READING PRACTICE

1 A) Education b extremely important for опт civilization. Some countries contributed greatly to the development of educational systems. Read the text

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The name of the country	Who was taught	What was taught
Egypt	The sons of nobles	Reading, physical- education,, good behaviour
Ancient India
China
Sparta
Athens
Roman State
Great Britain

TEXT 2A

THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION

1. As long as we live we continue to learn, and the education we receive when we are young helps us to continue learning. We are taught to read and write, and are taught many of the essential facts about the world and shown how to sort them out¹so that later in life, we shall be able to find out things ourselves and not to ask other people.

The first teachers were fathers and mothers, but very early in the history of man children began to be taught by people otherthan theirfathers and mothers. It is thought that schools first started in Egypt 5,000to 6,000 years ago, and that it was the invention of writing whichmade them necessary. Reading and writing were quite different from the skillsused in everyday life, and writing made it possible to store up knowledgewhich grew with each generation. Specially trained people were thereforeneeded to teach it.

2. Only the sons of nobles²attended the first Egyptian schools, which taught reading, physical education and good behaviour. In ancient India the priestly caste³decided what should be taught to each of the four castes, or groups, into which people were divided.

Only the priesdy caste was allowed to leam the Hindu scriptures, to China, until the 19th century, education was organized according to social classes, and consisted largely of learning the scriptures by heart.

3. A clear example of the way in which even neighbouring peoples produce different types of education comes from ancient Greece. Sparta and Athens were two Greek states. The Spartans, hard and warlike people,g^^ve a purely military education to their children. At the age of seven allboys о

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noble families were taken from their homes and sent to live in schools. They were kept under a very strict discipline and were taught hunting, military scouting, swimming and the use of weapons. The Spartans despised literature, and some people think they could not even read.

At the very same time, also for the nobles only, the Athenians were building what we call a liberal education⁴- one that helps a man to develop all sides of his nature, helps him to make and appreciate beautiful things and helps him to find the best way of life. They thought it important to educate the body as well as the mind, and had a programme of physical training which consisted of running, jumping, wrestling and throwing the discus. As time went on Athenian education paid special attention to reading, writing and literature and these were taught by a special teacher, known as the “grammatist”. Common people were not educated; they were trained in craftsmanship, workmanship and trades.

Greek philosophers, or thinkers, always discussed what education should try to do and what it should include. Plato wrote a book called The Republic, which is one of the best books ever written on education, and since those days Greek ideas have influenced European education, especially secondary and university education.

4. The Romans were very good at organizing, and they were the first people to have schools run by the government³free of charge. Throughout their great empire there was a network of these schools which provided for three stages of education.

At six or seven all boys (and some girls) went to the primary school, where they learned “three R’s”: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Most children were not taught more than this, but at 12 or 13, boys of the rich families went on to the “grammar” school to study the Greek and Latin languages and literatures, that is, what had been written in those languages. At 16, young nobles who wanted to enter politics or the service of their country went to the schools of rhetoric to be trained in rhetoric, or public speaking.

5. In Great Britain the first teachers we read about were craftsmen. They taught children to read, write and count, to cook and mend their own shoes. In the early 19th century the main system of teaching was the “Monitor” system. The teacher could manage a class of 100 or more by using older pupils or “monitors” to help him. The schools had long desks which were sometimes arranged in tiers so that the teacher could see every child in a large class. *-

NOTES TO THE TEXT

tosortout- отбирать, распределять (по сортам)nobles- знать; знатные, богатые люди

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2. the priestly caste - привилегированная каста духовенства

3. a liberal education - гуманитарное образование

4. schools run by the government - школы, находящиеся в ведении государ^

1. the “Monitor” system (of teaching) - Ланкастерская система образования, цп

которой старшие ученики следят за младшими

1. Find in the text passages describing the organization of education in ancient Egypt, India and China and compare them with the Russian translation below Try to find five or more mistakes in the translation.

