Laboratory works

Schools and colleges

№1. 

England	The USA	Australia
Primary school (age 5)	Elementory sch. (age 6)	Primary sch. (till 11)
Secondary sch. (age 11-16) GCSE (age 16)	Junior-high sch. (age 11)	Intermediate sch. (11-13)
Sixth form (age 16) A-level (age 18)	Senior-high sch. (age 14)	High sch.  (age 13)
University	University	University

№2. 1. Before they start school, very young children in Britain may go to a nursery school where they play with other children and learn to socialize.

2.    British children start primary school at the age of 5 and move to a secondary school at 11 or 13. At the age of 18 or 19 they may go on to high education at a university, polytechnic or college.

3.    At the age of 16, British pupils take GCSE exams. They may stay on at school to take A-level two years later when they are in the sixth form.

4.    A British school or university year is divided into three terms: in America the year is divided into two terms.

5.    In Britain, private boarding schools are known as public schools – in the USA, this term refers to the normal kind or state schools.

6.    At the end of a university course, graduates are awarded a degree - probably a BA (Bachelor of Arts), BSc (Bachelor of Science) or Bed (Bachelor  of Education); post-graduates can take a further course or do research and write a thesis in the hope of getting an MA (Master of arts) or a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).

№ 3. Russian Education is provided predominantly be the state and is regulated by the Ministry of Education and Science. Education in Russia is compulsory up to the 9th form inclusive. The stages of compulsory schooling in Russia are: primary education for children aged from 6 to 10, and secondary education for children from 10 to 15. After finishing the 9th form (age 15) students can go on to a vocational school (PTU or technicums) which offer programmes of academic subjects and a programme of training in a technical field. But if students wish to go on in higher education they must stay at school for two more years. After finishing these two years (age 17) students can enter a university. All applicants must take competitive exams. Higher education in Russia usually offer a 5-years programme of academic subjects for students in a variety of fields. Students also can enter a graduate course and write a thesis in order to receive a condidate's degree or a doctoral degree. 

   Speaking of school exams it's necessary to note that after finishing primary and a part of secondary education (which is called basic general education) children at the age of 15 participate in final examinations and then they are awarded the Certificate of Basic General Education which allows them to be admitted to either further secondary school or to vocational education. And after finishing the secondary general education students must pass the State Final Examinations after which they receive the Certificate of Secondary General Education. It allows them to enter a university. 

First Day at School

№ 1. 

Laurie Lee	Paul Pennyfeather
Bewildered (смущенный) Panicky Scary Obnoxious (неприятный) Angry Grumpy (сердитый) Uptight (встревоженный)	Worried Nervous Relieved Panicky Victorious Obnoxious

№2. Laurie Lee.

Bewildered: When his sisters surrounded him in order to prepare him for school

Panicky: When his sisters carried the boy to the road.

Scary: When his sisters said him that those boys who don't go to school are put in boxes and turnes to rabbits.

Obnoxious, angry, grumpy: When Laurie understood that there was no present promised at school and he did not want to come back there. 

Uptight: When his sisters said him that it was his first day at school and Laurie wanted to stay at home. 

Paul Pennyfeather.

Worried, Panicky: Whem he knew that he must to teach boys.

Panicky: When he entered the class dumb with a terror.

Nervous: when boys began to say him "good morning" one by one. 

Obnoxious: When a boy began to cry.

Victorious: When he managed to establish a silence in the class.

Relieved: When he shouted at boys.

№3. One of the main aspects in schooling is the authority of teachers. 

№4. I experience what is a new school in 5th form when my family moved from a village to the town. Although I was transfered to other school together with my sister nevertheless I felt discomfort and loneliness. My first day at a new school was a little bit straind. Firstly nobody paied attention to us. I sat together with my sister and spoke only to her. Secondly on the lessons everything was unusual for me, because in a rural school where i studied before, they teach a little bit differently than in urban one. Finally at the first day of my schooling there was English lesson which I had never studied before in contrast to my new classmaters. I didn't know how to go to this lesson. I was so worried because I was afraid that everybody would be laughing at me as I didn't understand anything in Englissh. But to my surprise it turned out to be easy. I understood many things in my first lesson and then I began to feel confidence in my further study at a new school.

Live and Learn

№1. Students may stay away from school for different reasons. It may be peer pressure, problems in the family; children also may play truant when they are hard to study, when they feel themselves "outcast", when they have problems in school such as problem relationships with teachers or classmaters.

№2. 1.C

        2. C

        3. A

        4. B

        5. B

        6. C

        7. A

№ 3. 1. More interesting lessons: Modern children are very difficult to surprise and rouse their interest. School routine discouriges them from studing. I think most of school lessons should impress pupils thus motivate them to study.

        2. More responsible parents. Unfortunatelly today parents don't participate in the school life of their children or do it very seldom. I think a constant parents'control makes children be more responsibble. But this case depends on a level of parents' authority.

        3. Teaching students to respect school. Certainly a combating truancy should begin with a school itself. Besides parents' control, children schould be controled in the school.

       4. Police involvement. Perhaps, police involvement seems the most effective way in combating truancy, but as for me it's only makes worse the situation. Students begin to perceive a school negatively.

       5. Strict punishment. It also will have a negative influence on children. Having received some strict punishment a child begins to misbehave more and more, and as a revange he or she will begin to play truant. 

MP3 Audio 3.4.

№ 1. 

	Public schools	State schools
Cost Quality of education Increased life chances	quite expensive have better instructors and facilities connections: employers look for people first at public schools	free have a mix of students students from state schools are not the first when some employees are required.

№2. The education system in your country/ the ed. system in the UK:

Similarities: Both in Russia and Britain there are primary and secondary education. Both in Russia and Britain children may leave school in order to get a vocational education or to pass special exams in order to continue their further school education twoo years more.

Differences: In Britain children pass exams (SAT) after each stage of school. In Russia they pass it after secondary school. In Britain public (private) schools are widely spread, not as in Russia. British children begin to choose their exams subjects for GCSE and prepare for them in 3d or 4th form. 

Wearing school uniforms:

In Russia it's not compulsory. In Britain it's compulsory mostly in public schools.