Unit IV my university. Student life

Vocabulary

to attend lectures /classes/conferences to get a grant/scholarship

Bachelor graduate (n)

be expelled (from the University) to graduate from the University (with honours)

be good/bad/poor at (physics) gym

be in charge of lecture halls

canteen library

civil engineer to live in a students’ hostel

to construct to make friends

credit book to make notes

dean to make reports

dean’s office Master

to deliver/give lectures (on economics) postgraduate

department reader’s card

descriptive geometry reading hall

to design spend free time

distinguished student’s card

scientist to study by correspondence

outstanding supervisor

to make presentations to take/pass exams

to do research tutor

to enter the University undergraduate

distant learning faculty facilities

fail an exam fresher

to get a credit

Ex. 1 Read the text and answer the questions below.

From the History of Our University

Saint-Petersburg State Transport University has a great history. It was founded by Emperor Alexander I as the Corps [ko:] of Engineers of Means of Communication in 1809. The organiser and the first Rector of the Institute was an outstanding civil engineer, Augustin Betancourt. For over twenty years, the lectures at the Institute were delivered in French. French was the language of the aristocracy and only the sons of aristocrats were allowed to study here. French scientists such as B. Clapeiron, P. Lammet and others gave lectures to the students at that time.

A number of famous people studied at the Institute, among them future Decembrists Sergey and Matvey Muraviev-Apostols, writer Garin-Mikhailovskiy and others. Many distinguished professors, engineers and scientists worked at our University, such as P.P Melnikov and N.O. Kraft, who designed the first large railway from St Petersburg to Moscow, as well as S.V. Kerbedz, D.I. Zhuravskiy, B.E. Vedeneev and other outstanding engineers. In 1860 Russian scientist D.I. Mendeleev lectured at the University and was in charge of the chemical laboratory. Y.M. Gakkel, future professor of the University, made a design of the first Russian diesel locomotive with an electric drive in 1921.

Located in the centre of the city, the University occupies 16 buildings. It is interesting to walk along the halls of the University. One of the main buildings was designed by the famous Italian architect Quarengi. The hall with white columns, a meeting point for students, was designed by the French architect Thomas de Thomon. There are often interesting exhibitions there.

Our scientific library is one of the oldest university libraries in Russia. It was founded more then 200 years ago and since then it has gathered a unique collection of specialized editions and manuscripts on railway transport, architecture, and construction work, exact and applied sciences.

The graduates¹ of the University have designed and constructed many beautiful buildings, bridges and important railways all over the country. They have taken part in designing and expert appraisal of a number of projects in St Petersburg such as the construction of the ring motorway, Ladozhsky railway terminal, the Gulf of Finland dam, Smolninskaya embankment, Konstantinovsky palace, Obukhovskaya square with the monument to Augustine Betancourt and others.

Answer the following questions.

1) Who was the University founded by?

2) Who was the first rector of the University?

3) Why were the lectures delivered in French in the first years?

4) What famous scientists worked at our University?

5) What famous architects designed some of the facilities of our University?

Ex. 2 Make presentations about famous people who worked at our University.

Ex. 3 Read the text about the present day of our University and answer the questions below.