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nursery school	- детский сад
apart from that	- в остальном
to keep an eye on smbd.	- присматривать за кем-либо
primary school	- общая начальная школа
infant school	- подготовительная школа, первая ступень начальной школы
junior school	- вторая ступень начальной школы
to get acquainted with	- знакомиться
core subjects	- обязательные (основные) учебные предметы
comprehensive school	- единая средняя школа
to put into	- входить в
grammar school	- средняя классическая школа для одаренных детей, окончание которой дает право на поступление в университет
modern school	- современная школа практического образования
General Certificate of Secondary Education	- аттестат о среднем образовании
Further Education	- дальнейшее образование
boarding school	- закрытое учебное заведение, школа-пансион
public school	- частная средняя закрытая школа
skyline	- линия горизонта, небо
“Red Brick” University	- «краснокирпичный» университет (не является старейшим в Англии и не дает своим выпускникам соответствующих привилегий в обществе)
extramural education	- заочное / вечернее образование
to post off	- отправлять по почте
tutor	- тьютор (точного аналога в русском языке не имеет. Преподаватель-консультант, выполняющий основную часть педагогических функций, связанных с образовательной коммуникацией со студентами дистанционных курсов. Как правило, не разрабатывает учебных материалов)
accommodation	- жилье
campus	- университетский двор или городок, комплекс студенческих общежитий
to denote	- показать, указать
gown	- мантия
resemblance	- сходство, подобие
physical existence	- физическое наличие
lodging	- меблированные комнаты, съемное жилье
Fellow (don)	- член совета колледжа
extent	- размер
academic merit	- академический показатель, характеристика
in this respect	- в этом аспекте (смысле, отношении)
to tend	- стремиться
to be keen to	- стремиться, очень хотеть чего-либо
to admit	- принимать
eminent	- выдающийся
to be scattered	- быть разбросанным
be assigned	- присваиваться
rowing	- гребля на лодке-плоскодонке
punting	- выбивание мяча из рук

Answer the questions:

1. Is education in Great Britain compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 16?

2. What can parents choose to prepare their children for the start of compulsory education?

3. When does compulsory education begin?

4. How many types of state secondary schools are there in Great Britain? Name them.

5. Why do only 5 per cent of schoolchildren attend private schools?

6. What levels of private schools are there in GB?

7. What children study at charter (привилегированный) schools?

8. How long does the normal course of study last at the university?

9. What categories of British universities do you know?

10. What are the oldest universities in GB?

11. What does Oxbridge differ from other British universities?

EXERCISES

Ex. 1. Translate from Russian into English:

заочное / вечернее образование, стремиться, детский сад, начальная школа, характеристика, аттестат о среднем образовании, частная закрытая школа, принимать, выдающийся, тьютор.

Ex. 2. Translate from English into Russian:

resemblance, modern school, to be keen to, campus, boarding school, core subjects, grammar school, Fellow, comprehensive school, accommodation, to denote, junior school.

Ex. 3. Fill in the gaps:

1. All … in Britain are free, and schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for their studies.

2. There are many children who attend a … from the age of 3, but it is not compulsory.

3. Compulsory education begins at the age of 5 when children go to … .

4. Primary education is divided into two periods: … (pupils from 5 to 7 years old) and … (pupils from 7 to 11 years old).

5. At the age of 7, 11 and 14 pupils take examinations in the … .

6. … schools don't prepare pupils for universities. Education in such schools gives good prospects for practical jobs.

7. … schools take pupils of all abilities without exams. In such schools pupils are often put into certain sets or groups, which are formed according to their abilities for technical or humanitarian subjects.

8. … schools give secondary education of a very high standard. Entrance is based on the test of ability, usually at 11. They are single sexed schools.

9. After five years of secondary education, at the age of 16, pupils take the … examination and then they can leave school if they wish.

10. Most of private schools are … ones, where children live as well as study.

11. The main characteristic feature of Oxford and Cambridge universities is the … (that means individual tuition).

12. Students are chosen mainly on … , but the policy of colleges in this respect varies from college to college.

13. Students at Oxbridge have different societies and clubs. Different sports are very popular, but the most popular sports are … and … .

Ex. 4. The Round Table on the subject: «System of education in the UK. Russian & British educational systems in comparison»

1. What is the aim of private schools in GB?

2. What types of secondary schools in Britain do you know?

3. How do public schools differ from comprehensive ones in GB?

4. When do children go to primary school in GB?

5. How are pupils streamed in British schools?

6. How many subjects are studied by British pupils in preparation for taking A-level examination?

7. What advantages and disadvantages of British school system can you name (in your opinion)?

8. What makes Oxbridge quite different from any other?

9. Do you think that higher education should be free?

10. Do you think that the quality of education in private universities and institutes is better because professors and teachers are paid more?

