- •Contents
- •Chapter 1. School Education.
- •School education in the uk
- •1. Complete the chart with the words below. Some words may be used more than once.
- •2. Listen again . What do the terms mean? Are they the same in Britain and the usa?
- •3. Use the table to speak about the school system in England and the usa. Then make a similar story about the school system in your country.
- •1. Read the story of a girl’s first school day. Complete the gaps with the missing verbs. My First Day of School
- •2. How does the writer of the song feel about his schooldays? Were they a completely happy time? What words / lines tell you this? Compare your opinions in a group.
- •Chapter 2. School Memories and Experiences.
- •Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard
- •1. Read the text about school days’ memories.
- •2.Look at the words in bold in the above text and try to explain them.
- •3. Fill in the sentences with the correct words from the list below:
- •4. Complete the phrases with the correct word(s) from the list below.
- •5. Fill in the phrases with the correct preposition from the box. Then choose any five items and make sentences.
- •6. Problem verbs corner
- •1. Translate the sentences from the text:
- •2. Choose the right verb:
- •1. Match the word(s) in a with their English equivalents in b and their Russian equivalents in c.
- •2. Fill in the gaps with the word(s) from the list:
- •3. Consider the situation and answer the questions.
- •1. You will hear Tim Moores, who went to Harrow, one of the most famous public schools in Britain, in the 1950s. He was sent there at the age of twelve and ran away four years later.
- •2. Listen to the text once and discuss the following:
- •3. Use the words in the list below (taken from the text) to complete the following summary.
- •4. Writing task.
- •Chapter 3. Leaving School.
- •1. Read the text about education in Russia.
- •2. Fill in the gaps with the synonyms from the text:
- •3.Answer the questions:
- •4. Discussion. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •5. What do you remember about the system of school education in Great Britain? How does it differ from Russia?
- •1.Answer the questions.
- •2. Match the words with their definitions:
- •3. Find in the text the equivalent to the following Russian word(s):
- •4. Use some of the above words to complete the sentences:
- •1. Read the text and compare your list with what you can find in the text. Unified State Examination in Russian Federation
- •2. Read the statements and decide if they are true or false.
- •3. Find the English equivalents in the text:
- •4. Match the words in bold type in the text with their synonyms.
- •6. Do Russian and British systems of testing the school leavers’ knowledge have anything in common? What are the differences?
- •High School Crisis in the United States
- •1. Match the word(s) or expression(s):
- •Exams: a Survival Plan
- •1. Find the English equivalents for the following expression:
- •2. Fill in the phrases with the correct word(s) from the box.
- •3. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition(s) from the box.
- •5. Discussion. Discuss these questions with a partner.
- •2. Try to guess if the following statements are True or False:
- •3. Read the text and check your predictions.
- •4. Discussion. Discuss the following in groups:
- •Chapter 4. University Education.
- •1. You can normally do these subjects at university but not always at school:
- •2. Read the statements spoken by university students. What is each person studying?
- •1. Match the verbs on the left to the nouns on the right. Some verbs can be used more than once. Translate the phrases into your language.
- •2. Replace the underlined word with its synonym(s) from the previous exercise.
- •3. Answer the questions:
- •Studying at a British university.
- •1. Answer the questions:
- •2. Compare the system of higher education in the uk to your country. Answer these questions:
- •1. Match the words in a to their definitions in b:
- •2. Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the previous exercise.
- •3. Read the text and decide if the statements below are true or false. What’s a university education worth?
- •4. Discuss the questions with your partner:
- •1. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •2. Match the words in a to their definitions in b:
- •3. Now listen to the programme and answer the questions:
- •4. Read the statement and decide if they are true or false. Correct the false ones.
- •1. Answer these questions with a partner.
- •2. Read the information about universities in the usa and say which university:
- •3. Now read the text again and fill in the table with the information about the universities:
- •4. Prepare a report about a world famous university. Include the following information:
- •Chapter 5. Starting University Life.
- •1. Read the article which gives advice to students embarking on their university career. Match the headings 1-10 below to the paragraphs a-h.
- •Freshmen Survival Advice for Life
- •2. Vocabulary work. Find the English equivalents in the text for the following words and phrases.
- •3. Match the words in a and b to make phrases and use them in the sentences below.
- •4. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition and give the Russian equivalent.
- •5. Fill in the missing parts of speech. Some of the answers come from the text.
- •6. Discuss the advice in the article in small groups or pairs. Consider the following:
- •1. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •2. Use the words and phrases in the box to complete the sentences below.
- •3. Listen to the students. Put the experiences and tips about student money in the order you hear them.
- •4. Discuss the tips you heard.
- •1. Read the text and answer the questions below. Who Needs a Degree? No number of letters after your name can teach you about life.
- •2. Read the statement and decide if they are true or false. Correct the false ones.
- •3. Match the words from the text with their definitions.
- •4. Find the English equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases.
- •5. Discussion. Discuss in the questions groups.
- •6. Writing. Choose one of the quotations you feel you are most capable to write on.
