Make up situations using the English equivalents of the words given above. 24. Translate into Russian the following words and word combinations:

24. Translate into Russian the following words and word combinations:

A bachelor’s degree, to be obtained, practical training, to be highly competitive, entry requirements, applications, extra-curricular interests, the quality of their work

25. Work in pairs and decide whether these statements are true or false:

1. A Bachelor’s degree (BA, BSc, etc) can be obtained by a minimum of two year’s study.

2. Some degree courses last four years, the extra year being spent in practical training.

3. Only about the top 17 per cent of the age-cohort in the UK studies for a degree.

4. Entry to universities or similar institutions is not competitive at all.

5. Typical entry requirements would be at least 3 C grades at A level for university courses and perhaps three D grades for entry to other institutions of higher education.

6. Students can apply to a maximum of 2 universities.

7. It is vital to think of year 12 as an «easy» year.

8. Degree courses start in late September or early October.

26. Find in the text situations in which the following word combinations are used:

A bachelor’s degree; three year’s study; degree courses; to study for a degree; highly competitive; one centralized organization known as UCAS; the final decision

27. Read the text and give its brief summary:

Text 2 C

Higher Education in the USA

Education in the United States is provided mainly by the government, with control and funding coming from all three levels: federal, state, and local. Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected boards with jurisdiction over university districts. University districts can be coextensive with counties or municipalities. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by the U.S. states through acts of the state legislature and governor, and decisions of the state departments of education.

In the United States, students begin higher education after completing 12 years of primary and secondary school. Institutions of higher education include two-year colleges (known as community or junior colleges), four-year colleges, universities, institutes of technology, vocational and technical schools, and professional schools such as law and medical schools. Higher education is available in public (government support) and private (no government support) institutions, institutions affiliated with religious groups, and profit-making institutions. Some excellent colleges enroll fewer than a thousand students; some large universities enroll 50,000 or more students.

Generally, at the high school level, the students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis. The curriculum varies widely in quality and rigidity; for example, some states consider 70 (on a 100 point scale) to be a passing grade while others consider it to be 75 and others 60. The following are the typical minimum course sequences that one must take in order to obtain a high school diploma; they are not indicative of the necessary minimum courses or course rigor required for attending college in the United States: 1. Science (biology, chemistry, and physics); 2. Mathematics; 3. English (four years); 4. Social Science (various history, government, and economics courses, always including American history); 5. Physical education (at least one year).

High schools offer a wide variety of elective courses, although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular school's financial situation. Common types of electives include: 1. Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography); 2. Performing Arts (drama, band, orchestra, dance); 3. Shop (woodworking, metalworking, automobile repair); 4. Computers (word processing, programming, graphic design); 5. Athletics; 6. Publishing (journalism, yearbook); 7. Foreign Languages (French, German, and Spanish are common; Chinese, Latin, Greek and Japanese are less common).

Many students in high schools participate in extracurricular activities. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside the normal school day; home schooled students, however, are not normally allowed to participate. Student participation in sports programmes, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of practices and performances.

Most states have organizations which develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a prerequisite for participation.

TEXT AND VOCABULARY EXERCISES

28. Find in the text the words or phrases which mean the same as:

29. Find in the text the right word to complete the sentences: