Which courses are

English and American students choosing?

In English secondary schools, it’s compulsory for 11-14-year-oids to study one foreign language. But at 14, many pupils drop foreign languages when they choose the subjects they want to study for their GCSE exams - General Certificate of Secondary Education. Pupils take these exams at 16. In the USA, foreign languages are not compulsory in most states.

Some English pupils go to mixed schools and some to single-sex schools but all pupils, boys and girls study Design and Technology (DT) which includes Cookery, sewing and woodwork. Many American high school students also learn accounting, car mechanics and even how to drive!

Drama, media and film studies are becoming popular subjects in English and American schools. In England, many pupils choose these courses for their A-levels – pupils need to pass these exams to go to university. Perhaps, that’s because 22% of English 16 to 19-year-olds want to be actors, pop stars or models! Only 8% are planning to become doctors, engineers or lawyers. But … the most popular courses at English universities are: 1) Law, 2) Design Studies, 3) Psychology, 4) Medicine, 5) Management Studies

Exercise 32Complete the text with these words.

Hi! My name’s Neeraj and I’m 16 years old. I go to Woodland High School – it’s a large _____________ school near London with about 1500 students. It’s a ______________ school, so there boys and girls studying together. It’s better than going to a ____________ school - how do the boys ever meet any girls??!!

At the moment, I’m in year 10, so next year I’m going to _____________ my GCSE exams. Math, English, Science and a Foreign language are ______________ at my school – so I can’t ______________ French until next year! It’s my worst subject!

But I’m getting good _______________ in all my other subjects and I hope to ____________ all my exams.

Then I’d like to stay at Woodland and take my ______________ when I’m eighteen. Then I want to do a _________________ in journalism at university.

Exercise 33 Translate into English

1. В нашей стране обучение в школе обязательное.
2. Я готовлюсь к экзаменам.
3. Русский, украинский, математика и английский – это самые популярные предметы в школе.
4. Я хожу в смешанную школу – мальчики и девочки ходят в школу вместе.
5. Я бы хотел изучать право, потому что хочу стать юристом.

Exercise 34 Underline the correct verbs

1. get / go on with someone
2. make / have an argument
3. not take / not get any notice
4. get / go into trouble
5. go / have wrong
6. do / go badly at school

Exercise 35 Match 1-6 with a-f to make sentences

1. People go a. on with them very well.

2. Last year I got b. wrong in life for many different reasons.

3. I have good relations with my parents. I get c. any notice.

4. I gave him some advice, but he didn’t take d. badly in his exams last year.

5. Mike did e. arguments with my sister.

6. I never have f. into trouble with police.

Exercise 36 Complete the text with the words below

When Kate moved schools last year she had a lot of problems. She didn’t __________________

her new teachers and she got ______________ because she didn’t do her homework. When her teachers complained, she didn’t _______________ them. In fact, she had __________________

with most of them. She started ________________ at school and she didn’t pass all her exams. Finally, her teachers talked to her parents. They found out that Kate was unhappy because she didn’t have any new friends. She felt very lonely. Her teachers talked to the other students. Now Kate has lots of friends and she’s doing well. Now she talks to the other students who go ______

to help them solve their problems.

Exercise 37 Underline the correct word

1. Martin did / had / made / took an argument with his parents and decided to leave home.
2. After leaving school, Laura soon got / made / took / went into trouble with the police.
3. Perhaps Lisa is doing / having / making / taking badly at school because of her problems at home.
4. England started the game well but things started to do / get / go / make wrong after fifteen minutes.
5. Sometimes people say unkind things but you shouldn’t do/ get / have / take any notice.
6. Philip doesn’t do / get / go / take on well with his sister. They argue almost every day.

Exercise 38 Match each word with a definition

________________: to have power over what someone does

________________: to look after and educate children

________________: to make someone suffer because they did something wrong

________________: having a lot of rules for people to follow

________________: relaxed and calm – not often upset or angry

________________: being able to do what you want

________________: treating everyone in an equal way

________________: to teach or show someone how to do something

Exercise 39 Complete Sandra’s blog with could / couldn’t, had to / didn’t have to, was allowed to / wasn’t allowed to

MY FIRST JOB

In the summer holidays I had a temporary job in an office. I wanted to get some more experience but there were so many rules.

I ___________________ do anything very important. I ________________ sit at my desk and answer the phone all day. The first few days were very boring.

I __________________ make lots of tea for everyone and do all the little jobs that no one else wanted to do, for example, photocopying. I _______________ touch a computer and I ________

talk to the boss when I went to complain. I _______________ wear horrible smart clothes too and I _________________ wear trousers. I ___________________ take thirty minutes for lunch when everybody else got forty five minutes.

After about a week I _________________ do more and the job became more interesting. I _____

learn a lot of new things quickly. It was hard as I ___________ remember how to do all the new things. In my last two weeks, I ________________ do some really interesting things. I’m going to work there next year and it will be fun – and hard work!

Exercise 40 Match columns A and B

A B

steal a crime

take some money

commit the army

join to prison

go a driving test

Exercise 41 Complete the crossword

Across

1 In many countries you have to carry ID with you at all times.

4 Smoking is ____ in many public places in the UK.

7 Which politicians are you going to _______ for in the election?

8 Kate wants to _____ the army.

9 In the UK it is ____ to sell alcohol to people under the age of eighteen.

10 When you kill someone it is ______.

Down

2 In some countries you can get the ______ if you commit a very serious crime.

3 To ______ means to take things without paying for them.

5 When I pass my _____ _____ , I want to buy a car.

6 In your country, do people go to _____ if they don’t vote in elections?