Lesson IV My institute

1. Read and translate the text:

Astrakhan Engineer building Institute (aebi)

After finishing secondary school, lyceum or gymnasium one can go on to higher education. All applicants must take competitive examinations. Entrance examinations are held in July and August. Higher educational institutions are headed by Rectors. Vice-rectors are in charge of the academic and scientific work. Higher educational institutions train undergraduates and graduate students in one or several specializations. The faculties are headed by the Deans. There are departments within faculties. Institutions of higher education include: technical training schools, teachers training colleges, universities which offer masters and doctoral degrees programmes.

A.E.B.I is one of the youngest state high schools. It was founded in 1992 from the building faculty of Technical University and Technical College № 12 by a head of the building faculty of Technical University professor Sapozhnikov. Up to 2006 he was a rector of the new institute. Originally it was called High Military Engineer Building College. College had no own building and lecturers then.

It is very difficult for young institute to survive during these years. So as the institute is state – subsidized it has to organize some commercial structures in order to get money for buying everything necessary for studying.

In 1997 the institute got two buildings: the main one for academic purpose and a hostel. Originally there was only one faculty in our institute – industrial and civil construction and only two hundred students.

Now there are five faculties (industrial and civil construction, heat and gas supply and ventilation, water supply and sewerage, architecture and design, applied geodesy), twelve chairs, a library, some laboratories and gyms in it. The amount of students now is one thousand and five hundred.

A lot of professors, doctors of science, assistant professors, candidates of science, and experienced lecturers train and teach students using know-how technology - through projecting and studying. It means that each student gets a theme for his scientific work and diploma project at the first course. He is able to fulfill his project up to the graduating from the institute only learning all academic subjects perfectly and using knowledge, imagination, creativity and scientific research in his annual course works.

Every year in April almost all students of our institute take part in scientific technical conference with their research works and scientific reports connecting with their course and diploma projects. Winners get diplomas and prizes.

From 1992 to 2006 students of our institute got more than two hundred diplomas for their scientific and course projects at the students’ regional, Russian and international (Italy, Spain) competitions.

During years of studying students get four diplomas – the worker one after the first course, the technician one after the third course, the bachelour one after the forth course and the constructor-engineer diploma after the fifth course. The institute has got specialized tenth and eleventh classes for pupils who get primary knowledge of math’s and physics for engineers.

In 2003 the institute got state accreditation and established a specialised council for conferring advanced academic degree in building mechanics. In nearest future our institute will have one more academic building for laboratories and faculties.

2. Answer the questions to the test:

1) All applicants must take …

a) scientific work

b) masters degrees programmes

c) competitive examinations

2) Higher educational institutions … by rectors

a) are held

b) are headed

c) are in charge

3) Higher educational institutions … in one or several specializations

a) can go

b) must take

c) train students

4) AEBI was founded from…

a) the building faculty and technical college

b) High Military College

c) the youngest state high school

5) AEBI has to organize some commercial structures…

a) to have own building and lecturers

b) to get money for buying smth for studying

c) to include technical training school

6) There was only one faculty in our institute:

a) industrial and civil construction

b) water supply and sewerage

c) applied geodesy

7) A lot of experienced lecturers teach students using…

a) academic purpose

b) scientific research

c) through projecting and studying

8) Our know-how technology means…

a) all students take part in scientific conference

b) each student must use knowledge of all subjects in his degree project

c) winners get diplomas and prizes

9) Every year all students take part in conference…

a) to get four diplomas

b) to graduate from the institute

c) with research works

10) In 2003 our institute got state accreditation and…

a) established advanced academic degree’s specialized council

b) got the technician diploma

c) got the bachelour diploma

3. Give definitions to the following terms:

1. applicant; 2. competitive examination; 3. rector; 4. undergraduate; 5. graduate; 6. dean; 7. faculty; 8. university; 9. college; 10. professor; 11. lecturer; 12. hostel; 13. chair; 14. library; 15. laboratory; 16. gym; 17. assistant professor; 18. know-how; 19. through projecting and studying; 20. project; 21. subject; 22. diploma; 23. worker; 24. technician; 25. bachelour; 26. civil engineer; 27. course.

