Discuss the following questions in small groups or pairs.
What institute do you study at?
What specialists does your institute train?
Are there any workshops and laboratories in the National Technical University in Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" (NTUU "KPI")?
What kind of research work can you carry out at our university?
Do you regularly attend lectures and seminars?
How long does the academic term last?
When are the classes over?
Why do you go to these places: a library, a dean’s office, a gym, a hostel, a students’ canteen, an assembly hall?
Test yourself. Are you attentive?
There are some portraits and memorial plates on the walls of buildings and monuments on the territory of the University to the prominent people who studied or worked at the KPI. Do you know their names? Tell your groupmates about them.
What classrooms, labs, faculties’ offices, departments can you find in the main building?
How many storeys has the library got?
READING
A) Underline the stressed sound in each word as in the example. Practise reading.
Mechanical, technological, chemical, glorify, speciality, specialization, engine, consecration, leisure, knowledge, physical, engineering, enthusiasm, metalurgist.
b) Practise reading the following figures paying attention to the comma: 70; 374; 1,000; 300,000; 15,000; 150,000; 2,000; 2,650,000; 90,110,080.
Read the article "Our University" and answer the questions.
When was the KPI founded?
How long does training of full-time students / tuition by correspondence last?
When was the KPI founded? How many faculties were there at the KPI at that time? Name these faculties.
Who was the first rector? What field of science did he work in?
What institutes were founded on the KPI basis?
What famous people studied and worked at the KPI?
What research tendencies are particularly interesting for university students and scientists?
What new faculties were formed and with what purpose?
How do students spend their leisure?
Find 7 phrases with the adjectives in the text.
Example: prominent people
The National Technical University of Ukraine
“The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”.
T
he
National Technical University of Ukraine “Kiev Polytechnic
Institute” (NTUU”KPI”) is one of the oldest and biggest higher
educational institutions in Ukraine. It is well known not only in our
country but abroad as well.
The University is situated not far from the centre of the city in a beautiful shady park. At present the number of students in the NTUU ”KPI” exceeds 50000. They obtain qualifications on 68 specialities and 70 specializations. There are more than 20 faculties and institutes in the KPI. Among them there is the Institute of Physics and Technology where I study.
The University’s graduates work at numerous enterprises and research institutions all over the country and abroad.
The teaching staff of our institute consists of highly qualified teachers, professors and scientists. 70% of them have scientific degrees. Among them there are academicians and corresponding members of the Academy of Sciences, professors, merited scientists.
Training of full-time students lasts 5 years and 6 months, of tuition by correspondence − 5 years 10 months. About 9000 students are accommodated in 21 hostels, 3 of them are at the disposal of married students. So, almost all non-Kyiv students are provided with hostel facilities.
The Institute was founded in 1898. It had only four departments: mechanical, chemical, agricultural and civil engineering ones. The first enrolment constituted 360 students.
The first rector of the Institute was Professor V.L. Kirpichov, an outstanding scientist in the field of mechanics and strength of materials.
Some Institutes were organized on the KPI basis. Among them are: the Civil Engineering Institute, the Technological Institute of Light and Food Industry, the Institute of Civil Aviation, the Automobile and Road Building Institute, the Agricultural Institute (now Agricultural Academy) and others. In 1934−1944 the KPI was called the Industrial Institute.
A large number of prominent people worked and studied at the KPI: E.O. Paton, the founder of electric welding; M.L. Konovalov, a well-known chemist; L.P. Bardin, the greatest metallurgist in the country; A.M. Liulka, the chief of aeroplane engines and S.P. Korolyov, the great designer of spaceships. President of the First Examining Board in chemical faculty was D.I. Mendeleyev.
Scientists of the University are engaged in researching up-to-date trends of the contemporary development of the human society:
monitoring and protection of environment;
liquidation of consequences of nuclear and technological disasters;
development of up-to-date technologies;
information networks and development of information telecommunications technologies;
aircraft and space technologies;
problems of energy saving and development of energy saving technologies;
exploration and use of human resources and others.
A number of new economic and humanitarian faculties − Management and Marketing, Social Sciences and Law, Linguistics – were formed in addition to traditional technical faculties. They revealed opportunities for young people to obtain besides technical specialities, the second higher education in humanities or economics and to become a qualified interpreter or manager. The KPI education meets the standards of the world-known universities at a reasonable tuition fee. The University has its Preparatory School where foreign entrants, within 10-month course study Ukrainian, Russian, English, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and other subjects in the scope that is necessary for further mastering of the university program.
The most active international scientific and technological co-operation is carried out by the chairs of the University with the partners from Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lebanon, etc. Lately, the relations with China, the USA, Italy, Vietnam, Spain have become more active. The University carries out the student’s exchange program according to the agreements on collaboration.
The University has at its disposal a disease-prevention centre for employers and students. Our University also takes care of students' leisure. A well-organized leisure is a very important factor in bringing up young specialists.
Knowledge square became the centre of the whole NTUU ”KPI” complex. It is about 105x100 m. Meetings, festivals, consecration into students take place there.
There are many sport grounds, a football field, volleyball and basketball courts at students' disposal. Many students go in for different kinds of sports according to their liking. It helps them keep their body healthy and strong.