Match the beginning and the end of the sentences.

1. Higher education in Russia is provided by	a) pay special attention to social sciences and humanities or natural and applied (engineering) sciences.
2. Universities combine	b) is celebrated on the 25th January.
3. There are 'classical' and 'technical' universities which	c) in that they restrict themselves to a single discipline and conduct research mainly in one branch of science, technology or culture.
4. The oldest Russian university was founded	d) in non-engineering fields such as business, culture, sociology and religion.
5. Student's Day in Russia	e) get free tuition and scholarships from the federal budget to cover their costs.
6. Academies differ from universities	f) public and non-state accredited higher education institutions.
7. Institutes are	g) to enroll students on a fee-paying basis.
8. Private institutions have local importance in their region and offer degrees	h) lectures, tutorials, group learning, project work and partly by computer assisted learning.
9. The Constitution and the Russian Federation Law on Education guarantee	i) enter the post-graduate course.
10. To promote equity of higher education	j) on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov in 1755 on Saint Tatyana's Day.
11. A certain proportion of top scoring students	k) the completion of a dissertation based on the original research.
12. The universities are free	l) learning, teaching and research.
13. Almost all courses at universities and institutes are taught by	m) open and free access to higher education on a competitive basis.
14. After the graduation from the higher educational institutions students receive the Diploma of higher education or the Master's degree and can	n) multi-discipline oriented higher educational institutions.
15. The Candidate of Sciences is the highest academic degree awarded in Russia and it requires	o) the Uniform State Exam was introduced and now it is possible to apply to several higher educational institutions at the same time.

7. Answer the questions according to the text content. Use such expressions as:

I think/ suppose/ consider/ believe/ guess…

To my mind…

In my opinion…

As far as I remember/ know/ understand…

The matter/ trouble/ problem is…

Frankly speaking…

To tell the truth…

I'm inclined to think…

1. What educational institutions provide higher education in Russia?

2. What educational levels do universities offer?

3. How do academies differ from universities?

4. What do the Constitution and the Russian Federal Law on Education guarantee?

5. How is equity of higher education promoted in Russia?

6. Do all students in Russia study on a fee-paying basis?

7. What students are awarded free tuition?

8. Is scholarship high enough to cover all living and educational costs?

9. Are tuition fees defined by the state or by the universities?

10. When does the academic year start?

11. How are courses usually taught at universities and institutes?

12. How is students' work assessed during the course?

13. What three levels of study have been approved by the Russian government?

14. What is the first academic degree taken by students in Russia?

15. How many years of study does it require to take the Master's degree?

16. What is the highest scientific degree awarded after the postgraduate course?

8. Translate the sentences from Russian into English:

1. История высшего образования в России началась в середине 18 века, когда по инициативе М.В. Ломоносова был основан Московский государственный университет.

2. Образование в высших учебных заведениях должно соответствовать всем требованиям современного общества.

3. В нашей области были открыты негосударственные учебные заведения, которые готовят высококвалифицированных специалистов для местного рынка труда.

4. После окончания школы и успешной сдачи ЕГЭ абитуриенты могут поступить в любое высшее учебное заведение страны, но многие остаются учиться в родном городе, так как плата за обучение и расходы на проживание очень велики.

5. Несмотря на то, что конституция РФ гарантирует право каждого получить высшее образование, количество бюджетных (state-subsidized place) мест ограничено, и только самые способные студенты могут учиться бесплатно и даже получать небольшую стипендию.