USA Education Reader. High School and college culture. Книга для чтения

PIANO MUSIC

There are advantages and disadvantages to coming from a large family. Make that a large family with a single parent, and they double. The disadvantages are never so apparent as when someone wants to go off to college. Parents have cashed in life insurance policies to cover the cost of one year.

My mother knew that she could not send me to school and pay for it. She worked in a retail store and made just enough to pay the bills and take care of the other children at home. If I wanted to go to college, it was up to me to find out how to get there.

I found that I qualified for some grants because of the size of our family, my mom’s income and my SAT scores. There was enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and board. I accepted a job as part of a work-study program. While not glamorous, it was one I could do. I washed dishes in the school cafeteria.

To help myself study, I made flash cards that fit perfectly on the large metal dishwasher. After I loaded the racks, I stood there and flipped cards, learning the makeup of atoms while water and steam broke them down all around me. I learned how to make у equal to z while placing dishes in stacks. My wrinkled fingers flipped many a card, and many times my tired brain drifted off, and a glass would crash to the floor. My grades went up and down. It was the hardest work I had ever done.

Just when I thought the bottom was going to drop out of my college career, an angel appeared. Well, one of those that are on earth, without wings. “I heard that you need some help,” he said.

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to figure out which area of my life he meant.

“Financially, to stay in school.”

“Well, I make it okay. I just have trouble working all these hours and finding time to study.”

“Well, I think I have a way to help you.” He went on to explain that his grandparents needed help on the weekends. All that was required of me was cooking meals and helping them get in and out of bed in the

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morning and evening. The job paid four hundred dollars­ a month, twice the money I was making washing dishes. Now I would have time to study. I went to meet his grandparents and accepted the job.

My first discovery was his grandmother’s great love of music. She spent hours playing her old, off-key piano. One day, she told me I didn’t have enough fun in my life and took it upon herself to teach me the art. My campus had several practice rooms with pianos where music majors could practice. I found myself going into those rooms more and more often.

Grandma was impressed with my ability and encouraged­ me to continue. Weekends in their house became more than just books and cooking; they were filled with the wonderful sounds of the out-of-tune piano and two very out-of-tune singers.

When Christmas break came, Grandma got a chest cold, and I was afraid to leave her. I hadn’t been home since Labor Day, and my family was anxious to see me. I agreed to come home, but for two weeks instead of four, so I could return to Grandma and Grandpa. I said my good-byes, arranged for their temporary care and returned home.

As I was loading my car to go back to school, the phone rang. “Daneen, don’t rush back,” he said.

“Why? What’s wrong?” I asked, panic rising.

“Grandma died last night, and we have decided to put Grandpa in a retirement home. I’m sorry.”

I hung up the phone feeling like my world had ended. I had lost my friend, and that was far worse than knowing I would have to return to dishwashing.

I went back at the end of four weeks, asking to begin the workstudy program again.The financial aid advisor looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I explained my position,­ then he smiled and slid me an envelope. “This is for you,” he said.

It was from Grandma. She had known how sick she was. In the envelope was enough money to pay for the rest of my school year and a request that I take piano lessons in her memory.

I don’t think “The Old Grey Mare” was ever played with more feeling than it was my second year in college. Now, years later, when

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I walk by a piano, I smile and think of Grandma. She is tearing up the ivories in heaven, I am sure.

Daneen Kaufman Wedekind

Huge Gallagher

[From Chicken soup for the college soul: inspiring and humorous stories about college [compiled by] Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger, Dan Clark. Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, Florida (1999). – p. 184–186].

WHILE-READINGACTIVITIES

Decide whether the statement is true (T) or false (F).

1.Daneen had to work to pay her tuition. _________

2.Daneen’s first job was not very difficult, but very tiring.

_______

3.Daneen had to leave her second job, because the family decided to give up her service and put the old couple into a retirement home. _______

4.Daneen was upset, because she was losing a lot financially.

_________

5.Grandma paid the tuition for all the remaining university years. _________

Choose the correct variant.

1.Daneen’s family …

a.cashed in the life insurance policies to cover the cost of one

year.

b.were not able to support her.

c.found her a job to enable her to pay for room and board.

d.made just enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and board.

