1. Complete the sentences.

1. Ryazan is one of…

2. Ryazan lies on…

3. On a high bank of the Trubezh…

4. There are many places of interest in Ryazan such as…

5. …which architecture graces the town.

6. We are rightfully proud of…

1. Answer the questions.

1. When was Ryazan founded?

2. Where is Ryazan situated?

3. Is Ryazan famous for its history?

4. What places of interest in Ryazan attract visitors?

5. What great people lived & worked in Ryazan?

III. Retell the text. Ryazan Radio -Engineering Academy

Ryazan Radio-Engineering Academy was founded at the end of 1951. It is a specialized radio-engineering higher educational establishment that trains engineers for the most important branches of modern science & technology.

More than 7000 students study at the Academy. The Academy has all the necessary facilities for teaching: auditoriums with closed-circuit TV, well-equipped laboratories where students get practical skills, computer centre, libraries, reading halls.

The teaching staff of the Academy consists of professors, Doctors of Sciences, assistant professors, Candidates of Sciences & experienced teachers.

The students study at different faculties: Radio-Engineering faculty, Automation & Control faculty, Electronics faculty, Computer Science faculty, Engineering & Economics faculty, Humanitarian faculty…They study higher mathematics, physics, descriptive geometry, electro-engineering, theory of mechanisms & machines, social sciences, history, foreign languages & many other subjects.

Admission to the Academy is by examinations & selection. The course of study lasts from 4.5 to 5.5 years depending on the faculty. The academic year is divided into 2 terms. Terminal examinations are held in January & June. At the end of studies the students are to submit a graduation paper.

At the Academy students are engaged in scientific research work. Advanced students carry out their research under the guidance of experienced supervisors. After graduation they can continue their scientific research work while taking postgraduate courses.

The Academy gives good engineering education & provides industrial enterprises & scientific centres with well-qualified engineers.

I. Complete the sentences.

1. It is a specialized…

2. The teaching staff of the Academy consists of…

3. Admission to the Academy…

4. At the end of studies…

5. After graduation students can…

6. The Academy gives…

II. Answer the questions.

1. When was Rayzan Radio-Engineering University founded?

2. What facilities for teaching has the University?

3. What subjects do the students master?

4. What does the course of study include?

5. Are the students engaged in scientific research work of the University?

III. Retell the text. English as a global language

The English language is now the first language of about 400 million people, the native language of 12 nations & the official or semiofficial language of 33 more nations. That means one in every seven people in the world speaks English. The English language has become the “new Latin” of the century, the world’s top tongue. One billion people speak English. That’s 20% of the world population. For the other 600 million it’s either a second language or a foreign language. There are more than 500 000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary. Compare that with the vocabulary of German (about 200 000) & French (about 100 000). At present no other language on Earth is better suited to play the role of a world language.

English is so widespread nowadays because it has become the standard language for all kinds of international communication: 80% of all information in the world’s computer is in English; nearly 50% of all the companies in Europe communicate with one another in English; 75% of all international letters & telexes are in English. English is also the international language of business people, pilots, diplomats & politicians, sportsmen & scientists, doctors & students, musicians & singers. Obviously English is going to become even more important as a global language, dominating world trade, computers & media.

Not so long ago learning English was not much fun. You only had to read boring texts, translate them from English into Russian & back & learn lists of words by heart. Today learning English has become much more exciting. Students can enjoy any kind of pronunciation & various accents listening to the cassettes & CDs read by native speakers. Watching video & DVD films allows students to see authentic movies with or without subtitles. You can use the computer not only for playing games but also for acquiring knowledge. Teaching CDs will help you to learn new words & grammar. The Internet is a boundless world of learning opportunities. There are a lot of sites providing different activities, students’ cafes & chats. You can ask any questions to the world’s top teachers & you will get your answers in a second. And finally if you can afford it, go abroad & learn English with native speakers in an English-speaking country.

I. Complete the sentences.

1. That means…

2. At present no other language on Earth…

3. English has become…

4. English is also the international language of…

5. Not so long ago…

6. You can use the computer…

II. Answer the questions.

1. Is English a popular language nowadays?

2. Why is English better suited to play the role of a world language?

3. Why is English so widespread nowadays?

4. What ways of learning English do you prefer?

III. Retell the text.

Internet

Internet is a network connecting many computer networks & based on a common addressing system & communications protocol.

The Internet has its origin in the US Department of Defence program called

Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. The program was created in order to provide a communications network for organizations dealing with defence research.

From its creation in 1983 the Internet has been growing into increasingly popular mass media. Nowadays it connects millions of computers throughout the world. The sphere of its usage has also been extended by the connecting of many other computer networks & the communications services. The original uses of the Internet were electronic mail (commonly called “E-mail”), file transfer, using file transfer protocol, newsgroups & remote computer access (telnet).

By 1990 the World-Wide Web, which enables simple navigation of the Internet sites through a graphical interface, had also extended greatly & became the most important component of the Internet.

The Internet connected millions of computers throughout the world. Many commercial computer network & data services also provided at least indirect connection to the Internet. Amateur radio, cable television wires, spread-spectrum radio, satellite & fibre optics all have been used to deliver Internet services. Networked games, networked monetary transactions & virtual museums are among applications being developed that both extend the network`s utility & test the limits of its technology.