I. Read and translate the story.

Distractions are a problem Barbara has to deal with when she is supposed to be studying. She spends too much time on the phone. She intends to concentrate on her homework, but finds herself talking to friends or writing letters instead of read­ing up for seminars, taking notes or writing essays. It is hard for her to say, 'No, I can't do this or go there. I have to study.' Her homework often suffers because she procrastinates. When she studies in her room, it is full of distractions. Her phone, radio, tape player and her cat are there. She finds herself daydreaming, answering the phone, listening to tapes or stroking the cat. She is often disturbed by family members. It is easy to see where all her time goes — not to studying. Now she is letting the answering machine do its job. She puts the cat out before she starts to study. Her homework is now done before everyone gets home from work.

II. Find the English equivalents for the following.

Решать проблему; тратить время на что-либо; сконцент­рироваться на чём-либо; готовиться к семинару; делать пометки; писать эссе; откладывать со дня на день; меч­тать; её часто отвлекают; время уходит; приходить домой с работы.

III. Speak about your distractions. Use the patterns from the text:

1) Barbara is supposed to be studying.

2) Barbara has to deal with a problem.

3) Barbara finds herself talking to friends instead of reading up for seminars.

4) Barbara is often disturbed by family members.

Exercise 8

1. Read and translate the story. Answer and discuss in class the questions below. Continue the story.

It took a couple of weeks for classes to get settled, and then we got down to the nitty-gritty. As homework began pouring in, and tests loomed on the horizon, I realised that my study skills were very poor and that it was going to be a challenge in itself to teach myself to study. I experimented with several tac­tics, trying to find out what would work for me. I started out in the bedroom with the door closed, but it seemed the phone was always ringing. I managed to get my work done, but I was not pleased with this frustrating situation. Later I tried going out­side and preparing somewhere in the yard. I ended up chatting with a neighbour, petting her dog. Clearly, something had to be changed. As my workload increased, so did my frustration. Quite by accident, however, I found the solution to my prob­lem ...

II. Find the English equivalents to the Russian words and phases.

На это ушла пара недель, прийти в норму, засесть за что-либо, повседневная работа, наваливаться, маячить, сла­бые навыки, вызов, экспериментировать с чем-либо, обнаружить, начинать (разг.), удаваться, оканчиваться, удручающая ситуация, выходить из дома, болтать, работа накапливалась, разочарование, совершенно случайно, ре­шение проблемы.

III. Answer the questions and express your opinion on the following.

1. What advice would you give to a friend of yours if he or she had to deal with the problem of distraction?

2. What tactics do you personally choose to get yourself or­ganised and sit down to work?

3. Discuss in class the problem of getting oneself organised and concentrated when doing one's homework.

Exercise 9

The passages below are the beginnings of different stories. Finish the sto­ries, using the vocabulary from the text and the topical vocabulary.

1. 'Finally, the summer ended and college began. Carol dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, slung her book bag over her shoulder and set out for her first class ...'

2. 'Thomas is sitting in the dining-room looking at the mess strewn around. He calls this his office. The table is covered with an assortment of books, pens, and papers. Hanging on the back of a chair is his black leather book bag. He is finally a col­lege student ...'

3. 'The term is coming to a close. I look upon it with sadness. I will miss my teachers and the friendships I have made ...'

4. 'I am looking forward to the next term, but I also get nervous thinking about my new classes. Each term the classes will get a little harder and more challenging. I hope I am up to all those new challenges. I love to learn, but I still have a little fear of failing...'

Exercise 10

Read and translate the passage. Answer the questions below.

Most people who have trouble with schoolwork don't lack intelligence. Rather, they are trapped by their own attitudes towards the work. One attitude that gets in many stu­dents' way is the "I can't do it" syndrome. Instead of making an honest effort to do the work, the "I can't do it" type give up before they begin. Then there's the "I'm too tired" excuse. Students with this problem give in to the temptation to nap whenever there is work to be done. Another common excuse for low achievement is "the instructor is boring". These stu­dents expect every course to be highly entertaining and claim they can't be expected to learn anything otherwise.

