Focus on Language

1. Look at the entry for the word book from the English-Russian Dictionary. It will help you to work with dictionaries more effectively.

Pronunciation in phonetic symbols

Part of speech

	book [ buk ] n. 1. книга; 2. литературное произведение; v Translation . 1. записывать, регистрировать; 2. заносить в список; 3. заказывать, бронировать места, продавать билеты (обычно заранее); приглашать, договариваться adj. книжный, ~ learning – теоретические знания
I ~ means repeat the word The translation nformation in brackets (…) helps you to choose the right translation or shows which country this word is widely used in

2. Identify what parts of speech the words in bold are.

• Pull down the blinds before you light the lamp.

• This bright light blinds my eyes.

3. The words below have more than one meaning. Use a dictionary to find out which part of speech they are and what meanings they have. Write two sentences to illustrate different meanings of every word.

	Sentence 1	Sentence 2
book	I’ve bought a new book.	Have you already booked a room at a hotel?
train
might
last
course
honour
subject
degree
way

Get real

Study the website and prospectus of your university. Then write your own advertisement for university applicants. Use the University of Birmingham text as an example. University rank

1. Levels of study

2. Fields of science

3. Accommodation provided

4. University structure

5. Location, facilities and services

6. Number of students and staff

7. Students life activities

Listening

1. Before you listen, discuss the meaning of these words and phrases with a partner. Use a dictionary if necessary.

2. Match the verbs in A with the words and phrases in B to make word combinations related to education. Translate them into your native language. Some words are used more than once.

A		B
offer
suit
transfer		a course
cover		a qualification
specify		credit points
gain		one’s interest
design		progress
take		a route of study
provide		an opportunity
develop		skills
pass		modules/subjects
broaden
monitor

3. Listen to James Couzin, Education Consultant at “Universities UK” speaking on the new modular schemes. Complete the notes.

(Adapted from The HERO.ac.uk site)

Reading

Read the interview by Helen Joyce from Plus Magazine with Emily Dixon, a third-

year mathematics student at Oxford and answer the questions below.

Emily, how did you choose to take the course of maths?

When it came to choosing A Levels I wasn't quite sure which route I wanted to take. I knew I definitely wanted to do maths, just because it was a subject I was good at, and it interested me more than most subjects. My teacher was very good at encouraging me to go beyond the scope of the syllabus and we went to lectures in London and at the University of Cambridge. So I knew I only got a very small glimpse of what maths was about at school. It changes dramatically when you get to university.

So, it was easy for you to choose a university, wasn’t it?

Well, as I had high grades, I was advised to consider Oxford or Cambridge. But I had lived in Cambridge all my life, so I wanted a change and I didn't want my parents checking up on me every five seconds! That’s why I considered various universities, but in the end I set my sights on Oxford, choosing to apply to St John's College.

Did you have to do exams?

Yes, I needed to achieve three A grades out of four, two of which had to be in maths and further maths. I also went for an interview at the college.

So you were offered place and started the college.

Yeap, I found my first term at university something of a shock to the system.

What do you mean?

A level maths was the sort of maths I could do; it didn't take too much hard work. And some lecture courses start where A level left off. But you do what took you two weeks at A level in one lecture maybe, or even less. Suddenly I had to come to terms with the concept of lectures and structuring my own work schedule and doing my tutorial! The first time I was thinking: 'I haven't done everything right. I don't know what to do, the tutor's going to kill me!' But they're there to help you through it. There are some people who can just look at a problem sheet and do it. I am not one of those people! But with enough work, it generally makes sense.

How long are you going to study?

For four years.

But, you don't have to do a fourth year. Three will give you a B.A.

Right. However, the fourth year gives you M.Math. For the three-year course you have to do a paper in something outside maths and for the four-year you really just do maths.

Well, have you decided on your future career yet?

I’m still undecided. There are so many things you can do with maths –but definitely not a research mathematician. I don't think I'm good enough. I think a Masters degree is as far as my maths is capable of taking me.

(Adapted and abridged from http://plus.maths.org/issue28/interview/index.html

1. What reasons did Emily have for choosing Oxford University?

2. Why did she decide on the course in mathematics?

3. How long is the course?

4. How do studies at college differ from studies at school?

5. What qualification will she get?

6. What is Emily planning to do in future?

Writing

1. Application forms mostly ask for information rather than ask questions. Match a line in A with a question in B.

A	B
First name	Where are you living at the moment?
Surname	Are you married or single?
Date of birth	Where were you born?
Country of origin	What’s your surname?
Present address	Where do you live?
Permanent address	What do you do?
Marital status	When were you born?
Occupation	How much do you earn?
Annual income	What’s your first name?

