5. Work in pairs. Fill in the gaps with the words taken from the text below. Speak to your friend about the duties, responsibility and distinctive characteristics of a signal commander.

Comprised of, set up, adequate operation and maintenance, respect, units, capabilities, commander, responsible, at his disposal, potential, efficiently, original thinking, careful, personnel, abilities, under pressure, supervision, qualities, dignity, bring to perfection, dependable, skill, personality.

• Surely. The Faculty trains cadets for communications troops, so called Signal Corps, in the speciality “Special multichannel communications systems, which is a combination of two specialities – “Multichannel communications” and “Special multichannel transmission systems”.

• I see. The graduates have a great future.

• Hi, Andrew!

• Oh, I suppose there are certain peculiarities in your studies.

• No doubt. Our Faculty graduates are claimed in all arms of the service – air forces, artillery, armoured and frontier troops, Corps of Engineers, Ministry of Emergency troops.

• Thank you. You know I am a cadet of the Military Faculty.

• Not at all. Actually, the cadets acquire both the civil vocational and special military skills, that is, they get a civil education adapted to combat applications.

• Anyway, good luck to you and your brother.

• By the way, is it true that the cadets have to make some contracts still studying at the University?

• It’s clear to me now. Are the cadets given any military rank in the end?

• That means you have to learn a lot, and especially military subjects.

• Hello, Nick! Haven’t seen you for ages!

• Yes. On graduating from the University the cadets get a higher education and general military education degree. They are also given the rank of lieutenant.

• I could hardly recognize you. You look so smart in uniform.

• Quite right. We study the fundamentals of warfare, organization and armament of the forces, tactics of small units and many others.

• Thank you. Hope to see you soon. Bye.

• Oh, well, Andrew. I think your informative story might help my younger brother in choosing his future profession.

• That’s right. After the first year of studies they have to make contracts with the Ministry of Defence. According to the contracts they are obliged to serve in regular armed forces for a certain period of time.