Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Study the following definitions and give the corresponding words.

1. The system of educating students of both sexes in the same class or college.

2. A feeling that you want to do something.

3. Annoying or unpleasant behaviour towards someone that takes place regularly, for example threats, offensive remarks, or physical attacks.

4. To make a situation, process, or type of behaviour stronger and more likely to continue.

5. Not stated directly, but expressed in the way someone behaves, or understood from what they are saying.

6. To improve something, or make it more attractive or more valuable.

7. The feeling that you can do things well and that people respect you.

8. Control or power over other people or things.

9. Harm caused to something as a result of something else.

10. All male people or all female people.

11. The state of being equal, especially in having the same rights, status, and opportunities.

12. Years strongly influencing the development of someone’s character and beliefs.

Ex. 2. Fill in the missing words or word combinations.

A

Harassment formative years flawed detriment tend fierce reinforce underachievement inequality implicit enhance

1. The current educational system is seriously … .

2. The measures taken should considerably … the residents' quality of life.

3. The UN cannot tolerate the continuing … of peacekeeping soldiers.

4. The latest figures … the view that economic growth is slowing.

5. How are we going to tackle boys’ … in schools?

6. Feminists often argue that marriage reinforces the … between the sexes.

7. His suggestions may be seen as an … criticism of government policy.

8. We … to take technology for granted nowadays.

9. Starting formal education too early can be of serious … to the child.

10. The proposals provoked a … debate.

11. I spent my … in the Middle East.

B

authority bachelor’s bodies campuses classes degree

co-educational co-ordinate courses freshmen graduates junior

undergraduates located school separate special students

university women year sex

Students

The student body of a … or college is divided into … and undergraduates. graduates have already received their … degrees, while … have not. The undergraduates belong to one of four … , according to their … of study. These are … , sophomore, … , and senior classes. Most schools also admit … students who take a number of … , but are not working towards a … .

Students … vary considerably from … to school. Some institutions are … , with both men and … students. Others admit … of only one … .

A … institution has … men’s and women’s colleges. They are controlled by the same central … and are usually … on the same campus or nearby … .

Ex. 3. Fill in the appropriate form of the word in the brackets.

Get the Girls to School

The (educate) of girls is the surest way of reducing (poor). So why are ninety million primary school age girls not in school? It is because they contribute (economy) to the family by looking after younger children, or working in the fields. But these girls face a life of backbreaking work, with children who die of (prevent) diseases, subordination to a husband and his family, and an early death. And the uneducated woman transmits to her children the same doomed life. But it does not have to be like this. Educational campaigns have meant that (literate) is almost unknown in Southern India, and the infant (mortal) rate there is (consequence) the lowest in the developing world. And in Africa and south Asia, where women do most of the farming, education is allowing them to learn how to improve (efficient) farming practices and at the same time is raising awareness of the (ecology) needs of the land. While to rural families it might seem an unavoidable (need) to keep girls working at home, it is in both the national and international interest – as well as in the interest of the girls themselves – to (come) the short-term difficulties and provide these girls with the education they need.

Ex. 4. An international magazine asked students to write an article expressing their opinion about the following statement: Co-education is a disaster for girls. One candidate has made six mistakes in his article with the language of giving opinions and agreeing and disagreeing. Find those mistakes and correct them.

I am not agree with the statement “Co-education is a disaster for girls”. On my opinion co-educational school have both advantages and disadvantages for both sexes.

It is often suggested that girls do not do as well because they are more self-conscious in the company of boys. But girls and boys will never learn to get over their shyness unless they actually have a chance to get to know people of the opposite sex.

I am agree up to a point that girls learn to be more passive in co-educational schools, but the two sexes are not normally separated in society and young women must learn to compete with men.

Another argument against co-education is that boys mature more slowly than girls and that this holds the girls back. This is truth up at a point, but surely the boys compensate for this in other ways. The sexes are different after all and as far as I am concerning these differences are a good thing.

So let’s not separate boys and girls in our education system. In my point of view we are denying them important opportunities if we do so.

Ex. 5. Translate into English.

