Ex. Interpret the following texts

Text 1

Программа “Host Family”

(“Пребывание в семье”)

Согласно этой программе, иностранный студент закрепляется за одной из американских семей. Многие студенты полагают, что в рамках программы “Host Family” предо­ставляется жилье, однако обычно это не так. На самом деле эта программа предусматривает посещения студентом одного из американских домов, где ему предоставляется питание, особенно по торжественным дням и праздни­кам, таким как День благодарения или Рождество. В случае установления более тесных отношений, студент посещает эту семью гораздо чаще. Как правило, про­грамма “Host Family” дает приезжим возможность подружиться с одной из американских семей, побольше узнать о семейной жизни и культуре в США, а также поделиться культурой своего народа и своей страны с этой семьей.

Виды американских учебных заведений

Учебные заведения США: профессионально-техническое училище или техникум, колледж с неполным (двухгодичным) курсом обуче­ния или местный колледж, колледж с четырехгодичным курсом обучения, университет или технологический институт.

Колледж является первоосновой всех академических высших учебных заведений в США. В его учебной програм­ме ведущая роль принадлежит естественным, общественным и гуманитар­ным наукам. Сочетание этих наук известно под общим названием “гумани­тарные науки”. После четырех лет обучения в колледже студентам присваи­вается степень бакалавра искусств (В.А.) или бакалавра наук (B.S.). Нали­чие степени бакалавра является основным условием, необходимым для продолжения образования. В некоторых колледжах существуют также специ­альные программы обучения в аспирантуре.

закрепляться (за) - to be attached (to);

в рамках - within the framework;

предусматривать - to envisage;

питание - meals;

торжественный день - solemn day;

День Благодарения - Thanksgiving Day;

отношения - relationships;

приезжий - newcomer;

подружиться - to make friends (with);

поделиться - to share smth. with smb.;

учебное заведение - educational institution;

проф.-тех. училище - vocational school;

местный - local;

основа - basis;

высший – higher

учебная программа - curriculum (мн.ч. - curricula);

ведущая роль - leading role;

принадлежать - to belong (to);

естественные науки - natural sciences;

сочетание - combination;

общий - common;

присвоить степень бакалавра - to award Bachelor's degree;

условие/требование - requirement;

аспирантура - post-graduate course.

Text 2

Стимулы прогресса

.

Гос.науку в США подтолкнул наш спутник в 1957 г. Американцы начали

изучать русский опыт, отпустили деньги на НАСА, на Институт здоровья.

Наука на Западе прежде всего свободна от нянек. Изучай, что хочешь,

только найди деньги. В Штатах с этим не очень трудно. Именно оборудованием

лабораторий, больше чем зарплатой, привлекают они "мозги" со всего мира.

Существуют многочисленные фонды - государственные, благотворительные.

Существуют лаборатории при университетах. Наконец, половина науки -

прикладная, при фирмах. Четко работает система контрактов. Пообещал

исследовать, сделать, получить результат - рассмотрели эксперты, оценили,

выделили деньги, заключили контракт. Закончил - уходи, если не придумаешь

нового...

Н.Амосов

Vocabulary:

подтолкнуть - push

"отпустить" деньги - to allocate finances

нянька - baby-sitter

найти деньги - rise money

оборудование - equipment

зарплата - salary

привлекать - attract

многочисленный - numerous

фонд - foundation

благотворительный - charitable

прикладной - applied

обещать - promise

исследовать - research

оценить - evaluate

выделять деньги - provide finances

изобретать - invent

Supplementary Material

Text 1

Writing on the Wall

THE first acknowledgement inside Emma Lee-Potter's debut novel “Hard Copy”, published this month by Piatkus is to Richard Francis and Michael Schmidt, 'Without whom I would have never started writing'. Francis and Schmidt were her tutors on a two-year taught MA in novel writing at the University of Manchester.

Emma Lee-Potter is not the first of Francis and Schmidt's students to sign a publishing deal. Since the programme started five years ago, five have already found a commercial outlet for their work -four others also have their work under consideration at agents and publishers. Many of them are starting with reworked versions of their MA thesis -practical vindications of a course that was greeted with disdain by many lecturers, who said that creative writing was not academically valid and you could not - and should not - teach people to write fiction.

'For many years,' says Francis, 'I was suspicious of creative writing programmes. I spent a large part of my career as an academic who wrote novels, but I never really connected the two activities very tightly.' On an exchange to the University of Missouri it was taken for granted that as a novelist Francis could -and would - teach creative writing as well as American literature. To his surprise, he found it very rewarding.

Well, he reflects, you may not be able to teach people to write but you can take people who are capable of writing and provide them with the space and structure within which they have to write. In contrast to the growing number of creative writing programmes around the country, students at Manchester are required to complete an entire novel, rather than a series of short stories. It has been a constant source of friction with the university authorities - 60,000 words is a very long thesis, after all.

Less controversial but no less vital is the academic content - something often missing from courses elsewhere, notes Schmidt, diplomatically declining to point the finger. The course has four components, the central and most crucial of which arc workshops.

Four times a year, students produce 5,000 words of their novel for discussion and criticism. Although intimidating, the sessions were invaluable for Anna Davis, who was among the first intake of students and has since secured a two-book deal with Sceptre. Her superb first novel. “The Dinner”, is to be published in January.

She says: 'Writers are terribly alone in their work -it's very difficult to get people to read you and give you decent feedback. On a course, you've got a captive audience to give you proper attention.' Learning to put her work on the line and accept criticism prepared her well for the onerous world of agents and editors. Between workshops, students study twelve divergent course texts. They also complete a practical project, such as translating a novel or adapting one for the screen. Finally, there is a vocational component, when students learn about the publishing industry from the inside, studying contracts, copyright law, profit and loss accounting, writing blurbs and advance information sheets for their novels.