a) a year of studying in institute

b) a new technology

c) a department of institute

d) a teacher of institute

e) the lowest specialty

f) a sport-hall

g) a head of institute

h) an institute’s locality with journals, newspapers, textbooks etc

i) a document of graduating from the institute

j) a specialist who can project and build structures

k) a student’s hotel

l) a high educational institution

m) a study-room for taking research work

n) the highest scientific degree

o) a future student

p) a secondary specialized educational institution

q) a department of institute

r) a head of faculty

s) the second scientific degree

t) a new technology of education

u) the middle range of specialty

v) the first level of high education

w) a test

x) a student

y) a final year student

z) a technical drawing

aa) an academic discipline

4. Translate Russian sentences into English:

1) В институте есть специализированные 10 и 11 классы, где учащиеся получают первоначальные знания по математике и физике для инженеров.

2) Все абитуриенты должны сдавать испытательные экзамены.

3) Проректоры занимаются учебной и научной работой.

4) В настоящий момент в институте пять факультетов, двенадцать кафедр, библиотека, несколько лабораторий и спортзалы.

5) Использование технологии сквозного проектирования означает, что каждый студент обязан разработать свой проект к окончанию вуза, используя знания по всем изученным предметам и результаты проведённых исследовательских работ.

6) Учреждения высшего образования включают технические вузы, педагогические вузы.

7) Первоначально в нашем институте был только один факультет, и обучались двести студентов.

8) В период обучения студенты получают четыре диплома- рабочего, техника, бакалавра и инженера-строителя.

9) Сейчас количество студентов в АИСИ – одна тысяча с половиной.

10) За 14 первых лет студенты АИСИ выиграли более 200 дипломов на конкурсах студенческих проектов.

5. Divide the text about AEBI into some logical parts, give titles to them and give brief information on the topic according to your plan.

6. Listen to the text about “University Education in Great Britain” and answer the questions to the test:

Key-words to the text:

to be equal – быть равным

to be world – known - быть всемирно известным

breadth – история

tutorial – консультация

in total account – общим количеством

a one-to-one basis – индивидуально

in advance – заранее

essay – сочинение

solving problem – решение задачи

to be split – делиться

term – семестр

extend – длиться

TEST

“University education in UK”

1. There are … universities in UK.

a) 36

b) 46

c) 66

2. They differ from one another in ……. .

a) size and breadth

b) departments and colleges

c) academic organization, history and tradition.

3. An undergraduate programme consists of ………….. .

a) lectures, seminars, tutorials

b) a one-to-one basis

c) academic terms

4. Students in UK universities study …

a) 20 hours in a week

b) 25 hours in a week

c) 15 hours in a week

5. Students prepare work in advance for seminars and tutorials by …

a) writing essays and solving problems

b) consulting with their tutors

c) researching a topic for discussion

6. The academic year is split into …

a) three terms

b) two terms

c) four terms

7. …… takes place in the first two terms

a) classes

b) teaching

c) examinations

8. After three years of study a university graduate will leave with …

a) the degree of Bachelor

b) the Master’s Degree

c) the Doctor’s Degree

7. Choose the correct variant that is suitable to the peculiarities of educational systems either Russia or Great Britain:

1) Lectures and seminars are in total 15 hours in a week in …… universities.

2) Seminars can be on a one-to-one basis in …… universities.

3) In …… universities the group of students from 25-30 has the only tutor.

4) Lectures and seminars in …… universities are an hour and a half in length.

5) The academic year is split into three terms in …… universities.

6) …... students prepare for seminars by writing essays or solving problems.

7) …… students must prepare for seminars each week.

8) The third term in …… universities is reserved examinations and lasts for six weeks.

9) In……universities students have only two holidays in a year- summer and winter.

10) ……university degree courses extend from three to four years.

8. Imagine that one of you is a British student and another one is a student of AEBI. Compose the dialog and speak about differences in education systems of two countries.