2.The problem with the girl’s first job was that …

a.it didn’t pay enough money to cover the expenses.

b.it was very hard to do.

c.it was not glamorous.

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d.it required a lot of time and was difficult to combine with

studies.

3.Daneen’s second job was offered by …

a.an angel.

b.the family.

c.the financial aid advisor.

d.an acquaintance of hers, maybe, a group-mate.

4.The second job enabled the girl to…

a.make more money.

b.have more time to study.

c.have more fun in life.

d.all of the above

5.Grandma died because …

a.Daneen had left for holidays and the old lady was not taken proper care of.

b.she missed Daneen.

c.she was too old.

d.because of a chest cold.

6.The financial advisor looked at Daneen as if she had lost her mind, because..

a.he thought she was mad.

b.he was very surprised.

c.he knew that Grandma had left the girl some money, so she didn’t have to work.

d.none of the above

Look through the story and find English equivalents for the following key words you will need to discuss Daneen’s story:

Покрывать расходы, доход, жилье и питание,

перелистывать, перебирать (о картах, карточках) подбадривать, расстроенный (о музыкальном инструменте).

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Paraphrase the underlined phrases in the following sentences from the story:

1. .. My wrinkled fingers flipped many a card, and many times my tired brain drifted off ...

2.Just when I thought the bottom was going to drop out of my college career …

3.…my family was anxious to see me…

4.I hung up the phone feeling like my world had ended…

5.The financial aid advisor looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

6.She is tearing up the ivories in heaven, I am sure.

Match the columns to define the cultural lacunas on the left after you have done some search in the Internet and in the Glossary.

ENHANCING COMPREHENSION

Look through the text and find the information to explain the following facts in the story.

1.Daneen’s family was unable to send her to college and pay

for her.

2.Dishwashing in the school cafeteria turned out to be the hardest job Daneen had ever done.

3.Daneen rather enjoyed her second job.

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4.Daneen was extremely upset when Grandma died.

5.Daneen could afford to stay away from work till the end of her second year at college.

Answer the following questions:

Why do you think Daneen’s grades went up and down?

Why did the girl like her new job better? Is it only because it paid twice as much money as the previous job?

Why did Grandma encourage Daneen to continue her piano classes? Was the girl worried about Grandma’s health? Why?

Do you think she was very sorry and upset to learn that Grandma had passed away?

Do you think Grandma and her piano music made a great impact on Daneen’s life? Give reasons.

CULTURE PERSPECTIVE

1.As USA higher education is not free, a student has to pay for tuition and books, room and board and fees. Of course he/she can get financial aid both from the state and federal governments, different funds, public organizations, businesses. Consult the Glossary about different forms of financial aid in US colleges and universities. Which of them are merit-based and need-based?

2.What financial aid can a student get if he/she comes from a low-income family?

3.Comment on the work-study program. What kind of jobs can be offered as part of the work-study program? Can you get cash for the work you do?

4.Comment on the culturally marked word major. What can you major in if you are an undergraduate in Liberal Arts College? What is a minor? How can you interpret the two words in Russian?

5.Paraphrase the sentences containing culturally marked words from the story:

a)I found that I qualified for some grants because of the size of our family, my mom’s income and my SAT scores.

b)I washed dishes in the school cafeteria.

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c)I went back at the end of four weeks, asking to begin the workstudy program again.

d)My campus had several practice rooms with pianos where music majors could practice.

6.Senior citizens in the USA can choose a number of residential facilities if they can’t manage on their own due to poor health or disease. There are some options: a nursing home, assisted living or home health care. What do these options provide?

How can you interpret these culturally marked words into Russian? Are there similar institutions for elderly sick people in Russia? Look for the information in the Internet to be able to discuss the problem in class.

Share the information you have found about the italicized culturally marked words with your group mates:

Christmas break, Labor Day, financial aid advisor, ‘The Old Grey Mare’

SUMMARIZING

A.Sum up the story as if you were Daneen explaining to her mother why she does not have to begin work-study program again till the end of the second year.

B.Sum up the story as if you were Daneen’s friend who offered her the second job.

LEADS TO DISCUSSION

1.How would you describe Daneen’s character? What do you think helped her cope with all the problems?