1. Среднее образование в Великобритании имеет две ступени. Обязательным является обучение всех детей до 16 лет (среднее образование). В 16 лет школьники сдают экзамены на аттестат о среднем образовании, а те, кто желает поступить в вуз, учатся ещё два года, чтобы сдать экзамен по программе средней школы на повышенном уровне. 2. Необходимо отметить, что уже несколько лет по результатам исследований качества обучения в числе лучших тридцати школ 70% составляют учреждения с раздельным обучением. 3. Великобритания на протяжении не одного столетия является лидером как в области школьного, так и в области высшего образования на европейском континенте. 4. Несмотря на то, что первые женские школы в Великобритании возникли в период активного феминистского движения, се­годня девочек в них обучают не только предметным дисциплинам, но и веде­нию домашнего хозяйства, и даже тому, как правильно рассчитать семейный бюджет. 5. Задача школы – не навязывать определённую модель, а содейст­вовать формированию личности, которая способна сделать осмысленный вы­бор. 6. В Великобритании школьники имеют право выбирать некоторые учебные дисциплины по желанию (естественно, кроме обязательных). 7. По результатам проведённых социологических исследований, в государствен­ных школах девочки очень редко выбирают точные науки. И дело не в спо­собностях девочек, а в самой методике обучения. 8. Большинство методик преподавания математики и физики разрабатывались мужчинами и оказались более приспособленными для усвоения мальчиками. Этот факт заставил го­сударственные школы провести эксперимент, в ходе которого точные науки преподавались мальчикам и девочкам отдельно. 9. В женских школах такой проблемы не существует, там процент девочек, которые выбирают для до­полнительного изучения точные науки, довольно большой.

Pro:

Women in particular benefit from a single-sex education; research shows that they participate more in class, develop much higher self-esteem, score higher in aptitude tests, are more likely to choose “male” disciplines such as science in college, and are more successful in their careers.

Pro:

The inclinations of children in the formative years, between 7 and 15, are to gravitate towards their own sex. They naturally tend towards behaviour appropriate to their gender. It is therefore easier to implement an education strategy geared specifically towards one gender. Certain subjects are best taught in single-sex classrooms, such as sex education or gender issues.

Pro:

Boys and girls distract each other from their education, especially in adolescence as their sexual and emotional sides develop. Too much time can be spent attempting to impress or even sexually harassing each other (particularly boys toward girls). Academic competition between the sexes is unhealthy and only adds to unhappiness and anxiety among weaker students.

Con:

The girls from such schools did not in fact show academic improvement. That they are more inclined towards maths and sciences is of questionable importance to society as a whole. As the recent report noted, “boys and girls both thrive when the elements of good education are there, elements like smaller classes, focused academic curriculum and gender-fair instruction”. These can all be present in co-educational schools.

Con:

The formative years of children are the best time to expose them to the company of the other gender, in order that they may learn each others’ behaviour and be better prepared for adult life. The number of subjects benefiting from single-sex discussion is so small that this could easily be organised within a co-educational system.

Con:

In fact boys and girls are a good influence on each other, engendering good behaviour and maturity – particularly as teenage girls usually exhibit greater responsibility than boys of the same age. Academic competition between the sexes is a spur to better performance at school.

Pro:

Single-sex schools for women are a natural extension of the feminist movement; there are co-educational schools, men have had their own schools, why should women not? It would still be discrimination if there were only male single-sex schools; as long as both genders are catered for, this discrimination is redressed.

Pro:

Teachers themselves are often discriminated against in single-sex schools; a boys’ school will usually have a largely male staff where women may feel uncomfortable or denied opportunity, and vice versa.

Con:

Single-sex schools are a throwback to the patriarchal society of the past; in many historical cultures, only men were allowed an education of any sort. To perpetuate this is to remind women of their past subservience and to continue to hold them from full social inclusion.

Con:

Teachers frequently favour their own gender when teaching co-educational classes; for example, male teachers can undermine the progress and confidence of girl students by refusing to choose them to answer questions etc.

Unit 3. Exam Fever