TEXT 1. BRITISH UNIVERSITIES

There are now 47 universities in the United Kingdom and over 700 technical colleges, of which 36 are in England, 8 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales. The two oldest universities in England are Oxford (1167) and Cambridge (1209). These date from the Middle Ages. Oxford is the oldest of these two universities, it is more philosophical, classical, theological.

British universities can be divided roughly into 3 main groups: the old universities; the “redbrick” universities, which include all the provincial universities of the period 1850-1930, as well as London University; the new universities, founded after the Second World War.

All British universities are private, that is not state-controlled institutions. Every university is independent, autonomous and responsible only to its own governing council. Although they all receive financial support from the state, the Department of Education and Science has no control over their regulations, curriculum, examinations, appointment of staff, or the way they spend money. The number and type of faculties differ from university to university. Each university decides each year how many students it supposes to admit. The admission to university is by examination or selection (interviews).

The students receive grants. They have to pay fees and living costs but every student may receive from the local authority of the place where he lives a personal grant which is enough to pay the lodging and food – unless his parents are rich. Most students take jobs in the summer for about six weeks, bur they do not normally do outside work during the academic session.

Students who pass examinations at the end of three or four years of study get a Bachelor’s degree. The first postgraduate degree is normally that of Master conferred for a thesis based on at least one year’s fulltime work. Universities are centres of research and many postgraduates are engaged in research for higher degree, usually Doctorates.

The British government does not think to build more new universities. There is a tendency to expand the older ones. The most interesting innovation is the Open University.

The Open University was founded in 1964 by the Labour Government for those people who, for some reasons, had not had a chance to enter any of the other universities, especially those above normal student age. It takes both men and women at the age of 21 and over. No formal academic qualifications are necessary for entry to those courses, but the standards of its degrees are the same as those of other universities. In teaching the university uses a combination of television and radio broadcasts, correspondence courses and summer schools, together with a network of viewing and listening centres. Lecturers present their courses on one of the BBC’s television channels and by radio. They have also produced a whole library of short course-books, which anyone can buy at bookshops. Students write papers based on the courses and discuss them with tutors at meetings or by correspondence once a month. The time of staying on at the Open University is unlimited.

 

1. Choose the most suitable word or phrase underlined in each sentence.

1. Jack decided to take a course/lesson in hotel management.

2. Sheila always got good marks/points in algebra.

3. After leaving school, Ann studied/was trained as a teacher.

4. Peter decided not to go in/ enter for the examination.

5. Jack decided to take a course/lesson in hotel management.

6. My sister learned/taught me how to draw.

7. I can’t come to the cinema. I have to read up/study for a test.

8. In history we had to learn a lot of dates by hand/heart.

9. I hope your work will improve by the end of the course/term.

10. Martin failed/missed his maths exam and had to sit it again.

11. If you have any questions, raise/rise your hand.

 

2. Complete each sentence with a word from the list. Use each word once only.