalents

To range from kindergarten to high school, adult education, educational requirements, uniform school organization, period, All-School Meeting, a Board of Education, all sorts of announcements, 10 weeks off, on-the-job skills, busy life, public school, science lab, study hall, double period, three day weekends revolve around federal holidays, part-time job, vocational training.

Ex. 5. Explain the meaning of the following words and word expressions:

Institutions for adult education, tuition, absence of a national administration, nursery, Middle School, “core curriculum”, electives, All-School Meeting, headmaster, double period, “to juggle” school and work, study hall, a part-time job, to run a school, on-the-job experience, to revolve around federal holidays, certificate of graduation, Christmas holidays, public school, private school.

Ex. 6. Read and translate the text:

System of evaluation in US schools

To graduate from high school students must have a certain number of credits during their 4 years in high school. Credits are points given for every subject that a student passes successfully. If students get enough credits after passing all the tests and “finals” at the end of a semester or term, they receive graduation diplomas at the graduation ceremony. In most subjects tests or quizzes, which are just smaller tests, are given weekly or every two weeks and they are always written. They’re graded by the teacher. To “grade” here means to give a mark. Usually the teachers use a letter system, so that “A” is the highest grade, “D” or ”F” are the lowest ones. Students may also get grade points: each letter grade is assigned a certain number of points - from  “0” to “4”. For example, ‘A” – excellent is equal to 4 points, “B” – Very good – to 3 points. “C” – Acceptable – to 2 points, “D” – Minimum passing – to 1 point. Then the grades for all student’s classes are averaged and the student gets a grade point average – GPA. This system of evaluation is rather complicated.

Ex. 7. Answer the questions.

1. Why do you think there is no the Ministry of Education in the USA?

2. What American institutions set educational requirements?

3. How many years do American students attend school?

4. Is preschool education mandatory in the USA?

5. What’s the difference between electives and subjects from which students can choose?

6. What do students do at a double period?

7. Why do high school students “juggle” school and work?

8. How often do students have tests and quizzes?

9. What letters are used in letter system?

10. How many numbers of points are there in grade point system?

11. What number of points is a letter grade “F” assigned?

12. What does the term “GPA” mean?

13. How do you understand the following statement: “Education in the USA is based on the belief that learning how to think for oneself through research and problem-solving skills is more important than learning facts”?

GOING TO COLLEGE

Vocabulary:

fee – плата

Associate degree – ассоциированный

School transcript – аттестат об окончании школы

minor – незначительный

applicant – зд. Абитуриент

score – количество очков

to unite – объединять

to apply – подать заявление

admission – прием

Scholastic Aptitude Test – тест на выявление способностей

multiply – умножать

contribution – пожертвование

achievement – достижение

Ex. 1. Learn the pronunciation of the following words:

Harvard                             [                                          ]                   multiply              [                                          ]

Princeton                            [                                          ]              elite                             [                                          ]

Massachusetts              [                                          ]               Yale                                [                                          ]

Scholastic                            [                                          ]              Virginia              [                                          ]

Ex. 2. Read and translate the text.

Going to college

Eleventh-graders often talk about what they’re going to do after school and what they want to be. Almost all of them are dreaming about some elite universities, such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell or Columbia. There are over 2 000 universities and colleges in the USA.

America’s first college, Harvard, was founded in Massachusetts in 1636, the second, William and Marry, was established in Virginia in 1693, the largest university is the University of California.

Approximately 35% of school leavers enter universities or colleges. Since the mid-1990s, the number of high school graduates wishing to get accepted at a university or college has been on the rise.

There is no central system of higher education. Each state is responsible for organizing its own system of education.

All colleges and universities are either state (public), sponsored by the state government and the Federal government, or private, sponsored by the students’ tuition fees and donor contributions. The tuition at state universities is smaller.

There are the following institutions of higher education in this country:

Community Colleges (public) and Junior Colleges (private). They have two-year programs of semiprofessional training. After graduation students get the Associate degree. The tuition fee in Community Colleges is minimal as they are provided by local communities.

Then there are Liberal Arts Colleges, which focus on general education in literature, history, languages, philosophy. They also offer some science courses. These colleges provide two-year basic programs and two-year programs specializing major subjects to students’ professional interest. The four-year education leads to the Bachelor’s degree, which is not a science degree.

The third kind is Institutes of Technology. They are actually technical universities offering technical, scientific and engineering studies.

Universities differ from Liberal Arts Colleges and Institutes of Technology. Their distinctive feature is that they consist of two schools; the Underground school, where students get the Bachelor’s degree for four years of study – the Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) or the Bachelor of Science (B. S.) – and, as in high school, the students are freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. If students want to continue their education, after getting the Bachelor’s degree, they go to the Graduate school where they get advanced degrees – the Master’s degree (M.A. and M.S.) with one more year of study and after 2-3 years of graduate work and uniting a dissertation – the Ph. D. degree (Doctor of Philosophy), which is the only science degree in this country.

A university is often composed of Schools and Colleges. College is a part of university that teaches a special branch of knowledge. A School is a part of university also focused on one area of study and research: Business Schools, Medical Schools, Law Schools. On graduation, Schools, like Colleges, may grant the Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Ph. D. degree. They also grant professional degrees, such as Doctor of Medicine after Medical School, etc.

The terms “college” and “university” are often interchangeable. But colleges usually offer four-year undergraduate programs and the Bachelor’s degree, though some may offer the Master’s degree programs. As for universities, they are larger and have undergraduate and graduate schools. The word “school” may be used when speaking about any educational institute.

Because this country doesn’t have a Ministry of Education, there’s a special accreditation system which guarantees the quality of education at a university or college. And it is more prestigious to study at school that is accredited.

Many high school students, who plan to go to college, take specified “prep” courses long before. They usually apply for admission in October or November in their senior year. They take aptitude tests: SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test, or ACT – American College Test. Their achievement is evaluated in scores. Applicants send their SAT scores, a satisfactory school transcript and letters of recommendation to the Dean of Administration. They can expect the answer not till April. When students are admitted, the first thing they have to do is decide about their academic programs. The adviser helps them make the right choice. The first two years are usually devoted to general education. Toward the end of  the second year students must to declare their majors and minors. Like in high school, the student’s achievement is evaluated with grades and credits.            The student earns  a credit for each our spent in class. The quality points are multiplied by the number of semester hours assigned to each course. Then they’re summed and divided by the total number of credit hours. This is how the Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated.