The National Technical University of Ukraine

“The Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”.

The National Technical University of Ukraine “Kiev Polytechnic Institute” (NTUU”KPI”) is one of the oldest and biggest higher educational institutions in Ukraine. It is well known not only in our country but abroad as well.

The University is situated not far from the centre of the city in a beautiful shady park. At present the number of students in the NTUU ”KPI” exceeds 50000. They obtain qualifications on 68 specialities and 70 specializations. There are more than 20 faculties and institutes in the KPI. Among them there is the Institute of Physics and Technology where I study.

The University’s graduates work at numerous enterprises and research institutions all over the country and abroad.

The teaching staff of our institute consists of highly qualified teachers, professors and scientists. 70% of them have scientific degrees. Among them there are academicians and corresponding members of the Academy of Sciences, professors, merited scientists.

Training of full-time students lasts 5 years and 6 months, of tuition by correspondence − 5 years 10 months. About 9000 students are accommodated in 21 hostels, 3 of them are at the disposal of married students. So, almost all non-Kyiv students are provided with hostel facilities.

The Institute was founded in 1898. It had only four departments: mechanical, chemical, agricultural and civil engineering ones. The first enrolment constituted 360 students.

The first rector of the Institute was Professor V.L. Kirpichov, an outstanding scientist in the field of mechanics and strength of materials.

Some Institutes were organized on the KPI basis. Among them are: the Civil Engineering Institute, the Technological Institute of Light and Food Industry, the Institute of Civil Aviation, the Automobile and Road Building Institute, the Agricultural Institute (now Agricultural Academy) and others. In 1934−1944 the KPI was called the Industrial Institute.

A large number of prominent people worked and studied at the KPI: E.O. Paton, the founder of electric welding; M.L. Konovalov, a well-known chemist; L.P. Bardin, the greatest metallurgist in the country; A.M. Liulka, the chief of aeroplane engines and S.P. Korolyov, the great designer of spaceships. President of the First Examining Board in chemical faculty was D.I. Mendeleyev.

Scientists of the University are engaged in researching up-to-date trends of the contemporary development of the human society:

• monitoring and protection of environment;

• liquidation of consequences of nuclear and technological disasters;

• development of up-to-date technologies;

• information networks and development of information telecommunications technologies;

• aircraft and space technologies;

• problems of energy saving and development of energy saving technologies;

• exploration and use of human resources and others.

A number of new economic and humanitarian faculties − Management and Marketing, Social Sciences and Law, Linguistics – were formed in addition to traditional technical faculties. They revealed opportunities for young people to obtain besides technical specialities, the second higher education in humanities or economics and to become a qualified interpreter or manager. The KPI education meets the standards of the world-known universities at a reasonable tuition fee. The University has its Preparatory School where foreign entrants, within 10-month course study Ukrainian, Russian, English, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and other subjects in the scope that is necessary for further mastering of the university program.

The most active international scientific and technological co-operation is carried out by the chairs of the University with the partners from Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lebanon, etc. Lately, the relations with China, the USA, Italy, Vietnam, Spain have become more active. The University carries out the student’s exchange program according to the agreements on collaboration.

The University has at its disposal a disease-prevention centre for employers and students. Our University also takes care of students' leisure. A well-organized leisure is a very important factor in bringing up young specialists.

Knowledge square became the centre of the whole NTUU ”KPI” complex. It is about 105x100 m. Meetings, festivals, consecration into students take place there.

There are many sport grounds, a football field, volleyball and basketball courts at students' disposal. Many students go in for different kinds of sports according to their liking. It helps them keep their body healthy and strong.

8. Look through the list of words and phrases and check if you know their Ukrainian equivalents. Use the Mini-Dictionary (UNIT 1) if necessary.

   higher educational institution	to be situated
   well-known	all over the country
   to exceed	to obtain qualification
   graduate	abroad
   enterprise	research
   teaching staff	to consist of
   to train	academician
   tuition by correspondence	to be founded
   civil engineering	electric welding
   consequences	tuition fee
   to carry out	chairs
   exchange program	agreements on collaboration
   disease-prevention center	to take care of students' leisure
   consecration into students	at the disposal

9. Explain the meaning of the words and phrases.

tuition by correspondence, exchange programs, to obtain qualification, world-known, monitoring, prominent, development, tuition fee

10. Match the words with their definitions.

    1	specialty	a	something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition
    2	department	b	reflecting the latest information or changes
    3	outstanding	c	a distinct, usually specialized division of a large organization
    4	up-to-date	d	a special pursuit, occupation, aptitude, or skill
    5	consequence	e	prominent, remarkable, or striking

11. Fill in the words from the list below. Use each word only once. Translate the collocations into Ukrainian.

obtain, up-to-date, consequences, disposal, enterprises, protection, educational, information, research, prominent

1	........ of environment	6	liquidation of ..........
2	...... networks	7	numerous .......
3	........ trends	8	...... institutions
4	........ people	9	higher ....... institutions
5	at the ..... of married students	10	to ....... qualifications

12. Arrange the following words according to

• similar meaning: well-known, to be located, collaboration, scientist, difficulty, to celebrate, to constitute, department, tuition, to be accommodated, to carry out, famous, teaching, to be situated, to mark, hardship, faculty, cooperation, scholar, to be settled, to fulfil(l), to form;

• opposite meaning: daytime (studying), single, foreign, full-time student, to be connected, extra-mural, home, married, work, to be separated, leisure.

13. Match the words and phrases with their Ukrainian equivalents.

    1	to graduate from	a	навчати
    2	enterprise	b	перевищувати
    3	teaching staff	c	за кордоном
    4	to exceed	d	тривати
    5	abroad	e	інженерно-будівельний
    6	to train	f	викладацький склад
    7	to last	g	профілакторій
    8	at the disposal	h	закінчувати (вуз)
    9	civil engineering	i	у розпорядженні
    10	desease-prevention centre	j	підприємство

14. Fill the cells in the table with the words derived from the given ones.

    Verb	Noun
    graduate	........, .........
    design	........., .........., .........
    conclude	............
    agree	.............
    organize	............
    measure	............., ..............

15. Fill in the word derived from the word in bold.

The system of higher 1) _____ (educate) in the United States differs from its counterparts in Europe in certain ways. In the United States, there is a nationwide assumption that students who have completed secondary 2) _____ (schooling) should have at least two years of university education. Hence, a great number of "junior 3) ______ (college)" and "community colleges" have sprung up to provide two years of undergraduate study, in contrast to the 4) _____ (tradition) universities and colleges, where a majority of students complete four years of postgraduate study for a degree and where substantial numbers go on for one to three years of study in a “graduate school.” Universities that provide four-year 5) _____ (studying) courses are either privately funded foundations or are state or city foundations that 6) _____ (dependent) heavily on the government for 7) _______ (finance) support. 8) _______ (Privacy) universities and colleges depend largely on tuition charges levied on students.

16. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words from the list below.

chairs, graduates, engage, enrolment, increased, guides

1. The first … of the institute amounted to 360 students.

2. In 1903 due to the growth of education the contingent of the KPI … by 1050 students.

3. The first assistant professors who held the … well known scientists.

4. The most talented … of the KPI become their colleagues and train highly qualified specialists.

5. Today there are many assistant professors in the University who … in research work alongside teaching.

6. The teachers publish a great number of textbooks, scientific manuscripts and method …

17. Underline the correct word.

1. She usually feels shy/nervous before the exam.

2. Do you prefer working with other students or alone/lonely?

3. The timetable was very useful/convenient for students.

4. I prefer self-made/homemade souvenirs.

5. Students are looking for half-time/part-time job.

6. The teacher of English learned/taught me to speak fluently.

7. Unfortunately, Peter missed/failed in his final exams.

8. The professor was absolutely upset/furious and lost her temper.

9. Your homework is full of careless/naughty mistakes.

10. She always gets good points/marks in English.

11. Jack is not very interesting/interested in Physics.

12. Playing computer games is my friend’s favorite leisure/pastime.

13. After a long academic year with exams I’m completely exhausting/exhausted.

18. Fill in the blanks with prepositions wherever necessary.

1. Training of tuition … correspondence lasts 5 years.

2. Nobody … our group failed … English.

3. We’ll take our exams … maths … this year.

4. The teaching staff of the KPI consist … highly qualified teachers.

5. … them there are Academicians, Professors.

6. The students obtain qualification … 68 specialties at the University.

19. Paraphrase the following phrases using

a) an apostrophe ('): the life of students, the scientific work of these teachers, the computer of my friend, a dictionary of a student, a hostel of the University, some laboratories of the faculty, the office of the dean, a lecture of this professor.

b) .... of .....: this author’s idea, a department timetable, the teachers’ room, the colleges curriculum, somebody’s books, my classmate’s credit book, Great Britain’s universities, a reader’s subscription.

20. Compose sentences matching phrases from three columns.

    There is There are There will be There was There were Will there be Were there Was there Are there Is there

    no not any

    “freshmen” in the assembly-hall. 4 departments at the KPI 1898. too much information in one text I’ve read. a piece of news and two advertisements. few students participating in the conference. a lot of prominent people who worked and studied at our university. college clubs for students at that time. scientific labs in the 12 th century. final exams in English at the end of the term. vocations lasting for a fortnight this year.

21. Translate the sentences into English using the construction “there is/are…”, “there was/were…”, “there will be…”. Mind the order of words.

1. В нашому університеті приблизно 50000 студентів.

2. У Великобританії 45 університетів.

3. Скільки студентів буде в вашій групі?

4. Чи були дівчата в його групі?

5. Концертний зал університету має 1750 місць.

6. Минулого року в усіх гуртожитках КПІ було близько 9000 студентів.

22. Comment on the pictures using linking words: firstly/first of all, secondly, thirdly, after this/that, then, next, finally. Use only the Present Simple.

23. Choose the correct answer.

1. Oxford's museums and collections provide/are providing an important resource for scholars around the world, and welcome visits from members of the public.

2. Oxford academics discuss/are discussing their research at the moment.

3. Oxford Science Park is having/has a variety of commercial offices and laboratory property to let/rent, some occupied by single companies and some multi-tenanted.

4. The students do/are doing their experiments now.

5. University Museum of Natural History houses/is housing the University's scientific collections of zoological, entomological, palaeontological and mineral specimens.

6. More than nine million tourists, attracted by the University, visit/are visiting Oxford each year, spending £589 million and supporting 13,700 jobs.

7. English courses are starting/start on Monday at 10:00 am.

8. Please aren't making/don't make so much noise. He is studying/studies English.

24. Describe the picture. Use the Present Simple and the Present Continuous.

25. Use “make” or “do” with the words below. Then make up a story about students' life using as many phrases from the list as possible.

Help:

We use the verb "do"  when someone performs an action, activity or task; when referring to work of any kind;   when speaking about things in general (in other words, to describe an action without saying exactly what the action is).

We use the verb "make" for constructing, building or creating; when referring to preparing food of any kind (!Note − these activities usually create something that you can touch.).

… my best … a decision … an appointment … a fortune … an examination … a promise … progress …an experiment … friends …somebody a favor

… certain … a difference … Maths … a bad impression … good … a mistake … some work … a suggestion … business … a phone call

26. Translate into Ukrainian.

1. Our University dates as far as 1898.

2. There is no doubt that our students reflect credit on the establishment.

3. Highly qualified teachers and professors conduct classes in a wide range of obligatory and optional subjects for freshmen.

4. Students have to carry out some practical and experimental work under the supervision of teachers in the up-to-date labs well-supplied with all the necessary equipment.

5. The system of higher education in Ukraine embraces two educational purposes: first, it gives special technical education, and second, it selects the most able and gives them more advanced education.

SPEAKING

27. Remember your first day at the University and tell your groupmate a story.

For example, you can start “My first day at the University was ...” / “When I entered the hostel I felt ...”

28. Complete the story or make up your own.

Let me tell you about my first day at the University and my impression of it. At first it was all so confusing and new. There are new customs and words to be learnt and, of course, new rules and regulations. But remembering that I was not the only “freshman” ( as a first-year student is called) I cheered up and very soon made friends. There are about 50000 students at the KPI, so, naturally, it is crowded.

I share a room at the hostel with two guys. We share some interests and get on together well.