It is a well-known fact that any country must pay much attention to the development of science. In Russia we also have hundreds of research institutes and scientists usually combine research work and teaching. Research work is carried out at every higher educational institution and great attention is paid to make students familiar with the latest scientific and technical achievements. Student research work is one of the most important means to improve the quality of specialists’ training, to cultivate students’ creative abilities and independent thinking thereby contributing to the development of the society.
The students of our Academy have every opportunity to carry out research work because the laboratories and workshops are equipped with all necessary devices, computers and up-to-date machines. Many of our teachers and lecturers are considered to be the leading scientists and they help the students in doing their research work. While doing research we are trained to use our knowledge rationally and effectively and learn modern scientific methodology.
Though the students of our Academy have quite favourable conditions for their scientific work they also know that they should work hard and devote much time and attention to achieve necessary scientific results. Everything the students do at the Academy is very important for their development, for their future work, for becoming good specialists and researchers.
In the third year all senior students are usually busy with their undergraduate essays. They choose themes for their scientific work and work hard at it spending a lot of time in the reading rooms and libraries. While working at their essays senior students actually deal with scientific problems which they have to solve. They have to read a lot of books and articles dealing with the problem, think of fresh and creative ideas and then write their papers trying to express their own opinions on the subject. Every year a special conference devoted to students’ scientific activities takes place at the Academy and the students have a good chance to tell the people attending the conference about their work. All students’ reports are listened to with great interest and attention. Some of the students are so much engrossed in their research that they decide to take the scientific problems they are now working at as themes of the graduation papers they will work at in their last year.
This year some students (me included) have been given an interesting problem to solve. This problem to my mind is of great importance. This research work is now being done by the students of our group. To solve this scientific problem a lot of work has to be done. We have to read and study quite a number of scientific magazines and to make plenty of experiments. It goes without saying we work under the supervision of our teachers and professors. We spend a lot of time in the laboratories and discuss plenty of ideas. I haven’t finished my work yet. I’ll have to go on making experiments in the laboratory because I must illustrate all the facts I’m going to describe in my undergraduate essay. I can’t say I have made all the necessary experiments yet.
Spring term is usually much shorter than autumn term and the students of our faculty have to work hard and intensively. After spring examinations we usually have our practical training. During our practical work we have a good chance to collect additional materials for our undergraduate or future graduation papers. Interesting results achieved in the process of this research will be described in the articles we are going to write. And we hope they will be published in the Academy book of collected student essays. It is a good opportunity for us to try our hands at writing scientific papers as we know that any post-graduate student must publish at least three or four articles before presenting his thesis.
After graduating from the Academy some of us will try to take post-graduate courses. We know that a post-graduate student usually works on a thesis for three-five years. The graduates of our faculty can major in many fields. As for me I’d like to become a researcher. But before beginning research I’ll have to take post-graduate exams. The minimum requirements for the Candidate’s degree include qualifying exams in specialized field, philosophy and English. That’s why all students are quite aware of the necessity to study English. We learn English for 2 years at our Academy. While preparing for our qualifying exam in English it’s necessary to attend the tutorials regularly and work hard at the language. We usually read and translate various scientific articles and then discuss the problems raised in these papers. That’s the way we can master English for our final examinations. No doubt I’ll go on mastering English in the future as any research worker must have good command of any foreign language to follow the latest information in the specialized field and to keep abreast of the science.
Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.
1. Do scientists combine research work and teaching?
2. What institutions is research work usually carried our at?
3. What opportunities do the students have to carry out their research?
4. In what way can the students achieve scientific results?
5. Why is it important for the students to carry out work dealing with some scientific problems?
6. Why do the students try their hands at writing articles?
7. How do the students work at their undergraduate and graduation papers?
8. Where can the students collect additional materials for their essays?
9. Where do the students usually report about their scientific activities?
10. What do some students do after graduating from higher educational institutions?
11. What examinations do post-graduates usually take?
12. Why should all students master foreign languages?
Exercise 4. Complete the following sentences.
1. Research work is carried out at …
2. Student research work is one of the most important means to …
3. The students of our Academy have every opportunity to carry out research because…
4. While doing research students are trained to …
5. All senior students are usually busy with …
6. While working at their essays senior students have to …
7. Every year a special conference takes place at the Academy where the students …
8. To solve a scientific problem the students have to …
9. During students’ practical work they have a good chance …
10. It is a good opportunity for the students to try their hands at …
11. Any post-graduate student must publish …
12. After graduating from higher educational institutions some students try to …
13. Before beginning research work post-graduates have to …
14. While preparing for the qualifying exam in English it’s necessary …
15. Any research worker must have good command of…
Exercise 5. Agree or disagree with the statements using the following conversational phrases.
| - Oh, yes, you are right. - Exactly! - Absolutely so! - That’s the point! | - Oh, no, you are wrong. - On the contrary! - I’m afraid you’re mistaken. - You’ve got it wrong. |
1. Any country must pay much attention to the development of science.
2. The students of our Academy don’t have any opportunity to carry out research.
3. Our teachers and lecturers don’t help the students in doing their research work.
4. The students of our Academy should work hard and devote much time and attention to achieve necessary scientific results.
5. In the first year all students are usually busy with their undergraduate essays.
6. To solve any scientific problem a lot of work has to be done.
7. Students don’t work under the supervision of their teachers and professors.
8. During our practical work we have a good chance to have a lot of fun.
9. Interesting scientific results will be described in the articles.
10. A post-graduate student usually works on a thesis for ten years.
11. The minimum requirements for the Candidate’s degree include qualifying exams in specialized field, history and mathematics.