' Только сыновья из знатных семей посещали первую египет­скую школу, где их учили чтению, физической культуре и хоро­шим манерам. В древней Индии только каста жрецов определяла что будут изучать четыре касты .или группы, на которые были раз­делены люди.

Только касте жрецов разрешалось изучать священные книги. В Китае начиная с 19 века обучение было организовано социаль­ными классами и заключалось в заучивании наизусть религи­озных текстов./

2. Find the passage describing the difference in education between Sparta and Athens and translate it orally into Russian.

3. Read aloud the passage about education in Athens. (Approximate time of reading is one minute.)

4. Try to find in the text sentences with Passive Voice. (10 sentences are a good result, but maybe you can find more.)

5. Find in the text and put down key words to speak about education in Romm Empire and Great Britain.

attend school, government schools,...

2. a) Skim the text, trying to understand what it is about Time your reading. It I* good if you can read it for five minutes (70 words per minute).

TEXT2B

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE

Sporting activities at Oxford and Cambridge are varied and numerous. There are different competitions (соревнование) between thecolleges One of the most popular sports is rowing (гребля). At the end ofthe term long, narrow, light boats, rowed by eight men, compete in the races.Boats start at short intervals one after another and try to knock the boatin front. Those who are able to do it move one place in a table (таблица) andthe college at the top of the table is known as the “Head of the River”.

Rowing has a long history in England. Rowing a boat with eight oars (весло) or with four oars was first started in England in the 18th century-

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доthat time the boats took part in festivals and processions on the River

Thames.

In the 19th century people started to use the boats for racing, not only in London on the Thames but also in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The first Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge was held in 1829.

Nearly every year since then there has been a Boat Race between these two Universities. It is held in London on the Thames, during the Easter vacation, at the end of March or the beginning of April.

The course, from Putney to Mortlake, is 4 1/4 miles long. It has many turns, and the crews usually row the 4 1/4 miles in 20 minutes.

ТЪеcrews of the boats, chosen from the members of the college Boat Clubs, train together for twelve weeks before the race, first in Oxford or Cambridge and finally in London, In each boat there are eight oarsmen and a coxswain (рулевой), usually called a “cvx”. The cox, who is much lighter than the others, sets the speed and the rhythm, and steers.

On Boat Race Saturday the banks and bridges of the Thames are thick with people who have come to watch. Some wear dark blue ribbons (лента) for Oxford, and some wear pale blue ones for Cambridge.С/

2. Choose the statements which correspond to the contents of the text

1. Students of Oxford and Cambridge compete only in rowing and swimming.

2. Boats rowed by eight and four men take part in the competition between the Universities now.

3. Two centuries ago people could see boats with eight and four men taking part in festivals.

4. The first boat competition was organized in the 19th century.

5. The weather is usually very hot at the period of Boat Race.

6. The sportsmen prepare for the competition together in Oxford, Cambridge and London.

7. On the day of the competition people who come to see the race have ribbons of a special colour to show what University they support.

3. Read the text to find answers to the given questions.

TEXT 2C

^ _:STUDENTS’ LIFE

1. What tradition is popular among the students at Cambridge?

In two weeks I shall finish my first year at Cambridge. Let me tell you something about students’ life and my impressions of it.

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The students are mainly English, but there are many others, paitjcuj_ar, so in the block of rooms in which I live, for my neighbours include * Chinese studying law, an Indianstudying English,a Canadian studyjJJ history and a Frenchman studying science.

The rooms have a pleasant outlook over the College gardens. There is_a very small gas-stove on which we make cofiee or tea.It is а рорц]^ tradition here to invite friends in the afternoon for tea andhot buttered toast¹and jam. To each room there is a man-servantwho with awoman- servant, known as a “bedder”,²keep it clean.

2. What are students “sconced* (штрафоваться) for?

In the old days when Colleges were religious institutions the students were clergymen(священник), and their life was muchmore strict and disciplined than now. Friendshipwith young ladies was notallowed and the only women inside the college were washerwomen. The legend isthat these had to be “old and ugly” (уродливые).

