(Mr. Park and Mr. Lee)
P. I am so glad to see you again. I’m anxious to hear everything about your stay in the U.S. You were at Indiana University, weren’t you?
L. Yes, I got my degree in Chemistry at I.U.
P. Are there many foreign students at the University?
L. Oh, yes, more than two hundred, I think.
P. In the U.S. about 1 percent of all college students are from abroad. It must be difficult for a foreigner to adjust to American life. Didn’t you have a lot of trouble at first?
L. The first month or two was rough. I’ll always remember my arrival. The train pulled into Blumington at 2 o’clock in the morning. Mr. Judson, the foreign student adviser, was waiting on the platform. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. He took me to the hotel for the night. Then the next day his secretary helped me get a dormitory room. She also helped me register. That was helpful. I certainly appreciated it. I went to Mr. Judson’ s office every week for about a month. He gave me a lot of good advice.
P. I couldn’t study in the States. My English is too poor.
L. Mine improved a lot during the first few months. I lived in a large dormitory at the edge of the Campus and I had an American roommate. He helped me with my difficulties. I could also converse with the other students at meals and in the evenings.
P. Does the University offer any special courses for foreign students?
L. Yes, I had to take some English tests during orientation week. Then
Mr. Judson recommended a light load of classwork for the first semester. By the end of that time my English was much better and I was ready to carry 15 hours of regular classes.
P. Did you get along all right?
L. Yes, pretty well. I always tried to get good marks. I wanted to apply for scholarship.
P. Did your studies take all your time?
L. No, not every minute. There was a lot of outside preparation but some evenings I had nothing to do. I would meet some of my friends at the Union Building or take a walk around the Campus. There was another fellow from my country at the University. We got together once in a while and spoke own language.
P. Did you meet any other foreign students?
L. Yes, lots of them. I joined the Cosmopolitan Club right away.
P. Is that club only for foreign students?
L. No, half the members are Americans. I got to know a lot of interesting people in it both faculty members and students. Some of the meetings were social others were informative. In that way we learned about other parts of the world.
P. Did you tell them about your country too?
L. Yes, I gave quite a few speeches in Blumington. The people were interested in all countries of the world.
P. There is a great deal of emphasis on the exchange of persons between countries, isn’t there?
L. Yes, it helps nations to understand each other. I’m convinced of the value of visiting other countries. Those four years in America were really a wonderful experience for me. But just the same I’m glad to be home again.
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Vocabulary
I’m anxious to hear - мне очень хочется услышать
I.U. = Indian University - университет штата Индиана
to adjust to - приспособиться к
rough - зд. тяжелый
the foreign student advisor - преподаватель, курирующий
иностранных студентов
a dormitory (room) - спальная комната
to appreciate - быть благодарным
at the edge of - на краю, в конце, не в центре
to converse - беседовать
orientation weak - неделя, когда иностранные студенты знакомятся с новыми условиями
a light lead of classwork - небольшое количество лекций
to carry 15 hours of regular classes - посещать 15 часов в неделю регулярных занятий
outside preparation - подготовка к занятиям
right away - сразу же
faculty members - профессорско-преподавательский состав факультета
Do you get along all right? - Вы хорошо занимаетесь?
to apply for scholarship - получить право на стипендию
we get together once in a while - мы иногда встречаемся
some of the meetings are social, others are informative – иногда мы встречаемся на вечерах, а иногда на лекциях или занятиях
I gave quite a few speeches - Я провел довольно много бесед (лекций)
There is a great deal of emphasis on the exchange – сейчас уделяется большое внимание вопросу обмена
I’m convinced of the value of - Я убежден в необходимости (важности)
but just the same - но все-равно
Exercise 1. Answer these questions
1. Who are the speakers in the lesson?
2. Where did Mr. Lee from?
3. What for did Mr. Lee go to Indian University?
4. Who met him on this arrival there?
5. Where did Mr. Lee live?
6. What did Mr. Lee do to improve his English?
7. What did his academic advisor recommend him to do?
Exercise 2. Transform the dialogues into indirect speech
Topic 4 History & traditions of my University
Text 1