Education

The education system in the Russian Federation has a number of important and interrelated problems. To solve them it is necessary to create a high material and technical basis and to educate a new man worthy to live in the future society considering the market and management problems on a high level. These aims may be achieved by the further development of science and engineering which, in its turn, depend to a great extent on the proper organization of higher education in all its forms: full time, part-time and extra-mural. Young people in our country have every opportunity to study and to get a higher education. Some students pay for their education, some students get scholarship, and students can find the books necessary for their studies in the libraries and reading rooms of their colleges and universities. They can also make experiments; carry out research work and different kinds of practical work in the laboratories and workshops of their higher schools. They do not have to pay for using books, workshops or laboratories.

To enter the university you have to take entrance examinations which are rather different. Students are able to study at the day-time departments and by correspondence. A student who does not work and attends a day-time department is called a full-time student. A student who works and comes for the session twice a term is called an extra-mural student.

The training of specialists of our universities combines theoretical studies with practical work and industrial training. At the end of each term students have to submit their course (term) papers or designs.

Each year thousands of young people enter higher technical schools. The training course in most of them usually lasts from 5 to 6 years. Generally, the curriculum for the first and second-year students includes such subjects as mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics, and strength of materials, elements of machines, drawing, a foreign language, marketing, management, finance and a number of others. Specialization, as a rule, begins in the third year. To pass the examination successfully students have to work hard during the academic year. They may fail at the examination if they miss classes and do not study regularly. Students must take exams and credits in time. Sometimes they are allowed to take them in advance.

Questions:

1. What University do you study at?

2. What specialists does it train?

3. How many faculties are there at your Universities?

4. What faculty do you study at?

5. When will you graduate from the University?

6. What subjects do you study?

7. When do you enter the University?

8. When do the students have to submit their course designs?

9. Do you attend lectures and seminars regularly?

10. Do you study hard during the academic year?

Vocabulary:

education образование

important важный

to solve решать

to create создавать

high высокий

worthy достойный

society общество

to achieve достигать

further дальше, дальнейший

science наука

proper надлежащий

extra-mural заочный

opportunity возможность

scholarship стипендия

university университет

experiment опыт

research научная работа

laboratory лаборатория

entrance вход, поступление

department отделение, факультет

correspondence заочно

session сессия

twice дважды

term семестр

to combine сочетать

theoretical теоретический

practical практический

to submit предоставлять на рассмотрение

designs проекты

course курс

usually обычно

curriculum программа

subject предмет

mathematics математика

physics физика

chemistry химия

mechanics механика

strength сопротивление

finance финансы

marketing маркетинг

management управление

to fail провалить экзамен

regularly регулярно

to allow позволять

a thesis диссертация

a core curriculum основная учебная программа

a great concern большой интерес

compulsory schooling обязательное обучение

primary education начальное образование

higher education высшее образование

a profound knowledge глубокие знания

a vocational school профтехучилище

a lyceum лицей

a gymnasium гимназия

applicant абитуриент

undergraduate студент последнего курса

postgraduate аспирант

master's, doctoral degree кандидат, доктор наук

hostel общежитие

Dialogue:

- Hello, Tom. Will you come to our party tonight?

- Thank you, Alee. I'm afraid not. I shan't be able to come because I have to prepare for my examinations.

- Yesterday I saw you in the reading hall during the break. You were working hard.

- Yes, I was, but still I have got a lot of material to learn. That's why I have been reading the whole evening today.

- Oh, I see. You are such a hard-working student. When will the exams end?

- We'll have our last exam on the 23rd of January. Will you be able to join us for skiing trip Saturday morning at 11 o'clock?

- I think not. I'll be taking my exams in the technology of materials at the time.

- How are you going to spend the holidays?

- If I pass the exams successfully on the 25th I'll leave for a holiday home.

- My best wishes to you. Don't worry; I hope everything will be all right.

Translate into English:

1. Учебный год длится с 1-го сентября по 30 июня.

2. Собрание студентов состоится завтра в 3 часа.

3. Наш университет готовит специалистов для различных отраслей промышленности и науки.

4. Я собираюсь сдавать экзамены досрочно.

5. Я хочу навестить своих друзей, которые живут в студенческом общежитии.

6. Я надеюсь успешно сдать экзамены.

7. Я окончу университет через 5 лет и буду работать юристом на предприятии.

8. В России молодежь имеет все возможности учиться.

9. У нас есть все возможности проводить научно-исследовательскую работу.

10. Наш университет сочетает теоретическое обучение с практической работой и практикой на предприятиях.