The Murmansk state technical university

What university do you study at? Do you know when your Alma Mater [†] was established? And how many faculties are there at the university? And when did it get its present name? So, read the text and find out!

Before reading study the vocabulary!

specialized department	специализированная кафедра
certificate of secondary education	аттестат о среднем образовании
preliminary courses	подготовительные курсы
to brush up knowledge	освежить знания
Navigation faculty	судоводительский факультет
Marine-Engineering faculty	судомеханический факультет
Electro-Engineering faculty	электромеханический факультет
Faculty of Management, Economics and Law	факультет менеджмента, экономики и права
The Faculty of Natural Sciences	естественно-технический факультет
specialized field	специальность
general engineering subjects	общетехнические предметы
Descriptive Geometry	начертательная геометрия
curriculum (pl. curricula)	учебная программа
to be at students' disposal	быть в распоряжении студентов
to develop practical skills	развивать практические навыки
to gain working experience	приобретать опыт работы
to be compulsory	быть обязательным
to keep fit	быть в форме
to be allowed to do smth	разрешать
to fall behind the group	отставать от группы
to carry out research work	проводить исследовательскую работу

The Murmansk Higher Engineering Marine School was founded in 1950 and it was reorganized into the Murmansk State Academy of Fishing Fleet in 1991. In 1996 our educational institution got its present name – the Murmansk State Technical University. There are many faculties at our university. Each faculty has a number of specialized departments and is headed by a dean. Rector is the head of the university. If the applicant wants to enter the university, he must have the Certificate of Secondary Education, pass entrance exams and go through medical examination. University offers preliminary courses, which help to brush up knowledge received at school.

Now more than 4000 students and cadets study at the MSTU including full-time students, part-time students, post-graduate students and correspondence course students. Full-time students study at the Navigation and Marine-Engineering faculties, Polytechnic Faculty, the Faculty of Biology, the Faculty of Technology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Law, etc. Faculties train specialists for mining, heat engineering, biology and ecology, food, fishing, oil and gas industries. Every faculty has its own specialized laboratories, workshops and computer center.

The first- and second-year students study general engineering subjects such as Higher Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Environment Protection and Descriptive Geometry. The curriculum is enriched by humanitarian subjects: History, Philosophy, Sociology, Foreign Languages, etc. Computer Science is also of great importance. Since the third course students begin to concentrate on their major subjects and take special courses in this field. Specialized study and courses help students to become well-qualified specialists and prepare them for their future work.

Our university consists of several buildings, old and new ones. There are various teaching and research laboratories at students' disposal. Laboratory work is an important part in training up-to-date specialists. Experiments in labs and workshops help students to develop practical skills. Students also have a short period of field work to gain working experience. Speaking about cadets, they have their sailing practice aboard the training vessel 'Sedov' and aboard the fishing ships of the Northern Fishing Fleets.

To prepare for the seminars students go to the university library or reading rooms, which have a vast collection of fiction and scientific books. Physical Training is compulsory during the whole course of studies. University sport gyms and simulators provide the opportunity to play different sports and to keep fit.

The academic year is divided into two terms. At the end of each term students take credits and exams. If a student fails to pass a credit, he isn't allowed to take exams and he falls behind the group. If the results of the examinations are good, students get scholarship. Attendance is compulsory. Students may miss their classes if they have valid excuse or special release from the classes. They must explain their absence in a written form or orally. Students have vacations twice a year: they have two weeks off in winter and two months off in summer. After four years of study students can get the Bachelor's Degree. If they continue their education and carry out research work, they can get the diploma and the Master's Degree. After the graduation they can take post-graduate course and study for the Doctor's Degree.

It is interesting but quite difficult to study at the university, especially for the first-year students as they don't know yet how to organize their work and time.

1. Give the adequate Russian variants for the following word combinations:

educational institution; to brush up knowledge received at school; a number of specialized departments; the Certificate of Secondary Education; heat engineering; to be enriched by humanitarian subjects; to concentrate on major subjects; to become well-qualified specialists; workshop; to have sailing practice; to be at students' disposal; a vast collection of fiction and scientific books; to provide the opportunity; to fail a credit; to be allowed to; to fall behind the group; to explain in a written form or orally; valid excuse; release from the classes.

2. Find in the text and give the English equivalents for the following word combinations:

быть основанным; поступить в университет; сдавать вступительные экзамены; проходить медицинское обследование; подготовительные курсы; общетехнические, гуманитарные, специализированные предметы; высококвалифицированные специалисты; исследовательские лаборатории; подготовка современных специалистов; развивать практические навыки; приобретать рабочий опыт; заниматься спортом; быть в форме; учебный год; сдавать зачеты и экзамены; не сдать зачет; отстать от группы; пропускать занятия; проводить исследовательскую работу; получить диплом.

3. Find in the text and give the antonyms for the following words and phrases:

– to fail a credit/exam;

– to graduate from the university;

– to attend classes;

– to be optional;

– few;

– to forget;

– once;

– boring;

– easy.

4. Find in the text and give the synonyms for the following words and phrases:

– to give the opportunity;

– to include;

– to get working experience;

– to get ready for;

– to build up practical skills;

– to go in for sports;

– to get a grant;

– to have holidays;

– to be enlarged by;

– to be obligatory;

– Physical culture;

– good excuse;

– freshmen;

– huge;

– different.

Make the card. Write down 5 sentences in Russian using words and word combinations from the exercises 1, 2, 3 and 4. Exchange the card with your groupmates and translate the sentences from Russian into English.

6. Correct the statements. Use such expressions as:

I disagree because...

I can't agree with this statement because...

It's false...

On the contrary...

1. Now our educational institution is called the Murmansk State Academy of Fishing Fleet.

2. An applicant must concentrate on the major subject if he/she wants to enter the university.

3. Only the Faculty of Natural Sciences has its own specialized library, laboratories, workshops and computer center.

4. The first-year and second-year students study only humanitarian subjects.

5. Preliminary courses help students to become well-qualified specialists and prepare them for their future work.

6. Experiments in libraries help students to develop practical skills.

7. Students go to the university library or reading rooms to gain working experience.

8. If a student fails to pass a credit, he must take exams not to fall behind the group.

9. After four years of study students get the Doctor's Degree.

7. Work in pairs. Answer the following questions:

1. When was the Murmansk Higher Engineering Marine School founded and when was it reorganized into Academy? How is our educational institution called now?

2. What must the applicant have if he/she wants to enter the university? What entrance exams did you pass?

3. What do you know about preliminary courses? Did you attend them to enter the university?

4. How many cadets and students study at the University? Who studies at the part-time and correspondence departments?

5. How many faculties are there at the University? What faculties do full-time students study at? What faculty do you study at?

6. What specialized fields does your faculty comprise? What specialized field do you study at?

7. What does every faculty have at its disposal?

8. What general engineering subjects do first- and second-year students study? What humanitarian subjects does the curriculum include? What is your favourite subject? What subject are you good at? What is the most difficult subject for you? What subject do you work hard at?

9. When do students begin to concentrate on their major subjects? What subjects and courses do they study? What do these subjects and courses help students to do?

10. What laboratories do students have at their disposal? Why does the laboratory work play an important part in training up-to-date specialists? What is the aim of field work? Where do cadets have their sailing practice?

11. What books does the university library have? Are you fond of reading? What books do you prefer to read?

12. What opportunities does the university provide to play sports? Are there any sport clubs at the university? What are they? Do you go in for sport? What is your favourite sport? Why?

13. How many terms are there in the academic year? When do students have vacations? How and where do you usually spend your holidays?

14. How many credits and exams do students usually take at the end of the term? What exams will you take at the end of this term? What happens if a student fails to pass a credit?

15. Is it allowed to miss classes? What must a student do if he/she missed the classes? Do you often miss classes?

16. What degree can students get after four years of study? When can they get the Master's degree? Who may take the post-graduate course?

17. Do you like to study at the MSTU? Why?