LESSON 7

I. The United States of America

The United States of America, popularly called “The States”, “U.S.A”, “The Land of Liberty” is a vast country stretching across the middle of North America. This country which at one time was inhabited only by Red Indians, is now the home of a “nation of nations”, as people from every part of the world have gone to live in this land of wealth and promise. These settlers met, mingled and worked with great enterprise, and as a result of their efforts, the United States has become one of the most important countries in the world.

In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers, a band of Puritans in England who sought freedom of worship, set forth for America in the sailing-ship Mayflower. Three months after leaving Plymouth Harbour, they reached the shores of what is now called New England, and founded the America township of Plymouth. Although they often had difficult times with the native Red Indian tribes, the colony soon prospered and more settlers joined them. The Indians used a new kind of grain, which the settlers called “Indian corn” (British maize) and they ate strange birds called “turkeys”. On the fourth Thursday of November Americans celebrate thanksgiving Day with a feast of turkey and Indian corn.

A great many emigrants went from European countries to America and thirteen colonies formed, all of them under English rule. The government in England, however, took little interest in the American colonies, except from the point of view of trade. When certain taxes and laws were ordered by the English Parliament, the colonists opposed them and it gradually led to war. At first the colonists fared badly, but later they rallied and eventually won final victory, under able leadership of George Washington.

Shortly after discovery of the New World by Columbus, many Spaniards travelled northward from Mexico and settled along the western coast of America.

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That is why many places in this area such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara have Spanish names. In 1849 the chance discovery of gold brought many people to California and numerous mining towns sprang up in a very short time. “The Golden Gate” (the channel connecting the harbour of San Francisco with the Pacific Ocean) was socalled because many of the seekers of the precious yellow metal passed this way to and from the rich gold-fields.

In American cities, men have built huge buildings (skyscrapers) some as many as 100 floors high. The national capital of the United States is Washington and the White House is the home of the President. The famous Statue of Liberty in New York harbour was a gift from France. While English is the national language of the country, some immigrants have continued the manners, customs, and even tongue of their homeland, and newspapers in all languages, may be seen in the book-stalls.

Here are some common English words, for which the Americans have different names: sweets – candies, shop – store, motor-car – automobile, pavement

– sidewalk, petrol – gas, lift – elevator, dust bin – garbage can, holiday – vacation, trousers – pants, waistcoat – vest, jug – pitcher. There are also differences in spelling of certain words: colour – color, honour – honor, programme – program.

The national banner of the United States of America, commonly known as “The Starts and Stripes” or “Old Glory”, is a flag bearing 50 stars and 13 stripes. Each star represents a present-day state and each stripe stands for one of the original colonies. The national anthem is the “Star Sprangled Banner” and the national emblems are the eagle and the buffalo. The national sport may be said to be baseball.

II. Washington, D.C. – Capital of the U.S.A.

When the thirteen colonies became states and decided to join in a Union, there was much discussion about the capital. The final decision was to carve out a hundred square miles from the States of Maryland and Virginia, call it Federal

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territory, and build there a capital. It was decided that the capital would have the name of General who had done so much for American Independence, and became its first president – George Washington.

Washington is located in the District of Columbia. This area is not a state, but Federal land.

President Washington took an active part in selecting the area for the District of Columbia, and decided that the city should be built on the north bank of the Potomac River.

To a visitor Washington is not confusing. The centre of the city is the Capitol Building. Four geographical sections radiate from the Capitol dividing the District of Columbia into North-East, North-West, South-East, South-West. From the Capitol to the Executive Mansion (home and office of the President better known as the White House) runs Pennsylvania Avenue, about a mile and a half in length. This avenue is used for processions and parades.

All the diagonal avenues are named after States of the Union. The longest and straightest of them is Massachusetts Avenue.

All main buildings that make Washington so interesting are situated in groups. The Capitol Hill group is perhaps the most important, since it contains the seat of Government. The Capitol is the highest building in Washington, an American city without sky-scrapers by design.

The Lincoln Memorial in West Potomac Park, consists of large marble hall with a statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting as if in meditation in a large armchair.

Washington is the world’s largest one-industry city. That industry is government. Other American cities exist for different reasons: New York is the centre of finance, of shipping, of entertainment; New Orleans deals in cotton; Chicago will sell you wheat and heads of cattle. But Washington was made to be the seat of government of the nation. Its streets and buildings were laid out for that

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purpose.

Many tourists come to Washington every summer to see the nation’s capital. Many planes land on Washington’s two airfields – the Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International. The city’s pride is the Union Railroad Station. It is bigger than the Capitol. Twenty trains enter the station on the upper level and twelve on the lower. It is so big it can hold an army of thousand men.

III. Statue of Liberty

America probably could not have won its freedom the British during the American Revolution without the help of the French. France provided arms, ships, money, and men to the American colonies. Some Frenchmen – most notably the Marquis de Lafayette, a close friend of George Washington – even became highranking officers in the American army. It was an alliance of respect and friendship the French would not forget.

Almost one hundred years later, in 1865, after the end of the American Civil War, several French intellectuals opposed to the oppressive regime of Napoleon III were at a small dinner party discussing their admiration for America’s success in establishing a democratic government. The dinner was hosted by Edouard René Lefebvre de Laboulaye. Laboulaye was a scholar, a jurist, and a leader of the “liberals”, the political group dedicated to establishing a French republican government modeled on America’s constitution.

During the evening, talk turned to the close historic ties and love of liberty the two nations shared. Laboulaye noted there was “a genuine flow of sympathy” between the two nations, and called France and America “the two sisters”.

As he continued speaking, reflecting on the centennial of American independence only 11 years in the future, Laboulaye commented, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people in France gave the United States a great monument as a lasting memorial to independence and thereby showed that the French government was

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from both nations.

An appeal for funds to underwrite the cost of creating the statue was launched in French newspapers in September 1875. The committee’s goal was to present the Statue of Liberty to the United States on July 4, 1876, in honor of America’s centennial.

But money was slow in coming. Enough was collected to begin work on the statue, but the goal of completing it in time for America’s hundredth anniversary was impossible.

Bartholdi decided that if the statue could not be completed in time for America’s centennial celebration, at least the raised arm and torch could be finished for showing at the International Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. While 300,000 Frenchmen paid to watch the work in progress, 20 men worked 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, to meet the deadline. But, even with “overtime”, the section was not finished in time for the opening of the exhibition, although it did arrive in the fall, before the fair closed.

Bartholdi was chosen as an official French representative to Centennial Exhibition. Two of his works were to be shown, the statue of Lafayette ( which was not actually unveiled until September 1876) and a monumental fountain, which was prominently placed in front of the main exhibition hall.

On July 4, 1876, Bartholdi somewhat superstitiously traveled to Bedloe’s Island, the site he had already chosen for his statue. While there, he remarked that it would be nice if the island were called Liberty Island. (Eighty years later, in1956, the name of Bedloe’s Island was officially changed to Liberty Island).

The 30-foot arm of Liberty finally arrived in Philadelphia in August 1876. For 50 cents, a visitor could climb a steel ladder leading to the balcony surrounding the torch. This unique experience created a good deal of enthusiasm for the project, since Liberty would be the first statue one could climb inside.

Returning to France, Bartholdi set himself a new goal: to complete the statue’s head for the opening of the Paris World’s Fair in May 1878.

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Unfortunately, Liberty was to be a lady who was always late. The gleaming copper head was not finished until June. When her head finally did appear at the fair, “My daughter Liberty”, as Bartholdi had begun calling her, was a sensation. But she wasn’t sensational enough to solve the never-ending problem of raising the money needed to complete her construction. Finally, someone with the Franco-American Union had an inspiration; they would hold a lottery to raise funds.

Until the spring of 1885, when she was dismantled for the long voyage to America, Liberty remained in Paris, the hostess to thousands of French visitors.

All the while, Bartholdi assumed that the statue’s base was also nearing completion.

On October 25, 1886, Bartholdi and his wife, accompanied by Count Ferdinand-Marie de Lesseps, chairman of the French Committee, arrived in America. They were greeted by the American Committee and Joseph Pulitzer. At Bedloe’s Island, surrounded by newspaper reporters recording his words for posterity, Bartholdi simply said, “The dream of my life is accomplished”.

On July 4, 1986, America threw a birthday party for the Statue of Liberty that will not soon be forgotten. With a golden sunset glowing in the background, President Ronald Reagan declared, “We are the keepers of the flame of liberty; we hold it high for the world to see”. Later the day, the president pressed a button that sent a laser beam across the water toward the statue. Slowly, dramatically, majestically, a light show unveiled Liberty and her new torch, and the most spectacular fireworks show America had ever seen exploded across the sky. With an entire nation watching, filled with gratitude, one wonders how Bartholdi and Laboulaye might have felt as Liberty enlightened the world that historic night.

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IV. Travel With Us!

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.

St. Augusine

Today we’ll make a long flight from Russia to the USA. Imagine that you are on board a plane flying to New York. You are the passengers of this plane, and, of course, there is a pilot and a stewardess here. So fasten your belts, have a good flight and enjoy your journey.

Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the pilot speaking. I’d like to greet you aboard Delta Flight 31, non-stop to Kennedy Airport in New York. We are flying at an altitude of 11,000 meters. Our flight time is about 9 hours. We’ll arrive in New York City at 3 p.m. local time. If there is anything we can do to make your trip more comfortable, please let us know. Now take your seats and enjoy the flight. Thank you for flying Delta.

Stewardess: Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? The pilot has turned off the “Fasten seatbelts” sign. But, when you are in your seats, please, keep your seatbelts fastened at all times. Thank you. Now listen to some information about the country you are flying to.

Pupil: The USA is the richest and one of the most developed countries in the world. The territory of the USA is almost 9,400,000 square kilometers. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and Arctic Ocean in the north and the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The population of the USA is 252 mln. people. The climate is different in different parts of the USA: from polar in Alaska to continental in the greater part of the country and subtropical and tropical in the south of the USA. The country is rich in

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mineral resources.

Stewardess: Thank you! Today is the 4th of July, it is a great holiday in the life of Americans – Independence Day. Let me introduce a member of the Senate, Mrs. Yarret. She is going to tell you words about this holiday.

Mrs. Yarret: The United States is a young country. Its independence from England was declared in 1776. It was the beginning of a new nation. This day is celebrated all over the United States. Every town and city has parades, games and sports with prizes. There are picnics and barbecues and in the evening there are big firework displays.

Pupil-passenger: Excuse my interrupting you. Could you tell me how many holidays Americans have?

Mrs. Yarret: Sometimes the USA is called the “New World”. Americans believe that if they work hard they can have what they want and be what they want. This is part of what we call “The American Dream”. That’s why Americans are so hardworking. We do not take many vacations and there are only seven national holidays – New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

Stewardess: Thank you, Mrs. Yarret. Attention, please, I want you to look at the screen. We are flying over one of nature’s greatest wonders – the Grand Canyon. It was formed by the Colorado River. Now it’s time for advertisements. Have a look at the screen. Before serving you breakfast we ask you to get acquainted with our menu.

Pupil: American food is part British, part Italian, part German, part Mexican, part Chinese, and part Russian. The USA is famous

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for “fast food”. The first fast food restaurants served hamburgers, but now they serve other kinds of food as well. On board our plane we have a wide choice of dishes. You can help yourself to roast chicken prepared with tomatoes and rice, rolls, cheese and crackers. For dessert you are offered a cherry apple cake. Enjoy your meals!

Stewardess: Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to look at the screen again. We are flying over the Great Lakes. Mrs. Stuart is a representative of Greenpeace organization. She is going to say some words about this sight.

Mrs. Stuart: There are many lakes in the USA. Five lakes especially stand out. These are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Together they are called the Great Lakes. Any of these lakes is larger than Lake Ladoga in Europe. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. The lakes lie at different altitudes and are connected by short channels. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are connected by the Niagara River. Throwing its waters over a ledge 50 metres it forms the great Niagara Falls, which provides a great attraction to tourists. There are hydroelectric power stations.

Stewardess: In our plane there are many people from different countries. Let’s listen to what they are talking about.

Passengers: My name is Oxana. What’s your name, please? My name is Mary. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too. Where are you from?

I’m from Russia. And where are you from?

I’m from New York. I was on vacation in Moscow, where I visited my friend. Where are you going?

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I’m going to New York City. I’ll live with an American family the whole summer.

That’s great. Have you ever been to America? No, this is my first visit.

I hope you’ll have a good time.

Stewardess: I am glad to announce that in half an hour we’ll land at Kennedy Airport in New York. I think it will be interesting for you to know that a daughter of the Mayor of New York City is travelling with us. Nobody knows New York better than she does.

Pupil: New York is not a very old city. It was founded some three hundred years ago. New York, the largest city in the USA, is situated in the mouth of the Hudson River. The center of New York is Manhattan Island, which at the same time is the largest part of the city. New York, one of the leading US manufacturing cities, is the home of big firms, corporations and banks. The city has a very busy traffic, its streets and highways are full of cars, buses, and taxis.

Passenger: Sorry, may I ask you a question? Is New York City an important port?

Pupil: Certainly. The mouth of the Hudson River makes an excellent harbour for different kinds of ships. Numerous bridges link Manhattan Island with the opposite shores. Manhattan is the center of business life with its well-known Broadway, Wall Street and Stock Exchange in the financial district.

Passenger: Sorry, but I’ve heard that there are a lot of immigrants in New York City, is that so?

Pupil: You are right. Among the inhabitants of New York City you can meet people of almost all nationalities.

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normal to move when you retire. Many retired Americans move to the South, where the climate is warmer and the cost of living is lower than in Boston or New York City. In short, moving around a lot is normal in the U.S.

It is believed that American mobility is historically conditioned. A wellknown theory, which explains character by the specific American environment was first introduced by a historian Frederick Jackson Turner in the late 19th century. Turner believed that the unique feature of the American environment was existence of the frontier (a borderline between settled and unsettled land). As the new settlements expended, the frontier was constantly moving west and people had to adjust to this constant movement. In the American mind, change is seen as something positive. In the American system of values change is strongly linked to development, improvement, progress, and growth.

Cars

A car in America deserves special comment. This is in American favorite pet. They divide the whole of American history into America BC and modern America. In American jargon BC means ‘Before Car’.

On the one hand, it is easy to exist with a car in America:

They have good service and spacious parking lots. Europeans, though, complain about bad roads and slow speed on American highways. There used to be a national speed limit of 90 km per hour, but in 1987 it was abolished. Many states still stick to it, however. Thus, in New England because of bad weather in winter (winters there are usually wet and snowy) highways in spring are in such a poor condition that drivers have to drive slowly and carefully. Otherwise, going by car the fastest and the most convenient way to get from home to work and to the nearest supermarket.

Cars are affordable. In the USA you get your first car at the age of 15 or 16, when you are in high school and your last car brings you to the cemetery at the age of 90 (as Americans joke).

Getting a driver’s license is easy. You have to pass a driving test, which

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consists of two parts: theoretical and practical. You can take your theoretical part in any language you wish: English, or Spanish, or Russian (in case you do not understand English). Questions are easy, they just want to be sure that you know the basic rules. The second part is not difficult either. You just drive along the streets for 10 minutes and then pull over. They do not even ask you to park your car in a garage, as we are asked here in Russia. On the whole, driving rules are not national, but state rules – they differ from state to state. It is more difficult to get a driver’s license in Colorado than in Nevada.

One the other hand, it is not easy to exist without a car in America: you will need a car for weekly shopping and for driving to work. Public transport in most places is unreliable or simply non-existent. The only exception is big cities, like Boston or NYC. One of my friends just came from Boston and she was impressed by a good subway system in this city. She says that Boston subway “is clean, bright, safe, efficient, user-friendly (it’s easy to figure out where to go) and it costs peanuts”. She could easily get by without a car in Boston, but she needed a car the moment she wanted to get outside, when she wanted to go the seashore, for example.

American culture is often called a “car culture”, since American mentality is “car-oriented”. Here are some examples to illustrate the American car-oriented mentality. A driver’s license in America plays the same role as a passport in Russia

– you can get a bank loan with it and do several other things which require your identification. Certain things exist and become popular only in the context of this car-oriented mentality, like drive-in movie theatres or MacDonald’s drivethroughs.