11. Do you think that the paid higher education with a system of grants is better than entry exams?

12. What do you like or dislike in the British higher educational system?

13. What do you like or dislike in the Russian higher educational system?

14. Create your own educational system using advantages of Russian & British ones.

ADDITIONAL READING

Read the texts and translate them into Russian:

Text 1

Climate in Great Britain

The British Isles which are surrounded by the ocean have an insular climate. There are 3 things that chiefly determine the climate of the UK: the position of the islands in the temperate belt; the prevailing winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico along the western shores of England (В основном климат Великобритании определяют три фактора: расположение островов в умеренном поясе; факт того, что господствующие ветры дуют с запада и юго-запада; теплое течение Гольфстрим, которое течет из Мексиканского залива вдоль западного побережья Англии).

All these features make the climate more moderate, without striking difference between the seasons. It isn’t very cold in winter and never very hot in summer.

So, the British ports are ice-free and its rivers aren’t frozen through the year. The weather on the British Isles has a bad reputation. It’s very changeable and fickle (непостоянна). The British say that there is a climate in other countries, but we have just weather. If you don’t like the weather in England, just wait a few minutes.

It rains very often in all seasons in GB. Autumn and winter are the wettest seasons. On the average, Britain has more than 250 rainy days a year. The English say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon and when it rains all day long. Sometimes it rains so heavily, that they say “it’s raining cats and dogs”.

Britain is known all over the world for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it’s impossible to see anything within a meter. The winter fogs of London are awful; they surpass (превосходить) all imagination. In a dense fog all traffic is stopped, no vehicle can move from fear of dreadful accidents (В очень сильном тумане останавливается весь транспорт, из-за страха попасть в ужасную аварию, любая машина вынуждена стоять). In winter in England they can hardly forecast their weather.

Sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows. In England it isn’t so cold in winter as in our country and they don’t get so much snow as we get here in the Urals and Siberia. When there are 8 degrees of frost in England everyone complains of hazards (каждый считает это стихийным бедствием).

So, we may say that the British climate has 3 main features: it’s mild, humid (влажный) and changeable.

Ex. 1. Is it true that …?

1. It rains very often in all seasons in Great Britain.

2. It is very cold in winter and very hot in summer.

3. The British Isles which are surrounded by the ocean have an insular climate.

4. The weather on the British Isles is very changeable and fickle. The British say that there is a climate in other countries, but we have just weather.

5. The British climate has 3 main features: it’s mild, humid and changeable.

6. Summer is the wettest season.

7. On the average, Britain has only 3-5 rainy days a year.

8. Britain is known all over the world for its sunny days and white nights.

Ex. 2. Translate into English:

1. Зимние туманы Лондона, действительно, ужасны; они превосходят любое воображение.

2. В очень сильном тумане останавливается весь транспорт, из-за страха попасть в ужасную аварию, любая машина вынуждена стоять.

3. Когда в Англии 8 градусов мороза, каждый считает это стихийным бедствием.

4. Иногда туманы настолько густы, что невозможно рассмотреть что-либо в метре от себя.

5. Зимой в Англии трудно предсказать погоду: иногда идет дождь, иногда – снег.

6. Англичане говорят, что у них три варианта погоды: когда дождь идет утром, когда дождь идет днем и когда дождь идет целый день.

7. Иногда дождь идет так сильно, что они говорят: «Дождь льет как из ведра».

Text 2

London and its places of interest

London is the capital of Great Britain, its political, economic and commercial center. It’s the chief port of Great Britain. It’s one of the greatest cities of the world. Its population is over 9 million. London is the seat of the British Government. It’s located on both banks of the Thames.

The origin of the city may be dated as the beginning of the 1^st century A.D. (Anno Domini), when a tribe of the Celtic family settled near the Thames.

London is a real museum of architecture. Most of the finest buildings date from the 2^nd half of the 17^th century.

Traditionally London is divided into the City, the West End, Westminster and the East End.

The City is the heart of London; it is the oldest part of London. The City is financial and business center. The City has within its square mile such famous institutions as the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange, and the Royal Courts of Justice. Few people live in this part of London but over a million come here to work.

There are a lot of famous ancient buildings within the City. The most striking of them is St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. It was built between 1675 and 1710 to replace the 13^th century cathedral which has been destroyed by the Great Fire.

Westminster is one of the most famous historic areas of London as it is both the seat of the Government and the crowning place of kings and queens.

