Text I-D.

School in the USA.

In the United States, the word "school" describes any place where people learn.

I You can call a college a "school". You can even call a university a "school". You can use the word "school" for any English language institute, graduate program, or secondary ("high") school.

College or university follows after high school, or secondary school. A college in the U.S.A. is not a high school or secon­dary school. College and university programs begin in the thirteenth year of school, when a student is 17 or 18 years old or older. A two-year "junior" college offers an Associate Degree. A four-year college or university offers a Bachelor's Degree. Programs that offer these degrees are called "undergraduate" schools"

A "university" is a group of schools for studies after secondary school. At least one of these schools is a college where students receive a Bachelor's Degree. The other schools in a university are "graduate" (also known as "postgraduate") schools where students receive advanced degrees. Therefore, a univer­sity offers both the Bachelor's Degree and graduate degrees such as the Master's (M. A.) and Ph.D.(doctorate) A university usually offers graduate programs both in professional fields such as engineering and in academic subjects such as English literature.

You can earn a Bachelor's Degree at either a college or a university. However, students in the USA prefer to use the word "college" rather than the word "university" when they talk about the four-year undergraduate program and the Bachelor's Degree. They say “going to college" and "a college degree" when they talk about undergraduate programs at either a college or a university.

Most "colleges" are separate schools. They are not located in a university. Some colleges are part of a university and are located on the university campus. (The "campus" is the school buildings and surround­ing area.) A few colleges offer graduate programs in selected subjects. Usually, however, it is universities that offer graduate programs. So, Americans use the word “university" and not "college" when they talk about graduate study.

Vocabulary:

to describe - описывать;

high school - старшие классы школы

to follow - следовать (за);

junior - младший;

degree - научная степень;

undergraduate - студент последнего курса;

secondary - средний (о школе, образовании);

to receive - получать;

post-graduate course - аспирантура;

advanced - продвинутый, повышенного типа;

therefore - следовательно;

to earn - зарабатывать;

either... or... - либо... либо..;

to prefer - предпочитать;

separate - отдельный, раздельный;

to be located - размещаться, находиться;

surrounding – окружающий

to select - отбирать, выбирать.

Comprehension check: answer the following questions.

1. What does the word "school" mean in the USA?

2. What follows after secondary (high) school?

3. At what age do American students enter colleges/universities?

4. What degree does a two-year "junior" college offer?

5. What degrees do four-year colleges provide?

6. What is a University?