TEXT 1. STUDENT’S LIFE(учить)

TEXT 1. STUDENT’S LIFE(учить)

 

 

My name is Kate. I am 17 years old, and I am a first-year student at the Altai State Academy of Culture and Arts. I entered this higher educational institution because I am fond of arts.

As a rule my classes begin early, so on weekdays I get up at half past six. I do my morning exercises, make my bed, wash, clean my teeth and brush my hair and dress. Then I have breakfast. It is usually a cup of coffee and some sandwiches. While having breakfast I listen to the latest news over the radio or look through newspapers. At 7.20 I leave the hostel where I live for the Academy. As the hostel is situated not far from it, I often go there on foot. It takes me half an hour to get to the Academy. When I go there by bus it takes me only a quarter of an hour.

My classes begin at 8 o’clock in the morning. We study various special and social-political subjects: History, Philosophy, Psychology, a foreign language and so on. We usually have three classes a day. They are over at 12.45. After classes I go to the canteen and have dinner. Then I often work in the reading room where I prepare my lessons or just read something interesting in order to enrich my knowledge. After that I return to the hostel, but sometimes I stay at the Academy and take part in art, scientific or some other activities.

In the evening after supper I like to read a book or to look through the newspaper. If there is something interesting on TV I watch the TV program. When my friends come to see me we have a friendly talk with each other. Sometimes we go to the cinema, theatre or concert. We like to spend a good deal of time together.

My working day lasts till 11.30. I like to have a walk before sleep and then I go to bed.

 

TEXT 3. STUDENT’S LIFE IN CAMBRIDGE

 

Task 1. Read the text and find out:

· at what age young people in Great Britain start their student life;

· what the “elevenses” is;

· the basic way of studying in Cambridge;

· how the discipline is kept in Cambridge.

 

Most young people in Great Britain start life in higher educational institutions at the age of 18. They prefer to try their independence and usually study far from their home. Most of them live in a hostel.

Student’s life in Great Britain in this or that way differs from that in our country. Here is how it flows in Cambridge, one of the oldest universities in England.

The rooms in a hostel have a pleasant outlook over the College gardens and are well furnished according to the needs of a student. There is even a small gas-stove on which students can make coffee or tea. It is a popular custom there to invite friends in the afternoon for tea and hot buttered toast and jam. While having tea they discuss various problems of their everyday life. The students are free to decorate their rooms according to their own tastes, so each room reflects the personality of its owner.

11 o’clock is the time for refreshment between lectures known as “elevenses” when students attend little restaurants and teashops for a cup of coffee and a cake. They drink a great deal of tea and coffee and have a friendly talk there.

The basic way of instruction in Cambridge is tutorial. Every student has a tutor who plans his work. Each week some students come to see him and he discusses with them the work, which they have done. Lectures are voluntary. Unlike school most of students’ work is not done in class but in students’ rooms or in one of the libraries and each student arranges his timetable according to his purposes and wishes, leaving time for other activities apart from study.

The students eat their meals in the College dining-hall, a large room with a long line of tables and a raised platform at the end, on which there is a special table for the tutors known as the High Table. On the walls one can see the portraits of famous people – former students of the University. If a student comes late to dinner or is not correctly dressed he is punished.

Speaking of punishment, in general the discipline is not strict. The students can stay out as late as they wish up to midnight, but after 11 o’clock a small sum of money is imposed. But if a tutor finds that one of his pupils is staying out late very often, he will want to know the reason.

Discipline out of College is the responsibility of Proctors appointed by the University. Each evening a Proctor with two assistants, called “Bulldogs” wanders around the town. If he sees a student who disobeys the regulation that he must wear a cap and a gown he will come up to him and ask if he is a member of the University. If a student runs away in an attempt to escape, the “Bulldogs” chase him, and if they catch him, they fine him.

The University has over a hundred societies and clubs. Perhaps the most popular is the Debating Society at which undergraduates debate political and other questions with famous politicians and writers. Sport is a part of student’s life. The most popular sport is rowing.

 

 

TEXT 4.TEACHING IN RUSSIA

By Richard J. Daigle

Task 1. Read the text and name the main differences between Russian and American students.

 

While working in the American Embassy in Moscow, I had the opportunity to teach part-time in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Moscow State University (MGU), the flagship uni­versity of the former Soviet Union. I taught three courses, one a semester, from spring 1994 through spring 1995. Having taught linguistics and literature for over 30 years in American universities, I had much to learn about teaching in Russia, and I was still learning at the end of that spring semester 1995.

The Faculty of Foreign Languages became an independent part of MGU in the early 90's and was soon known for the high quality of its various language programs, especially the English program. By June 1997 there were over 250 applicants¹ for every available place in that program.

In each of my three semesters there, I learned something new about university practices in Russia, but rather than skip blithely through details of three semesters, I will concentrate on the last semester when a Russian colleague and I team-taught a course called “American Culture”. My partner had spent the previous year at a prestigious university in the U.S., so she was probably more up-to-date on some characteristics of U.S. culture than I, for I was nearing the end of my fourth year in Moscow.

As a basic text we used a publication, which provided insights into some of the major facets of American culture. We had 35 second-year students. Though I remember how similar Russian students are to the Americans I had taught before going to Moscow, I want to focus on a few differences, which are essentially national characteristics rather than personal traits.

Having gone through the Soviet system of educa­tion, the students were accustomed to what I call straight lectures—that is, the teacher talks, the students take notes, and examinations require that students regurgitate² what they remember from those notes. Having unhappily attended a few such courses myself, I was determined to avoid that methodology. Instead, imitating professors I admire, I threw out questions, sometimes provocative, and tried to let the students take matters into their own hands³. I quickly learned that that did not work at MGU. The students would not volunteer⁴. So I had to point at a student and ask my question. That student would then answer, giving me what I had said earlier or what had been assigned for reading. He or she would not expand or explain or even question that rote response. Because my colleague knew my objective (having experienced it her self in the States), she joined me in getting students to develop some ideas of their own, usually emanating from the materials they had read or from ideas they had heard from others. In addition, five or six of the students had been in the States (for a semester or two of high school or college) and not only knew something of the student culture there, but were happy to be able to act like American students and actually discuss matters in class. Because of this, we succeeded quickly.

Before long, however, I started to wonder if we had accomplished too much too well. I was soon shocked to discover a national characteristic that caught me completely off guard⁵. It had surfaced in my earlier courses at MGU, but only in the third semester did I come to understand it fully. Here in the U.S., some of us would call it cheating— that is, copying from another student's work or test in class or openly talking with others during examinations. In our culture class, my colleague and I had warned the students that there would be unan­nounced quizzes to check on whether they were doing the read­ing. Though we considered the quizzes insignificant, we did indi­cate that they would count ten percent of the final grade.

So, one Saturday, we asked the class to put away their books and notes and take out a clean sheet of paper for a quiz. There were a few groans from the group as well as some snickers. My colleague asked the first ques­tion. The result furthered my un­derstanding of Russian mores⁶. Students turned to each other to talk about the question and its response. Some even rose from their seats and leaned over people in front of them. A couple of them seemed to know a little more than the others, so attention was focused on them. They made no attempt to avoid helping others. There was no attempt to conceal what was going on. (A similar situation had developed in one of my previous classes, but no one offered any explanation of what it meant.) Now I turned to my colleague and asked, "Are we going to let them cheat like this?" She obviously sensed my concern. "Ah, Richard," she said, "they aren't cheating. They are Russians, and this is what Russians do."

I had completely forgotten the basic tenet of Soviet education, what I call the "We Syndrome." That belief requires that all share, that no one should keep anything solely himself. Taking that one step further, I now understood that it applied in the classroom as much as it did anywhere else. So the students were sharing their knowledge with each other. They were not cheat­ing, and they would have been very upset if I had accused them of doing so. My colleague calmed me down, for I realized that this was one more facet of Russian culture that I had to live with. (Since then I have learned that this academic trait exists in other cultures as well.)

 

TEXT 1. THE ACADEMY OF CULTURE AND ARTS

Task 1. Read the text and answer the following questions:   1. How many faculties does the academy have? What are they?

TEXT 4. OXBRIDGE

Task 1. Read the text and say:   · What are the most prestigious universities in Great Britain?

2.

Barnaul as a Cultural Center of Siberia

For almost three centuries Barnaul has been one of the major cultural centers of Siberia. Today the spiritual traditions are continued by the… The local Philharmonic Society offers diverse cultural programme. The lovers… Bright, exuberant folklore festivals are known all over Russia, and the “Siberia”, an orchestra of Russian folk…

Altai Artists

  Pre-reading

Altai Cultural Traditions

Pre-reading   Find out, if you don’t know, what the Siberian Rerikh Center is?

Museum Traditions of Barnaul

Pre-reading a) What is “loyal to its cultural museum traditions”?

The Museum of Regional Studies

a) Do people in your city visit the museums, exhibitions, and galleries? b) Are certain museums especially popular among the young people?