2. Fill in the application form for admission. Write in block capitals. Put N/A if the information is not applicable.

Application Form for admission as an undegraduate student 1. Personal information Title__________________________________________________________Mr/Mrs/Miss Surname__________________________________________________________________ First Name(s)______________________________________________________________ Date of birth (use figures only): date__________ month_____________ year___________ Place of birth____________________________Citizenship_________________________ Home address: street and house_______________________________________________ city____________________country______________________postcode______________ Telephone (country, area code/phone number)____________________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________ Mailing address (if different from home address)__________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 3. Prefered field of study first choice__________________________________________________________ second choice_______________________________________________________ 4. University entrance qualifications: Type (gymnasia, lyceum, comprehensive school, vocational school, technical school)____ _________________________________________________________________________ Date of completion_________________________________________________________ Average grade (not necessary for foreign certificates)______________________________ 5. Professional training/practical training (please include references) Professional qualification ____________________________________________________ Duration of training from_______________________until__________________________ 6. Professional experience after training and/or other working experience (for more than 8 weeks, include references) ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 7. University/college previously attended (if you have previously been registered as a full-time student at a university/college, please supply all information) Institution________________________________________________________________ Qualifications completed/being studied_________________________________________ Field of study _____________________________________________________________ Dates____________________________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Signature _________________________

Role play

Study help Make use of every opportunity you get to practice speaking in class. Role-plays help you prepare for a real-world experience.

Work in pairs. One of you is a Russian school-leaver, the other represents a European University. You both meet at the Forum of Education Opportunities held in the school-leaver’s hometown.

In the Realm of Science

1. In education, as well as in many other spheres of our life, there are a great number of abbreviations. Read and remember the abbreviations to do with the degree titles, e.g. BS stands for Bachelor of Science. Do all of them have Russian equivalents?

A.S.	Associate of Science (USA)
A.A.	Associate of Arts (USA)
A.A.S.	Associate of Applied Science (USA)
BS	Bachelor of Science
BA	Bachelor of Arts
MS	Master of Science
MA	Master of Arts
M.Math*	Master of Mathematics
M.Eng.*	Master of Engineering
MPhil*	Master of Philosophy (UK)
MBA	Master of Business Administration
PhD	Doctor of Philosophy
Hons3	Honours
HND	Higher National Diploma (UK)
HNС	Higher National Certificate (UK)
FdA	Foundations degree in Arts
FdSc	Foundations degree in Sciences

M.Math – professional (taught) degree

M.Eng. – research degree

MPhil - a university course that is of a higher level than a basic course

What degrees are awarded in Russian universities?

2. Read and remember some of the terms describing academic positions.

a teacher	-	someone who teaches, especially someome whose job is teaching, especially in a school
a tutor	-	(BrE) someone who gives lessons to an individual student or a very small group (NAmE) an assistant lecturer in a college
a lecturer	-	(especially in Britain) someone who teaches at a university or college
a professor	-	(especially BrE) a university teacher of the highest rank
a full professor	-	(NAmE) a rank of university teacher, and not as a title
an associate professor	-	(in the US and Canada) a teacher at a college or university who has a rank just below the rank of a professor
an assistant professor	-	(in the US and Canada) a teacher at a college or university who has a rank just below the rank of an associate professor
staff	-	all the workers employed in an organization considered as a group (BrE) teaching staff Ç (BrE) (NAmE) the people who work at a school, college or university, but who do not teach students
faculty	-	(NAmE) all the teachers of a particular university or college
a visiting professor	-	someone who has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time.
an adjunct professor	-	someone who is on a part-time position, to do research or teach classes.
professor Emeritus	-	someone with a title showing that the person, usually a university teacher, keeps the title as an honour, although he or she has stopped working
an instructor	-	someone who teaches sb a practical skill or sport; (NAmE) a teacher below the rank of assistant professor at a college or university
a coach	-	someone who trains a person or team in sport, and helps them to improve their skills
a trainer	-	someone who trains people in the skills they need to do a job
an educator	-	someone who teaches in a school, college, or university and who is an expert in the theories and methods of education

(Longman Language Activator)

Unit 1. Progress Monitoring In this unit you have worked on the vocabulary related to the topic “Higher education” undergraduate/postgraduate programme to choose a field of study to provide accommodation to combine subjects to be well equipped for/with to do a course/a paper/exams to support societies/groups/learning to apply to a college different/various/a variery of/a wide range of to monitor one’s progress to design a programme of study a modular course to receive marks/credit points compulsory/optional subjects to pass “core”/”elective” modules to take a course/a route of study Tick (V) the points you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.