Westminster Abbey is a beautiful Gothic building. In the 11^th century Edward the Confessor founded a great Norman Abbey. Almost all the monarchs since William the Conqueror have been crowned in Westminster and many are buried there. There are memorials of many statesmen, scientists and writers in Westminster. Westminster Abbey is not a Cathedral. It is dependent directly on the monarch.

The Clock Tower is one of the best known London sights. Big Ben is the name of the great bell which strikes every hour. Light in the tower tells that the House of Commons is in the session at night.

The West End is the center of London. There are historical palaces, museums, beautiful parks, large department stores, hotels, restaurants, theatres and concert halls in this part of London. One of the most beautiful palaces is Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen which was built in 1703. It contains 600 rooms. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is London’s most important tourist attraction.

The oldest of all the royal residences in London is the Tower of London. The Tower today bears her official title of “Her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London”. Founded by William the Conqueror in 1078 the fortress was enlarged several times. Now it is a museum, which houses the national collection of amour and the Crown Jewels. For many centuries the Tower has been a fortress, the Royal residence, the Royal Mint, the first Royal Observatory. But it is perhaps most famous for being a prison.

Trafalgar Square, named so to commemorate Nelson’s great naval victory of 1805, is one of London’s tourist attractions. In the middle of the square there is Nelson’s Column.

The East End is the eastern part of London. It is an industrial part of the capital. The Port of London is also in the East End. It is the poorest part of London. Factory workers, fishermen and dockers live there. In the East End there are no big parks, gardens or famous buildings.

Some facts about United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland

United Kingdom

The national tree: The oak

Motto: Dieu et mon droit (French) "God and my right"

Anthem: "God Save the King" Note: "King" is replaced with "Queen" in the lyrics whenever the monarch is female.

Country	Saint Patron	National Flower	National Animal
England	St. George	Tudor Rose	Lion
Scotland	St. Andrew	Thistle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-National_Emblems_of_Britain-1	Unicorn
Wales	St. Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-5	Leek Daffodil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-National_Emblems_of_Britain-1	Red Dragon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_the_United_Kingdom,_the_Channel_Islands_and_the_Isle_of_Man - cite_note-6
Northern Ireland There is no official National flag of Northern Ireland. The Cross of St Patrick is a red saltire (X-shaped cross) on a white field. It is used to represent Ireland on the Union Flag.	St. Patrick	Shamrock Flax	None

	The Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth	Prince Charles	Prince William

• It is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe.

• London is the capital of the UK.

• The Parliament consists of House of Commons and House of Lords.

• Monarch: Elizabeth II.

• The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands.

• The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.

• The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories: Anguilla; Bermuda; the British Antarctic Territory; the British Indian Ocean Territory; the British Virgin Islands; the Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; the Turks and Caicos Islands; the Pitcairn Islands; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus.

• The name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" was introduced in 1927.

• The country is separated from France by the English Channel.

• The UK's three major political parties are the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats.

• Buckingham Palace, in London, is the official residence and office of the British monarch.

• Education is now compulsory from ages five to sixteen.

• The Prime Minister's official residence is 10 Downing Street.

• Heathrow is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom.

• Jerome K. Jerome was English writer and humorist. He is best known for his humorous and comic masterpiece "Three Men in a Boat".

• Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English author, journalist and poet who wrote the famous fiction The Jungle Book.

• William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer and poet ever known in the English language who authored world's greatest poems, drama and sonnets.

• Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a Scottish doctor, author and poet, and is most notably remembered for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes.

• Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who invented the first practical telephone.

• Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.

• Joanne Rowling, better known as J. K. Rowling, is a British novelist, best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series.

• The London Eye is the world's largest observation wheel.

• The British Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world.

• The famous bell Big Ben named after Sir Benjamin Hall, Chief Commissioner of Works when the bell was hung in 1858.

• The National Gallery has a rich collection of over 2000 western paintings. All hang in chronological order.

• Covent Garden is one of the top shopping and entertainment areas in London. It is also the home for the Royal Opera House and the London Transport Museum.

• Madame Tussauds London is a major tourist attraction located in Central London, housed in the former London Planetarium. It is famous for recreating famous people in wax.

• The statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was buried at St Paul's Cathedral, stands high above the traffic at Trafalgar square.

• St. Paul's Cathedral is the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren.

• The Underground system in London is also colloquially called the Tube.

• Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, and a leader in learning, teaching and research.

• Ben Nevis, at a height of 1344 meters is the highest point in Great Britain.

• Great Britain was known as the land of Albinos and hence its name was Albion. Britannia, the word used by the Romans for the British Isles, gave rise to the name Britain.

