Phonetic exercises

Exercise I. Pronounce the following words correctly paying attention to the ways of pronunciation of the stressed vowels.

[æ] grammar, bachelor, handicapped, national, preparatory, standard, sandwich, annually,

[a:] grant, master, task, regarded, pass, part-time, arts

[i] syllabus, admission, committee, infant, certificate, submit, curriculum

[o:] boarding, course, brain-storming

[Λ] public, overcome, encourage, number, compulsory

[e] level, academic, comprehensive, entrance, independent, secondary, attendance, assessment

[ai] pride, primary, provide, finals

[ei] examination, education, vocational, graduation, training, make, grade, enable, maintained

Exercise 2. Pronounce the following terms.

Bachelor of Arts [‘̀̀bæʧələrəv ‘a:ts]

Bachelor of Science [bæʧələrəv ‘saiәns]

General Certificate of Secondary Education [ʤenәrəl sə’tifikət əv ‘sekəndəri edju:kei∫n]

General National Vocational Qualification[‘ʤenәrәl ‘næ∫әnәl vә’kei∫ənəl kw)lifi’kei∫n]

Local Education Authority [‘loukәl edju:’keiə∫n ):’θ)riti]

National Curriculum [‘næ∫әnәl kә’rikjәlәm]

University Grants Committee [,ju:ni’vә:siti ‘gra:nts kә’miti]

Infant school [‘infәnt ,sku:l]

Junior school [‘ʤu:njә ,sku:l]

Exercise 3. Pronounce the words and mind the difference in sounding.

/ə:/ /):/ or /)/

term – course

refer – order

university – accordance

person – although

service – honours

first – almost

research – awarded

work – want

determine - brainstorming

/i:/ - /i/

freeze - committee

degree - different

school leavers - admission

field - decision

teaching - discipline

people - supervision

receive - equipment

evening - single

/a:/ - /ʌ/

charge - result

staff - study

master - discussion

Glasgow - Durham

department - production

grants - self-governing

/æ/ - /e/

Bachelor - lecture

a graduate - necessary

exam - better

annually - assess

substantial - letters

Lexical exercises

Exercise 1. Look through the vocabulary and find

1. the terms for stages of education in Great Britain, types of schools, degrees, certificates, teachers.

2. the infinitives in the Active Voice and in the Passive Voice.

Exercise 2. Which definition fits which word?

Post-graduate, undergraduate, graduate

1. a student who has a first degree from a uni9versity and is studying or doing research at a more advanced level.

2. a student at a university or college who has not yet taken his/her first degree.

3. a student who has successfully completed a first degree at a university or college and has received a certificate that shows this.

Exercise 3. Match the educational institutions with the definitions:

University, school, kindergarten, college.

1. An institution where students study for qualifications or do training courses after they have left school.

2. A place where children are educated.

3. A school for young children who are not yet old enough to go primary school.

4. An institution where students study for degree and where academic research is done.

Note! Here is the origin of the word “SCHOOL”. The original meaning of the Greek word schole, from which school is derived, was “leisure”. To the Greeks it seemed only natural to occupy one’s leisure with learning and thinking, and schole came to mean “a place of learning” as well as “leisure”. The Romans borrowed the Greek word as schola and employed Greek slaves as teachers. Christian missionaries later established schools throughout Europe and Latin schola became Old English school.

Exercise 4. Fill in the blanks with the proper words:

1. Those who want to go on to college or university usually take … in 2 or 3 subjects.

2. The Open University accepts students without …

3. Undergraduate courses mostly lead to the degree of a … or a… .

4. Further study or research is required for the degree of a … and that of a … .

5. Some students may be given a … from the local education authority.

6. Oxford and Cambridge are famous for their academic excellence and … .

Key: tutorial system, formal qualifications, Doctor, A-level examinations, Bachelor of Arts, grant, Master, Bachelor of Science.

Text 1

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.