Demidov Square

We can take our time and admire the architectural treasures of Barnaul. Demidov Square is a place where we can always make new discoveries, however… The foundation stone of the Mining Hospital was laid in 1827. The number “… L. Ivanov and J.Popov played a significant role in the designing of the buildings. The buildings designed by such…

Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Barnaul

The eighteenth century holds a place of its own in the history of Russian culture. It was then that a radical change in all spheres of Russian life… The last decades of the eighteenth century were unprecedented in the scope of… Barnaul’s cathedral was notable monument of Russian architecture in the traditions of Petrine times. Particularly…

The People’s House

The building at Polzunova 35 witnessed many important and dramatic events. It was here that revolutionary meetings and gatherings were held. During… Little is known about the earliest owners, except their last names and… The People’s House was opened on the 17th of December 1900 and became the center of the public education. The House…

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NOTHERN IRELAND

  1.Learn the new words:  

TEXT

THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NOTHERN IRELAND

To the North – West of the continent of Europe there are two large and over 5000 small islands called the British Isles the area of which is about… The surface of England and Northern Ireland is rather flat, while in Scotland,… The British climate is mild and warmer than that of the continent because of the influence of the Gulf Stream. The…

LONDON

 

When we think of Paris, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon and other European capitals, we think of them as ‘cities’. When we think of the whole of modern London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, that great area covering several hundred square kilometers, we do not think of it as ‘a city’, not even as a city and its suburbs. Modern London is not one city that has steadily become larger through the centuries; it is a number of cities, towns and villages that have during the past centuries, grown together to make one vast urban area.

London is situated upon both banks of the River Thames; it is the largest city in Britain and one of the largest in the world. Its population is about 7 million people.

London dominates the life of Britain. It is the chief port of the country and the most important commercial, manufacturing and cultural centre. There is little heavy industry in London, but there is a wide range of light industry in Greater London.

London consists of three parts: the City of London, the West End and the East End.

The City extends over an area of about 2.6 square kilometers in the heart of London. About half a million people work in the City but only less than 6000 live here. It is the financial centre of the UK with many banks, offices and Stock Exchange. But the Сity is also a market for goods from all parts of the world.

The West End can be called the centre of London. Here are the historical palaces as well as the famous parks. Hyde Park with its Speaker’s Corner is also here. Among other pars are Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park. In the West End is Buckingham Palace which is the Queen’s residence, and the Palace of Westminster which is the seat of Parliament.

The best-known streets here are Whitehall with important Government offices, Downing Street, the London residence of Prime Minister and the place where the Cabinet meets, Fleet Street where most newspapers have their offices, Harley Street where the highest paid doctors live, and some others.

The name ‘West End’ came to be associated with wealth, luxury, and goods of high quality. It is the area of the largest department stores, cinemas and hotels. There are about 40 theatres, several concert halls, many museums including the British Museum, and the best art galleries.

It is the West End where the University of London is centred with Bloomsbury as London’s student Quarter.

Visitors with plenty of money to spend and who come chiefly for enjoyment are likely to pass most of their time in the West End.

The Port of London is to the east of the City. Here, today are kilometers and kilometers of docks, and the great industrial areas that depend upon shipping. This is the East End of London, unattractive in appearance, but very important to the country’s commerce.

In recent times London has grown so large, that the Government has decided that it must spread no father. It is now surrounded by a ‘green belt’. A belt of agricultural and wooded land on which new buildings may be put only with the permission of the planning authorities.

 

 

References

 

The City........................................................................ Сити

Greater London............................................................ Большой Лондон

Stock Exchange............................................................ Лондонская фондовая биржа

Speaker’s Corner.......................................................... Уголок оратора

Buckingham Palace....................................................... Букингемский дворец

Bloomsbury.................................................................. Блумзбери

 

 

28. Read the text and speak about ‘Cultural Life of Britain’.

 

 

Artistic and Cultural Life of Britain

  Artistic and cultural life in Britain is rather rich. It passed several main… The Saxon King Alfred encouraged the arts and culture. The chief debt owed to him by English literature is for his…

British Drama Theatre Today

  Britain is now one of the world’s major theatre centres. Many British actors… Drama is so popular with people of all ages that there are several thousand amateur dramatic societies.

Music and Musicians of Britain

  The people living in the British Isles are fond of music, and it is quite… The Promenade concerts are probably the most famous. They were first held in 1840 in the Queen’s Hall, and were…

Westminster Abbey

  It is safe to say that the three most famous buildings in England are… Westminster Abbey is a fine Gothic building, which stands opposite the House of Parliament. It is the work of many…

St. Paul’s Cathedral

  St. Paul’s Cathedral is the work of the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.… From far away you can see the huge dome with a golden ball and cross on the top. The interior of the Cathedral is very…

The Tower of London

The grey stones of the Tower could tell terrible stories of violence and injustice. Many saddest and cruelest events took place within the walls of… When Queen Elizabeth was a princess, she was sent to Tower by Mary Tudor… The ravens whose forefathers used to find food in the Tower, still live here as part of its history. There is a legend…

Art Galleries

Today the picture galleries of the National Gallery of Art exhibit works of all the European schools of painting which existed between the 13th and… In 1897 the Tate Gallery was opened to house the more modern British… The collection of Turner’s paintings at the Tate includes about 300 oils and 19000 water-colours and drawings. He was…

British Museum

We go to Bloomsbury. “Bloomsbury Square” is the oldest in London, it dates from 1665. It is the… It is an immense, light-grey building, like a Greek temple. It was founded in 1753.