Добавил:
ivanov666
Опубликованный материал нарушает ваши авторские права? Сообщите нам.
Вуз:
Предмет:
Файл:Практикум устной речи (английский язык). Учебное пособие
.pdf
I plan to _________ a difficult exam for my students, but I don't
Idiom /
Saying
Explanation
Example
a bookworm
Someone who reads a lot.
He's always reading. He's a
real bookworm
a copycat
Someone who does or says
exactly the same as someone else.
She always copies my work,
she's such a copycat
To learn the
hard way
To have a bad experience.
I told her not to marry him. But
she had to learn the hard way
To learn the
ropes.
To learn how to do a job.
She's new here and is still
learning the ropes
To learn your
lesson
To suffer a bad experience
and know not to do it again
I got very drunk once and was
really sick. I won't do it again,
I learnt my lesson
To live and
learn
Said when you hear or discover something which is
surprising:
I never knew that she was married. Oh well, you live and
learn
The school of
hard knocks
Often said about people who
haven't had an easy life.
He learnt the hard way at the
school of hard knocks
a swot
A student who is ridiculed
for studying excessively.
They called her a swot because
she was always reading books
have it ready
yet.
4. Come on! All the freshers are waited for in the lecture hall!
Come on! All the ________ are waited for in the lecture hall!
5. English public schools are called ________ in the USA.
6. My younger brother is a secondary school student.
My younger brother is a _________ school student.
7. Tomorrow we have a very difficult seminar with our tutor.
Tomorrow we have a very difficult seminar with our _________.
8. Oh, I failed my exam! The invigilator caught me cheating!
Oh, I failed my exam! The __________ caught me cheating!
9. Well, I must go. I have to revise for my coming exam.
Well, I must go. I have to ________ for my coming exam.
10. A state school is a government-owened institution (Br)
A ________ school is a government-owened institution. (Am)
b) Now, make up a short story about your university life in British
English and give it to your partner to translate into American English.
6. Study some idioms relating to education:
101
To teach an
old dog new
tricks
The older you are the more
set in your ways you become.
He could never learn how to
use the Internet. Just shows
you can't teach an old dog new
tricks
To be teacher's pet
To be the favourite pupil of
the teacher.
She always has the right answer. She's a real teacher's pet
To teach
someone a
lesson
To do something to someone, usually to punish them.
I hit him hard on the nose. That
taught him a lesson
To teach your
grandmother
to suck eggs
To give advice to someone
about a subject that they
already know more about
than you
He tried to tell me how to drive
and I told him not to try and
teach his grandmother to
suck eggs. I've been driving
for years
The three Rs.
Used to refer to the basic
areas of education: reading,
writing and arithmetic.
Some children are leaving
school without even the basic
three Rs
The University of Life
People who never went on
to higher education often
say this.
I studied at the University of
Life
With flying
colours
If you do something such as
pass an exam with flying
colours, you do it very successfully.
She got into the university of
her choice, because she passed
all her exams with flying colours
cut class and
cut school
to skip a school class or a
day of school without an
excuse
As a joke, one day all the students cut their math class and
went to lunch.
from the old
school and of
the old school
holding attitudes or ideas
that were popular and important in the past, but
which are no longer considered relevant or in line with
modern trends
Aunt Jane is from the old
school. She never goes out
without wearing a hat and
gloves.
Never tell
tales out of
school.
Do not tell secrets; do not
gossip.
– I just learned something really scandalous about the president of our company.
– Well, I don't want to hear it.
You shouldn't tell tales out of
school.
102
the old
school tie
the way in which men who
have been to the same expensive private school help
each other to find good jobs
The old school tie still has
enormous power in many City
companies.
