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Unit 3. SIBERIAN TRANSPORT UNIVERSITY

Exercise 2. Give appropriate translation to the proverbs and remember them:

1.An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening.

2.Hunger breaks stone walls.

3.Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

4.A good name is better than riches.

5.People who live in glass houses should never throw stones.

Exercise 3. Make up a small proverbs-based dialogue.

Exercise 4. Listen to the conversations. Write the numbers you hear.

Lead-in

Exercise 5. Number these reasons why people enter universities in their order of importance from 1(most important reason) to 12 (least important reason). Explain your choice.

to acquire general knowledge to prepare for job

to meet with young people to train one’s memory

to learn something about subjects

to find out what one is really interested in to give one’s parents some peace and quiet to test one’s intelligence

to learn how to study and work with information to have a good time

to be independent

to learn discipline and order

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Exercise 6. Skim the text and say what new facts you have learned.

Siberian Transport University

Historical Background. Siberian State University of Railways is one of the oldest higher schools of Russia in the field of transport and transport engineering. It was established in 1932 and named Novosibirsk Institute of Railway Engineers. The building itself is unique for its expressive architecture. The University Museums preserve and share historical spirit with new coming generations. The university is one of the largest educational and scientific centers in Siberia with long-standing cultural, military and sport traditions.

Currently the University with more than 10,000 students is proud of its mission to provide career qualifications and prepare graduates for employment both in Russian and international environment as well as in the reformed railway system.

The University achieves highest graduate employability rates because of its reputation and strong links with railways. The professors develop courses that are highly regarded in the railway system because of the balance between theory and practical application. It prepares graduates to make a positive contribution to the professional railway community.

Our graduates can be found working everywhere from the Ministry of Railways and Local Administration Authorities to various railway companies. The STU is one of the leaders among Russian railway educational establishments.

Course of Training. The Siberian Transport University provides Railway Construction, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics, Information Technology, Railway Transportation Management, International Business, Law, Human Resources Management and other programmes. Special attention is given to the training of technical engineering personnel in most important branches of modern transport and construction.

All students of engineering must have an understanding of the physical sciences and mathematics. The basic engineering sciences are: mechanics of solids and fluids, electrical science, thermodynamics, mechanics, material science, information transmission, logic and computing devices, systems analysis. The University programmes in Railway Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering equip onand off-campus students with the professional skills of engineering. The courses consist of formal lectures, reinforced by tutorials, laboratory classes and projects, practical design and computing work. All programmes include obligatory foreign language training, which prepare students for a variety of real life and professional situations.

The University provides some extra help and full assistance to students who are having difficulties with their studies. Teachers offer extra remedial tutorials in core subjects, as well as personal counseling and assist students in developing good study skills so that student’s time in the university will be productive and rewarding. Students are required to undertake self-study outside.

Research. STU provides all the necessary facilities, laboratories and up-to-date information technologies for research. These make it possible to not only obtain knowledge but to use new developments in railway industry. In well-equipped laboratories and research centers students carry out their research under the guidance of Professors. Fundamental and applied research at the university is carried out in the research laboratories and centers. Developments in the field of railway engineering, operation and management are introduced in Russian railway industry.

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Faculties, Departments and Specialties:

1.Railway Transportation Management Faculty (Rolling Stock and Freight Operation Department; Railway Stations and Junctions Department; Railway Operation Management Department; Vital Safety Department, etc.). It trains specialists in the following fields: Transportation and Transport Operation Management; Engineering Environmental Protection, Industrial Safety.

2.Railway Construction Faculty (Track and Track Facilities Department; Railway and Highway Surveying and Design Engineering Department; Engineering Geodesy Department; etc.). It trains specialists in the fields: Railway Construction, Track and Track Facilities; Highways and Airdromes.

3.Management of Transport and Technological Complexes (Building and Road Machines Faculty) (Mechanization of Track, Loading and Unloading and Construction Works Department; Transport Mechanical Engineering Technology and Machine Maintenance Department; Electrical Engineering and Electric Technologies in Railway Industry Department, etc.) It trains specialists in the following fields: Lifting and Hoisting, Road Building Machines and Equipment; Maintenance of Transport, Engineering Machines and Equipment (Building and Road Machines); Standardization and Certification; Automobiles and Automobile Facilities; Machine Building Technology.

