Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

1. MIT is an independent university located in Boston area. It was founded in 1861 by William Barton Rogers, a distinguished natural scientist, who believed professional competence to be best fostered by the combining of teaching, research, and the application of knowledge to real-world problems. MIT held its first classes in 1865 after having delayed opening because of Civil War.

2. Today MIT has about 9,700 students, a faculty of approximately 1,000 and several thousand research staff. The total teaching staff numbers more than 1,800. The institute is broadly organized into five academic Schools – Architecture and Planning, Engineering, Humanities and Social Science, Management and Science – and a large number of interdisciplinary programmes, laboratories, and centers, including the Whitaker College of Health Science, Technology and Management. A unique feature of MIT is that undergraduates join with graduate students, faculty, and staff to work on research projects throughout the institute.

3. Most academic activities take place in a group of interconnected buildings designed to permit easy communication among the Schools and their 22 departments. Across the street from this set of buildings there are athletic fields, the student center, and many of the dormitories.

4. The main purpose of the academic programme at MIT is to give students a sound command of basic principles, the habit of continued learning and the confidence that comes from a thorough and systematic approach to learning. This results in continued professional and personal growth, especially in today’s rapidly changing world.

5. The two essential parts of all MIT educational programmes are teaching and research. Both of these activities carried on together have greater potential than either performed alone. They provide experience in theory and experiment for both students and teaching staff.

6. Each student pursues a degree in one of the departments. Undergraduate courses at MIT lead to the degree of Bachelor of Science (S.B.). The academic programmes require four years of full-time study for the Bachelor of Science. Degrees are awarded on the basis of satisfactory completion of general institute and departmental requirements in each programme.

7. There is enough flexibility, however, to allow each student, in collaboration with the adviser, to develop an individual program in accordance with his or her own interests and preparation.

 

Notes:

1. to foster – воспитывать

2. a faculty – профессорско-преподавательский состав

3. a sound command – прочное усвоение

4. to pursue a degree – стремиться получить степень

 

Read Text 12 C and answer the following questions.

1. Where is Massachusetts Institute of Technology located?

2. When was MIT established?

3. What is the structure of MIT?

4. What is a unique feature of MIT?

5. How are most academic activities arranged at MIT?

6. Are there any sports facilities at MIT?

7. What is the chief aim of the academic programme at MIT?

8. Why do the two essential parts of MIT educational programmes have greater potential than the previous ones?

9. What is the system of degrees at MIT?

10. How are degrees awarded?

 

Discuss the Text in pairs. Use the pattern below as a model and guidelines.

A.: It has been stated that undergraduates join with graduate students, faculty, a staff to work on research projects throughout the institute.

B.: I think it’s debatable. As a matter of fact sometimes knowledge of undergraduates is not profound enough to carry on research together with graduate students, faculty and staff.

A.: I can’t agree with you. As far as I know from the text …, etc.

 

Find and reproduce the key sentence in each paragraph expressing the main idea.

Read Text 12 C again. Give a brief outline of the information each paragraph contains.