- •Contents
- •Chapter 1. School Education.
- •School education in the uk
- •1. Complete the chart with the words below. Some words may be used more than once.
- •2. Listen again . What do the terms mean? Are they the same in Britain and the usa?
- •3. Use the table to speak about the school system in England and the usa. Then make a similar story about the school system in your country.
- •1. Read the story of a girl’s first school day. Complete the gaps with the missing verbs. My First Day of School
- •2. How does the writer of the song feel about his schooldays? Were they a completely happy time? What words / lines tell you this? Compare your opinions in a group.
- •Chapter 2. School Memories and Experiences.
- •Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard
- •1. Read the text about school days’ memories.
- •2.Look at the words in bold in the above text and try to explain them.
- •3. Fill in the sentences with the correct words from the list below:
- •4. Complete the phrases with the correct word(s) from the list below.
- •5. Fill in the phrases with the correct preposition from the box. Then choose any five items and make sentences.
- •6. Problem verbs corner
- •1. Translate the sentences from the text:
- •2. Choose the right verb:
- •1. Match the word(s) in a with their English equivalents in b and their Russian equivalents in c.
- •2. Fill in the gaps with the word(s) from the list:
- •3. Consider the situation and answer the questions.
- •1. You will hear Tim Moores, who went to Harrow, one of the most famous public schools in Britain, in the 1950s. He was sent there at the age of twelve and ran away four years later.
- •2. Listen to the text once and discuss the following:
- •3. Use the words in the list below (taken from the text) to complete the following summary.
- •4. Writing task.
- •Chapter 3. Leaving School.
- •1. Read the text about education in Russia.
- •2. Fill in the gaps with the synonyms from the text:
- •3.Answer the questions:
- •4. Discussion. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •5. What do you remember about the system of school education in Great Britain? How does it differ from Russia?
- •1.Answer the questions.
- •2. Match the words with their definitions:
- •3. Find in the text the equivalent to the following Russian word(s):
- •4. Use some of the above words to complete the sentences:
- •1. Read the text and compare your list with what you can find in the text. Unified State Examination in Russian Federation
- •2. Read the statements and decide if they are true or false.
- •3. Find the English equivalents in the text:
- •4. Match the words in bold type in the text with their synonyms.
- •6. Do Russian and British systems of testing the school leavers’ knowledge have anything in common? What are the differences?
- •High School Crisis in the United States
- •1. Match the word(s) or expression(s):
- •Exams: a Survival Plan
- •1. Find the English equivalents for the following expression:
- •2. Fill in the phrases with the correct word(s) from the box.
- •3. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition(s) from the box.
- •5. Discussion. Discuss these questions with a partner.
- •2. Try to guess if the following statements are True or False:
- •3. Read the text and check your predictions.
- •4. Discussion. Discuss the following in groups:
- •Chapter 4. University Education.
- •1. You can normally do these subjects at university but not always at school:
- •2. Read the statements spoken by university students. What is each person studying?
- •1. Match the verbs on the left to the nouns on the right. Some verbs can be used more than once. Translate the phrases into your language.
- •2. Replace the underlined word with its synonym(s) from the previous exercise.
- •3. Answer the questions:
- •Studying at a British university.
- •1. Answer the questions:
- •2. Compare the system of higher education in the uk to your country. Answer these questions:
- •1. Match the words in a to their definitions in b:
- •2. Complete the sentences using the vocabulary from the previous exercise.
- •3. Read the text and decide if the statements below are true or false. What’s a university education worth?
- •4. Discuss the questions with your partner:
- •1. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •2. Match the words in a to their definitions in b:
- •3. Now listen to the programme and answer the questions:
- •4. Read the statement and decide if they are true or false. Correct the false ones.
- •1. Answer these questions with a partner.
- •2. Read the information about universities in the usa and say which university:
- •3. Now read the text again and fill in the table with the information about the universities:
- •4. Prepare a report about a world famous university. Include the following information:
- •Chapter 5. Starting University Life.
- •1. Read the article which gives advice to students embarking on their university career. Match the headings 1-10 below to the paragraphs a-h.
- •Freshmen Survival Advice for Life
- •2. Vocabulary work. Find the English equivalents in the text for the following words and phrases.
- •3. Match the words in a and b to make phrases and use them in the sentences below.