Unit 2 There is So Much to Study in Science
	Lead in

1. Look at the diagram of the natural sciences and their terms. Work in teams and add four more terms of your own that go with the particular science.

2. Look at the definition of biochemistry below. Work with a partner. Give a definition of your field of study using the verbs from the Functional language box.

Example: Biochemistry examines the structure and function of living organisms

at the molecular level.

Functional language: Giving definitions … is a science / study of … … studies/examines/investigates/etc. … … describes/deals with/determines/etc. … … uses/analyses/focuses on/etc. …

Reading

1. Look through the definitions of some natural sciences dealing with environmental issues. Match the definitions with the right titles of sciences below. Mark the key words in each definition that helped you to make the right guesses. A is done as an example.

Study help Choosing techniques appropriate for your reading goals can save you time. Here are some reading techniques you may find helpful for reading efficiently—quickly and with good understanding. Guessing the new words Using a dictionary for new words Highlighting repeated or paraphrased key words.

A …is concerned with the health of our environment and the significance of pollution. It focuses around our ability to improve our understanding of the effects of pollution on plants and animals and to develop early warning markers of organisms, population or environmental health.

B …uses a high level of mathematical technique for the description and analysis of complex environmental systems. It needs complicated statistical methods in the design of experiments and interpretation of measurements in the monitoring of the environment…

C …uses scientific background to the processes which affect the environment and its management as well as considering the social, legal and policy implications of environmental issues.

D …is the scientific study of chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It deals with the behaviour of both natural and man-made substances in relation to atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial environment.

E …is the science of the relationship between organisms and their environments. It is the study of harmful effects of modern civilization on the environment, with a view toward prevention or reversal through conservation.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

Pollution Science - A	Ecology
Environmental Management	Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Mathematics

Writing

Write the definition of your field of study. Pay attention to the key words you use.

Listening

1. Work with a partner. Choose the correct explanation of the words and phrases below. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1. If something is hands-on it is

a) theoretical b) practical c) both

2. If something is promising it

a) is bad and useless b) is unknown c) shows potential

3. If something captivated you it was

a) dead boring b) fascinating and attractive c) absolutely new to you

4 If something is familiar to you it is

a) well-known b) strange c) clear

5. If it is a procedure of something it is

a) a process or method b) a rule c) an explanation

6. If you hesitate you feel

a) brave b) unhappy c) uncertain

7. If you have a doubt about something you

a) feel scared b) hesitate c) feel angry

8. If you decide to broaden your knowledge of a subject you

a) forget about it b) think about it a lot c) learn more about it

9. If you are inquisitive you

a) are talented b) are imaginative c) want to know

more about people or things

2. Listen to John, Paul and July telling how they got interested in science. Tick (V) the correct piece of information about them.

Who…?	John	Paul	July
got interested by educational TV programs
loved reading science fiction books
was encouraged by their parents
is fond of experimenting
is going to become a research scientist
has a particular career in mind
hasn’t decided yet what to do in the future

3. Listen again and answer the questions.

1. Are they all happy with their choice of specialization?

2. Why can interest in science mean a future full of choices?

3. What are the possible disadvantages of being a research scientist?

Speaking

Work with a partner, ask each other the questions below.

• Are you happy with the choice of your subject area? Why?/Why not?

• How did you get interested in it?

• What are your plans for the future? Do you have any particular career in mind?

• Would you like to become a research scientist? Why?/Why not?

• What else except for an inquisitive mind one should have to be a research scientist?

• Do you agree that successful scientists are born rather than made? Why?/Why not?

Writing

Write a paragraph about your partner’s choice of the subject area using his/her answers to the questions above and the information in the Study help box as the guidelines to help you to organize your ideas and develop a good piece of writing.

Study help A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop an idea. In a paragraph there is usually one idea that is more important than all the others and it is commonly found at the beginning. The main idea is supported by major details that grow out of it. And there are also minor details that grow out of the major ones, i.e. examples, explanations, additional information, etc. When you write, try to join your ideas with the linking words and phrases, e.g. first of all, moreover, besides, finally, actually, in any case. When you have finished, re-read and check your work.

Reading

1. You are going to read the text about the Combined Science (Natural Sciences) course. Work with a partner and make a list of subjects that you think are included in the curriculum.

2. Read the description of the Combined Science degree course offered in Lancaster University in the UK and check the predictions you have made.

Guess the meaning of the highlighted words. Check as a class.

The Combined Science degree, which includes Natural Sciences, is founded on Lancaster's tradition of flexibility and forward thinking. Following current interest in a broader, less specialized education we have brought together 25 departments offering 56 different courses from which you can take a degree adapted to your personal requirements. The scheme cuts through the conventional barriers between subjects, allowing combinations not only between the sciences, but also between the sciences and the humanities or social sciences.

Most science degrees require a specialized study of a single subject even though the majority of science graduates eventually follow careers which would be better served by a broader, less specialized education providing relevant experience in, for example, management, languages or social sciences.

(Adapted from Lancaster University Undergraduate Prospectus Entry 2005)

3. Read the text again and answer the questions.

1. How many departments are involved in training students in the Combined

Science course?

2. Who may find this course most attractive?

3. Does the combined course provide any particular career opportunities? What are they?

4. How many natural science subjects can a student take?

5. Who can help students to make the right choice of the subjects?

4. Study help We remember new words much more easily if we think about them in relation to our own experience and if they have some personal meaning for us.

   Match each item on the left with an

item on the right to make a phrase commonly used in English. Use prepositions where necessary.

specialized current wide personal barriers a wide range programme provide academic forward mature

of between

study requirements subjects excellence choice education student thinking interest a means of areas

Focus on Language

1. Read the sentences below and study the models in the box. Translate them into your native language.

• About one-third of the first year is based on course work.

• A number of our graduates have taken up PhD studies.

Subject and verb agreement Singular expression (a lot of)+plural noun/pronoun+ plural verb + plural noun + singular verb Some of + singular noun+ singular verb Some of + plural noun+ plural verb Plural expressions: + singular verb 6) a number of + plural noun + plural verb 7) the number of + plural noun + singular verb

2. Choose the correct verb in brackets.

1. Surveys show that the majority of school-leavers (consider/considers) a

university degree a good starting point for their future career.

2. Each of the students (has/have) a notebook.

3. Of our recent graduates about half (is/are) continuing their studies for a higher degree.

4. Why (was/were) some of the students absent from classes?

5. My teenage brother thinks there (is/are) a number of good reasons for staying up late and having a good time.

6. More than one computer in this lab (has/have) broken down.

7. Statistics (is/are) a branch of mathematics.

Speaking

Work in groups. Use the scheme of the degree course in Combined Science offered in Lancaster University as a model. Discuss it and design a modular degree course that suits your particular needs and interests.

Get Real

Visit a website of any European or American university to learn more about modular courses in your subject area. How would you structure a degree course in Combined Science? Prepare a short talk.

Study help Preparing and giving a short talk Find some information on the topic you are going to talk about Check that the information is all correct Make notes on the subject of your talk and organize the information Have a strong opening and close Make it interesting Keep your sentences short and simple Make sure you pause in the right places Speak for your audience, not for yourself Do not read! It’s really boring. Point to the relevant parts of the visual as you speak Say Thank you and welcome questions from your audience Handle questions positively

Writing

1. Write two or three paragraphs of about 150 words to describe a Modular Course in Combined Science you would like to take. Use the guidelines to organize your ideas.

• describe the course you would like to take

• give reasons for your choice

• specify the advantages of the course for your future career

1. In pairs exchange and check the paragraphs you have written. Which science is most popular with your academic group?

In the Realm of Science

1. Read the expressions for fractions, decimals and percentages.

one half, a half

one third

two thirds

four sevenths

3 three and a quarter

0.2 nought point two

(zero) point two

0.75 nought point seven five

25.34 twenty-five point three four

1% one percent

78% seventy eight percent

90% ninety percent

2. Read aloud the following numbers.

13 30 307 69 145 90 850 615 1,520 5,000 100,000 5,000,000

When do we say and?

3. Practise the following dates:

1995		nineteen ninety-five
2000		(the year) two thousand
2007		(BrE) two thousand and seven (twenty hundred and seven) (NAmE) two thousand seven
2025		twenty twenty-five
Use ordinal numbers for dates
15th December 2010 December 5th, 2010	(BrE) the fifth of May 2010 or 15/12/10 (NAmE) May the fifth 2010 or 12/15/10

How do you say these dates?