A for effort
the recognition that someone has tried hard to do
something even though he
or she may not be successful
The students received an A for
effort for their work on the
class project.
as easy as
ABC
very easy
Learning how to use a computer is as easy as ABC for the
children.
call the roll
to call the names of students
on a roll and expect them to
answer if they are there
Every morning when the class
starts the teacher calls the roll.
cap and
gown
the special cap called a mortarboard and the robe that is
worn during academic ceremonies such as graduation
All of the students wore a cap
and gown to the graduation
ceremony.
catch up to
(someone or
something)
to move fast or work hard to
reach someone or something
that is ahead of you
After my illness, I had to study
very hard to catch up to the rest
of the class.
cover a lot
of ground
to complete a lot of material
in a class or course
We covered a lot of ground
during the first month of the
science class.
cow college
a school where farming or
agriculture is studied
My cousin will go to a cow
college when he finishes high
school.
crack a
book
to open a book to study
(usually used in the negative)
I did very well in the course
even though I did not crack a
book until the last week of
classes.
eager beaver
someone who works very
hard and is very enthusiastic
The young girl is an eager beaver and always comes to class
before the other students.
get credit
for (a
course)
to receive official recognition and credits after passing
a course
I was able to get credit for the
course which I took in the
summer.
know one's
ABCs
to know the alphabet or the
most basic things about
something
The students worked hard and
everyone knew their ABCs
very well.
old boy
network
the situation where people
(usually men) who went to
It was necessary to be part of
an old boy network to get a job
103
the same school help each
other get good jobs
at the law firm.
play hooky
not go to school when you
should
The boys played hooky and
went to the video game center
for the afternoon.
publish or
perish
university professors often
have to publish books or
articles in journals or they
will not be successful in
their jobs at the university
The university professor wrote
many scientific papers. He was
forced to publish or perish.
read
through
something
to read all of something
I read through the test briefly
before I started to answer the
questions.
show-andtell
in the lower grades of elementary school children
bring something interesting
to show to the rest of the
class
The little girl brought in a turtle shell to show-and-tell at
school.
town-andgown
the relations (often bad)
between a town and the university and university students who are located in that
town
There were some town-andgown conflicts when the graduation parties began in the
small town.
work one's
way hrough
college
to work at a job to help pay
for your college or university expenses
My brother worked his way
through college at the local
supermarket.
1) Choose the correct answer. If any combination seems un-
known, find the meaning yourself:
1. My sister was a (person who loved books) during her childhood.
a. school of thought b. bookworm c. teacher's pet d. copycat
2. The government is spending much money on (university and
college education).
a. the three R's b. show-and-tell c. the old boy network d. higher
education
3. The young man decided to go to (a farming college) after he
graduated.
(a) a cow college (b) an Ivy League college (c) a town-and-gown
college (d) an honor roll
104
4. The final exam was (very easy) and everybody passed easily.
(a) off campus (b) as easy as ABC (c) back to basics (d)from the
old school
5. I decided to (study hard) for the final exam.
(a) make the grade (b) call the roll (c) hit the books (d) know my
ABCs
6. I was supposed to go to school but I decided (not to go).
(a) to learn by rote (b) to live in an ivory tower (c) to have my nose
in a book (d) to play hooky
7. I received (recognition for my effort) in my attempt to write a
short story.
(a) an A for effort (b) a show of hands (c) a cap and gown (d) an
eager beaver
8. I was able to (receive official recognition for) the math course
that I took last summer.
(a) cover a lot of ground for (b)get credit for (c) take the roll for
(d) get through
9. I was asked to (read all of the book) before the next class.
(a) learn the book by heart (b) publish or perish (c) read through
the book (d) read the book out loud
10. I spent most of the morning (reading a book).
(a) on campus (b) goofing off (c) counting noses (d) with my nose
in a book
11. I can recite this poem without looking at it. I know it by
__________ .
(a) hand (b) mouth (c) heart (d) head
12. He's lived in this city all his life. He knows it like the back of
his ______ .
(a) hand (b) eyes (c) arm (d) head
13. She spent twenty years studying the history of London. She
knows it __________ out.
(a) through (b) inside (c) all (d) over
14. I'm really not interested in politics. I know _________ to noth-
ing about it.