4.Civil Engineering Faculty (Railway Structures and Buildings in Railway Industry Department; Technology, Engineering Management and Construction Economics Department; Hydraulics and Water Supply Department; Building Materials Department, etc.). It trains specialists in the fields: Civil Engineering; Water Supply and Sewerage; Expertise and Property Management; Economics and Management in Construction Industry; Water Resources Integrated Usage and Protection.

5.Bridges and Transport Tunnels Faculty (Bridges Department; Tunnels and Underground Railways Department; Geology, Footings and Foundations Department; Structural Mechanics Department; Theoretical Mechanics Department, etc.). It trains specialists in the fields: Bridges; Transport Tunnels and Undergrounds; City and Transport Structures.

6.Engineering Economics Faculty (Transport Economics Department; Accounting and Auditing Department; Management in Transport Industry Department; etc.). It trains specialists in the following fields: Accounting and Auditing; Enterprise Economics and Management (Railway Industry).

7.International Business and Law Faculty (Economic Theory Department; International Business Department; Civil Law Department; Public Law Department; Criminal Law Department; Finance and Credit Department, etc.). It trains specialists in the following fields: Law; Finance and Credit; International Business; Social and Cultural Services and Tourism; Customs; Antitrust Management.

8.Human Resources Management Faculty (Social Psychology Department; Psychology and Education Science Department). It trains specialists in the following fields: Human Resources Management; Psychology; Professional Training.

9.Information Technology in Business Faculty (General Information Science Department, Information Technology in Transport Industry Department, Systems Analysis Department, Applied Mathematics Department). It trains specialists in the following fields: Applied Computer Science (Economy); Information Systems and Technologies.

10.Distance learning Faculty.

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Exercise 7. Read the text more carefully and answer the questions.

1.What is the most common name of our University?

2.What is its current official name?

3.When was it established?

4.What programmes does it provide?

5.What are the basic engineering sciences?

6.What are types of academic activity?

7.Students are required to undertake self-study, aren’t they?

8.What are the faculties of the University?

9.What faculty do you study at?

10.What is the name of your programme?

11.Where do students carry out their research?

12.What can you say about university library?

Exercise 8. Ask your groupmate:

–когда он поступил в университет;

–на каком он курсе;

–что он знает об истории университета (когда он был основан, как назывался первоначально, когда был преобразован в университет, как называется сейчас, где находится), сколько студентов обучалось в институте в год его основания (обучается сейчас);

–сколько факультетов (общежитий, корпусов) сейчас в университете (было в год его основания);

–есть ли филиалы университета в других городах;

–какие формы обучения (отделения) существуют в университете;

–платное ли обучение;

–есть ли магистратура (аспирантура) в университете.

Exercise 9. Read, translate and reproduce the dialogues:

Dialogue 1.

–Hello. What classroom are we in?

–Hello. I don’t know. Let’s look up the time-table. Here it is. English class, classroom 430, main building.

–Oh, goodness. How awful, I thought we had a lecture on history at that time.

–What difference does it make?

–It does make a difference to me. I planned to do English home-assignment during the lecture.

–You are lazy-bone. You are sure to fail in your English if you go on like that.

–I bet I shan’t: idle away my time during the term and cram the last night. Goes like clock-work. An excellent method I must say.

–It’s no good with language training. I know it from my own experience. Speech skills and habits need hard and regular work.

–Well, we’ll see.

Dialogue 2.

–Hello. Haven’t seen you for ages. How are you?

–Hello. I am well at present. You see, I have been ill for a month and now I have many problems.

–Have you any health problems?

–No, I haven’t. I have fallen behind in some subjects. Especially, I can’t cope with math.

–As for math, I can help you. I am good at math and have passed the exam in math ahead of time.

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–I shall be very grateful to you.

–As far as I know you left school 22 and you are on good terms with English, aren’t you.

–Yes, I am. English is one of the first subjects I have passed my credit tests in. I can really give you a helping hand with English.

–When shall we start?

–I think as soon as possible. Let it be this Saturday, 10 a.m.

–Agreed. So, good bye. See you on Saturday.

–Good bye.

Exercise 10. Act out the situations.

1.Вы готовитесь к экзаменам по математике (истории, иностранному языку и т.д.). Обсудите со своим другом расписание экзаменов и планируйте, когда и как готовиться к ним.