The students eat their meals in the College dining-hall. At some Colleges there is an interesting tradition. It is known as“sconcing”.³ If a student comes late to dinner or he is not correctly dressed,or if he breaks one of the laws (закон) of behaviour, then the senior studentorders him to be “sconced”.

A large silver cup, known as “sconce cup”, filled with beer is brought and placed in front of him and he must drink it in one attemptwithout taking the cup from his lips (it holds two and a half pints, or lilitres). If he can do it, then the senior student pays for it, ifnot, the cupis passed round and the student who has been “sconced” must pay for it. Ingeneral the discipline is not strict.

3. What do the so-called “Bulldogs” do if a student whom they come op to runs away?

The students can stay out till twelve o'clock. Each evening a Proctor¹ with two assistants, called “Bulldogs”, walks about the town keeping an eye on the students’ behaviour. If he sees a student breaking a rule he will come up to him and say, “Are you a member of the University, sir?”, and⁸student runs away, then the “Bulldogs” run after him, and if theycatch him (they are chosen, it is said, because they are good runners), fine(штраф⁰' вать) him.

Apart from fines a student may be dismissed (исключать) from University for one term.

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4. What students’ societies are there at Cambridge and which is the most popular one?

We attend our lectures in the morning and in the afternoon we are free. I usually work in my room or play some sport. The most popular sport is rowing.

There are over a hundred societies and clubs. There are religious societies and a society for those who don’t believe, political, sporting and dramatic societies. There is even one for people with beards. Perhaps the most popular is the Debating Society at which students debate political and other questions with famous politicians and writers.

The walks into the country, the talks, the games and the work, the traditions and the customs — all are part of the students’ life which would be poorer if any of them was lost, j

IPP^- NOTES TO THE TEXT

] hot buttered toast -нарезанныйломтикамииподрумяненныйхлебсмасломIa bedder -горничнаявуниверситетскихобщежитиях

3. sconcing - наложение штрафа на студентов за нарушение правил

1. a Proctor - административное лицо в университете, в чьи обязанности вхо­дит надзор за поведением студентов и наложение дисциплинарных взысканий

4. Can a young man who is 26 years old get the job advertised below? Пis known that the man graduated from the Michigan University took his Master’s degree in civil engineering. He has worked as an assistant at the University for three years.

TRAFFIC ENGINEER NEEDED AT COUNCIL

The National Safety Council is seeking a qualified traffic engineer to join its team of safety experts at its Chicago headquarters. The person selected will develop safety programs and provide traffic and highway safety services to national and international groups that are leaders in the field.

The qualified candidate must possess a minimum of five years’ experience in traffic engineering operations with emphasis on field experience. A Bachelor of science degree in civil engineering is required, and a Master’s degree is preferred, as is experience in traffic records.

The Council offers a competitive starting salary and a full-fringe benefit package.

. Please send resume in confidence to: F. Cook, Personnel Department, National Safety Council, Michigan Ave., Chicago.

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1. according to (prp)	16. find out (v)	31. produce (v)
2. always (adv)	17. free (a)	32. provide (v)
3. as long as (cj)	18. grow (v)	33. quite (adv)
4. as well as (cj)	19. hard (a)	34. send (v)
5. behaviour (n)	20. include (v)	35. show (v)
6. build (v)	21. influence (n)	36. side (n)
7. consist (of) (v)	22. invention (n)	37. so that (cj)
8. decide (v)	23. keep (v)	38. teach (v)
9. develop (v)	24. knowledge (n)	39. therefore (adv)
10. each (pron)	25. necessary (a)	40. think (v)
11. early (adv)	26. need (y)	41. throw (v)
12. especially (adv)	27. only (adv)	42. try (v)
13. essential (a)	28. other (a)	43. until (prp, cj)
14. even (adv)	29. to pay attention	44. use (v)
15. find (v)	30. possible (a)	45. way (n)