3.2.1. Key Vocabulary

ENTRY	TRANSLATION	EXAMPLES AND NOTES
elementary school AmE	начальная школа (в США)	Her son goes to a small elementary school. Syn. primary school BrE
middle school	школа для детей от 8 до 12 лет (в Великобритании); школа для детей с 11 до 14 лет (в США и Шотландии)	Dawa Dolma is a 23 year-old teacher at a middle school in Lhasa
public school	государственная школа (в США); престижный и наиболее дорогой тип частной школы в Великобритании	I’m in the Sixth Form at a minor public school, whose name doesn’t matter as a public school boy, he should know better
grade n AmE	класс (в школе); отметка, оценка	My brother is in sixth grade. grade school AmE – начальная школа pass (passing) grade – проходной балл (оценка) to give sb the highest grade – дать кому-либо высшую оценку top grade – высший балл (оценка) He got a grade A in maths
derive smth from smth	извлекать, получать что-либо из/от чего либо	to derive pleasure, enjoyment, etc. from sth – получать удовольствие, наслаждение и т.д. от чего-либо Many students derived enormous satisfaction from the course
instill(l) (into, in smb) v AmE	внушать, вселять (постепенно) что-то в кого-то	to instill(l) hope, confidence, fear, discipline, etc. into sb. – вселять надежду, уверенность, страх, дисциплину и т.д. в кого-либо A manager’s job is to instill determination into his players
improve student performance	улучшить успеваемость	Sean’s performance at school has greatly improved
superintendent n	управляющий, директор школы, округа в США; директор Воскресной школы	The Superintendent was delighted and said their programme had been the best so far

3.2.2. Comprehension Questions

1. Why can Gal Watson be called a self-contained school reform movement?

2. What schools do her children attend?

3. Why has the concept of “school choice” become one of the leading education issues in the United States today?

4. What benefits does the strategy of “school choice” give parents?

5. What are most essential arguments for “school choice”?

6. Is the problem of “school choice” as important for parents in Russia as it is in the United States? Why?

FOCUS 4

4.1. Read the article. A Freshman at Brown University

Finally, I’m at the Ivy League university everyone dreams of but I see no ivy. The darkness must have consumed it, but surely it will appear tomorrow with the first bell. I do hear happy shouts of the newly arrived freshmen going up an down the halls of the dorms looking for friends for the next four years, or even for the rest of their lives. Lying in bed I sense the presence of my roommate just little farther than an arm’s reach away, trying as hard as I am to pretend to sleep. Holding our breaths, we try to avoid the awkwardness of two strangers from opposite ends of the world in a dark room. Suddenly, first I and then she lets a giggle escape, and finally we burst out laughing.

College in America, the social and intellectual center of every American’s life, has begun for me. My half-Chinese-half-Jewish roommate from Texas and I stay up all night hanging out of our window, and ignoring accents to hear each other’s stories.

I am sitting in a humongous gym next to people whose names I’ll never remember. We’re listening to the President of Brown University; she’s telling me that I am one of the best and the brightest “young things” in America and the world, for that matter. “What do they tell them at Harvard then?”, I wonder “that they are the best in the universe?” We eventually emerge from the gym, overwhelmed, into a beautiful courtyard full of green grass, excited young people, and surrounded by old brick buildings. I am now a true Brunonian.

Orientation, a three day period of getting to know the university, begins with various activities and endless speeches about safety and academic integrity.

I skip a lecture on school rules and have coffee with three of my neighbors. Kim, a high school valedictorian loves coffee, rides horses and dresses in an exotic bohemian fashion. Jess is my roommate – we’re already comfortable enough to make fun of each other. She’s a passionate journalist, varsity swimmer and an amazing observer of human psychology. Rachel, who has written a 400 page novel, is mostly quiet but willing to help me with anything from how to order coffee in Starbucks to figuring out how I can plug in my European electric appliances.

Classes. A day full of classes. The way it works here is that every student chooses his or her own classes. In order to see whether you like a class, during the first week you can go to as many as you want, and then keep the four or five that you like. I go to “Beautiful Theories of Physics,” “Conflict and Cooperation in International Politics,” “The Brothers Karamazov and the Art of the Novel,” “Introduction to Economics,” and “Acting I.” They are all great and this is just the first day. Economics is a huge lecture class of about 200 people and the professor is blind. He is an amazing speaker, however and a celebrity among the professors. The physics class is a small class of only boys. The politics class is also a big lecture taught by a very frail, dark, eloquent man of about 27, who promises that by the end of the semester we will be able to competently govern a small country. The literature class is taught by a beautiful Russian professor from St. Petersburg who has lived in the USA for 15 years. We will read The Brothers Karamazov at least five times this semester, she tells us. The acting class is inspiring, but very, very hard if you are not a born actor. I think watching plays will suffice for now.

I am lying on the grass between classes basking in the sun. A group of upper-classmen are playing Frisbee close-by; further down on the main green the karate team are practicing their fighting moves, all dressed in white standing in a circle. I recognize a few faces who smile and say “Hi.” I try to imagine the grass and the brick buildings covered by snow in the winter. An image from the guidebook of students playing in the snow next to the statue of the Brown Bear comes to mind.

It’s going to be a good year.

Source: www.coolenglish.co.uk

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