TEXT #1 Education in Great Britain
All British children must stay at school from the age of 5 until they are sixteen. Many of them stay longer and take school-leaving exams when they are 18. Before 1965 all pupils of state schools had to go through special intelligence tests and went to secondary schools of different types (grammar, technical, modern) according to the results of these tests. Grammar schools provided academic education for the best, technical schools offered technical or commercial courses, and at a modem school one could learn some trade.
Nowadays schools of these types still exist, but the most popular type is comprehensive school introduced in 1965. A comprehensive school usually has the humanities, sciences and education with a practical bias combined under one roof. Pupils may change their specialisation inside one school. Schools of this type have physics, maths, chemistry, languages, geography, biology, history and art, as well as commercial and domestic courses. There are many private schools which the state does not control. In Britain they are called 'public schools' and charge fees for educating children. Many of them are boarding schools where pupils live during the term time.
At the age of 16 pupils take General Certificate of Secondary Education exams in several subjects. After that they can try to get a job, go to college of further education, or stay at school for another 2—3 years. If they stay at school after 16, or go to a college of further education, they take school-leaving А-level exams at the age of 18. After that, they may choose to go to a university or a college of higher education.
There are about 180 higher educational establishments in the UK. After three years at a university or college of higher education they may receive the Bachelor's degree; getting the Master's degree will take another 2 or 3 years. After that, a graduate can take postgraduate courses to Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy. Students may receive grants and loans from their Local Educational Authorities to help pay for books, accommodation, transport and food. However, most students should pay these loans back after they get a job. Most students in Great Britain live away from home, in flats or halls of residence. To pay for education, many students have to work in the evening and during their summer vacations.
University life is considered an experience. The exams are competitive but the social life and living away from home are also important. The social life at universities and colleges is usually excellent, with a lot of clubs, parties and concerts.
Translate into English or find in the text the following sentences.
Британские дети должны учиться в школе до 16 лет.
Учащиеся государственных школ должны были сдавать тесты на уровень интеллектуального развития.
Средние школы подразделялись на грамматические, технические и современные школы.
Грамматические школы давали академическое образование, технические предлагали техническое или профессиональное обучение, современные обучали профессии.
Общеобразовательные школы сочетают все виды средней школы в одном здании.
Государство не контролирует частные школы.
После сдачи экзаменов на Общий сертификат о среднем образовании можно пойти работать, поступить в колледж дальнейшего образования или продолжить образование в школе.
После сдачи выпускных экзаменов продвинутого уровня можно пойти в университет или колледж дальнейшего образования.
Выпускникам университета может быть присвоено звание бакалавра или магистра.
Экзамены в университетах конкурсные.
TEXT #2 A Brief History of Cambridge Vocabulary:
to found — начинать строительство, закладывать; основывать
to conquer — завоевывать, покорять; порабощать; подчинять; подавлять
fortified town — укрепленный город
borough — городок, небольшой город
to surround — окружать; обступать
ditch — канава, ров; канал
rampart — (крепостной) вал
tiny — крошечный
to rise (past rose, p.p. risen) — увеличиваться, возрастать
William the Conqueror — Уильям, Вильям Завоеватель
to build (past built, p.p. built) — строить.
severely — строго, сурово; жестоко
to damage — повреждать, портить, наносить ущерб
hazard — случайное событие, стихийное бедствие
thatched roof — соломенные крыши
to rage — бушевать, свирепствовать
fair — ярмарка
to hold (past held, p.p. held) — зд. проводить to prosper — процветать
leather industry — производство кожи, промышленность по производству кожи
wool industry — промышленность по производству шерсти
to estimate — оценивать, производить оценку
Inhabitant — житель
to reach — достигать, доходить
to stimulate — усиливать деятельность, стимулировать huge —- большой, гигантский, громадный, огромный to grow up (past grew, p.p. grown) — вырастать to gain — получать, приобретать, добиваться horse drawn tram — трамвай на лошадиной тяге electricity — электричество surgical — хирургический
Cambridge was founded in 875 when the Danes conquered Eastern England. They created a fortified town called a burgh, from which the word borough derives. Cambridge was surrounded by a ditch and an earth rampart with a wooden palisade on top. However in 1010 Cambridge was burned by the Danes. That was an easy task when all the buildings were of wood.
By the 10th century Cambridge was also the administrative centre for the area and so it was a town of some importance, although it would seem tiny to us. By 1086 Cambridge probably had a population of about 2,000. By the standards of the time it was a medium sized town.
Later in the Middle Ages the population of Cambridge probably rose to about 3,000. In 1068 William the Conqueror visited Cambridge and ordered that a castle be built there. At first it was of wood but in the 12 th century, it Was rebuilt in stone.
The town of Cambridge was severely damaged by a fire in 1174. Fire was a constant hazard when most buildings were of wood with thatched roofs. Another fire raged in Cambridge in 1385.
In the Middle Ages Cambridge had a weekly market and by the early 13 th century it also had a fair. In those days fairs were like markets but they were held only once a year for a
period of a few days- People came from all over Eastern England at a Cambridge fair. Cambridge prospered because it was located on the river Cam.
In Cambridge there was a leather industry. By the 15th century there was also a wool industry.
In 1728 it was estimated that the population of Cambridge was more then 6,000,1,600 of whom were inhabitants of the university. By the standards of that time Cambridge was a big town. The first newspaper in Cambridge appeared in 1744. The first bank in Cambridge was opened in 1780.
The railway reached Cambridge in 1845. It stimulated the growth of industry in Cambridge by connecting the town to a huge market in London. From the late 19th century a new industry of making scientific instruments grew up in Cambridge. Cambridge gained gas light in 1823.
From 1880 horse drawn trams ran in the streets of Cambridge. The first electricity was generated in Cambridge in 1893.
In the 20th century the university, while still important, did not dominate Cambridge. New industries of electronics grew up. Making surgical and scientific instruments was also important.
Cambridge was made a city in 1951. The first cinema in Cambridge opened in 1910.
Today Cambridge has a population of 109,000 people.