Questions:

1. When did you finish school?

2. What school-leaving exams did you take?

3. Where do you study?

4. What year are you in?

5. Do you major in economics?

6. Do you study full-time or part-time?

7. What are your favourite subjects?

8. What exams will you take in summer?

9. When will you graduate from the institute?

10. What do you want to become in the future?

Answers:

1. I took exams in Russian, mathematics and social science.

2. I study full-time.

3. Yes, I do. I major in economics.

4. I finished school this summer.

5. My favourite subjects are maths and English.

6. I’ll graduate from the institute in 2017.

7. I study at the Institute of Management and Information technologies.

8. I’m in my first year.

9. In the future I want to become an accountant.

10. In summer I will sit for my exams in history, maths and philosophy.

2. Match the nouns from the box with their definitions.

bachelor student’s record book rector assembly hall student’s card freshman

1. the head of a university, an institute or a college;

2. the document that proves that you are a member of the students’ community;

3. a first-year student;

4. your marks (grades) during the whole course at university are recorded in this book;

5. a graduate with a BA or BSc degree;

6. a hall where many people can gather together.

3. Translate these sentences into Russian.

1. I am in my first year. I am a freshman.

2. I did well in maths at school.

3. First I thought to enter the sciences, but then I changed my mind and decided to take up history.

4. Students study full-time, part-time and by correspondence.

5. I passed all the exams successfully and was admitted to the university.

6. In June I will read for my exams in mathematics.

7. In four years I will graduate from the institute.

8. The head of the department congratulated us on receiving a diploma.

9. I easily make friends with strangers.

4. Put in the right preposition if necessary.

1. I am … the history department … my first year.

2. I did … English very well.

3. I passed all the exams successfully and was admitted … the university.

4. When at school, I thought to enter … the sciences, but then I changed my mind and decided to take … history.

5. On the first day at the university I made friends … my future wife.

6. The Rector congratulated us … the beginning of the session.

7. … the end of each term we take … several pass-fail tests and exams.

8. … June I will read … my exams … archaeology, ancient history and Latin.

9. I want to study … correspondence.

5. Tell a few words about your first day at the institute. The words you may need: unforgettable, gather together, congratulate, receive student’s cards, make friends with.

6. Tell a few words about student’s life. The words you may need: easy / hard, study, attend lectures and seminars, write course-papers, take pass-fail tests and exams, sit for exams, be divided in … terms, last for … years, be awarded a bachelor’s / a master’s degree, receive diplomas.

7. Make up a story about July who is planning a holiday. Use the words and phrases below.

Spend one’s holiday in Crete, travel by ferry, enjoy boat trips, one’s best friend, one’s cousin, come with smb., stay in Hania for two weeks, go somewhere else, swim every day, take suntan oil.

Text 1

Read and translate the text into Russian. Answer the questions below. Practise good reading of the text.

Hello! My name’s Alex. I’m a student of the Institute of Management and Information Technologies in Cherepovets. I’m in my first year and I major in Economics. Our institute was founded in 1997. It’s a branch of the Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University, a leader in the field of higher engineering and economic education. Our institute realizes the model of an entrepreneurial university, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It trains specialists in 4 Bachelor degree programs: Management, Economics, Applied Information Science and Information Science. Students study full-time, part-time and by correspondence. In addition, in IMIT there are a number of non-degree educational programs, such as School for Career Development, Business School, Technology Park and others. Students take part in various extracurricular activities which are called “students’ firms” here.

It was only a year ago that I was a school-boy. I did well at school, and my favourite subjects were maths and computer science. First I thought to enter information science, but then I changed my mind and decided to take up economics. I took my school-leaving exams in maths, social science and Russian. I was successful and was admitted to the institute.

The first day at the institute was unforgettable. We gathered in the Assembly Hall where the director congratulated us on the beginning of the academic year and wished us success in our student’s life. We were given our student’s cards and record books. I made friends with many of my group-mates.

Student’s life isn’t easy. We must study hard, attend lectures and seminars, make reports and write course papers. The university course lasts 4 years. An academic year is divided into 2 terms each ending in an examination session. At the end of each term students take pass-fail tests and sit for their exams. This summer I am having exams in history, mathematics and philosophy. On graduating students receive diplomas which give them the right to work according to their specialty.

Notes:

entrepreneurial [ˏontəpriʹnju:rəl] – предпринимательский

applied [əʹplaid] – прикладной

science [ʹsaiəns] – наука

extracurricular [ˏekstrəkəʹrikjulə] – внеурочный

Questions:

1. What year is Alex in?

2. What subject does he major in?

3. What university does he study at?

4. What modes of study are there at the institute?

5. What educational programs does the institute train the specialists in?

6. When did Alex finish school?

7. What were his favourite subjects at school?

8. When did he decide to take up economics?

9. What state exams did he take?

10. What are his impressions about the first day at the institute?

11. What does student’s life look like?

12. How long does an academic year last?

13. How many terms are there at Russian universities?

14. When do students usually sit for their exams?

15. When do they receive their diplomas?