- •4. Fill in the gaps with the right preposition and give the Russian equivalent.
- •5. Fill in the missing parts of speech. Some of the answers come from the text.
- •6. Discuss the advice in the article in small groups or pairs. Consider the following:
- •1. Discuss these questions with a partner. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.
- •2. Use the words and phrases in the box to complete the sentences below.
- •3. Listen to the students. Put the experiences and tips about student money in the order you hear them.
- •4. Discuss the tips you heard.
- •1. Read the text and answer the questions below. Who Needs a Degree? No number of letters after your name can teach you about life.
- •2. Read the statement and decide if they are true or false. Correct the false ones.
- •3. Match the words from the text with their definitions.
- •4. Find the English equivalents for the following Russian words and phrases.
- •5. Discussion. Discuss in the questions groups.
- •6. Writing. Choose one of the quotations you feel you are most capable to write on.
- •References:
School education in the uk
Most children in England and Wales follow this route in the state system. At the age of 3 some go to nursery school. At 5 everyone starts primary school, at 11 pupils go to a secondary school . This may be a comprehensive (i.e. mixed ability) or a grammar school (i.e. children selected for their academic ability). There are also public schools. In fact, these are private schools, and parents pay a fee to send their children there. Some are expensive. About 5% of the population go to these schools.
Pupils usually have five lessons every day and altogether they do eleven subjects a week plus PE. There is a lunch break after the third lesson.
There are three terms in a school year and the timetable changes every year. The holidays are usually at Christmas for 2 weeks, in spring for 2 weeks, and in summer for 6 weeks.
British school education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16. At 16 children leave school and get a job, or go to a college for vocational (i.e. job) training, e.g. hotel management, secretarial courses; or stay at school for two more years. At the age of 18 they leave school and get a job or go to university or go to college for further education/training, e.g. teaching, business studies.
Task 10. Answer these questions to the text.
At what age do children go to nursery school?
At what age do they start primary school?
What types of schools are there in the UK?
At what age can children leave school?
How many subjects do English pupils do?
What happens if children fail the exams they take at the age of 16?
What can they do if they pass their exams at the age of 18?
Task 11. Listen to John and Frances talking about educational systems in England and the USA.
1. Complete the chart with the words below. Some words may be used more than once.
elementary school |
high school |
grade |
middle school |
grade school |
secondary school |
kindergarten |
junior high school |
primary school |
comprehensive school |
public school |
boarding school
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British |
American |
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2. Listen again . What do the terms mean? Are they the same in Britain and the usa?
3. Use the table to speak about the school system in England and the usa. Then make a similar story about the school system in your country.
Task 12. Listening. First Day of School.
1. Read the story of a girl’s first school day. Complete the gaps with the missing verbs. My First Day of School
I remember my first day of school. I __________ excited, but I __________ afraid. I __________ my mother’s hand as we __________ to the school. When we __________ near the school, I wouldn’t let her hold my hand anymore. I __________ __________ to look like a baby.
We __________ to the school. The school __________ very big and frightening. There __________ children outside on the playground. They all __________ very big. I __________ at them, and some of them __________ at me. I __________ very small.
My mother and I __________ into the school and __________ the kindergarten room. There __________ children in there. Most of them __________ the same size as me. My mother __________ to the kindergarten teacher. The teacher __________ very nice. She __________ my name, and she __________ me to some of the other children.
I already __________ some of the children because they __________ near me. I __________ to play with some of the things that __________ in the classroom. There __________ toy trucks, colouring books, and even a doll house. I soon __________ to be scared, and I __________ to play with the other children. I __________ even __________ that my mother had left the room.
In school we __________ songs, __________ some games and __________ as the teacher __________ us a story. I __________ a lot of fun on my first day of school. I even __________ a picture of my teacher. I __________ the picture home, and my mother __________ it on the refrigerator.
I like school.
It is a good place to meet new friends and learn all about the world.
2. Listen to the story and check yourself.
3. Now look at the text again and answer the questions:
What tense are all the verbs in?
Which of them are regular / irregular / negative?
How do you form the past tense?
When do you use it?
4. Discussion.
Discuss your first school day with your partner. Did you feel the same way as the girl did? What was similar / different?
5. Writing.
Write a few sentences about your first school day. Use the Past Simple.