Text 14 Oxbridge

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Great Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge. Both universities are independent. Only the education elite go to Oxford and Cambridge. Most of their students are former public school leavers.

The normal length of the degree course is three years, after which the students take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Some courses, such as languages or medicine, may be one or two years longer. The students may work for other degrees as well. The degrees are awarded at public degree ceremonies. Full academic dress is worn at examinations.

Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of a number of colleges. Each college has its name, its coat of arms. Each college is governed by a Master.

Oxford is the older university of the two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-four colleges and about twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries. There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when the first women’s college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now, women study at most colleges.

Cambridge University started during the 13th century and has grown until today. Now there are more than thirty colleges.

The University was only for men until 1871, when the first women’s college was opened. In the 1970s, most colleges opened their doors to both men and women. Almost all colleges are now mixed.

The universities have over a hundred societies and clubs, enough for every interest one could imagine. Sport is a part of student’s life at Oxbridge. The most popular are rowing and punching.

Answer these questions:

1. What are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Great Britain? 2. Are they independent? 3. When was the first Oxford college founded? 4. When was the first women’s college opened at Oxford and Cambridge? 5. What kind of sport is the most popular at Oxbridge?

Text 15 Places of Interest in Great Britain

Britain is rich in its historic places which link the present with the past.

The oldest part of London is Lud Hill. About a mile west of it there is Westminster Palace, where the king lived and the Parliament met, and there is also Westminster Abbey – the centre of the Church.

Liverpool, “the city of ships”, is England’s second greatest port, ranking after London. The most interesting sight in Liverpool is the docks. The University of Liverpool, established in 1903, is noted for its School of Tropical Medicine. And in the music world Liverpool is a well-known name, for it’s the home town of “The Beatles”.

Stratford-on-Avon lies 93 miles north-west of London. Shakespeare was born here in 1564, and here he died in 1616.

Oxford and Cambridge Universities are famous centres of learning.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument. Some people think that the stones of Stonehenge were brought to the area by a glacier. Stonehenge is associated with sun worship: at dawn in midsummer, the sun rises exactly over a certain stone on the outside of the circle and shines onto the altar in the centre. Every year thousands of young people go to Stonehenge to take part in the midsummer Druid festival, but only a small number of people are allowed near the circle of stones.

The British Museum is the largest and richest museum in the world. It was founded in 1753 and contains one of the world’s richest collections of antiquities.

Madam Tussaud’s Museum is an exhibition of hundreds of life-size wax models of famous people of yesterday and today. The collection was started by Madam Tussaud, a French modeler in wax, in the 18 century. Here you can meet Marilyn Monroe, Elton John, the Royal Family, the Beatles and many others: writers, movie stars, singers, politicians, sportsmen.

Answer these questions:

1. What is the oldest part of London? 2. What is Westminster Palace? 3. What is called “the city of ships”? 4. Why is Stratford-on-Avon famous? 5. What are the famous centres of learning? 6. What is Stonehenge? 7. What is the largest and richest museum in the world? 8. What unique collection does it contain? 9. What can you see in Madam Tussaud’s Museum?