14. Studies at the civil defence academy

    1. Active Vocabulary to Text a

foreign language – иностранный язык

skill – умение

practice – практика

classes – занятия

to improve – совершенствовать

to learn – изучать

to carry out – выполнять

to graduate from – оканчивать (учебное заведение)

different – различный

hard – упорно

1. Text A

1. At the English Lesson

We are first-year students of the Civil Defence Academy which is situated not far from Moscow. We study at the faculty for students. The year of its foundation is 2012. The mission of the faculty is to train specialists for the Emergency Situations Ministry

We learn many different subjects. Experienced professors deliver lectures on mathematics, physics, chemistry as well as on history, philosophy, etc. Instructors of the chair of foreign languages teach us English or German.

Our study group consists of fifteen students. We study English. We have English lessons every week. At our English lessons we usually read, write and speak English. Our instructor gives us a lot of language practice. If we make mistakes, the instructor corrects us. After classes we improve our English language skills at the language laboratory.

We are in the language laboratory now. We are having an English lesson. Student Smirnov is writing an English sentence on the whiteboard. Student Titov is answering the instructor's questions. We are listening to him. Some students are reading texts, others are consulting dictionaries. We are working hard at the lesson.

We always work at English much and with a great interest. We want to speak English well because it is an international language. After we graduate from the Academy English will help us carry out our professional missions.

1. Questions to Text a

1. What faculty do you study at?

2. What’s the main mission of your faculty?

3. What subjects do you learn?

4. Do you study foreign languages?

5. What foreign language do you study?

6. How often do you have your English lessons?

7. What do you usually do at the English lesson?

8. What are you doing now?

9. Are you working hard at English?

10. Why do you learn English?

* * * *

2. Text B

1. Studies at the Civil Defence Academy

The Civil Defence Academy is a higher educational institution, which offers an education of high quality to its future specialists in the field of civil defence, emergency situations and disaster management.

The Academy has everything necessary to carry out its educational activity successfully. It has modern auditoriums, lecture halls and laboratories with up-to-date training facilities. Computerized rooms and specialized studies have modern computers with Internet access. There are several libraries with different textbooks, reference books, dictionaries, magazines and newspapers, etc.

The teaching staff of the Academy consists of highly-qualified and experienced instructors. Their tasks are to deliver lectures, conduct practice classes and control laboratory work. They teach the students both general and special subjects, exact and applied sciences as well as foreign languages.

The students body covers officers, cadets, and civilian students. The duration of their studies is different. Officers study two years. Cadets and students study four or five years. Cadets and students who take four-year programme get a bachelor’s degree. Those cadets and students who take five-year programme earn a master’s degree.

The academic year is of two terms. At the end of each term there is an examination session. Students take their tests, credits and exams. At present they are learning hard to get ready for a winter session.

The Academy pays special attention to the development of science. Many cadets and students take part in the activity of the scientific society where they improve their research skill. The cadets and students carry out their research work in the scientific society. Now they are working at scientific articles and reports forthe student’s scientific conference which takes place at the Academy annually. For some students the participation in the activity of the scientific society is a starting point for their scientific career. After they graduate from the Academy they will go on with their research work and get a scientific degree.

It is not easy to study at the Academy but we know that education is the way to professional success.