Higher education in Kazakhstan
At present a new system of education is introduced in this country — a distance education system. This computer system of learning helps working professionals to continue their education while remaining at their jobs. This system enables people to get knowledge and a good foundation in the sciences basic to his or her field of study. Distance learning has developed over years from satellite video courses to modern videoconferencing through personal computers.
The academic year usually lasts 9 months and is divided into two terms (semesters). The first- and second-year students obtain thorough instructions in the fundamental sciences of mathematics, physics, chemistry and drawing as well as computer engineering and a number of others. The curricula are enriched and broadened by instructions in such subjects as foreign languages, history and economics.
At the third year students get more advanced knowledge and begin to concentrate on their special interests, so to say, their «major» subject and take many courses in this subject. Specialized study and courses will help students to become specialists and prepare them for their future work.
After four years students will get a bachelor's degree. Then the students may go on with their studies and in a year or two of further study and research get a master's degree. After graduating from the university they may go on with their study and research and may get a still higher degree.
About 75 percent of students receive state grants and 15 percent are sponsored by enterprises. Universities have their own students' hostels and some of them have large and excellent sport centers.
Education is a process through which culture is preserved, knowledge and skills are developed, values are formed, and information is exchanged. Education is the way to success.
Vocabulary:
Distance education system-система дистанционного обучения-қашықтықтан білім беру жүйесі
continue-продолжить-жалғастыру
over years — за многие годы-бірнеше жылдар бойы
оbtain-получить-алу, алып тұру
curricula are enriched and broadened — программы (курсы обучения) обогащаются и расширяются-бағдармалар кеңейтілуде
get a bachelor’s degree-получить степень бакалавра-бакалавр дәрежесіне ие болу
get a master’s degree-получить степень магистра-магистр дәрежесіне ие болу
graduate from the university-окончить университет-университетті бітіру
enterprise-предприятие-кәсіпорны
hostel-общежитие-жатақхана
success-успех,удача-табыс, жетістік
Exercise 1. Find words in bold in the text which mean:
planning/ development
a business company or organization
a system in which students work at home with help of computer (internet) and send workto their teacher’s by post or email.
A building where students from other cities (towns) live.
The detailed study or something in order to discover new facts, especially in a university or scientific institution.
Someone whose training, education or experience makes them an expert in a particular subject.
Exercise 2. Read and translate the text without the dictionary.
As you know higher education trains highly-qualified specialists for further development and progress of the country. The students making good progress get state grants. The course of study at the universities lasts about six years. The students take three or four years of general engineering and fundamental courses, then one or two years of specialized training in some fields of science and technology. In the first and second years a good foundation for professional knowledge is provided. At present there are many modern laboratories at institutes. Most of the higher schools have their own computer centers. This means that the state must spend a lot of money to improve higher education.
Exercise 3. Make sentences of following words according to word order in the English sentence.
1. has, buildings, our, several, institute. 2. subjects, students, many, the first-year, study. 3. the third-year, had, last, students, training, industrial, summer. 4. carry out, students, practical, work, in, laboratories, well-equipped. 5. problems, many, scientists, important, solve, our. 6. texts, difficult, Asan, technical, translated. 7. his, will, the teacher, translation, correct. 8. next, dean, a lecture, deliver, our, week, will. 9. students, more, institutes, last, entered, a million, than, year.
Exercise 4. Write down alternative questions to the following sentences:
1. Our teacher knows several foreign languages. 2. He has graduated from our University last year. 3. We shall go to Samara next week. 4. They are working in our garden. 5. I have just read this book. 6. I took this book from my friend. 7. He likes reading books. 8. She has many relatives abroad. 9. They were in many countries. 10. Russia is the largest country in the world.
Give English equivalents to the proverb:
Учение семена знаний,- а знание семена счастья.
Exercise 4. Make up composition “At the Seminar” using the following expressions.
To make a report, to ask the questions, to take part in the discussion, to clear up, to ask the teacher, to explain smth, to write tests. |
Exercise 5. Fill in the gaps with few or a few.
1. ... people know that the first programmer in the world was Lord Bayron's daughter. 2. In the past astronomers spent all their lives to make ... hundred thousand calculations. 3. A calculator makes these calculations in ... seconds. 4. In the next ... years a new generation computer will be developed. 5. ... people read that the first electric light illuminated the laboratory of Vasily Petrov, a St. Petersburg physicist, in 1862.
Exercise 6. Insert much, many, little, a little, few, and a few:
1. I'd like to say ... words about my travelling. 2. She gave him ... water to wash his hands and face. 3. He had ... English books at home, so he had to go to the library. 4. After the lesson everybody felt ... tired. 5. Let's stay here ... longer. I like it here. 6. There were ... new words in the text and Peter spent ... time learning them. 7. There was ... sugar in the bowl, and we had to put ... sugar there. 8. My mother knows German ... and she can help you with the translation of this text. 10. When we walked ... farther down the road we met another group of pupils. 11. Have you got... time before the lesson?
Prepare a report on one of the suggested topics:
1. The higher education system in our country
2. Education is the way to success
3. Education and training make a substantial contribution to the economy and so to the prosperity of the nation.
Lesson 3
Higher education in the UK
Grammar: Modal verbs and their equivalents
Exercise 1. Discuss the following question.
Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.
Reading