As there are a lot of cars in America, special measures are taken to ensure environmental protection. Thus, on most American highways there are special HOV (High Occupancy Vehicles) lanes. You can’t use them unless you have three or more people in the car. In traffic jams these HOV lanes are much faster, since there are fewer cars than in other lanes. This is an incentive good enough to make

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one co-operate with two of your neighbors and ride to work in one car if you go in the same direction.

Other means of travel

Buses are cheap and for this reason are popular among students. Thus, your trip from Boston to New Haven, where Yale University is situated, will cost you $29 one way and will last for 3 hours. Trains are twice as expensive, but they are faster and much more comfortable. In all commuter trains (электрички) you can find air conditioning, velvet comfortable chairs and a nice food service with a smile. Airlines, since September 11, have put their regulations on a significantly higher level of safety awareness. For example, today sharp objects, like manicure scissors are requested to be put in the baggage you check in and are not allowed to be brought in your handbag.

“Go west, young man”

Americans firmly believe that travel is good for you: it can shape your character and improve your personality. There is a specific American tradition: when Americans finish high school and they feel that they do not know what they want to do next – which happens quite often with teenagers – they go and cross the country from East to West or from West to East. Some drive and stop at different places on their way, others hitchhike or use buses. No matter how you do this, the feeling of fulfillment is what matters. Crossing the country is a challenge as it was a hundred years ago. “I’ve made it, father, like my grand fathers did,” says an American boy to his father when he returns home. “Now you are a real man, like your grand-grand fathers were. I’m proud of you, boy,” says his father and be sure the boy will grow up and will pass on this tradition to his sons. “Go west, young man,” American fathers have said to their sons since the 17th century. And they still do.

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VI. I Go to an American School

( Part I )

I go to an American school. In order to acquire a full picture of American schools, it is necessary to visit a school in a big city where there are many problems. In America suburban schools are much better than big city schools. So we drove with Professor Reed for several hours to a high school in Cleveland of some 1,500 students.

We were shown around the school by the principal, Bobby Mc-Dowell. I asked the principal whether I could see a report card in order to get a better feel for the system of grading. The principal was embarrassed: Americans do not like to have to refuse requests. The law forbids showing a student's report card to someone else without written permission from the child's parents. Written permission!

In America everything has its price, its rank, its pride. In schools the youngest pupils wear lapel pins I'm №1. We're the first, in some respects we are better than the rest, we rank among the first ten. And of course, no lagging behind.

I am a US high school student, moreover, I am brilliant. And all my classmates are fantastically good.

The programme outlined for me included a visit to a small school maintained for black children. They sat there, in cherry-red knitted jerseys, assiduously copying what their schoolmistress had written on the blackboard: "Today is the 2nd March. I am a brilliant pupil."

That's the beginning of everything. "I am a brilliant pupil." "We are Number One", the badge of another school says. Self-confidence underlies every achievement. "Through believing to achieving" is the motto sported by a high school in Athens, Georgia. To be equal, I must have faith in myself and be no worse than the others, "Number One" implies not the second, not the second rate, not the lagger. I am okay. Are you okay? I'm okay, too. We are equal. A book entitled " You Are Okay - I am Okay " is about the widely current theory of human

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interaction.

But begging your pardon, how can I think myself brilliant if I'm lazy, have no talent, have a bad memory and can't even string two words together when the teacher puts a question? And the more so when everybody sees that?

In the USA, the teacher never puts questions in the classroom. It's like that all over the country. A fat treatise furnishing all conceivable types of classroom work has no mention at all about asking a student in front of all in the classroom to report what he learned the previous day. American educators think that inconceivable, completely out of question.

"You mean your schoolteacher interviews the child in front of the entire class?"

"What do the other children do meanwhile?"

"What, fifteen or twenty minutes to question the child? How can you waste time?"

"What, ask something in the classroom? Think me crazy? More than half the kids are black, and if I question one and he does not know what to say, he'll be ridiculed, and I'll be accused of racism."

Finally, a totally unexpected argument.

"What, the teacher marks an oral answer? You mean to say that's the way you do it? What an odd sort of school. But supposing the teacher is carping or doesn't like the pupil? How is the latter to stick up for himself? After all, that isn't documented. Which means you trust the teacher? How dangerous! And for the teacher, too. He or she can always be accused of having been unfair."

No matter how hard I argued that an oral answer gives a better understanding of what the pupil is like and helps to develop speech habits, they were totally against that, as the pupil's rights and self-esteem come first.

The American schoolteacher marks only written tests. Moreover, each question is supplied with several answers, so the pupil merely has to tick the right one. Or may have to briefly describe a phenomenon or define a notion.

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I am an American school student, and the Number One word there is selfesteem. Which goes not only for school. A recent 375,000 research study in California found that the Americans put self-esteem as the first human need. That's their Number One treasure.

By inculcating self-esteem in children, the American school has far outstripped our school, becoming one of the firmest pillars of American society. "I am a brilliant pupil" transposes into "I am a happy person." As many as eight out of every ten people in the US think themselves happy, which is several times more than in other developed, let alone underdeveloped, countries. In this respect a signal contribution has been made by educators, who have been teaching people from childhood to be what they are and to be happy.

VII. I Go to an American School

(Part II)

On the university campus in Athens, Georgia, your correspondent was hosted by Dr. Arch Phillips, Dr. Roberts and Professor Mary Hepbum. Everybody in America today is curious about any newcomer from Moscow craving to know what is going on in a land upon which their own lives always depended. Our mad, mad world is ever a source of amazement. When at a party for me Professor Mary Hepbum served a chicken, which she had fried, I suddenly noticed that it had no legs. "Where are they?" I demanded. "Taken aback", she shrugged. "I know where", I said. "I ate them in Moscow. We had a large consignment of American chicken legs which were sold all over."

Isn't it funny that to eat a whole chicken, one has to travel across the world nowadays?

"The same holds for schooling", I said when we were talking about schools. "Indeed, American and our schools are two halves of that whole which you won't find anywhere. Come to think of it I should call a story about American education "The second half of the chicken".

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The Americans liked that and laughed as they're always ready to do. Still, one of the guests at the party a professor of pharmacology said resolutely:

" As for the school everything's absolutely clear. It's there to teach only those who want to learn; for the others it's Good-bye, Charlie!"

I felt that moment I was back home. For a chicken breast one has to go to the US. But one doesn't have to go far to hear that customary home-baked philosophy, to which so many people in our country also subscribe. Indeed, why teach everyone? And why should everyone go to school? Good-bye, Charlie, or in Russian style, "Dosvidaniya, Vania; " School isn't for you.

For whom does it exist then? And what is happening to it?

True, every country seeks its own way out of a hopeless situation.

I go to an American school, neither does it know how to teach everyone well: however, it has at least made its choice, it takes care of dignity and is now looking for a civilized way of not teaching everyone. No, that's no slip of the pen.

According to the American law, the school student has to attend school up to the age of 16 and not a day less. The moment he or she turns sixteen, he or she may drop out even in mid-year. Good-bye, Charlie! The law on attendance, not education, cardinally modifies the situation: in short the teacher does not have to get everyone to learn as in our schools, but simply teach, what the results are is not his concern. It is ten times easier to be a teacher in America than in Russia. If the pupil hasn't learned to read in the first year of school, he is moved up from grade to grade, not made to repeat the year in any one grade, as a result you have illiterate school drop-outs. Our school would be far more humane than the American school if, yes, if it were really implemented, if it had something to rely on. The Potemkin village is prettier than a real village, but where would you prefer to live?

But if the school does not force the pupil to learn, how can we keep boys and girls there at least up to the age of 16? Such is the American school's task. It appears that that is done because schooling is cheaper than prison confinement. A school student costs an annual $5,000, a prisoner $14,000. Not out of the good life

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or noble educational aims does the American high school offer a vast selection of subjects. It simply has no other alternative. At math class, children ignorant of the subject can't be kept in as they would simply wreck the classroom. Once I found myself in a large school at 11 a.m. and spotted in a doorway a group of 15-year- olds strumming guitars. "Why is guitar playing at 11 a.m.?", I asked. "Because we have a lesson in guitar playing." "What do you mean? The others have math, but you have guitar playing?" "Right on!" High school doesn't have specified classes: each student makes his or her own choice. One may have an assortment of highly sophisticated disciplines, another the simplest of subjects. Only four of every hundred high school students take physics: no wonder American teachers gape when they hear that all our pupils study physics, chemistry, algebra and geometry.