1. What do you think of the "I can't do it" type?

2. What do you think of the "I'm too tired" type?

3. What do you think of the "I'm too bored" type?

4. Are there people of any of these types among your friends or classmates?

5. What type are you? Why?

6. What would you say about your attitude towards studies?

7. Can you think of some more types?

8. What are common excuses for low achievements in this country?

9. Can you imagine an exemplary student? Speak about exem­plary students and ordinary ones.

Exercise 11

People like to learn differently. Some people learn better by listening, white others need to see the information. Your answers to the questions below may give you some idea of how you prefer to learn. When you have fin­ished, compare your answers with those of other people in your class.

1. Do you prefer to learn by listening to the teacher's lecture? (Yes or No)

2. Do you prefer to learn by reading and studying your text­books? (Yes or No)

3. Do you prefer to learn by studying or working with other people? (Yes or No)

4. Do you prefer to study by yourself? (Yes or No)

5. Do you like to ask the teacher questions? (Yes or No)

6. When you study for a test, you read your notes, don't you?

7. When you study for a test, you read your notes aloud, don't you?

8. When you study for a test, you rewrite your notes, don't you?

9. Do you like to memorize facts? (Yes or No)

10. Do you like to think about ideas? (Yes or No)

Exercise 12

Respond to the statements. Work in pairs.

1. Teachers prefer dull students to bright ones. They are easier to manage.

2. You know what students are like nowadays! They are get­ting less and less intelligent every day.

3. To my mind, colleges shouldn't provide students with gen­eral knowledge. Emphasis should be placed on professional skills.

4. I don't think it is important for students to learn how to work with dictionaries.

You may need the following phrases to express your surprise:

• You don't say so!

• You must be joking!

• You can't be serious!

• Go on (with you)!

Exercise 13

Challenge the following statements. Give your reasons.

1. When you don't understand your teacher's explanation you don't ask to explain again because this is very embarrassing.

2. When you are really too sick to go to class you go anyway. It would be rude not to go.

3. When you feel that you are not doing well in a course, you stop going to class because you don't have time to do the work.

4. If you have the feeling that the teacher doesn't like you, you do the best you can do under the circumstances.

5. If you don't like to answer or ask questions in class you ask to speak to the teacher and explain your shyness.

Exercise 14

Discuss college life in this country. Use these questions as a guide for your discussion.

1. What do students wear to college?

2. How do students get to college?

3. How do students know which class to go to?

4. How do students greet the teacher?

5. How does the teacher greet the students?

6. How do students address the teacher?

7. When does the term begin?

8. How long does it last?

9. How long is the college day?

10. Who decides what a student will study?

11. Who decides which students will attend college?

Exercise 15

Find out how colleges and universities in this country have changed since your teachers were students. Ask your teacher to tell you about what it was like when he or she was at college. Present an oral report on changes in Russian colleges and universities.

Exercise 16

Match the English idioms in the left column with their Russian equivalents in the right column. Illustrate the meanings of the English idioms by your own examples.

1. to go into details А. начать с азов

2. to drum something into В. как дважды два — четыре

somebody's head

3. a brain twister С. куриные мозги

4. two and two make four D. синий чулок

5. a stumbling block Е. вдаваться в подробности

6. the key word F. головоломка

7. the brain of a pigeon G. легко даваться

8. to come easy H. ключевое слово

9. to start from scratch I. камень преткновения

10. a blue stocking J. вдолбить что-либо в голову

Exercise 17

Translate the proverbs into Russian and comment upon them.

1. A man is never too old to learn.

2. Education covers a lot of ground but it doesn't cultivate it.

3. Live and learn.

4. By doing nothing we learn to do ill.

5. Better untaught than ill taught.

6. Brevity is the soul of wit.

7. Dot your i's and cross your t's.

Exercise 18

Translate the following quotations and comment upon them.

• 'A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning.

Benjamin Disraeli

• 'Knowledge is a city, to the building of which every human be­ing brought a stone.'

Ralph W. Emerson

• 'Knowledge is power.'

Francis Bacon

• 'Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.'

Alfred Tennyson

getting back.