Reading text

Read the following text and try to understand it:

EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

At present, there are different kinds of secondary educational institutions, including lyceums and gymnasiums in Russia:

1. An ordinary secondary school, which reproduces the pattern of the Soviet period, with the program now extended to 11 years.

2. A gymnasium, which provides a higher standard of training in the humanities.

3. A lyceum, which gives deep knowledge in the natural sciences and technology.

4. Private schools, which comprise 1% of the total number of secondary schools. But studying there is very expensive, and very few can afford it.

The present education in Russia, including, higher education, is free. But now there is a multitude of non-government universities.

It is much easier to enter a private university than a free (government) university, because the requirements of the entrance examinations are much lower and the competition is not so stiff (not everybody can afford to pay for education), but also because free government universities have long-standing traditions, including a system of training specialists and experienced teachers. So the competition among the entrants is very tough, particularly at prestigious universities; and the successful passing of the entrance exams takes long and careful preparation.

In spite of the economic difficulties Russia is going through, the number of universities and students in the country is going up. The competition increases every year, especially in the fields of medicine, law, finance, and economics. There are also many applicants to the departments of modern technology and general theoretical training.

After Graduation from an Institution of Higher Education young people can find jobs through their parents and friends; and sometimes a “Career Day” is organized, where future graduates and representatives of companies — potential employers — meet. At such meetings, useful links are established, and interviews are given. Now, students often begin to work at outside jobs during their second or third year of study; and by the time they graduate, they have already become experienced specialists.

N. Tokareva, Moscow, 2005

Reading comprehension

I. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

• Free education in Russia is the most common; there also exist .............. schools and universities which charge tuition fees.

• Gymnasium is a kind of secondary school which concentrates mainly on ..................

• The competition for entering universities is very ..........

II. Match the words and their definitions given below:

curriculum; tuition fee; an applicant; a fresher; department; graduate from; employers; term; scholarship; a graduate.

a person who wants to be a student;

payments for teaching;

successfully complete an academic course;

one of the periods into which the academic year is divided;

a person who gives work, usually for payment;

a course of study in a school, college, etc.;

yearly grant given to a student to continue his study;

a person who has completed the course at an educational institution;

one of several divisions of a university.

a first-year student.

III. Answer the following questions and be ready to discuss the main ideas of the topic:

• Is education at Russian schools and universities free?

• Is there also a free-paying-form of education at government universities?

• What is the difference between a gymnasium and an ordinary school?

• Why is the competition so tough at government universities as compared with private ones?

• Has the number of students in Russia been increasing lately?

• How do students who graduate from universities find jobs?

IV. Tell briefly about education in Russia.