Try to answer the following questions using your background knowledge

1. Why is higher education important nowadays?

2. What possibilities does it give to the graduates?

3. Is it necessary to go the university in order to be an educated person?

4. Should the higher education of an individual relate to the needs of the society he lives in?

5. Can you define the personal and societal value of higher education?

 

Reading

Task 1

Read and translate the text. Enumerate its main ideas

Value of Higher education

Our society was designed to give individuals the chance to make choices based on their own needs and wants. Certainly the needs of the society as a whole must be taken into account but the foundation remains the individual. People must have the ability to recognize their own needs and the needs of the overall society. In order to participate properly they must understand the rules of the game. Such sophistication does not come naturally; it must be taught. This cannot be done without proper education.

What is the value of higher education for the individual?

Sometimes it is difficult to see the exact value of your education. However finishing university is an asset that everyone with the opportunity should take full advantage of. Just finishing higher school alone opens up thousands more opportunities for individuals. When entering a specific field within the job market, it is often required that the applicant has a higher school diploma. Therefore, many times without the higher school diploma, a person is restricted to a smaller number of occupations for which they are qualified for. Higher school teaches students to learn. It gives them a background in many different subjects and methods of learning. An understanding of how the world works is a very important skill for a person who is living in our world today.

A higher school education gives student the experience and the confidence that they will be able to use in many life situations. Attending higher school gives students opportunities to express themselves and to learn about other people and their ideas. Having the knowledge obtained in higher school often gives people confidence later in life when they are dealing with the public. It can give a person confidence in the way that they view their abilities later in life.

In order for society to advance our society must be educated. As a higher school education is free, people should take advantage of the wonderful opportunity that they are and try to gather all the knowledge that they possibly can.

Years ago I saw a poster that depicted a mansion situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean. There were several expensive automobiles in the garages. At the bottom was a phrase stating “The Value of Education.” This simple statement is wonderfully ambiguous: does it mean that an education is valuable because it will enable one to get such luxury, or that an education will help one to understand that life is not really about such material possessions?

My view is that the value of education is best measured by what graduates do with their lives.

Task 2

Answer the questions using the information in the text

What is important to take into account while choosing the occupation?

2. What are the advantages of having a higher school diploma?

3. What is the main function of any higher school?

4. What skills and opportunities does the higher school give to students?

5. What does the society need educated individuals for?

Task 3

Can you comment the last sentence of the text? What does it imply?

Vocabulary practice

Exercise 1

Fill in the correct word from the list below: proper, wants, value, to pursue, possessions, ambiguous, properly, job, to make, life. Consult the text if necessary

1. an __________ statement

2. material __________

3. _____ situation

4. ________ gathering knowledge

5. ________ choices

6. exact ______

7. ____ market

8. needs and ______

9. to participate _______

10. _______ education

 

Exercise 2

Insert the prepositions where necessary

1. to take _____ account

2. to be based ___

3. value __ education

4. to take full advantage ___

5. to open ___

6. to be restricted ___

7. to be qualified ___

8. to deal ____

9. to express ____ themselves

 

Exercise 3

Make up 15 sentences with the word combinations from Exercises 1 and 2

 

Grammar exercises

Exercise 1

Ask Yes/No questions to the following statements

Example: Phil studies at the faculty of Engineering.

Does Phil study at the faculty of Engineering?

1. Individuals make choices based on their own needs.

2. The students are writing an exam paper.

3. Last year Ann entered the university.

4. They were watching TV when the thunderstorm began.

5. Next weekend his parents shall spend in Italy.

6. Kate will be dealing with her term paper tomorrow at 5.

7. We have taken the full advantage of the knowledge got at the university.

8. My sister had already left for Paris when I came to visit her.

9. By 2008 he will have completed the course of study at the university.

10. She has completely expressed herself in her work.

 

Exercise 2

Ask Special questions to the underlined words

Example: I want to get a good education. – What do you want?

1. The aim of education is to give people the possibility to understand their needs.

2. There is an opinion that in modern society material values dominate over the cultural ones.

3. He decided to become a teacher because he thinks it is one of the possibilities to influence on history.

4. Kevin participated in the competition and won the prize.

5. It is difficult to measure the value of education.

6. She expresses herself in music.

7. The work has been done properly.

8. All the values of speed were calculated.

9. He took advantage of the opportunity and entered Stanford University.

10. Kelly has obtained enough knowledge in graduate school to become a qualified engineer.

 

Exercise 3

Match question tags with the appropriate statement

Example: It isn’t cold, is it?

1. This statement is ambiguous, a. does he?

2. We have passed all the exams, b. aren’t they?

3. She is writing a book. c. isn’t it?

4. He doesn’t know the answer, d. isn’t she?

5. Nothing can stop us, e. can it?

6. Ann has posted the letter, f. haven’t we?

7. They have never been to Paris, g. will they?

8. Kate doesn’t like this professor, h. has she?

9. They won’t tell anyone, i. have they?

10. They are working hard, j. does she?

Discussion

Task 1

What are the things among the enumerated below that will be difficult for you to live without? Make up a list of things in the order of importance and explain your choice. Compare it with your partner’s list

Health

Happiness of your relatives

Well-paid job

A good family

Safety

Self-realization

Usefulness for the society you live in

Wealth

Spiritual wealth

Fame

Start your explanations with the following phrase

In the first place of my preference list I placed ….. I have chosen it because I think that ….

Then use the following logical connectors of order.

Secondly, in the third place, the fourth in the list is, further I placed, then, after that, finally.

Task 2

Make up a dialogue

Student A

You have a sister/brother who doesn’t want to get a higher education. What arguments will you use to persuade him/her that higher education is essential nowadays?

Student B

You don’t want to get a higher education, as you don’t want to spend 5 years of your life studying at some higher institution. You strongly believe that it is impossible to acquire the necessary practical skills by writing lectures and working at seminars.

 

Homework

Task 1

Match synonyms and make up sentences with the word expressions in column B

Column A Column B

1. to take into account a. to take part

2. to recognize b. to achieve

3. to participate c. to realize

4. occupation d. to develop

5. to make choice e. not clear

6. to advance f. to have to do with

7. to deal with g. to choose

8. ambiguous h. to seize the opportunity

9. to take advantage of j. to pay attention to

10. to pursue i. profession

 

Task 2

Translate from Russian into English

1. Когда человек выбирает профессию ему необходимо учитывать интересы общества, в котором он живет.

2. Социальный заказ общества это потребность в подготовке специалистов в определенной области знаний.

3. Выбор человека должен основываться на его личных интересах.

4. Не все выпускники школы готовы сделать сознательный выбор.

5. В чем же ценность высшего образования для человека?

6. Ценность высшего образования заключается не в количестве полученных знаний, а в умении думать и анализировать.

7. Высшее учебное заведение дает человеку знания, опыт профессиональной деятельности и уверенность в том, что эти опыт и знания пригодятся ему в реальных жизненных ситуациях.

8. Образование может помочь человеку понять себя и выразить себя в выбранной профессии.

9. Люди должны воспользоваться прекрасной возможностью получения высшего образования, хотя поступить в вуз становиться тяжелее с каждым годом.

10. Ценность образования измеряется тем, помогло ли оно человеку найти свою дорогу в жизни.

Task 3