Open the brackets using one of the Perfect Tenses or the Past Simple Tense

1. Last year I (to finish) secondary school and (to enter) the South Ural State University.

2. (to see) our new lecturer? – Yes, I have.

3. When (to pass) your entrance exams? – This July and today is the 1^st of August.

4. How many times you (to give) lectures this week?

5. I (to earn) my General Certificate of Secondary Education by the moment I applied to the university.

6. My brother (to get) a Bachelor’s Degree by 2005.

7. You (to prepare) for laboratory classes yet?

8. You ever (to be) to the United Kingdom?

9. You (to choose) your major yet?

10. – I (to loose) my textbook. – When you (to see) it last?

Exercise 5

Express your opinion (agreement, disagreement) in written form about the following statements. Try to prove your point of view by giving arguments

Statement: To be a highly qualified specialist you should study all your life.

I agree completely with the statement. I think that knowledge got at the university quickly become obsolete and you should update your knowledge to be in the know of the latest achievements in science and technology.

1. It’s no use working hard if you have no inborn abilities.

2. It’s more prestigious nowadays to get higher education abroad.

3. Higher education shouldn’t be free.

4. Absent-minded people can’t be successful in research.

5. Tutorials and individual work with a tutor is more useful than practical classes in fixed groups.

Smile with us

William Lyon Phelps, on a pre-Christmas examination paper, found written, “God only knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.”

He returned the paper with the notation, “God gets an A; you get an F. Happy New Year.”

 

Lesson 4. Higher Education in the USA

Task 1. Brainstorming activity

Discuss the following question and give all the possible answers to it

What are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy in universities?

Is it good for a student or professor to be free in his choice of what subjects to study and what themes to teach?

Active Vocabulary

Task 1

Listen and pronounce the active vocabulary of the lesson after the teacher

1. prior to – раньше, прежде

2. an undergraduate school – факультет с базовым циклом обучения

3. graduate school – факультет со специализированным курсом

обучения

4. an Associate degree – начальное высшее образование

5. community college – местный колледж

6. junior college – колледж начального высшего образования

7. to be operated by – управляться

8. public funds – государственные средства

9. to transfer to – переводиться в

10. to lower the cost – понизить стоимость

11. full-time coursework – дневной курс обучения

12. to select a major – выбрать специализацию

13. to graduate with a degree in major – закончить курс обучения в

университете с получением диплома

(бакалавра или магистра)

14. to complete a course – пройти курс обучения

15. related fields – смежные области

16. to major in maths – специализироваться в математике

17. in order to – для того, чтобы

18. in addition to – в добавок

19. to be insufficient – быть недостаточным

20. to advance one’s career – продвигаться по карьерной лестнице

21. to depend on – зависеть от

22. educational background – полученное образование

23. thesis – диссертация

24. research paper – научная работа

25. a requirement – требование

26. completion – завершение

27. dedication – увлеченность работой

Lead-in

Task 1

Using your background knowledge about the system of higher education in the USA agree or disagree with the following statements

1. The system of Higher Education in the USA does not differ from the Russian one.

2. Higher education in the USA is free.

3. American colleges are not certified to give universities degrees (for example a Bachelor’s degree).

4. All universities in the USA are private.

 

Grammar exercises

Exercise 1

Fill in the gaps with the Modal verbs: can, can’t, could, couldn't

1. I have been chosen to represent our company in Spain because I am the only person in our firm who _______ speak Spanish.

2. I _______ do my homework last night because I was too tired.

3. Do you know how to cook? – Yes, I ______ cook very well.

4. He _____ watch TV last night because his TVset was broken.

5. Mozart _______ play the piano and compose music at the age of three.

6. Elephants ______ live until they are seventy.

7. We ________ go swimming yesterday because the water was cold.

8. This diamond ring is too expensive for me. I ________ buy it.

9. Einstein ______ speak 8 foreign languages.

10. The coffee is too hot I _______ drink it.

 

Exercise 2