American teachers sign a contract for several years and their pay may not be cut; their class load does not affect their pay. American teachers are not better than ours in terms of knowledge or teaching ability. But conditions for teachers are better in America, and, because of this, teachers relate better to their students. They conduct lessons at a relaxed and easy pace without the need to extract knowledge from every pupil - whoever wants to learn will learn; as for those who don't want to learn, what can be done?

There is no list of required books or even authors to be covered for literature teachers. "And what if a student goes away not knowing Shakespeare?" I asked. "Then the student will go away not knowing Shakespeare", I was answered. Everyone learns in his or her own way, every teacher has his or her own rules, for he/she is a teacher and not a pawn. Miss Veronica Bemable is one of the outstanding teachers in Washington state. Miss Bemable's rules are: "Be kind, respectful and caring. Listen to each other. Happiness is not having what you want but liking what you have." All classrooms in America are draped with all sorts of sayings, slogans and aphorisms and students are taught that rules of morality are necessary for all people but that one must discover, choose and come up with these rules for oneself because the source of morality is inside of each one of us.

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According to psychologists' research, the highest level of moral development is not the following of general moral guidelines set by someone else but moral regulations one has worked out for oneself, regulations that are associated not with some group but with all of humanity. Teachers are taught: "Heart of Education - Education of Heart." They are called upon not only to respect diversity but to create it. The task of teachers is to create different types of people. There are whole series of posters which teach teachers to accept each student as he or she is and to respect the student's right to be different, to be him or herself.

Special technical facilities or special materials are not necessary; what we need merely is a poster to hang over the entrance to each school: "Children's zone. Enter with care and love." It's that simple. One student prayer I saw on a school wall runs:

" Dear Father of all wisdom, grant me the ability to get understanding, not just knowledge; help me see in the learning process more of your great plan for mankind, not just a means to my success. Cause me to recognize and remember truth, not just facts; remind me that you weigh my trying, not just my doing - and, Father, above all else, help me be more than a learner ... Help me be a lesson in Your saving love to everyone you bring into my life. Amen."

I.Answer the following questions:

1.Is it good that if one wants to see a pupil's report card he must have a parents' written permission?

2.Do you approve the absence of obligatory program ?

3.What is happiness in your opinion?

4.Is it right that the source of morality is inside of us?

5.What is the heart of education?

6.Is it important to believe in yourself, to believe that you are Number 1?

7.What way of asking is better, in your opinion - oral or written?

8.What do you think of self-esteem and dignity?

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9.Should the school teach all children or should it say "Good-bye,

Charlie"?

10.Do you like the American way of keeping children at school up to the age of 16?

11.Is it good, in. your opinion, that children are moved from grade to grade without proper knowledge?

12.Must everybody study physics, mathematics, etc.?

13.Do you like the prayer?

Enjoy yourself:

1.Nine-year-old Aaron came home from the playground with a bloody nose, black eye, and torn clothing. It was obvious he'd been in a bad fight and lost. While his father was patching him up, he asked his son what happened.

"Well, Dad", said Aaron, "I challenged Larry to a duel. And, you know, I gave him his choice of weapons."

"Uh-huh", said the father, "that seems fair."

"I know, but I never thought he'd choose his sister!"

2.A girl, who was not quite four years old, was alone in the house when the phone rang. She answered it and was told that Mr. Brown was calling. "I'm sorry no one is here. Can I take a message?"

After a pause Mr. Brown heard, "O.K., I'm ready. Who is this did you say?" "Mr. Brown."

"How do you spell Brown?" "B-r-o-w-n."

A long pause, and then, "How do you make a B?"

3.At the supper table, one child asked, "Why is cream so much more expensive than milk?"

"It's obvious", replied another. "It's harder for the cow to sit on the little

bottle."

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4. A teenage girl had been talking on the phone for about half an hour, and then she hung up.

"Gee", said her father, "that was short. You usually talk for two hours. What happened?"

"Wrong number", replied the girl.

5. Lord Rochester, John Wilmot, said to a group, "When I was young, I had six theories on how to bring up children."

"And, pray, what are your theories?"

"There is no use in asking", replied Rochester. "Now, I have six children and no theories."

VIII. I STUDY AT AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Universities form a very important part of American life. The wealth of modern America is in its science, and the wealth of its science is in the universities.

Let me say that Americans are very concerned about the breadth of higher education. Humanities students at top universities have lately been obliged to take at least two courses in natural sciences in order to be able to understand scientific methods and scientific logic, "whether it's about acid rain or space research", as a dean at Yale University explained to me. As part of the same trend, Hamline University recently introduced five mandatory exams for all graduates irrespective of their speciality: reading, writing, rhetoric, computer literacy and foreign language.

I have a feeling that the US has a different conception of higher education than ours. Although universities train high -class specialists, American educationists are more concerned than ours with the cultural and humanitarian goals: it is assumed that a person needs higher education irrespective of what his future job will be. The fatuous phrase "We ain't gone to academies" is embedded in many people's subconscious ness in spite of all the advances of our education.

But what will happen if everyone finishes an academy? We'll have an

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intellectual nation. Sukhomlinsky said man should study because he is man. Perhaps the most interesting element in the US higher education is the two-

year colleges. It is a worldwide problem that not everyone is bright enough, or rich enough, to acquire higher education, and not everyone can afford to go to university situated far from home. But under the new scheme, young people who would never enter a four-year college can now go to two-year local college, which are now hailed as the biggest breakthrough in education in the 20th century. There are now 1,200 such colleges in the US. Of the 13 million American students, 40 per cent get higher education in two years. Some might say, this is not higher education. In practice, it is something like our secondary technical school.

The difference, however, is that our secondary technical schools teach a trade. The American two-year college offers wider choices and is frequently a stepping stone to a four-year college. Students both at public and private universities have to pay considerable sums for tuition, for everything. But the student can earn enough to pay for his education. The important thing is that they can earn this sum. Many draw grants from various foundations, many borrow money and repay the debt over several years after graduation.

At American universities students do not have to be forced to attend lectures: if you have paid a hefty sum for a course out of the money you earned yourself, you are unlikely to miss classes.

In any small American town you will find everything that exists in a big city; a farmer's house has all the facilities of a town house, and the difference between town and countryside, which our books taught us would disappear, long ago disappeared in America. That incidentally is one of the reasons for the university boom in the United States, for there are no provincial towns and the standard of living is the same everywhere, so the most eminent scientist will willingly live in a small town, which is known only for its university and eminent scientists. America has a vast number of the equivalent of our Novosibirsk Akademgorodok.

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The University in the state of Washington where I study does not rank among the top ten or even twenty-five most prestigious, such as Yale University which heads the list of "multiversities" compiled by the US News and World Report, or Princeton (second), Harvard (third) or the famous Caltech, the California Institute of Technology, with 21 Nobel laureates on its teaching staff. However, even in my average university, everything is the same as in the big ones.

Having completed 12 years of studies and graduated from high school, a youngster starts considering to which university he should go. His choice will depend on his interests, finances and abilities. It's five times cheaper to enroll in the university of your own state than in another state. Teachers and students in the US open their eyes wide and exchange glances when they hear: in our country secondary school graduates proposing to go to an institute take two sets of exams during the summer: first, graduation exams in schools and then entrance exams to the institute of their choice.

A young American does not have to sit for either exams. When he or she finishes high school a youngster knows exactly what he or she counts on, because each college or university announces with what average school marks it accepts students, and with what grades for the tests that are standard throughout the United States. He sends a paper to the University with his marks and test results, and is then informed whether he has been enrolled or not. And that's all. Teachers don't even set eyes on their future students. Everything is based on trust.

American pupils take their tests in high school. Some tests reflect the general ability of the pupil, others - his knowledge. You have to pay a fee to take the tests. And the whole job is not in the hands of the schools, but of an independent organization. The schools have nothing to do with the tests, but their results are placed in the pupils' school report cards.

