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Reading and Rendering

The British Universities (2)

School training in England lasts 13 years. Young people who are going to enter universities have to stay at school up to 18. They choose only 3-4 disciplines. This program is called Foundation. According to results the school leavers are admitted to universities.

University programs usually last 3 years for a degree of the bachelor and from 1 till 4 years to get a degree of the master. The English use to say “to read at university”, for example «she reads in civil law».

Students spend in auditoriums not more than 20-25% of their training hours, they have 1 or 2 lessons a day, lectures or lessons with tutor. Tutors are people who help students to choose subjects and ways of training, also they analyze and criticize students’ work.

The major time the students write essays and prepare for their written exams. Written works (essays) are the central part of preparation. Students get original task, write the work, and then it is analyzed in a small group with the teacher. The process is called “reading under guiding». It is considered, that creating of written texts develops logic and analytical abilities best of all. Besides, such way of training prepares for the independent work. Exams in special subjects are passed in writing, so that the results can be rechecked by independent experts.

The universities take care of the high standard of their degrees, that’s why the demands for the undergraduates are very strict. Only 2-3 % of graduates get First (the maximum estimation) at final examinations. The higher is the level of the university, the lower are the marks. They students get a degree in the end of their education. The lower degrees are called BS or BA, that mean "Bachelor of Science" and "Bachelor of Arts", specialist in science or humanities.

The last candidate (1)

The entrance examinations at one of the Moscow drama schools were almost over. Many entrants had already given their performances. The famous actors who were examining them were already so tired that it was not easy to impress them. Therefore when they saw the last candidate appear on the stage they only wanted him to finish his performance as quickly as possible.

Indeed the young man’s acting made a poor expression on the teachers. It was clear he wasn’t talented. His face couldn’t attract the audience. Only his smile was pleasant and remained in memory. The Rector of the school stopped the young man who was still performing something. The entrant understood everything at once. “I haven’t passed my exam, haven’t I?” he asked. “I’m sorry to say not,” answered the Rector. “Your see, it isn’t enough to know a few poems and entertaining songs. An actor must act. To act is to turn into another person on the stage, but I’m afraid you can’t do it.” On his way home that evening the Rector remembered how the boy was criticized for his performance and felt sorry for him. But he always told them the truth.

The next day when the Rector was about to finish work he saw a late visitor come into his office. The stranger was an elderly woman who was wearing an old hat and very thick glasses. Her face looked concerned. She said she wanted to talk to the Director about her son. The old lady went on telling how much her son was prepared for his exam and how she had helped him. The case was difficult but still the Rector wanted the woman to hear the truth about her son. As soon as she stopped he began: “You see, an actor must act. To be an actor is to turn into another person!” He hadn’t finished his sentence. The “old lady” took of her hat and the glasses and smiled. It took the Rector a minute to remember where he had seen the young man’s face.

The Power of Imagination (1)

Mr. Brown liked it in America, but he liked traveling very much. He made trips to Europe and Asia, and he visited India too. Once after a long trip from England to America he arrived at a small country place. There was a small hotel there. Mr. Brown got to the hotel late in the evening. At the hotel he asked the receptionist whether there were any vacant rooms there.

At that moment another traveler came to the hotel and asked for a room too. The receptionist checked if there were any vacant rooms. The only vacant room he could offer was a double room.

“Will it be convenient to you if you share the room?” the receptionist asked. “It’ll be less expensive for you, you’ll each pay half.”

At first they didn’t like the idea, but just then it began raining heavily, they were too tired to go to another hotel and agreed to spend the night in the same room. A porter showed them to their room, took in their things and wished them food night. Soon the two men went to sleep. Suddenly Mr. Brown heard some noise. He opened his eyes but didn’t see anything. It was quite dark.

“What’s the matter? ” Mr. Brown asked in surprise. The second traveler answered, “I am very sorry, I had to wake you up. I’m not well. Please, open the window quickly.”

Mr. Brown got out of bed and began looking for matches, but he couldn’t find them in the dark, so he tried to find the window. It had taken him some time until he found it. He pulled the window, but couldn’t open it. As the voice of the traveler became weaker and weaker, Mr. Brown took a chair and broke the pane. The man breathed in deeply and after a moment of silence he told, “Thank you, I am much better”. Then the two of them slept until morning.

When they woke up the next morning a large mirror in the room was broken to pieces.