The family album

Nick: There are many photos in your family album, Ann. Could you tell me what relations you have with the people in the pictures?

Ann: All right. Look here. This is our family photo on the first page. This is my father, mother, my younger sister and myself.

Nick: Oh, your parents look very young. How old are they?

Ann: My father is 40 and my mother is 36. She is a shop assistant.

Nick: And your father? He wears the uniform. Is he a military man or a militiaman?

Ann: He is a military man and serves in the Far East. We are going to his place next year after I finish school.

Nick: It`s a pity. I thought we could study together at the Institute.

Ann: I`m afraid not. But my sister who is two years my senior may stay here together with our grandparents as there`s no secondary school at the place where my father serves.

Nick: Is this the picture of your grandparents?

Ann: You are right. Here it is.

Nick: And whose photo is this?

Ann: My friend`s. Her name is Kate. She is pretty, isn`t she?

Nick: She is very beautiful. Is she your class-mate?

Ann: Oh, no. Kate is a student. She lives next door to me. I have many girl-friends at school. We are all taken photo in this picture.

Nick: I see. And who is this smiling woman?

Ann: This is my father`s elder sister. She is still young in the photo. Aunt Olga is fifty already. She has a grown-up daughter Helen. Helen is my cousin. She is married and has children of her own. They are my nephews. Look here! This is Helen`s wedding photo. Isn`t it nice?

Nick: Very beautiful! The couple is very kind and loving.

Ann: And can you recognize me in this baby?

Nick: It`s hardly possible. You are crying bitterly but your mother is happy.

Our University

Every year young people from all parts of our big region come to Orenburg to enter its educational establishments. There are many higher educational establishments in Orenburg. One of the biggest is the Agrarian University.

The University was established in 1930. It has 7 faculties and 3 institutes. Part of the students are fulltime students, the other are external students. The University has 11 buildings which contain a great amount of study rooms, laboratories and 2 museums. The University City has 2 student hostels and a conference-hall. The course of study runs for 4 years. Every year many students graduate from the University.

I’ve entered the University in 2012. Now I am a first-year student of the economical faculty. The faculty trains accountants and economists. I do not work. I am a full-time student. I get a scholarship. Our lectures begin at 8 o’clock. Every day we have about 2 lectures and seminars. I attend all the lectures and classes.

The students of our University attend laboratories, library and reading halls. The laboratories are provided with the most up-to-date equipment. A lot of students do their research work there.

Active Vocabulary

educational establishment – учебное заведение

fulltime student – студент – очник

faculty – факультет

extramural student – студент – заочник

to attend lectures and classes – посещать лекции и практические занятия

course of study– учебный курс

first year student– студент первокурсник

to pass an examination – сдать, выдержать экзамен

to fail at an examination – провалиться на экзамене

to fail in English – провалиться по английскому

to take an examination – сдавать экзамен

to graduate from the University– закончить университет

academic year – учебный год

to take a test – сдавать зачёт

to do a test paper – выполнять контрольную работу

scholarship – стипендия

research work – научная работа