I can foresee all the questions, since I asked them myself. And what if the organizers of the tests forge the results? Give false results? Or demand a bribe?

The Americans couldn't understand what I was getting at. What would be

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the sense? To begin with the company conducting the tests would lose public confidence and therefore go bankrupt; secondly, and most important - if I get into college by trickery I won't be able to study properly and why pay the money for nothing? In American schools the children don't prompt each other because - to the surprise of our children - they value knowledge more than marks and their school report card. No one will attempt to go on to college, if he knows he won't be able to stand the pace.

Each college trains specialists in a narrow field, but the idea that American students have complete freedom is slightly exaggerated. At any rate when I asked second year students of the veterinary college whether they have a freedom of choice, they laughed and replied: "Learn what you are taught. Our teachers know best what they should teach us," they explained not without irony. But at the humanitarian departments, the choice is of course wider. The general rule being about 80 per cent compulsory courses and the rest you choose yourself.

Which college should I choose? Teachers' training? But the chances getting enrolled are slim, and what's more you need a document testifying that you have worked with children. So I choose the business school, the most prestigious type at present.

The entire structure of higher education has changed. Now almost 25 per cent of all students in America study in business schools.

I'm studying at an American University ... Everything seems usual just as it was at the Moscow State University, yet everything is different ...

I. Answer these questions:

1.What new and interesting about American Universities did you learn from the text?

2.Should a man study, in your opinion? Why?

3.Do you like the idea of a two-year college?

4.Which system of entering the University is better: our or American?

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IX. HIGHER EDUCATION ABROAD (USA)

Any career begins with a proper education. Everybody knows this. Just as it is common knowledge that today's newspapers of various orientation offer you so many different advertisements of educational institutions that one can easily get entirely lost. A great many people today are interested in Western education, wrongly thinking that everything in the West is the very best! That is why a lot of students in this country are systematically learning foreign languages with a hope of passing TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or Cambridge/Oxford FCE (First Certificate in English) examinations, and thus getting a lucky, in their belief, chance to go to an American University or an English college. Finances do not always stand in the way of Russian students. Each American University has a "blind" admissions policy, meaning, it does not consider whether a student seeks financial aid when deciding who to admit.

A student from a family with very low income could have all expenses paid by the financial aid office. Even the application fee of $55, in the case of the USA, will be waived if a student attaches a note explaining that payment presents a hardship. But there may not be a waiver for test fees.

The ideal time-table for a student interested in education abroad should begin a year before that student plans to enter college. The summer before his or her last year of high (secondary) school, a letter should be sent to the admissions office requesting information and an application. Students should receive a package in late summer or early autumn, in time to complete the application by the January 1 deadline.

Students also must register for the SAT, TOEFL or FCE in time to take the November or December test, since scores for tests taken later may not reach the university in question in time.

The admissions committee reads applications during the winter and early spring and sends out rejections and acceptances in April or May.

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As you can see, all this is a rather time-consuming procedure. Probably that is why many rich and well-to-do people in this country (not necessarily new Russians) who can afford everything, are eager to send their children to different American junior colleges and high schools for a summer, a semester or an academic year.

Of course there are a lot of exchange programs today, both for youth and undergraduate students, supporting bright, young people with grants by IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) to individual participants, or to US institutions, which must have letters of agreement with East European, Baltic or Russian universities at the time of application. For more detailed information on exchanges of graduate students one should of course get in touch with the US Information Service (USIA) at the US Embassy in Moscow, or write to the office of Academic Programs, USIA, at 301 4th Street, Washington, D.C., 20547, USA, or visit the American Center in the Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow.

But to get American university-level education today you do not necessarily have to go overseas. Any English language newspaper these days has invitations for you to the American University of Paris or to European University which is a member of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, with its 16 campuses across Europe, etc. In any of these universities you can major in: International Affairs, Information Systems, Public Relations and Communication, Computer Studies and Hotel Management. These institutions offer you full-time or part-time undergraduate, post-graduate and graduate courses in International Business Administration, Business and Technology, Business Economics, or Business and Human Resources. And even if the word "business" is not mentioned in the advertising notices, the emphasis today is put on business education, which, as they underline, is so important for and wanted by tomorrow's professionals. Teaching and learning business in any field has become a very good and profitable business!

To become a qualified businessman nowadays you do not have to go to New

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York or Boston Schools of Business, because every distinguished and respected American university, whether it is Harvard, Columbia or George Washington University, is willing and ready to suggest programs in Belgium, England, France, Israel, Italy or Spain. You may get an American higher education diploma (Master of Science in International Management Degree or Bachelor of Arts Degree) in this country as well.

However, when you are considering an attempt to study in the USA, or Great Britain it would be worth reminding yourself that Russian MGU (Moscow State University) and a lot more higher educational institutions of this country as well as their graduates, are well known and respected in many English-speaking countries, and elsewhere. Our biologists, programmers and physicists are invited to internationally-esteemed research centers.

In my judgement, the Russian system of higher education is more valuable for its early specialization, and the concentrated course work produces far more knowledgeable students in their chosen fields by the time they go on to graduate level studies. Academic success in Russian universities depends on the amount of time and effort put into a class, while in many American and British universities it is mostly homework, and many Russian students are used to solving problems at seminars with other students. Our students also have to take 30 courses to earn the first degree in this or that area, while American schools require half that number of courses for the same degree. Of course many Russian students in the USA are impressed by the flexibility of U.S*. universities, where undergraduates are encouraged to try a number of disciplines for two years before specialization.

But, nevertheless, students from Russia and the former Soviet Union Republics have always been eager to study in the USA, where they believe they can learn the vital skills to help transform their country's economy into a market-oriented system. Many of them also think that the pure fact of their studying abroad will help them jump into a better future back home.

My task today is not to give you a survey of foreign university degree programs in

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any field here or there. Instead I would like on the basis of my own experience to share with you my knowledge of some ELS (English Language Studies) programs for foreign students the USA has been advertising of late.

But before you continue reading, please do not forget that a really highor first-quality item hardly needs advertising, if at all.

Of course I have never studied Law or Management in the USA, but staying there on a three-month probation period in the capacity of a Visiting Professor or Visiting Scholar at the Harriman Institute (Columbia), of which I will speak in a more detailed way later, I visited quite a few institutions of higher education, mostly in New York. My information may be of use and help for those who are interested, firstly, in American English, because you cannot but agree that whether you plan to study Biology or General Liberal Arts in the USA, you will have to do it in English. And for many Russians the use of the English language is still a challenge.

Thus, to begin with, let me briefly inform you on what your chances might be in New York, should you arrive there on your own to study English as a foreign language.

New York University has a School of Continuing Education within the framework of the so-called American Language Institute, to be found in Greenwich Village, a most beautiful area of downtown, as New Yorkers call their city center. There at 1 Washington Square North (room 10) you will be able to receive all the necessary information about the fee and the classes which are held during the day, in the evening and on week-ends, for beginning, intermediate and advanced students. To insure proper placement, the Institute is ready to evaluate you and guide you to the most appropriate courses, which vary from courses in accent correction, public speaking, language structure, conversation, and preparation for TOEFL of English for Business.

I would recommend the Intensive Program in American English and Orientation which I had a real pleasure to attend. In fact it is a full-time day program for foreign students who wish to learn English in the shortest possible time, and who are able to participate in 22 class hours per week. There are other programs, of course, as I have already said, and of special interest in my view are also Specialized

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Workshops which offer training in the basic skills, as well as for special purposes such as speech, note-taking, research and composition.

You can also apply for intensive lessons in American English at the English Language Learning Center at 22 East 41st Street. This center promises free trial lessons, small classes, both group and private instruction at a low cost. One can better one's conversation and pronunciation skills, increase one's vocabulary and grammar, study newspaper reading, or get prepared for college entrance examinations (TOEFL). The New York city Rennert Bilingual School at 2 West 45th Street in the heart of Manhattan offers daily intensive classes, private tutorials, TOEFL preparation courses and Business English courses.

You can also have an exciting opportunity to keep up your English or get it bettered in the New York branch of the Kaplan International Institute, the international division of Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center. They describe themselves as America's largest test preparation organization, with over 150U.S. locations, offering complete, highly successful preparation courses designed to help you reach your highest possible score. One can take a standardized high school, college and graduate admissions test, or a professional and licensing examination in law, medicine, dentistry, education, accounting and nursing.

If you are interested in English conversation programs proper, I would recommend going to Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive, or the International Center in New York at 119 West 40th. Street, where you will be offered one-to-one English conversation practice, with the registration fees and tutoring hours varying from program to program. Also on Riverside Drive, at number 500, you will find the International House, offering seminars, lectures, films, music recitals, social events, national festival celebrations and special trips. One third of the 800 residents are foreign, and two thirds are from the United States, but all of them are eager and willing to master their English. The above mentioned International Center is open Monday through Saturday and serves foreign students, exchange scholars, business people, diplomats, sponsored and non-sponsored grantees on short-time visits, etc. Services include individual lessons, social and cultural activities, invitations to

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American homes, tickets to New York theatre and concert programs with an annual fee of about $150 or $200, depending upon visa status. These programs are run by American volunteers, and it is mostly because of this fact that I personally find visits to this center so useful. You will certainly meet there other foreigners who will gladly communicate with you, and sharing social and cultural activities does a lot good for your English. And of course there is nothing better for your English than visiting an American home.

If you are lucky to visit Columbia University try to find out about their American Language Program. It is a perfect place to study American English, firstly because Columbia University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the United States, and secondly because all of its language instructors are perfect professionals with years of experience in the field of English for speakers of other languages.

The Columbia campus is a beautiful oasis in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and its American Language Program students have full access to all campus facilities: excellent libraries, a modern physical fitness center, tennis courts. While studying English you are advised to investigate the possibilities for entering a degree program at the School of General Studies of one of Columbia's other well-known schools.

Being at Columbia you must not lose your opportunity to visit the Harriman Institute for Advanced Study of Russia (founded as the Russian Institute), which is the oldest and foremost center in the USA devoted to the interdisciplinary study of Russia and the former Soviet Union Republics. From its inception in 1946, the mandate of the Institute has been to advance knowledge and understanding of the complex and changing society of the then Soviet Union. The Harriman Institute is involved in training, research and public affairs programs also hosting visiting scholars who are faculty members from other universities, independent researchers (at the Ph. D. Level or its equivalent which was my case) and other professionals working in the field. The intent of the program is to assist Visiting Scholars in their research endeavors by granting them access to the unique resources of the University and by inviting them to participate in the intellectual life of the Institute. Visiting scholars

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carries no stipend of fellowship, which means that one has to have his or her own financial support. But nevertheless, one is free and welcome to use the Institute's reading room which alone is already a gift.

And finally I would like to say a few words about the ELS Language Centers of the USA which are twenty in number functioning all over the country, with two of them in New York, the first being housed by Wagner College, on Staten Island, the second College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale. I was lucky to have lectured and observed classes in the second college but I will tell you about it some other time.

X. АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ: ОБУЧИ СЕБЯ САМ

Доктор физико-математических наук, профессор Томского педагогического университета Иосиф БУХБИНДЕР широко известен в ученом мире своими исследованиями в области квантовой теории поля. Он возглавляет научную школу теоретической физики в ТГПУ. Действительный член НьюЙоркской академии наук, член-корреспондент Международной Академии наук высшей школы, Соросовский профессор.

Однако при нашей встрече с ученым мы решили не вдаваться в подробности его плодотворной научной деятельности, а поговорить о том, что представляет собой американский университет, благо об этом наш земляк знает не понаслышке. Недавно он вернулся из США, где четыре месяца работал по приглашению в университетах Пенсильвании, Мэриленда и Кливленда.

- Чтобы представить, что такое американский университет, - начал свой рассказ Иосиф Львович, - нужно попытаться вообразить далекую от реальности картину объединения всех томских вузов. Далее надо перетасовать их сотрудников. Собрав воедино всех физиков, назовем их физических отделом. Точно так же поступим с химиками, историками, филологами... В результате возникает система как бы независимых институтов, но все вместе это назы-

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вается университет.

Но вообще-то, хоть мы используем один и тот же термин, общего у российского и американского университетов от силы процентов на двадцать.

Уних другая организация - с иными целями, структурой, возможностями.

ВШтатах вступительный экзамен во все университеты проходит в один день по программе абсолютно одинакового содержания, независимо от будущей профессии. То есть, по сути, все абитуриенты сдают один и тот же экзамен в объеме средней школы. Его можно сдавать практически в любом городе, где есть так называемые консультационные пункты.

- Чем вступительный экзамен у американцев отличается от нашего?

- Приходишь в такой пункт, записываешься, тебе говорят, когда нужно явиться. В назначенный день проходишь письменное тестирование и затем указываешь, в какие университеты отправить твой тест на проверку. А там его проверяют и высылают приглашение. Допустим, твой экзаменационный тест был отправлен в сорок мест. Ты получил двадцать приглашений, и остается лишь выбрать тот университет, который тебя более других устраивает.

Обучение, естественно, платное. И, чем выше статус университета, тем выше цена учебы. В лучших учебных заведениях плата за обучение составляет до 25 тысяч долларов в год. Те, что рангом пониже, берут со студентов по 10-15 тысяч долларов. Существует рейтинг вузов – государственный, общественных организаций, прессы.

Университеты в Америке двух типов: частные и университеты штатов. Последние, естественно, финансируются из бюджета штатов. Частные же должны обеспечивать свое финансирование сами, поэтому здесь и плата за обучение, как правило, выше. Зато по всем рейтингам они стоят выше государственных.

Понятие частного университета совсем не означает, что у него есть ка- кой-то хозяин толстосум. Скорее, это что-то вроде акционерного общества

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или корпорации.

-В таком случае, на что живет такое частное учебное заведение, если бюджет ему не помогает?

-Во-первых, у каждого из них был какой-то исходный капитал, положивший некогда начало его деятельности. Скажем, университет в Пенсильвании, в котором я работал, был образован еще в 1740 году. Вовторых, университет получает деньги за обучение студентов. В-третьих, он постоянно имеет поддержку от спонсоров, причем в совершенно непривычных для нас формах. Скажем, человек учился здесь когда - то, у него остались об альма-матер самые приятные впечатления. И он жертвует, допустим, на строительство здания. А потом на здании устанавливается табличка с именем того, за чей счет оно построено. Наконец еще одна статья доходов – это средства, полученные от выполнения заказов государства или каких-то фирм.

-И как живется американскому студенту?

-Аудиторная нагрузка студента на первых четырех курсах невелика – 12 часов в неделю. Читаются только обзорные лекции. В основном студент должен знания получать самостоятельно. Все практические и семинарские занятия, лабораторные работы ведут студенты старших курсов.

При внешней легкости система достаточно жесткая. Студент получает на три недели или на месяц индивидуальное задание, которое надо сдавать. Практически каждый месяц проходит мини-экзамен и затем общий экзамен. Причем все экзамены только письменные. В результате студенты приучаются

ксамостоятельной работе, привыкают к мысли, что за тебя не университет отвечает, а скорее ты сам отвечаешь за результаты своего обучения.

-Всем ли американцам по карману плата за обучение?

-Для подавляющего большинства американских семей она, конечно, недоступна. Думаю, что процентов восемьдесят тех, кто обучается, реально

платить не в состоянии. Поэтому желающим даются государственные

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кредиты на обучение, а также кредиты штатов и городов, откуда студент приезжает учиться. Все эти кредиты достаточно мягкие и долгосрочные, они доступны всем. Кроме того, студенты имеют массу возможностей подзаработать, благо, сфера услуг там чрезвычайно развита и постоянно нужны люди, готовые выполнять черновую работу. Наконец, университеты штатов предоставляют существенные льготы тем, кто живет на территории данного штата.

Есть, правда, факультеты, где плату за обучение берут в полном объеме, без всяких скидок. Это те учебные заведения, выпускникам которых гарантирована высокооплачиваемая работа. В частности, в той же Пенсильвании имеется школа бизнеса, большая часть выпускников которой идет работать в нью-йоркские банки. Велика плата за обучение и на медицинских факультетах, поскольку труд медиков в США тоже высокооплачиваем. Естественно, там могут себе позволить учиться лишь дети богатых родителей.

-Как сказал поэт, - «Мы все учились понемногу чему-нибудь и какнибудь». А чему и как учат в Штатах?

-Обучение на первых курсах там носит достаточно общий характер, узкоспециализированные дисциплины вообще не преподаются. Изучаются предметы, значение которых и через пятьдесят, и через сто лет не изменится. Все остальное ты должен изучать сам.

Кроме того, считается, что человек в течение жизни будет менять работу многократно. Соответственно он должен иметь достаточно универсальное образование, которое ему позволит быстро переучиваться. Неудивительно, что многие студенты вначале толком не представляют, куда их кривая вывезет. Осознанный выбор профессии начинается в лучшем случае где-то с середины второго курса.

Что еще любопытно, из 12 часов аудиторных занятий два часа обязательно отдаются предметам противоположной направленности. Скажем,

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если вы изучаете физику и математику, то вам пару часов в неделю будут читать лекции, скажем, по литературе. Но если вы решили посвятить себя гуманитарным наукам, вы обязаны, два часа изучать физику. Что называется, для общего развития.

-К вопросу о самостоятельности. Не секрет, что у нас зачастую преподаватель выступает в роли этакого поводыря для студентов. А у них?

-Американские студенты на младших курсах преподавателя вообще близко не видят. Обзорные курсы читаются для больших потоков. Будущие математики, физики, химики, биологи все сидят в одной огромной аудитории человек на пятьсот и видят лектора только на сцене.

Для тех, кто продолжает обучение на старших курсах, ситуация меняется уже существенным образом. Аудиторных занятий остается еще меньше, где-то четыре часа в неделю. Все остальное время отводится самостоятельной работе. Но в отличие от первых лет учебы к каждому студенту-старшекурснику прикрепляется научный руководитель.

Чтобы попасть на старший курс, надо сдать экзамен за первые четыре года. Он также проводится в виде теста и одинаков для всех американских университетов. Поэтому его точно так же можно сдавать везде, без привязки

кбудущему месту учебы.

Студенты старших курсов должны ходить в университет, как на работу. У них отдельные кабинеты, где они сидят и занимаются полный рабочий день. И по три-четыре часа в день они проводят со своими научными руководителями. Те дают им какие-то задания, что-то объясняют, словом, работают с ними индивидуально.

Оплаты за обучение на старших курсах как таковой нет, поскольку студенты получают право вести занятия на младших курсах и тем самым как бы отрабатывают стоимость своего обучения. Более того, они получают до тысячи долларов в месяц.

- А какие требования университет предъявляет к своим сотрудникам?

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-Молодому человеку там попасть на постоянную работу просто нельзя. Сотрудника воспринимают прежде всего как человека, способного принести какие-то дивиденды университету, причем не обязательно материальные. Значит, он должен иметь достаточно высокий научный уровень и связи в ученом мире, позволяющие найти новые источники финансирования.

Существует большое количество государственных грантов, направленных на поддержку научных исследований. Для того чтобы получить такой грант, надо участвовать в конкурсе. Гранты очень большие - сотни тысяч, а то и миллионы долларов. Половину этих денег университет забирает себе на содержание учебного процесса, так что это своеобразная форма государственной поддержки высшего образования.

Естественно, каждый университет заинтересован иметь у себя в штате сотрудников, способных эти гранты получить. Поэтому идет настоящая охота за известными учеными.

Вообще, американский университет - это большой город, вполне автономный, со своими властью и развитой инфраструктурой. Мэрилендский университет, к примеру, это 60 тысяч студентов, двадцать тысяч преподавателей и научных сотрудников, тридцать тысяч человек обслуживающего персонала. Вы не поверите, каждый сотрудник имеет отдельный кабинет и в нем весь день работает. Причем никаких тебе рядом аудиторий и студентов. Тихо, спокойно, никто не мешает, сидишь и пишешь книги и статьи, или к лекции готовишься. Нашим преподавателям вузов об этом пока остается только мечтать.

Кстати, меня поразило, как много наши западные коллеги работают. У нас, по-моему, никто так не трудится. Все, с кем я там контактировал, приезжали на работу где-то в одиннадцать часов утра, а уезжали в десять вечера. Причем работали точно так же и в субботу, и в воскресенье, и в праздники.

-Получается, у американских студентов нагрузка меньше, чем у

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наших, а у научных сотрудников наоборот, намного больше.

- Несомненно, нагрузка у них намного больше, потому что они готовят проекты, участвуют в конкурсах. Если проект финансируется, это влечет за собой, как правило, колоссальный объем работы и очень жесткие сроки.

По-другому им просто нельзя. Дело в том, что Окончание университета не гарантирует выпускнику спокойной жизни, несмотря на то, что, пройдя полный курс обучения, он становится доктором наук, по-нашему, кандидатом. Работа, которую он может найти в науке, называется постдокторская позиция. В переводе на наши реалии – это что-то вроде статуса младшего научного сотрудника. Из числа таких начинающих докторов обычно набирает себе помощников получивший грант ученый. Поэтому молодой специалист, не успев получить работу на год, тут же начинает искать себе место под солнцем на будущий год, обращаясь в разные университеты.

Можете себе представить, как упорно и много он должен работать, чтобы получить хорошую рекомендацию. И человек вынужден крутиться в таком темпе семь-десять лет. Только тогда у него возникает известность, позволяющая претендовать на постоянную работу. Только тогда он сможет подготовить самостоятельный проект и получить под него соответствующее финансирование. Система, конечно, достаточно жесткая, но человек уж так воспитан, что работа для него становится смыслом жизни.

Потому те американцы, которые решили посвятить себя науке, и женятся поздно, и своим хозяйством обзаводятся уже в зрелом возрасте. У большинства научных сотрудников не то что дома, вообще ничего нет. Одни джинсы, три рубашки, пара ботинок и все. Он не думает больше ни о чем, кроме как о том, сколько напишет статей, ибо от этого зависит его будущее.

Зато, получив через десяток лет постоянную должность в университете, человек попадает в верхушку среднего слоя общества, и его материальные и духовные потребности будут удовлетворены полностью. Значит, будет у него

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со временем и семья, и свой дом. Ведь двухэтажная вилла за городом и машина для каждого члена семьи – это своего рода стандарт жизни для американца.

Так что о плюсах и минусах американской системы высшего образования судите сами.

Exercises:

I. Form words with the help of suffixes and prefixes, translate them and

II. Translate the following words paying attention to the suffixes and prefixes:

equality, gravity, velocity, condition, position, equation, configuration, observation, tasteless, colourless, homeless, hatless, saltless, colorful, tasteful, beautiful, tactful, useful, higher, lower, unbalanced, unequal, undone, insignificant.

III.Translate the following:

a)the materials tested required, the work performed showed, the results obtained showed, the equipment tested required, the problem solved proved, the

substances decomposed proved, the experiments discussed proved, the results

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obtained required, promised difference disappeared;

b) having completed, having visited, having done, having got, having finished, having known, having taken, having asked, having explained;

с) considering, depending, getting, proposing, conducting, attempting, giving, asking, studying, doing, copying, developing, соping.

IV. Translate the following:

а) падающее тело, сдающий экзамены, имеющий проблемы, заканчивающий школу, изменяющаяся структура, спрашивающий студент, отвечающий профессор;

б) получая, изменяя, спрашивая, отвечая, давая, организуя, изучая,

идя;

в) получив, изменив, спросив, ответив, изучив, закончив, поняв, организовав, предложив.

V. Translate the following sentences paying attention to Participle I and Participle II:

1. Having completed 12 years of studies and graduated from high school, a youngster entered the college. 2. Graduates proposing to go to an institute take two sets of exams. 3. Sometimes the professor showed complicated tables on the screen - these tables were prepared by the firm publishing the textbooks for the teacher's use. 4. The impression one got was that the man sitting and facing you at his table was explaining things and drawing diagrams for you alone. 5. Living in that town I liked it. 6. Having left the town I missed it greatly. 7. Having got into college by trickery one won't be able to study properly. 8. In American schools you won't see children prompting each other. 9. My university built over the past century will mark its centenary. 10. You need a document testifying your work with children. 11. Engineers ruling the factories and the country usually do not know how to govern, doing it by intuition. 12. Having been invited to the party I started for it. 13. Having been asked this question I answered it willingly.