2.Два студента, окончившие одну школу, встретились на вечере, посвященном Дню первокурсника. Они обмениваются новостями: на каких факультетах учатся, трудно ли было поступить в университет, жизнь в общежитии, расписание занятий и т.п.

3.Вы встречаетесь со своими друзьями в последний день экзаменационной сессии. Обсуждаете итоги своей экзаменационной сессии. Один сдал все экзамены и собирается ехать домой. У другого – сессия продлена по болезни.

Exercise 11. Look through the facts concerning Siberian Transport University and Sheffield University then discuss in pairs the two universities.

The Siberian Transport University is among the largest scientific and educational centers in Siberia.

Today STU has all the facilities needed for training high skilled staff on 10 faculties.

At present STU is training about 12,000 students and post-graduates.The final stage of training is working out and submitting thesis.

STU has highly-qualified staff. 44 departments employ 538 lecturers, of which 25 are professors and 15 are correspondent members of different academies.

A lot of attention is given to professional development for lecturers in modern technology, to internships at scientific centers and the most advanced enterprises of the industry. The training takes place at the Institute of Professional Development.

The University has had a post-graduate course since 1958 and a doctor's degree course since 1994. It has a license to train post-graduates in 25 majors. At present there are about 200 post-graduates at the University.

The University comprises two institutes:

– Institute of Perspective Transport Technologies and Professional Development

– Institute of Complex Research of Transport Systems (part of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences)

STU has branches in Tomsk, Belovo, Novoaltaisk and Novosibirsk.

STU has following facilities needed for training skilled staff: Scientific Technical library was founded in 1932 and supporting educational, scientific and cultural work if students and employees of Siberian Transport University. The total book fund is over 1,045,000 items , including scientific literatureand educational literature-338,000 items.

The library funds are universal. The library stores more than 4,000 rare and valuable copies, unique sets of magazines dating back to the 18th-19th centuries.

University Facilities

Academic Blocks consist of main academic block, laboratory block, training workshops and Institute of Prospective Transport Technologies and Staff Retraining

Training Grounds comprise a railway training ground equipped with a locomotive, carriages, VPRS-02 track machine; a unique stand for crash testing of the rolling stock is

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being created in order to test its durability and proneness to damage; a geodesic training ground

Student Campus includes seven dormitories (gyms, study rooms, furnished lounges with computers and home appliances) accommodate 2,000 students, health care facilities

Sport Facilities: skiing centers, a modern swimming pool, a gym, a stadium, a minifootball field, tracks and playgrounds, an open-air tennis court with two playgrounds, a complex football/volleyball/basketball playground, gyms in dormitories and academic blocks

Facts and Figures about Sheffield University

The University grew out of the Sheffield Medical School (founded in 1828), Firth College (1879) and the Sheffield Technical School (1884). These three institutions came together in 1897 to form the University College of Sheffield, which in turn became the University of Sheffield in 1905.

70 Academic Departments and Sections are grouped in the 7 Faculties (Architectural Studies, Arts, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Pure Science, Social Sciences).

54 Research Units are conducting interdisciplinary research across a broad range of subject areas.

10 specialist advisory services for industry and commerce operate within the University.

The University's income for the financial year ending 31 July 2003 was £261 million.

19,587 full-time students were registered for degree, diploma and certificate courses in the session 2003-04. Of these, 16,070 were undergraduates and 3,517 were postgraduates.

4,087 part-time students were registered for degree, diploma and certificate courses in the session 2003-04. Of these, 2,067 were undergraduates and 2,020 were postgraduates.

5,569 people were employed at the University on 31 July 2003. Of these, 1,228 were fulltime academic staff.

4,371 First degrees, 1,591 Masters degrees, 469 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and 34 other Doctors degrees were awarded by the University in the session 2002-03.

3,820 international students from 116 countries were registered in the session 2003-04. The largest national groups were from China (721); Malaysia (538); Greece (189); Germany (149); and India (143).

32,977 applications were received through UCAS for undergraduate entry in September 2003.

The ratio of male to female undergraduate students is 47%:53%.

The average A level entry score for September 2003 was 25.3

4,878 student places are available in University halls of residence (2,863) and flats (2,015) in 2003/04.

Over 1.4 million books, periodicals and other items are held in the University.

More than 70 concerts and plays are organized each year by University students and staff.

Exercise 12. Before you listen to the student speaking about student’s life use the words and phrases in the table to complete the sentences below. Translate these sentences into Russian.