December 12, 1987 26^th August 2001 11/23/11 (USA)

9^th February 1900 31^st September 2000 June 14, 1846 March 3, 1966 11/09/06 (UK) 01/01/01

4. There are different ways of saying the time.

Words past (or in American English after) and to (or in American English of) are used in spoken English:

7:05	-	five past seven	7:15	-	quarter past seven
7:30	-	half past seven	7:45	-	quarter to eight
7:55	-	five to eight	8:00	-	eight o’clock

Sometimes you can use the figures in order you see them:

7:05	-	seven oh five	7:15	-	seven fifteen
7:30	-	seven thirty	7:45	-	seven forty-five
7:55	-	seven fifty-five	8:00	-	eight a.m./p.m.

To talk about travel timetables the 24-hour clock is used:

19:15

-

nineteen fifteen

22:35

-

twenty-two thirty-five

How do you say the time?

14:45 8:15 23:10 12:30 18:55 21:00

Unit 2. Progress Monitoring In this unit you have worked on the vocabulary related to the topic “Higher education”: to make a career in science to specialize in natural/social sciences current interest in something to have a particular career in mind research scientist to study/understand/examine natural phenomena a combined science course barriers/ combinations between sciences a hands-on science a coursework/laboratory work/project work an applied science area to provide relevant experience to decide on something to have an inquisitive mind to suit somebody’s needs lab procedures/equipment Tick (V) the words and phrases you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.

Unit 3 Review

1. Complete the sentences with your own words. Use only present tenses. Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement.

1. One of my teachers …

2. A great number of first-year students …

3. A lot of universities …

4. Each of the students …

5. The number of books on this subject …

6. The United Arabic Emirates …

7. Some of the information …

8. Mathematics …

2. Explain the similarity and difference between these expressions.

compulsory subject - optional subject

undergraduate course - graduate course

sciences - humanities

3. Spot the odd word out.

	lecture	tutorial	laboratory work	subject
	compulsory	elective	undergraduate	optional
	essay	assessment	coursework	examination

4. Complete the definitions of sciences below with the key words from the box.

displacement	mass	structure	quantity
physical features	energy	properties	applying
living organisms	systems	condition	machines
inhabitants	force	implement	utilizing
behaviour	earth	function	structure
evolution	effect	pattern	dynamics
matter	origin	liquid	realize
space	axioms	react	history

1. Physics is the natural science which examines basic concepts such as ………….., charge, ……………… and its motion and all that derives from these, such as ………………, ……………., and space-time.

2. Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, ……………………… , and ………………………….. of matter and substances, how they ………………….. when combined or in contact with one another, and how they behave under different ……………………………….. .

3. Biology is the science that studies ……………………………………, their structure, ……………………, growth, ………………….., ………………………., distribution and classification.

4. Geography is the study of the …………………….. and its lands, ……………………………………., divisions and phenomena, ………………………………….. and products.

5. Geology deals with the solid and ……………………… matter that constitutes the Earth. It studies composition, ………………………….., physical properties, …………………………….., and …………………… of Earth materials, and the processes by which they are formed, moved, and changed.

6. Mathematics is the study of …………………………, structure, ……………………, change, and related topics of ………………………………. and form. It formulates new assumptions and establish their truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen …………………… and definitions.

7. Mechanics is concerned with the ……………………………… of physical bodies when subjected to forces or………………………….., and the subsequent ……………… of the bodies on their environment.

8. Engineering is an activity of …………………….. scientific knowledge and ………………………natural laws and physical resources in order to design and ……………………. materials, structures, …………………….., devices, ………………………., and processes, that safely ……………………..a desired objective.

4. Read these sayings. Choose one or two that you agree or disagree with and discuss them with a partner.

• “Genius without education is like silver in the mine.” Benjamin Franklin

• “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” Aristotle

• “Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught.” George Savile, Marquis of Halifax

4. Match the numbers on the left with the correct description on the right.

0.25	a telephone number
1205 886 4539	a fraction
89%	a date
23/4/2006	a percentage
£95.99	a decimal
¼	a price

4. The times below are written in three different ways. Match the times which are the same.

A	B	C
Eleven thirty-five	4:30	Five to midnight
Three forty-five	23:35	Twenty-five to twelve
Three twenty	12:25	Twenty past three
Four thirty	3:45	Half past four
Eleven fifty-five	11:35	Quarter past four
Four fifteen	16:15	Quarter to four
…………………..	15:20	………………………

Role play

Each one teach one

Write down a short vocabulary list (ten items) on the topic “Higher education”.

Work with a partner and compare your lists. Cross out the items you both have on your lists. Explain the meaning of the rest of the words and phrases.

“Information cannot replace education”

Earl Kiole

Learning Objectives