- •References:
4. Match the words in bold type in the text with their synonyms.
-
marks
independent’
inappropriate
distributed
conducted
compulsory
candidates
before
opposed
preference
present
started
rival
substitute
5. Fill in the gaps with the words from the box making right word-combinations. Translate them and use in sentences of your own.
admission/ standardized education entrance filed incompatible launch record/ graduates remote uniform |
_______the programme
_______objections
_______ exams
Ministry of _______
_______ locations
_______ test
school _______
_______ measure
_______ mark
Ministry of _______
6. Do Russian and British systems of testing the school leavers’ knowledge have anything in common? What are the differences?
Task 5. Read the text about the problems of high school in the USA.
High School Crisis in the United States
If our country fails in its responsibility to educate every child, we’re likely to fail in many
other areas. But if we succeed in educating our youth, many other
successes will follow throughout our country and in the lives of our
citizens.
President George W. Bush
According to current data, a substantial percentage of America’s high school students drop out before graduating, and a considerable number of those who do graduate are not adequately prepared for college or work. This dire situation presents serious risks for the U.S. and for the young Americans who are being underserved.
Consider the following national data recently compiled by the National Governors Association (NGA):
▪ For roughly 60 percent of jobs in today’s labor market, at least some postsecondary education is needed, and that percentage is expected to increase in the years ahead.
▪ The median earnings of a high school graduate are 43 percent higher than those of a non-graduate, and those of a college graduate are 62 percent higher than those of a high school graduate.
▪ Employers and colleges are spending billions of dollars to provide their employees and students with the knowledge and skills they should receive in high school.
▪ Nationwide, only 71 percent of 9th grade students graduate from high school on time, and worse, only slightly more than 50 percent of African-American and Latino students graduate.
▪ Although three-quarters of students who do graduate high school go on to college, nearly a third are not college ready and are placed immediately into remedial courses.
▪ One out of every four students enrolled in a four-year college and nearly half of all community college students fail to return after the first year.
▪ Only 18 percent of 9th graders will make it through high school, enter college and earn a two- or four-year degree on time.
Task 6. Read the statistics about exams and stress. Comment upon the information. Do you think the statistics would be different in your country?
What causes stress for American high school students?
Pressure to get good grades |
44% |
Pressure to get into college |
32% |
Pressure to fit in socially |
29% |
Pressure to use drugs or alcohol |
19% |
Pressure to have a boyfriend/girlfriend |
13% |
Most popular exam subjects for British 16-year-olds (2002)
Subject |
Candidates (in thousands) |
Maths |
569 |
English |
560 |
Science |
559 |
English Literature |
501 |
Design and Technology |
409 |
French |
312 |
Geography |
208 |
History |
194 |
Art and Design |
182 |
German |
125 |
Task 7. Read the following opinions about exams and decide if each is for or against taking exams.
‘I don’t think I’d bother studying if we didn’t have exams.’
‘I write very slowly, so I hardly ever have enough time to finish an exam.’
‘I use my exam grades to find out whether or not I am improving in a subject.’
‘I think exams are the quickest way of testing students.’
‘I studied for weeks before my last exam, but on the day itself I was so nervous that I couldn’t remember a thing!’
‘Exams make everyone try to get the best marks they can.’
“I wasn’t feeling well on the day of the exam, so I didn’t do well.”
“The boy sitting next to me hadn’t studied at all, but he copied my answers and passed the exam.”
“I studied for weeks before my last exam, but on the day itself I was so nervous that I couldn’t remember a thing!”
Task 8. Using the above opinions fill in the table with the reasons for and against exams:
-
FOR
AGAINST
exams are motivating
exam result are not always objective due to the person’s writing ability
Task 9. Listening. Exam Fever
1.You are going to hear three students talking about exams. Listen and answer the following questions.
Which person doesn’t mind exams?
Which person doesn’t like exams?
Which person doesn’t give his/her opinion?
2. Now listen again and decide which of the students (1, 2 or 3) talk about the following things.
oral exams
coursework
competitive exams
revising for exams
failing exams
3. Make a note of what each student says about the above points.
4. Do you think the exams are necessary? Write a paragraph about the exams. Try to prove that exams are necessary and beneficial or harmful and unnecessary.
Task 10. Read the tips concerning exam preparation. Fill in the gaps with the correct tense.
Before you1) _______ (take) your exams at the end of this term, there are few things you should bear in mind: Once you2) _______ ( know) the exact dates and times of your exams, it 3) _______ (be) wise to make out a revision timetable for yourself. If you 4) _______ (organise) your time properly, you 5) _______ (be) more likely to get good grades. Before you 6)_______ (start) revising put all your notes into some kind of order and whenever 7) _______ (come across) any key points write them on separate pieces of paper. Remember that as long as you 8) _______ (approach) your exams in a calm and structured way you 9) _______ (feel) more confident about what you’re doing. Whenever you feel under stress you should take a break and do something relaxing for a while. And finally, the night before you 11) _______ (sit) the exam, go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. If you 12) _______ (follow) this advice, you 13) _______ (pass) your exams with flying colours. Good luck!