In pairs, talk for at least three minutes about your education. A. Say as much as you can about the topics in the box. B. Listen and ask questions. Swap roles.

Kind of school…? When…? Good or bad…? Your uniform Your favourite/least favourite teacher/ Why? Your best/worst subjects/Why? Something that you liked a lot at your school Something bad that you used to do at school (copying in exams, breaking rules, etc.) Discipline/punishment at your school

Ex. 2

Write three paragraphs about a school you used to go to.

Paragraph 1

• Kind of school?

• Where?

• How long/there?

Paragraph 2

• Number of pupils in the class

• Teachers (old-fashioned/liberal/strict, etc.)

• School rules/discipline

• Subjects (good/bad at)

Paragraph 3

• Say in general if you enjoyed your school. Why (not)?

• Give examples of things you liked/you didn’t like.

Ex. 4

Fill in the blanks with the words given in brackets.

(arts, science, courses, subjects, degree, do research, professors)

HIGHER EDUCATION

At university you can do _____ in many different _____ (e.g. law). Some students prefer to do an _____ course (e.g. languages) and others prefer a _____ course (e.g. engineering). In Britain, it usually takes three or four years to get a university _____. When they finish their course, some people stay at university and _____. The most important teachers at a university are called _____.

b Fill in the blanks with the words given in brackets.

(take/do, marks (n.), fail, terms, pass)

The school year is divided into three _____. Most children at secondary school have to _____ exams at the end of the summer term. Copying in exams is strictly forbidden. Of course all pupils hope to get good/high _____ and to _____ their exams, not to _____ them!

Read the text

CHOOSING AN OCCUPATION

One of the most difficult problems a young person faces is deciding what to do about a career. There are individuals, of course, who from the time they are six years old “know” that they want to be doctors or pilots or fire fighters, but the majority of us do not get around to making a decision about an occupation or career until somebody or something forces us to face the problem.

Choosing an occupation takes time, and there are a lot of things you have to think about as you try to decide what would you like to do. You may find that you will have to take special courses to qualify for a particular kind of work, or may find out that you will need to get some actual work experience to gain enough knowledge to qualify for a particular job.

Fortunately, there are a lot of people you can turn to for advice and help in making your decision. At most schools, there are teachers who are professionally qualified to counsel you and give detailed information about job qualifications. And you can talk over your ideas with family members and friends who are always ready to listen and to offer suggestions. But even if you get other people involved in helping you make a decision, self evaluation is an important part of the decision-making process.

Ex. 1

Comprehension questions.

1. What is the most difficult problem for a young person?

2. Why don’t the majority of young people know what they want to be?

3. When do they make a decision about an occupation?

4. What things do you have to think about when choosing an occupation?

5. What should one do to qualify for a particular job?

6. Whom can you turn to for advice when making your decision?

7. What is the most important part of the decision-making process?

Ex. 2

Find in the text English equivalents to the following words and phrases.

1) столкнуться с проблемой, 2) пожарный, 3) большинство из нас, 4) выбор профессии, 5) обладать квалификацией для определённой работы, 6) обнаружить, 7) приобрести знания, 8) обсудить, 9) привлечь других людей.

TOPICAL VOCABULARY

I. NOUNS. People’s occupations (professions): an agriculturist, an artist, a baker, a businessman, a book-keeper (an accountant), a bricklayer, a builder, a butcher, a carpenter, a chemist, a chief, a clerk, a college graduate, a colonel, a composer, a conductor, a cook, a cosmonaut, a customer, a dentist, a dressmaker, a driver, an economist, an engineer, an eye specialist, a gardener, a fitter (a locksmith), a guide, a housewife, an interpreter, a journalist, a lawyer, a lecturer, a librarian, a linguist, a maid, a manager, a manicurist, a mechanic, a military man, a milk-maid, a musician, a nurse, an owner, a painter, a pensioner, a pianist, a pilot, a photographer, a physician, a physicist, a playwright, a plumber, a poet, a post-graduate, a postman, a professor, a research worker, a salesman, a saleswoman, a sailor, a scientific worker, a scientist, a servant, a shop-assistant, a shop-girl, a singer, a shoemaker, a soldier, a schoolboy, a schoolgirl, schoolchildren, a secretary, a smith (a blacksmith), a spaceman, a sportsman, a surgeon, a tailor, a teacher, a tennis-player, a tooth specialist, a tractor-driver, a trade union worker, a trainer, a turner, a typist, a worker (workman), a writer.

II. VERBS AND VERBAL COLLOCATIONS: act, bake, be against, be glad, be good at smth., be good at doing smth., be in (out), be (un)well, belong to smb., be married to smb., be on (a) pension, be born, be on sale, be tactful (have tact), bring up, build, call, choose, come from, compose, conduct (an orchestra), cook, correct a mistake, design, do research work, do an exercise, do lessons, drive a car (a tractor), feed, feel bad (good), follow (take) smb.’s advice (example), get married, go to sea, graduate from an institute (a college, a university), grow crops, have a (bad) cold, have a break, have a smoke (swim, talk), introduce smb. to smb., keep business accounts, look after smb., make a dress (a suit), make good progress in smth., make a mistake, make a good teacher (sportsman, etc.), make money, marry smb., master a profession, mean, miss smth., smb., miss a mistake, must, name, nurse, own, paint smth. white (blue, etc.), play a game, play the piano (the guitar, the violin), (mis)pronounce, raise smth., raise animals, repair (put smth. right), respect, retire from one’s work, sail, serve, say smth. to smb., sell, skate, ski, strike (a match), study at (a) college, study at an institute, study at the university, take care of smb., train (teachers, etc.), teach smb smth., treat (cure) smb., type, want, wish smb. smth., work (hard) at smth;

be good at languages, have a good command of the language (be quite at home with the language), speak a language well (fluently, fairly well, abominably), speak poor English (German), speak broken English, speak with a strong accent, be bilingual.

III. EVERYDAY PHRASES: What’s your occupation (profession)? What do you do for a living? I’m a bookkeeper by occupation. He works in the capacity of an engineer. He works in (at) an office.