• The longest river is The Severn, measuring 322 km long.

• The official name for the British flag is Union Jack.

• The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year: her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June.

• The Queen never gives interviews, but every year she makes a speech which is broadcast on television on Christmas Day, continuing a tradition started by her grandfather King George V in 1932.

• The plant (flower) – symbol of peace in Great Britain is poppy.

_________________________________

aboriginal	- коренной житель
colloquially	- в разговорной речи
to comprise	- состоять из
contiguous	- сопредельный
daffodil	- желтый нарцисс
to elect	- избирать
explorer	- исследователь
flax	- лен
headquarters	- штаб-квартира
Inuit	- эскимос
Iroquoian	- ирокезский
leek	- лук-порей
maple	- клен
oak	- дуб
pejorative	- уничижительный, бранный
poppy	- мак
respectively	- соответственно
shamrock	- трилистник
Stock Exchange	- фондовая биржа
thistle	- чертополох
unicorn	- единорог
wax	- воск

UNIT 5:

YOUTH PROBLEMS. FRIENDSHIP

TEXT A: YOUTH PROBLEMS

Read and translate this text:

Everyone says that youth is probably the best time of your life that being young means romance, love, new discoveries and so on. But it’s also the most difficult time because you have to make some very important decisions which will have influence on all your future life. Our time isn’t the easiest one even for adults, but for teenagers who are to find their own place in the society it’s very difficult.

Today it is fashionable to speak about teenage problems. All youth problems can be divided into 2 types: social and psychological (emotional) ones.

At present day problems of young people are among main problems of our society. They are interconnected and depend on each other. These important problems are drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, problem of mutual understanding of parents and teenagers, vagrancy, gangsterism and others. On the face of it, a lot of various reasons of drugs taking appear but in reality it’s only leaving from real life and real problems in the society and family. These problems exist in every country.

A few years ago alcohol, fights, killings and other kinds of violence were more problems for adults than for young people.

But now, as official report admits, violence, AIDS, drugs and alcohol are more and more associated with youngest. For many children from poor families violence, drinking problems and all that is associated with poverty becomes more real than reality.

But the most wide-spread youth problem is so called “teenage runaways”.

Many young people leave home because their parents throw them out or because life is almost impossible for them. It may be because of terrible problems in the home – a divorce, a parent with an alcohol problem, a new stepparent, or parents’ violence. Such teenagers usually live in the streets or in any repair for children. That’s why they often say about themselves that living in the streets might seem dangerous if you haven’t ever done it … but you learn to survive.

What has gone wrong? Some specialists explain that the changes of our society, the system of our life force young people to choose their own lifestyle. On the one hand, our society agrees that 15-17-year old people are old enough to be responsible for what they do and give them quite a lot of freedom and rights. On the other hand, most adults think that teenagers are too young to be taken seriously. This misunderstanding produced many problems. Actually, a lot of teenagers say that their parents let them do anything they want and are quite indifferent to their problems. Many teenagers get upset or depressed when they can't solve their problems. As a result, it makes them believe that there is only one way out - to stop living and commit suicide.

The Government surveys show that every fifth teenager who was arrested for criminal actions, was younger than 14 and couldn't be sent to prison. Almost half of teenagers have an experience with drugs, alcohol and sex under age of 16. A lot of teenagers who have drug or alcohol addiction almost never believe that they are dependent. These things are often combined with family and school problems.

So it’s necessary not only to fit into society, but also to be sure about your position at the age of 5, 10 or 20. For the future it’s important to have a good job and to get a really a good job you have to be well-educated. After secondary school every girl or boy should choose an educational institution or if he or she doesn’t want to study any more, to choose a job right now. But even if you are studying, you need some money of your own. Your parents provide you with home, food and necessary clothes, but you have your own tastes, you want extra clothes and so on. To pay for extra clothes, books, i-phones, touch pads, things necessary for your hobbies you have to work, and in our country it’s very difficult for teenagers to find a job without any qualification.

Emotional problems for the young people can be far more difficult than financial ones. The typical teenager problem is that “nobody understands me”. Parents often continue treating their teenage children as if they were little kids, when they probably consider themselves as adults.

Youth is also the time to meet one’s first love. Of course, it’s wonderful but as it’s widely known that the first love often has an unhappy end, which increases the youth problems. Even the friends can’t always stay friends.

No doubt, the teens' problems will increase. And young people should fell that they are cared for.

So as you see, it’s very difficult to be young nowadays, as however, it was always difficult. But you can be young only once, and some wonderful things can only happen when you are young. So it’s better to enjoy youth while it lasts.

ACTIVE VOCABULARY