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14. Having bought the tickets I was very glad to go to the concert. 15. The film being very interesting everybody saw it. 16. Having promised to help her I went to the laboratory. 17. Having been shown the film we discussed it. 18. Having opened the door I saw an awful picture. 19. Being afraid of the exam I didn't go to it. 20. Knowing nothing of the accident he didn't stop his work. 21. From that moment they can work in peace, not fearing anybody, openly expressing his views, having no fears for the future.

VI. Translate paying attention to the underlined words:

a)The more you work, the better you know English. 2. The more satellites the scientists launch into space, the easier it will be to assemble orbital laboratories. 3. The stronger the material is, the more load it can carry. 4. The faster they will go on their work, the better results will be achieved.

b)The problems he suggested to solve are very important. 2. The substance the students have decomposed was carbon dioxide. 3. The formula the mathematician used in his research work will be given further explanation. 4. The temperature the assistant obtained was critical. 5. The book he spoke about is on sale in the shop. 6. You may see the results they achieved. 7. The results the pupils achieved are placed in their pupils' school report. 8. The children we met on our way could speak Russian fluently. 9. The knowledge he got at school was very poor. 10. At last we saw the man we have been waiting for. 11. Do you know that couple we met at the party yesterday? 12. We welcomed the students we invited to our discussion.

VII. Translate the following sentences paying attention to Gerund:

1. Reading is my hobby. 2. Taking notes is easy. 3. The quality of teaching in America is determined primarily by the ratio of students to teachers. 4. I prefer listening to classic music. 5. We use a barometer for measuring the atmospheric pressure. 6. The falling pressure of the barometer is a sign of changing weather. 7. Studying a foreign language is a difficult work. 8. We began making a new

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device in our laboratory. 9. Faraday was not yet twenty when he began experimenting. 10. I began attending scientific lectures on philosophy.

11.Lecturing is an art and makes most difficult subjects clear and interesting.

12.We insist on their taking part in this experiment. 13. After having checked the temperature he changed experiment conditions. 14. Everybody was afraid of missing a single word. 15. The course encourages creative thinking. 16. Seeing him makes me glad I left the army. 17. Ring me up before going home. 18. While talking he didn't look at her. 19. On returning home from school I met the girl I was eager to see. 20. While waiting for them I was looking through magazines.

21.Harassing tenants make them leave is a criminal offence. 22. While living in Britain you should register with a local general practitioner.

VIII. Translate the sentences paying attention to the Infinitive:

1. To study well we must go to the lessons regularly. 2. To study well is our task. 3. To understand all is to forgive all. 4. To win that competition was a difficult task. 5. To win that competition he trained hard. 6. To take the book I need badly I went to the library. 7. To get this book from our library is not easy. 8. To avoid my mother's questions, I went up to my room. 9. To take part in the conference many scientists were invited. 10. I have much work to do at home. 11. He is not the man to be asked about it. 12. I consider him to be the best pupil in our group. 13. Each type of atom is known to have a name and symbol. 14. The material to be tested had interesting properties. 15. The problem to be solved was of great importance. 16. The engineers had several problems to solve. 17. The tourists had three miles to go. 18. To understand this problem one should read a lot. 19. To explain this law one should know the theory well. 20. You study at the institute to become qualified specialists.

IX. Here are some questions for you to answer. These questions are taken from "The Kids' Book of Questions". This book is for kids, but it is not a book of childish questions. Some questions are playful, the others are serious. Treat these

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questions as your own. Play with them, add to them, change them. But don't just answer "yes" or "no". Try to explore why you and your friends feel the way you do; you'll find that the reasons behind people's answers are even more interesting than the answers themselves.

Playing with questions of this sort is a game to laugh and have fun with. It is often quite amazing to find out where one little question can lead you. Good luck and have fun.

1.If a good friend did something bad and you were asked if you knew anything about it, would you lie to keep your friend from getting into trouble?

2.What is your biggest fear?

3.If your parents lost their jobs and you had to try to help support your family, what sorts of things would you do to earn money?

4.If you could pick any one food and have as much of it as you wanted - but nothing else - during the next week, what would you pick?

5.What would make you try harder in school: wanting to please a teacher you liked a lot? not wanting to disappoint your parents? being offered a fabulous prize if you did well?

6.If you got so angry at your parents that you decided to run away, where would you go? If you ran away, do you think you would ever come home again?

7.If there were a hard but exciting project to do, would you rather do it by yourself and get all the credit for it, or do it with a group of friends knowing that everyone would share the credit?

8.What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Are you embarrassed now by the same things that used to embarrass you?

9.Do you think you will be famous one day?

10.If you could do one thing you are not allowed to do now because you are too young, what would you pick?

11.If you could be either the most attractive, the most athletic, or the

cleverest kid in your class, which would you choose?

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12.What do you think your parents worried about when they were your age? What do you think they worry about now?

13.If you were to be granted any one magical power you wanted, what would you pick?

14.What do you think your friends like most about you? If you lost that quality, do you think they would still like you?

15.If you could make a TV show about anything you wanted and you knew that millions of people would see it, what would it be about?

16.Would you rather have a job you didn't like that paid a lot or a job you loved that paid just enough to get by on?

17.If you could see into the future but not change it, would you want to do

so?

18.What is the wildest and craziest thing you've ever done? Would you like to do it again?

19.If your two best friends got so mad that they both refused to come to your birthday party, what would you do?

20.If your big brother offered you some drugs, what would you do?

21.If you couldn't watch TV for a year, what do you think you would do with all of your extra time? Do you think you would be better off if you watched TV more or less than you do now? Why?

22.Are you worried about what kind of place the world will be when you grow up? If so, what worries you most and what do you think could be done to improve things?

23.If you could have either the ability to talk to animals or the power to see into the future, which would you -want?

24.If you could have anyone famous as a best friend, who would you

pick?

25.What do you feel your parents should do for you or give you without even expecting to be thanked - for example, cooking meals, buying clothes ... Do

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you think they feel you don't need to thank them for these things?

26.Who do you think are our country's enemies? What exactly do you think they would do to you if they became the rulers here?

27.What is the most boring thing you can imagine doing? Would you do it for a whole week if you could then celebrate your birthday twice each year?

28.Are there people you trust so much you wouldn't be afraid to have them know your every thought?

29.Which subjects at school do you think are completely useless to you? Which ones do you think will be important to you?

30.When was the last time you told your parents you loved them?

31.When someone says you are just like your mom or your dad, do you like it? Do you try more to be like your parents or to be different from them?

32.Would you eat a worm sandwich if doing so meant that next week you could appear on your favorite TV show?

33.Is there any argument you have again and again with your parents? If so, what do you think you could do to prevent it? Do you sometimes just enjoy arguing?

34.What was the luckiest thing that ever happened to you?

35.Do you act like different people when you are with your friends, your family, and your schoolmates?

36.Would you rather be a rich and famous movie star or a great doctor who saves a lot of people but is not wealthy or well known?

37.What is the worst word you know? How did you learn it and when was the last time you said it?

38.When is the last time you really laughed at yourself because you did something silly or stupid?

39.If you could have some friend be your slave for a day and do anything you wanted, what would you ask for? Pretend your friend wouldn't get upset no

matter what you wanted.

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40.If this Saturday you could do absolutely anything you wanted, what would you do?

41.Who are your heroes? Why do you think they are so terrific?

42.When was the last time you lied to your parents? to a close friend? When was the last time you got caught lying?

43.Are you afraid to ask questions when you don't understand something?

44.Do you wish your parents would question you less or more about what you do and how you feel?

45.If your parents told you your best friend was a bad influence on you and that you were no longer allowed to be together, how would you feel? Would you do what they said?

46.Would you rather have a strict teacher who was fair and taught well or a teacher who was relaxed and fun but didn't teach very well?

47.If you could have a round-trip ride in a time machine and travel any distance into the past or future, where would you want to go?

48.What would you do if everyone in your family forgot your birthday?

49.If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

50.Would you like to have an identical twin?

51.If you were offered $100 to kiss someone you liked in front of your school class, would you do it?

52.What is the worst nightmare you can remember? Would you be willing to have the same dream tonight if it meant you could spend a weekend in Disneyland?

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