Questions:

1. What does the normal school system in the USA consist of? 2. How is high school divided inmany areas? 3. What is each school year called? 4. What is compul­ sory education?

Pretext assignment:

1. Whilereading the text try to guess the meaning of the words marked with an asterisk.

2. Before-questions:

   1. What traditions did American higher education adopt and developed?

   2. How long does the college course of study last?

   3. What is a uniquely American invention in the system of higher education in the USA?

   4. What traditional degree crowns the college course?

Higher Education

There is no national system of higher education in the USA. Instead, there are over 2100 separate institutions ranging from two-year "junior" colleges to complex universities and from technical institutes to classical liberal arts colleges. These in­ stitutes may be small or large, rural or urban, *private or public, religious or

*secular, highly selective or open to all.

Basically, however, American higher education developed its own pattern by the adoption of two traditions: the collegiate tradition of England and the university tradition of the Continent.

Colleges

The American college, although it is the outgrowth of the English colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, has developed into an institution which has no counterpart in Europe.

The college course of study is extended tofour years, and the classes are un­ iformly known as thefreshman, the sophomore, thejunior and the senior.

Because public and private institutions cannot expand fast enough to meet the demands for higher education two-year junior colleges have been opened. They are uniquely American invention. Junior colleges are not always tuition free, but the rates are generally comparatively low per course. A junior college usually offers courses related to local industry, agriculture and crafts which will be immediately useful in employment. Many of the students who take these courses at night have day­ timejobs related to them. Though originally designed toprovide two years of educa­ tion beyond high school two-yearjunior colleges are being used by hundreds of thou­ sands of students as thefirst twoyears of afour-year college education.

College grades, determined by each instructor on the basis of class work or examinations, are usually on a five point scale, with letters to indicate the level of

achievement, "A" is the highest mark, and the letters go through B,C,D, to E or F, which denotesfai lure. Many schools assign points to each grade (A=5, B=4, etc.) so that grade-point averages may be computed. Normally, a minimum grade-point aver­ age is required to continue in school and to graduate.

The traditional degree which *crowns the college course is that of Bachelor of Arts (AB). The studies ordinarily insisted on in the case of candidates for this degree are Latin, Greek, mathematics, English, philosophy, political economy, history, at least one modern European language (French or German), and at least one natural science.

The degrees of Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Philosophy (Ph.B.) are often conferred by colleges upon students who have pursued systematic courses of study which do not include Greek or the amount of Latin required for the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor's degree may be earned in a number of professional or applied fields such as nursing, agriculture, education, engineering, or business ad­ ministration.

Notes

1. counterpart - ):lBOHHHK, KOIIIDI 2.freshman - rrepBOKypCHHK, MJI3.,l1;IIIHH KypC B By3e

3. sophomore - BTOpOKypCHHK, BTOpo:H KypC

4. junior college - Koillle.IOK c

2-rO)l;HllHhlM HeIIOJIHhlM KypCOM

8. to pursue - 3aHHMaTLC11qeM-JIH6o

9. tuition free - 6ecrmarnhl:H

10. uniquely - HCKJllOTeJILHO, yHH­

KaJILHO

5. craft - YMeHHe

6. grade - )c'fYTieHL,l(Jlacc B aMep. IIIKOJie, 2) o:u;eHKa

7. point - aMep. e.i:i;HHHIJ;a, oqKo rrpH yqe­

Te KOJIHqeCTBa rrpoc.rrym:aHHhIX JieK:u;HH, BhlIIOJIHeHHhlX rra6opaTOpHLIX pa6oT H

T.)l;.

11. extend - pacnrnp11TL, rrpo,z:uieBaT1>

12. expand - pacmHpBTL, pa3BHBaTL

13. to insist on - HaCTaHBaTL

Streamlinng of Words

Find in the text derivatives to thefollowing words. Divide them into groups ac­ cording to theparts of speech they belong to. Translate the initial words, then their derivatives.

To adapt, to se ect, to emp oy, to compare,to examine, to achieve, to fal,to administrate,to uniform, to educate, to nurse, college,unique,busy,general, imme­ diate, original,to instruct,usua ,normal,ordinary, nature,system,profess on.

Pretext assignment:

1. Try to guess the meaning of the words with an asterisk.

2. Before questions:

1. What is distinctive of higher education in the USA?

2. What is different and what is the same in public and private universities?

3. What principal techniques of instruction are used there?