12. There’s no need for a researcher to follow the latest information in the specialized field and to keep abreast of the science.
Exercise 6. Translate the sentences into English.
1. Научно-исследовательская работа студентов является одним из наиболее важных способов улучшения качества подготовки специалистов.
2. Студенты нашей Академии должны упорно работать и посвящать много времени и внимания научно-исследовательской работе.
3. При проведении исследовательской работы студентам приходиться читать много научных книг и статей, а также проводить много опытов.
4. Студенты нашего факультета всегда принимают активное участие в научных конференциях.
5. После окончания Вуза я собираюсь поступать в аспирантуру.
Exercise 7. Respond to the following statements expressing your interest, surprise or doubt. Say
that this is true of someone else too. (Give two variants).
Model 1: - Max tries to combine his special training and his research work (we).
· Student 1: Max tries to combine his special training and his research work.
· Student 2: Does he? So do we. // We also try to combine our special training and our
research work.
- Max is a bright student. (my sister)
· Student 1: Max is a bright student.
· Student 2: Is he? So is my sister. // My sister is also a bright student.
Model 2:-Max doesn’t try to combine his special training and his research work (we).
· Student 1: Max doesn’t try to combine his special training and his research work.
· Student 2: Doesn’t he? Neither do we. // We don’t try to combine our special training and our research work either.
-Max isn’t a bright student. (my sister)
· Student 1: Max isn’t a bright student.
· Student 2: Isn’t he? Neither is my sister. // My sister isn’t a bright student either.
1. Alice is working at the graduation paper dealing with management (Tom)
2. Next year we will try our hands at writing an article on veterinary surgery (they)
3. Lucy hasn’t presented her thesis yet (my friend)
4. This group works under the supervision of professor Popov (that group)
5. Paul didn’t take part at the student scientific conference last year (Helen)
6. I’m very much engrossed in my research work (my sister)
7. This post-graduate didn’t have a chance to publish his paper (her cousin)
8. This graduate can’t express his opinion on the subject (the other graduates)
9. He must go on making all the necessary experiments in the laboratory (I)
10. I can collect additional materials for my undergraduate paper during my practical work (we)
11. After graduating from the Academy my brother will try to take post-graduate courses (my sister)
12. Jane is working on her thesis now (Susan)
13. She doesn’t want to be a research worker (his son)
14. Pete has good command of English (I)
15. We will go on mastering English after graduating from the Academy (she)
16. These students are aware of the necessity to learn English (those students)
17. The scientists must follow the latest information in the specialized field and keep abreast of the science (the post-graduate students)
Exercise 8. Interview your fellow-student about his/her work on an undergraduate essay (do this
work in your group or in pairs).
You want to know:
· if he/she has chosen a theme for his/her undergraduate essay or graduation paper
· what scientific problem he/she deals with in his/her essay
· what he/she should do to write his/her undergraduate /graduation paper
· if he/she tries to express his/her own opinion on the problem
· if he/she is going to try his/her hand at writing an article
· why your fellow-student tries to take part at student scientific conferences
· if he/she is engrossed in his/her research work or not
· what he/she usually does in the laboratory
· how his/her practical work helps him/her in doing his/her research work
· if he/she is going to take post-graduate courses in the future
· what field he is going to major in
· how many articles a post-graduate student must publish before presenting his/her thesis
· what exams the minimum requirements for the Candidate’s degree include
· if he/she has good command of English
· why he/she must go on mastering English after graduating from the Academy
Exercise 9. Make up the plan of the text.
Exercise 10. Retell the text using your plan.
Exercise 11. Compare your group-mate’s research work with that of yours. Do it in pairs using
the models. Ask as many questions as you can.
Model 1: (Ask general questions).
· Student 1: The theme of my undergraduate essay is dealing with the problem of
veterinary surgery. Have you chosen the theme for your undergraduate essay
already?
· Student 2: Yes, I have. I have been given an interesting problem to solve. This problem to
my mind is of great importance.
Model 2:(Ask special questions).
· Student 1: I am working at the undergraduate essay dealing with accounting. What
scientific problem are you dealing with?
· Student 2: As for me, I’m going to do research dealing with management.
Model 3: (Ask alternative questions).
· Student 1: I have to work hard to achieve necessary scientific results. That is why I spend
a lot of time in the reading rooms and libraries. Do you spend a lot of time in
the libraries or in the Internet?
· Student 2: As for me, I have to follow the latest information in the specialized field. That
is why I devote more time to working in the Internet.
Model 4: (Ask disjunctive questions).
· Student 1: I’ve heard you collected additional materials for your research during your
practical work, didn’t you?
· Student 2: I did. Interesting results achieved in the process of this research will be
described in the article I am going to write.
Учебно-методическое издание
Составители: Вера Борисовна Санданова
Наталья Валерьевна Индосова
Виктория Дугаровна Надмидон
Маргарита Алексеевна Моксоева
Валентина Афанасьевна Кульга
Марина Михайловна Тапхарова
Сэсэгма Ильинична Гармаева
Устные разговорные темы
по английскому языку для студентов 1-2 курсов
Под общей ред.: В.Б. Сандановой
Н.В. Индосовой
Лицензия ЛР № 021274 от 26 марта 1998 г.
Подписано в печать Формат 60х84 1/16
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