Unit 3 Education

1. Read and discuss the text. Learn the new vocabulary.

In April 1991, a British businessman Roger Cooper was released from an Iranian prison. The journalist asked him how he was able to survive. Mr. Cooper answered “Anyone who, like me, has been educated in an English private school and served in the British Army is quite at home in a Third World prison”.

Britain’s public schools were once described as “one of the most extraordinary institutions in the whole world”. Usually they are called “public schools”, but these institutions are strictly private. They were designed for the sons of the upper and middle classes. The students were prepared to bring more glory and power to the British Empire.

They have always observed that the public schools have played a large part in forming the British character. They have brought up in their pupils classic British reserve and inability to express emotion as well as the “stiff upper lip”. These are the natural results of spending one’s teens in a climate where privacy didn’t exist. Another characteristic of the spartan life-style is the obsession with sport. In most public schools they value athletic excellence above that of academic nature. The most manly of sports - rugby – was named after the public school in which it was invented. In England they say that the Battle of Waterloo “was won on the playing fields of Eton”.

However, this tough education system has softened up in recent decades. The arrival of female pupils has made the most radical change. Rebecca Castle, a newly arrived pupil of Uppingham gives her opinion: “The teaching is of higher standard. You have to toughen up, you have to face a lot of things like organizing yourself and becoming independent, and although we do have all these opportunities, they are not just laid down on a plate for us. You have to motivate yourself”.

The modern public school is, as they say “a relatively civilized place”. At Uppingham today’s pupils are allowed to dress casually in the evening and at weekend. They may even drink at the school bar. This was unthinkable in the 1930-s.

Public schools have given the country the statesman Winston Churchill (Harrow), novelists Evelyn Waugh (Lancing) and Salman Rushdie (Rugby), rock star Peter Gabriel (Charter house), Laurence Olivier – actor (St. Edward’s).

Notes: “stiff upper lip” – “незворушна верхня губа” тобто не показати сліз;

to toughen up – стати витривалішим

2. Discussion

The word “academic” can mean “related to education and studying”. If your educational establishment is good, we can say it offers high academic standards. Academic honesty means not cheating in exams or copying other peoples work.

1. Discuss the following questions with your group mates:

1. Which higher educational establishment in your city has a reputation for high academic standards?

2. Are you satisfied with your academic results?

3. Do all the students in your group keep to academic honesty during tests and exams?

4. How good are your academic skills?

2. Prepare a description of the school you went to. Include the following information:

a) a brief introduction: the kind of school, size, location, your age when you went there, number of pupils in each class;

2. homework, uniform, discipline, teachers;

3. your general opinion of the school.

3. In pairs, role-play the situation below. One of you is the candidate; the other plays the role of the examiner. You are attending a language school in England and you are planning a trip. Your teacher wants to go to the National Gallery in London, but you think it is boring. Persuade your teacher to go to one of the following places:

a) Alton Towers (one of the largest theme parks in the UK);

b) Oxford (the oldest university in the English-speaking world);

c) Stonehenge (the mysterious stone circle built over 4000 years ago).

Unit 4 Career Choice

Learn the texts by heart to remember the models. You may add your own ending.

1.

Barbara wants to buy a new car, but she knows she shouldn’t.

If she buys a new car, she’ll have to take a lot of money out of her bank account.

If she has to take a lot of money out of her bank account, she won’t have much left.

If she doesn’t have much left, she won’t have enough to pay the rent.

If she doesn’t have enough to pay the rent, her landlord will evict her from her apartment.

So, even though Barbara wants to buy a new car, she isn’t going to. Too bad.

2.

Ronald wants to stay up late to watch a movie tonight, but he knows he shouldn’t.

If he stays up late to watch a movie tonight, he won’t get to bed until after midnight.

If he doesn’t get to bed until after midnight, he’ll probably be very tired in the morning.

If he is very tired in the morning, he will oversleep.

If he oversleeps, he’ll be late for work.

If he is late for work, his boss will get angry and fire him.

So, even though Ronald wants to stay up late to watch a movie tonight, he isn’t going to. Too bad.

Unit 5 &7 Traveling and tourism