(a) close (b) near (c) nearly (d) next
15. 'Which is the longest river in the world?' 'I haven't the
__________ idea.'
(a) slight (b) any (c) no (d) faintest
105
16. 'Can you tell me where Portsmouth Road is?' 'Sorry, I haven't
1
research
A
how much a country's output is worth in a year, in
monetary terms
2
income
B
something you buy or spend money on, usually hoping
to make profit from it in the future
3
ranking
C
important and well-respected organisation
4
fuding
D
English speaking
5
gross
domestic
product
E
how a person, organisation or country is viewed by
other people, based on past performance
6
investment
F
investigation of a subject
7
institution
J
money earned
8
Anglophone
H
money available
9
reputation
I
position something has on a list; how high or low it is
placed
got _____ .'
(a) clue (b) faintest (c) idea (d) knowledge
2) Make up your own story using as many idioms relating to
education as possible.
7. Listening. Listen to the conversation at www.bbc.co.uk and
make a script of Rob’s part. Before listening, match the words and
phrases used in the conversation with their definition:
Top international universities
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: Hi Rob.
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: There are so many famous universities around the World –
let me guess – is it Cambridge?
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: OK.
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: So, if these factors are higher, the university gets a higher
ranking.
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: Funding…that’s money in other words. Is a university more
successful if it gets more funding?
Rob: ____________________________________
Extract 1: ________________________________
106
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Rob: ________________________________
Alice: OK. So he says the US invests more money in universities
than the UK so they have more of them on this list. Can I change my
answer now?!
Rob: _________________________________
Extract 2:_____________________________
_____________________________________
Alice: Ah, so American universities dominate the top of the list,
but what does he mean about the first non-Anglophone establishment
being at number fifteen?
Rob: __________________________________
Alice: The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. But come on
Rob, who was number one?
Rob: __________________________________
Extract 3: __________________________________
__________________________________________
Rob: ______________________________________
Alice: Yes, mainland China has six universities on the list and
there are two in Africa.
Rob: _____________________________________
Alice: Hmmm, the reasons for choosing a university? I suppose its
reputation is important.
Rob: ____________________________________
Alice: Really? I chose mine because it was close to home and it
had a lively social scene.
Rob: __________________________________
Extract 4: __________________________________
__________________________________________
Alice: So Kate is like me. She chose somewhere that was not too
far from home. She could go home at weekends.
Rob: _____________________________________
Alice: For him, it had an excellent reputation for teaching biology.
So it seems reputation does actually count.
Rob: _____________________________
Alice: Cambridge? Am I right?
Rob: _____________________________
Alice: Of course! Harvard was going to be my second choice.
107
Rob: _____________________________
Alice: Research, Income, Funding, Gross domestic product, In-
vestment, Institutions, Anglophone, Ranking, Reputation
Rob: _____________________________
Rob/Alice: Bye.
Section three. Consolidation and creative work
8. Work in groups. You work at the university and the aim of
your project is to attract as many applicants as possible. Make a presentation of your uni taking into consideration the following:
1. Location of the uni.
2. How to get into – entrance exams, documents to submit, etc.
3. Accommodation of students.
4. Cost of studies.
5. Extra-curricular activities.
6. Additional info.
9. Speaking. Let's Talk About... Education in Britain
In 2006 The British Council ran a competition for secondary
school students, asking them to put into words and images their views
of Britain. Here are some extracts from a selection of the entries on the
theme of 'Education'. Read them with your teacher, using the discussion
questions to guide you.
Agnieszka Klausa from Wrocław writes: '. . . of course, every Englishman has completed a thorough education, either at Oxford or at
Cambridge. Although higher studies in Britain have to be paid for,
a large percentage of society are graduates from various universities,
which is a sign of common prosperity. Some people seem even more
than just well-off if they can afford to send their children to such snobbish schools as Eton, for example. But, let us be tactful and not speak
about money. Instead, I must write that the British are also said to love
any kind of uniforms, which are obligatory for adults at work as well as
for students at school.'
Let's talk... What do you know about higher education in Britain?
What's special about Oxford and Cambridge? Is it true that everyone
goes to Oxford or Cambridge? Do you know the names of any other
British universities? Is it true, do you think, that you have to be rich to
go to university in Britain? In other words, is a university education an
indication of how wealthy you are?