2.DoyourememberhowDaneenhelpedherselfstudyusingflash cards? Do you have any experience when you had to multitask, that is, do several things at the same time? How did you cope? What did you do to help yourself study?

3.What do you think of Grandma? Why do you think she paid Daneen’s tuition?

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4.In Daneen’s story help came from a very unexpected source? Do you think it was by chance? Does it often happen like this in life?

5.Summarize all possible forms of financial aid a USA student can get, both merit-based and need-based.

6.What kind of job can you find in Russia if you are a student? Are there any work-study programs here like the one Daneen joined?

7.What kind of job would you prefer: to take care of elderly people or wash dishes? Why?

8.Comment on financial aid options a student in Russia can get to pay for tuition.

CULTURAL WEB

Having read and discussed the story, you can add some new culturally marked words to the Web describing college organization and management, learning or social activities.

PROJECT WORK

1.Google the official site of the SAT exam and make a presentation on how it is processed: when it can be taken, where, who assesses it, how many colleges or universities a high school leaver can send his admissions paperwork to. Study a sample SAT exam and comment on the tasks.

2.Google the USAFederal Department of Education official site and get information about tuition costs at a private university/college, state university, a four year college and a community two year college. How is it comparable with tuition fees in Russian private universities?

3.Go to the homepage of a USA university of your choice and comment on the total cost of one school year including tuition, room and board, books, and student fees.

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STORY 11.

IFTHE DREAM IS BIG ENOUGH,

THE FACTS DON’T COUNT

PRE-READING TALK

What is necessary to enter college? You will surely recall such things as high grades, social activities and academic achievement. But what else, apart from academic achievement, counts when you apply to university? To answer this question read the next story “If the Dream is Big Enough, the Facts Don’t Count”.

INTERACTIVE READING

Read the story and say why do you think Rachel achieved her objective, though she had severe learning disabilities? After reading the story, do a test and some other exercises to enhance your comprehension and build your vocabulary.

While reading, you will come across a number of culturally marked words. Most of them can be found in the Glossary at the end of the book.As for the culturally marked words in italics, they are not included into the Glossary, so be sure to consult Internet resources, dictionaries or encyclopedias to find out what they mean.

IF THE DREAM IS BIG ENOUGH,

THE FACTS DON’T COUNT

I used to watch her from my kitchen window and laugh. She seemed so small as she muscled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. The school was across the street from our home, and I often stood at my window, hands buried in dishwater or cookie dough, watching the kids as they played during recess. A sea of children, and yet to me, she stood out from them all.

I remember the first day I saw her playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she ran circles around the other kids. She managed to shoot jump-shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her, but no one could.

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I began to notice her at other times, on that same blacktop,­ basketball in hand, playing alone. She practiced dribbling and shooting over and over again, sometimes until dark. One day I asked her why she practiced so much. As she turned her head, her dark ponytail whipped quickly around, and she looked directly into my eyes. Without hesitating, she said, “I want to go to college. My dad wasn’t able to go to college, and he has talked to me about going for as long as I can remember. TheonlywayIcangoisifIgetascholarship.Ilikebasketball.Idecided that if I were good enough, I would get a scholarship. I am going to play college basketball. I want to be the best. My daddy told me if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.” Then she smiled and ran toward the court to recap the routine I had seen over and over again.

Well, I had to give it to her — she was determined. I watched her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her varsity team to victory­. It was always a thrill to watch her play.

One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting in the grass, head cradled in her arms. I walked across the street and sat down beside her. Quietly I asked what was wrong.

“Oh, nothing,” came a soft reply. “I am just too short.” The coach had told her that at five-feet, five-inches tall, she would probably never get to play for a top-ranked team — much less be offered a scholarship — so she should stop dreaming about college.

Shewasheartbroken,andIfeltmyownthroattightenasIsensedher disappointment. I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet.

She lifted her head from her hands and told me that her father said those coaches were wrong.They just did not understand the power of a dream. He told her that if she really wanted to play for a good college, if she truly wanted a scholarship, that nothing could stop her except one thing — her own attitude. He told her again, “If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.”

The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was seen by a college recruiter who was there to watch the opposing team. She was indeed offered a scholarship, a full ride, to an NCAA Division I women’s basketball team. She accepted. She was going to get the college education that she had

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