Schmidt is a publisher himself - owner of Carcanet Press and editor of the poetry magazine PN Review. He says: 'Most novelists tie up their manuscript with a pretty ribbon in the assumption the industry eagerly awaits their work, whereas, of course, the last thing publishers and agents look forward to is a huge slush-pile slithering through their door. If nothing else, the course gives them a degree of scepticism and realistic expectation.'

Not only does the vocational element teach students how to package their ideas and sell themselves, it also prepares many for a career within the industry itself. After graduation, Anna Davis got a job assisting the managing-director at one of the larger literary agencies, David Higham.

Today, when she's not finishing off her second novel, she works part-time for another large literary agent, Curtis Brown. In the ceaseless bid to discover new talent, many former students working in the industry have kept in touch with their old tutors. Touring the universities giving guest lectures, they can meet and greet students and attempt to sniff out tomorrow's prizewinners. Last year. Lee Braxton, assistant to Faber's fiction editor, was in Manchester to talk to MA students. Francis suggested he drop in on another class, where by chance he met Clare Wigfall. After reading two of her short stories, he snapped up the twenty-one year old. He has his eye on another three or four writers, but refuses to elaborate.

'When we started this MA,' said Francis, 'I thought publishers would look down un us as amateurs, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Courses like Manchester's are adding an important new dimension to British publishing.'

Vocabulary to the Text.

Acknoledgement – признательность, благодарность

Debut novel – первая повесть

Sign – подписывать

Deal – сделка

Since – поскольку

Outlet – выход

Under consideration – рассматриваемый

Thesis – диссертация

Vindication – здесь: подтверждение

Disdain – пренебрежение

Creative – творческий

Valid – имеющий силу

Fiction – беллетристика

Suspicious – подозрительный

Tightly – тесно

Exchange – обмен

Take smth. for granted – принимать как должное

Rewarding –здесь: достойный

Reflect – размышлять

Capable – способный

Provide – обеспечивать

Space – пространство

Within – в пределах (чего)

Growing – растущий

Require – требоваться

Complete – завершать, выполнять

Entire – целый, весь

Source – источник

Friction – трение

Authorities – мн.ч. власти

Controversial – противоречивый

Vital – жизненно важный

Content – содержание

Missing – отсутствующий

Note – отмечать

Decline – отказываться

Point the finger – указывать пальцем

Crucial – решающий

Workshop – мастерская, семинар

Intimidating – пугающий

Invaluable – бесценный

Intake – прием

Superb – превосходный

Is to be – предстоит

Decent – достойный

Feedback – обратная связь

Captive – здесь: увлеченный

Proper – соответствующий

Accept – приниматьБ допускать

Editor – издатель

Divergent – здесь: отдельный

Screen – экран

Vocational – профессиональный

Copyright law – авторское право

Profit and loss доходы и расходы

Calculation – подсчет

Blurb – издательская аннотация

Advance – предварительный

Tie up – связывать

Manuscript – рукопись

Ribbon – ленточка

Assumption – предположение

Eagerly – охотно

Whereas – в то время как

Look forward – с нетерпением ждать

Huge – огромный

Slush-pile – куча грязи

Slither – скатываться

Expectation – ожидание

Package – здесь: оформлять

Within – внутри

Graduation - окончание

Ceaseless – непрерывный, беспрестанный

Attempt – попытка

Bid – амер. приглашение

Former – бывший

Keep in touch – поддерживать контакты

Tutor – руководитель

Sniff out – вынюхивать

Prizewinner – лауреат

Drop in – заглянуть

Snap up – застать

Refuse – отказываться

Elaborate – сделать, совершить

Look down –смотреть свысока

Further – далее

Dimension – измерение

Comprehension Check.

1. Is Lee Porter’s debut novel “Hard Copy” acknoledged?

2. Where did she take her MA in novel writing?

3. When did her tutors R.Francis and M.Schmidt start this project?

4. Do their graduates manage to find job?

5. What does R.Francis say about his teaching experience?

6. Is it possible to teach people writing, in his opinion?

7. How do they discuss students’ stories?

8. What practical project do the students complete?

9. What is the vocational element in teaching writers-to-be?

Topics to Discuss.

1. Tell about yourself as if you were:

A/ Emma Lee-Porter,

B/ Michael Schmidt,

C/ Richard Francis.

2. Novel writing course.

3. Current achievements of both, professors and students.

Text 2

Plight of Russian Scholars in Weak Economy

Prompts New U.S. Efforts to Support Them

By KIM A. McDONALD

Concern over the survival of Russian scholars in their country's deteriorating economy has prompted some American foundations and scholarly organizations to explore new ways to help.

Among the ideas being considered are competitive grants to Russian scholars or institutes, subcontracts to Russian re­searchers, and a system of "sister institu­tions" linking American universities with Russian institutes in cooperative research.

Most of the proposals have been crafted in recent weeks in response to reports of deteriorating working conditions for Rus­sian scholars and the threat of a massive emigration of Russian scientists and intel­lectuals.

While the ideas for the new programs have grown out of a concern for the aca­demics' welfare, the assistance is intended to be much more than a humanitarian ges­ture. In disciplines in which Russians are acknowledged leaders, such us mathemat­ics and theoretical physics many Ameri­can scholars say they fear the inability of key individuals to conduct research or the demise of certain institutes would elimi­nate important resources used by the rest of the world.

"Everybody feels there's a treasure of Soviet intellectual activity that needs help. needs to be saved before it goes down the drain," says Joel Orlen, executive officer if the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which has held several meetings on he subject in recent weeks.