108
– Talk to your friends and family. Do they know anyone from
Britain? Did that person study at a university?
– Find someone British if you can. Ask them, 'Is it essential in
Britain today to have a university education? What are the benefits?
What are the disadvantages?'
– In which areas of work do British adults wear uniforms? Do
people in the same jobs in Poland also wear uniforms? In your opinion,
who likes uniforms best – British people or Polish people?
Monica Spławska from Wrocław writes: 'I think that England is a
country of knowledge. The Americans use the phrase 'brain drain' for a
country that attracts students from all over the world and it really suits
Great Britain. Yet, everybody in Poland has heard, for example, about
Oxford University or Cambridge University, and everybody is conscious of their high level of education. And, when you ask a Pole about
the best playwright in the world, he will always say Shakespeare – and
it will be true. '
Let's talk. . . 'Brain drain' is the expression we often use to de-
scribe the loss of highly-qualified people from one country to another –
when, for example, young people are educated or trained in one country, but they move to another country where pay and opportunities are
better. Many British 'brains' went to the USA in the 70s and 80s, and
Britain lost a great deal of expertise as a result. Has anything similar
happened in Poland? Discuss with your teacher whether or not Poland
has ever experienced a 'brain drain'. Who left Poland for better opportunities elsewhere? What was their area of skill or expertise? What
skills are most needed in Poland today? As far as you know from
watching TV and reading the newspapers, which skills are most needed
in Britain today? You will have heard of Shakespeare, but can you think
of the names of any other great British playwrights and their work?
How would you explain to a British person who the most famous Polish
playwrights are?
Maria Buczkowska from Szczecin writes: . . What about other are-
as of British Society? Children and teenagers, for instance, always wear
uniforms at school. Each school has its own uniform, therefore, if it is
necessary, you will be able to recognize a pupil's school easily.'
Let's talk. . . Not all schools have a school uniform. Some schools
do; some schools don't. If you had a choice, would you like to wear a
school uniform? What would be the advantage, if any? If you know any
109
British people, or people from your town who were educated in Britain,
ask them if they had a school uniform and if they can describe it.
Bartłomiej Listwan from Koszalin writes: 'I admire the British
sense of seeing the importance of every detail. It has resulted in many
interesting and effective solutions, for example in the educational system. The British way of dealing with many problems also amazes me.
For example, a situation when a school is closed because of only one
pupil, who was accused of 'behaving in a threatening manner', or when
a school hires a 'tutor to give individual, separate instruction to a pupil',
cannot happen in Poland. I think that British people have a special kind
of awareness of what is going on in society and, because of this, they
treat every aspect of their problems very seriously without neglecting
any details.'
Let's talk... Do you agree that the situations Bartłomiej describes
could not happen in Poland? How do Polish teachers keep discipline in
their classrooms? Are they good at keeping their pupils in order?
Which country, in your experience, has the worst or the best reputation
for discipline at school? What advice would you give to a new teacher
who wanted to keep order in his or her classroom? Can you write them
a list of Do's and Don't's?
Małgorzata Bernas from Gliwice writes: 'Education? Well, better
than in Poland, of course. British teenagers simply like school. It is
wonderful ! All because of interesting lessons and kind teachers. The
teachers use their imagination. . . Every secondary school has got about
30 computers. Everyone who is 16 years old should know how to use a
computer. The computers have been used there since about 1970.'
Let's talk. . . Well, remember that the 'grass is always greener on
the other side'. Which of your lessons are interesting and which of your
teachers are kind? What makes a lesson interesting and what does
Małgorzata mean by a 'kind' teacher? What about equipment? What
equipment does your school have? What equipment would you like it to
have? What can you do to help improve the standards in your school?
Or perhaps you think it is the responsibility of your headmaster or
headmistress? What makes the education in one country better than the
education in another country? Does it depend on the system of education, on the teachers, or perhaps on the students and their parents?
Finally another point of view. Winnie from England writes about
her experience of going to primary school in Poland after attending
primary school in the Czech Republic.
110
Соседние файлы в предмете [НЕСОРТИРОВАННОЕ]