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As a rule, each academic year is divided into two semesters (terms). Assessment takes place at the end of each semester in the form of examinations and coursework. Traditionally, field studies have been one of the main problems of geology courses. The first-year programme provides basic geology, basic surveying, mathematics, statistics, observational and computing skills.

QUESTION: I'd like to know how the study process is organized in British universities. Thank you.

ANSWER: Well, formal teaching is by way of lectures, laboratory practicals, field excursions, personal studies. All the students have a personal tutor who advises on progress through the course, choice of modules and other matters.

QUESTION: I've heard about the modular system. Can you tell us what it is like?

ANSWER: I'll try. At British universities, students' course is designed on a modular basis. Modules are self-con- tained units of study, which are taught and assessed independently of each other. When a student passes a module, he (she) gains a credit. At the end of the term, the numbers of credits he (she) gains, determines the award you receive. Each module is continuously assessed by coursework and/or end-of- term examination.

QUESTION: I wonder if you pay much attention to computing. ANSWER: Well, British Universities have Computing Centres

which offer a service based on a number of workstations and microcomputers. Access to computers is taken for granted by today's students.

QUESTION: My question concerns the languages, I mean foreign languages. Are geology students offered courses in foreign languages?

ANSWER: They are. Geology is usually taken in combination with one of the following: Classical Studies, German, French, Latin or Russian, etc. Besides, there are special language laboratories which are available for open access use by students. All international students who wish to attain greater fluency in English are offered the courses which provide for the systematic

development of the linguistic skills of students. Television programmes, either by direct transmission or by video recorder, can be used for formal classes or for private study in French, German, Russian, Latin, English as a foreign language, Spanish, Japanese as well as other languages.

QUESTION: Can you tell us a few words about students' life at British Universities?

ANSWER: Well, you have probably heard of Students' Unions looking after students' health and welfare. The university health service provides medical care for all the members of the university. The Students' Union is fully responsible for its members' needs which are controlled and run exclusively by students. I want to tell you one thing which can interest you. If you are a home student you may be entitled to apply for a Student Loan from the Student Loan Company. The loan may be taken out annually over the period of study and you will be expected to begin repayment on completion of the course provided you have obtained employment.

QUESTION: You've mentioned employment. In what areas can the graduates find a job?

ANSWER: Mainly in areas such as exploration, oil field services, geological mapping and mining, engineering geology and geotechnical engineering, environmental geology and hydrology and others.

QUESTION: What about sports and leisure?

ANSWER: I must say that most British Universities are famous for their football teams and rugby and cricket unions. There are Water Sports Centres with international rowing and canoeing facilities. Good facilities are provided for indoor and outdoor sports (hockey, cricket, table tennis, dance, aerobics, keep-fit, volleyball, basketball, etc.).

TEACHER: Thank you so much, Professor Morton. It looks like our time is up.

PROFESSOR It was a pleasure to meet you all. I wish you success MORTON: in your study of geology.

Выразите свое мнение по поводу обсуждаемой проблемы.

В. ТекстБ. M ining Thick Seam s.

Дискуссия о проблемах горнодобывающей промышленности.

ГРАММАТИКА

Условны е предложения

Придаточные предложения условия присоединяются к главному предложению при помощи союзов: if если, provided that

при условии, что..., in case (that) в случае если, unless если не, on condition that при условии, что... и др. Придаточное предложение может предшествовать главному или следовать за ним.

Типы условных предложений

ТЕКС Т АGeneral Inform ation on Mining

As has been said, mining refers to actual ore extraction. Broadly speaking, mining is the industrial process of removing a mineral-bearing substance from the place of its natural occurrence in the Earth's crust. The term "mining" includes the recovery of oil and gas from wells; metal, non-metallic minerals, coal, peat, oil shale and other hydrocarbons from the earth. In other words, the wo± done to extract mineral, or to prepare for its extraction is called mining.

The tendency in mining has been towards the increased use of mining machinery so that modern mines are characterized by tremendous capacities. This has contributed to: 1) improving working conditions and raising labour productivity; 2) the exploitation of lower-grade metal-bearing substances and 3) the building of mines of great dimensions.

Mining can be done either as a surface operation (quarries, opencasts or open pits) or by an underground method. The mode of occurrence of the sought-for metallic substance governs to a large degree the type of mining that is practised. The problem of depth also affects the mining method. If the rock containing the metallic substance is at a shallow site and is massive, it may be economically excavated by a pit or quarry-like opening on the surface. If the metal-bearing mass is tabular, as a bed or vein, and goes to a great distance beneath the surface, then it will be worked by some method of underground mining.

Working or exploiting the deposit means the extraction of mineral. With this point in view a number of underground workings is driven in barren (waste) rock and in mineral. Mine workings vary in shape, dimensions, location and function.

Depending on their function mine workings are described as exploratory, if they are driven with a view to finding or proving mineral, and as productive if they are used for the immediate extraction of useful mineral. Productive mining can be divided into capital investment work, development work, and face or production work. Investment work aims at ensuring access to the deposit from the surface. Development work prepares for the face work, and mineral is extracted (or produced) in bulk.

The rock surfaces at the sides of workings are called the sides, or hi coal, the ribs. The surface above the workings is the roof in coal mining while in metal mining it is called the back. The surface below is called the floor.

Unit 8________________________________•

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The factors such as function, direct access to the surface, driving in mineral or in barren rock can be used for classifying mine workings:

I. Underground workings:

a) Long or deep by comparison with their cross-section may

be: 1) vertical (shaft, blind pit); 2) sloping (slopes, sloping drifts,

inclines); 3) horizontal (drifts, levels, drives, gate roads, adits,

crosscuts).

b) Large openings having cross dimensions comparable with

their length.

c) Production faces, whose dimensions depend on the thick

ness of the deposit being worked, and on the method of mining it.

II. Opencasts.

УПРАЖНЕНИЯ

8. Укажите, какие предложения соответствуют содержанию текста. Подтвердите свои ответы фактами из текста.

1.As a rule, the term "mining" includes the recovery of oil and

gas from wells as well as coal, iron ores and other useful minerals

from the earth.

2.The increased use of mining machinery has greatly contributed

to raising labour productivity and improving working conditions.

3.It is quite obvious that the problem of depth is not always

taken into consideration in choosing the mining method.

4.Productive workings are usually used for the immediate ex

traction of useful mineral.

5.Underground workings are driven in barren rock or in mineral.

6.A shaft is a vertical underground working which is long and

deep in comparison with its cross-section.

7.The surface above the mine working is usually called the floor.

8.The rock surfaces at the sides of mine workings arc called the ribs.

9.Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1.What is mining?

2.What has contributed to the better working conditions

of the miners?

3.What factors influence the choice of the mining method?

4.In what case is useful mineral worked by open pits?