1. Higher education in America is provided by1 colleges and universities. The main difference between a college and a university is that the latter is a collection of colleges each ofwhich specializes in a different field.
2. American colleges and universities are either private or public. There are nearly 1900 institutions of higher learning in America. Roughly one-third are state institutions, 1,200 are private ones. Only about half of the school children in America enter universities. Not all American families can afford university education which is getting more expensive every year. About one million school graduates enter colleges and universities every year. Successful applicants are usually chosen on the basis of their school records, recommendations of school teachers, the impression they produce during interviews.
3. The American universities offer a wide variety of courses. During the four-year university program a student majors in four or five subjects per year. In addition students usually have classes in physical training, music and art. The first two years are a continuation of secondary education, then a student begins an intensive study of his special field. If a student fails a course, he repeats only that course and not the work of the entire year.
4. Students are classified as2 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshman is a first-year student; a sophomore, a second-year student; a junior, a third-year student; and a senior, a fourth-year student. Typically, an undergraduate student has to earn a certain number of “credits” (about 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of studies. Credits are earned by attending lectures and seminars and by successful completion of assignments and examinations. All students who have graduated from the senior class and who continue studies at a university are classified as advanced students or graduate students.
5. At the completion of studies a college or university grants a bachelor's degree. College prepares the student for two things: either graduate studies or a job immediately upon graduation. The majority of college graduates have to apply to public and private employment agencies to get any job, which is not an easy thing. After one or two additional years of studies a university grants a master’s degree. The highest academic degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). It may take a number of years to complete the original research necessary to obtain this degree.
Notes:
1. is provided by – зд. осуществляется
2. Students are classified as... – Студентов подразделяют на…
II. Answer the following questions.
1. How many institutions of higher learning are there in America?
2. American colleges and universities are either private or public, aren’t they?
3. Is university education getting more expensive every year?
4. What courses do America Universities offer?
5. What is the highest academic degree?
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III. Put different types of questions to the text.
IV. Identify the words as1) nouns, 2) adjectives, 3) verbs, 4) adverbs:
education, difference, collection, specialize, different, American, nearly, easy, roughly, institution, expensive, addition, physical, intensive, special, conclusion, additional, academic, immediately, employment, critisize.
V. Identify degrees of comparison of the adjectives:
the highest degree, the oldest university, the most interesting innovation, poorer boys, a more difficult subject, a more philosophical college, the largest university.
VI. From paragraph 5 select nouns in the possessive case.
VII. Fill in the correct pronoun.
1. Students’ councils are responsible for various activities.... help to settle students' problems.... main role is to represent the interests of the students.
2. The Open University was founded in 1964.... takes both men and women at the age of 21 and over.... is a non-residential university.... first course began in 1971.
3. Michael N. is a student.... studies at the University. As a rule … lessons start at 8.30. It takes... 30 minutes to get to the University.
VIII. Fill in the gaps with the right form of the verb “to be”. Make the sentences negative and interrogative.
1. The university... a collection of colleges. 2. The first two years at the University... a continuation of secondary education. 3. A freshman... a first-year student. 4. There... no other universities in England, apart from Oxford and Cambridge, until the 19th century. 5. Universities... centres of research.
6. Bacon, Cromwell, Newton... Oxbridge students.
IX. Make up sentences using “ there is/are”.
M o d e l: a tendency; to expand old universities; in Britain
There is a tendency to expand old universities in Britain.
1) nearly 1900 institutes of higher learning; in America
2) more than 90 universities; in Britain
3) numerous societies; in British universities
4) more than 150,000 students; at the Open University
X. Identify the function of the verb “to have” in paragraph 4 of the text.
XI. State the tense of the verbs in the following sentences. Translate the sentences into Russian/Belarusian. Make the sentences negative and interrogative.
1. Each university decides each year how many students it supposes to admit. 2. College graduates have applied to a public employment agency to get a job. 3. Many great men studied at Oxbridge. 4. In teaching the Open University uses a combination of television and radiobroadcasts. They have also produced a whole library of short course-books. 5. At any time a student needs advice, members of the Union Council will be glad to be of assistance. 6. College education is getting more expensive every year.