1.If you ________ something or someone, you discover it/them unexpectedly

2. _______ are useful pieces of information

3.The________is the amount of money someone needs to live on

4. If you can ________ something you have enough money to pay for it

5.If something is more than you can usually afford we say this is

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6. The ____ is a place on campus that hosts student services such as a canteen, health facilities etc.

7.If you don't have much available income to spend we say that you are _______

8._______ means fashionable or up with the latest ideas.

shop.

Exercise 13. Put the experiences and tips about student money in the order you hear them.

1.Even though you go out a lot, you can save money by not buying alcohol or tobacco.

2.If you study away from home, you have to pay for accommodation, study materials and entertainment.

3.It is possible to spend most of your money getting to and from university.

4.London is great because of the diversity of people you can meet.

5.Try not to buy things suddenly without thinking.

6.You can earn extra money by giving lessons.

7.You can save money by buying clothes from your home country.

8.You can watch films at home instead of going to the cinema.

Exercise 14. Decide if these sentences are true or false.

1.You just haven’t to watch anything you buy, just impulse buy things.

2.If you rent a house, with your friends then it will be more expensive.

3.I teach a lot, I teach piano and the violin, so that covers a little bit of what I want to spend on clothes and stuff and extras yeah.

4.I bought DVD player can watch all the movies at home! So I can’t entertain myself at home.

5.Don’t drink too much.

Exercise 15. Discuss the following questions in small groups and give the opinion of your group to other students:

What could you say about student life in our country?

Are problem listed above different for our students?

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PART III. SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

Unit 1. ABSTRACTS FOR COMMUNICATION

When you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy you write.

Exercise 3. Give appropriate translation to the proverbs and sayings. Remember three of them:

1.A cat in gloves catches no mice.

2.All things are difficult before they are easy.

3.Learning is like a boundless sea, only diligence can reach the shore.

4.When the pupil is ready to learn, the teacher will appear.

5.Ignorance killed the cat. Curiosity was framed.

Exercise 4.* Make up a small proverbs-based dialogue.

Exersice 5. Choose the best way to say these numbers and dates (sometimes more than one way is possible). Then listen and check.

23.56a Twenty-three comma fifty-six b Twenty-three point fifty-six

c Twenty-three point five two d Two three point five six

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Exercise 6. Listen to the interviews. Write down the telephone numbers you hear.

Lead-in

Exercise 7. What do you think an abstract for project / conference communication is?

Exercise 8. Discuss the questions about a conference presentation. Then read the passage below to check your answers:

1.Why do you need to write an abstract for communication before speaking at a conference?

2.How will you interest the audience in hearing your ideas?

3.What is the most effective way to organise your abstract?

Abstracts for communication submitted for a conference paper should do two things – tell the audience what you are going to say, and interest people in coming to hear you say it.

To tell the audience what you are going to say means that you:

1.Identify the topic of your paper (that is the problem it raises).

2.Emphasise your position – your central idea regarding the problem.

3.Sketch your two or three points of argument.

To interest the audience in hearing you say means that you:

1.Devise a title that is descriptive and inviting.

2.Find words that are accessible to both specialists and non-specialists, especially as this is a cross-disciplinary conference.

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3.Are concise – your abstract should be no more than 1 page or 250 words. This is two (maybe three) paragraphs that are unified (i.e., one topic) and coherent (i.e., ideas flow continuously).

4.Plan your abstract according to its basic outline:

a)Introduction and thesis statement (Say what you want to do). Before writing you must have a thesis statement. This is one sentence announcing the central idea of the paper. It must be specific.

b)The body of the paper (Do it). It is not enough to simply state ideas, you must support them. By giving evidence, you convince readers of the truth and accuracy of your ideas. If you successfully prove your statements, the reader should agree with your conclusion. As a writer, you must structure the sequence of ideas carefully and logically. Transitions between paragraphs link them together logically.

c)Conclusion (Say what you have done). Restate the thesis statement and main points supporting it. In the conclusion, the writer should give some new ideas or information to challenge the reader to think further.

5. Edit your abstract carefully for grammar, punctuation, typos, etc.

6. Ensure the abstract conforms to the “house style” of the conference.

Exercise 9. Compare the English and Russian texts of the abstract for communication. How many parts can you find in each passage? What clichés are used: a) to introduce the problem, b) to show links between the logical parts, c) to come to the conclusion?

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