My University

I’m an economics student at a technical university. The university is situated in the centre of the city. It occupies a big, beautiful five-storeyed building of grey stone. There is a plaque at the entrance in memory of its founders. On weekdays you can see a lot of students in the square in front of the university.

The university was founded in 1958. It was established for training engineers for different industries of the country. At present the technical university is one of the most important higher schools in the city. Engineers for different branches of industry, economists, lawyers, managers and other specialists are trained at the educational establishment. The high standard of teaching is provided by the skilled teaching staff. The total enrollment is about 5,500 students. The university is headed by the rector.

There are five faculties in the higher educational institution. They are the Technology Faculty, the Faculty of Machinery and Equipment Service, the Faculty of Humanities, Informatics and Management, the Faculty of Extra-mural and Distance Education and Centre of Futher Tranining and Qualification Improvement. The head of each faculty is the dean. Each faculty has a group of related departments.

The Technology Faculty incorporates the departments of mining, mineral dressing, geology and surveying, construction, technical drawing. The Faculty of Machinery and Equipment Service consists of the departments of mining machines, electrical engineering, physics, automobile engineering and chemistry. The Faculty of Humanities, Informatics and Management comprises the departments of economics and law, management, social sciences, foreign languages, and physical training.

The Faculty of Extra-mural and Distance Education is involved with part-time students. Some students attend classes twice a week, others use the Internet in their studies and come to the university twice a year. Part-time students combine studies with work.

The Centre of Futher Tranining and Qualification Improvement organizes refresher courses and additional courses for graduates of higher schools.

The Department of Economics and Law was established in 1993. Economics students study general sciences, humanities and specialized subjects. They take mathematics, physics, chemistry, technical drawing, and computer science. Students also study social sciences and foreign languages. The qualified lecturers deliver lectures on economics, accounting, advertising, marketing, statistics, logistics and management.

The academic year consists of two terms. The first term starts in September and finishes in December, the second one begins in February and ends in May.

At the end of each term students take credit tests and examinations. The examination periods are in January and June. Those who do well in their exams get grants. Students get professional training in July. They work in offices, banks and mines. The students are on vacation in August.

The term of full-time tuition is five years. After completing the course of training and passing final exams young people are qualified as economists, managers, engineers and lawyers. After graduation from the university they work in banks, plants, mines and private companies.

The university has a lot of lecture-halls, computer rooms, well-equipped laboratories, a gymnasium and a sports ground. There is a library and a reading room runs by professional librarians. The university has photocopying facilities, computers, scanners and printers. Meetings, conferences and concerts are held in the assembly hall.

 

Exercise 10. Find in the text the equivalents of these words and word combinations.

В память о его основателях; различные отрасли промышленности страны; вузы; в учебном заведении; технологический факультет, факультет сервиса машин и оборудования, факультет гуманитарных наук, информатики и управления, факультет очно-заочного и дистанционного обучения; центр переподготовки и повышения квалификации; родственные кафедры; электротехника, автодело, общественные науки; включать; посещать уроки; два раза в неделю; сочетать учебу и работу; учебный год; копировальная техника; актовый зал.

 

Exercise 11. Answer the following questions in pairs.

1. Where is the technical university situated?

2. When was the university founded?

3. Who heads the university?

4. How many faculties are there in the university?

5. What faculties does the university include?

6. Who heads each faculty?

7. When was the Department of Economics and Law established?

8. Where do economics students get practical training?

9. When do students take examinations and credit tests?

10. Where do young specialists work after graduation?

11. What is your alma mater?

12. How do you feel about being a student here?

Exercise 12. Work in pairs or in small groups. Speak about the structure of faculties at your university / institute. Use the model and active words.

Model. A: What departments does the Faculty of Humanities, Informatics and Management incorporate?

B: It comprises the departments of economics, management, law, social sciences and psychology. The Department of Foreign Languages belongs to the Faculty of Humanities, Informatics and Management, too.

 

Exercise 13. Work in pairs. Speak about academic disciplines you are interested in. Use the model and active words.

Model. A: What subjects are you interested in?

B: I am interested in exact sciences. I also like… What about you?

 

Exercise 14. Write a letter to your pen-friend, describe your institute / university.

1.4. Management Students

 

Exercise 1. Focus on the topical vocabulary.

secondary ['sekqndqrI] school средняя школа

to finish school with honours = to leave school with honours ['Pnqz] окончить школу с отличием

to enter an institute / university ['entq qn'InstItjHt] поступить в институт / университет

to take economics ["Jkq'nPmIks] изучать экономику

major ['meIGq] n основной предмет специализации; студент, специализирующийся по какому-л. предмету

minor ['maInq] n второстепенный, не основной предмет; а второстепенный; v изучать в качестве второй специальности

speciality ["speSI'xlItI] n специальность; специализация, основное занятие

specialization ["speSqlaI'zeISqn] n специализация

to specialize in smth ['speSqlaIz] = to major in smth специализироваться в какой-л. области

management and administration организация производства и административное управление

to be good at languages / mathematics ['lxNgwIGIz / "mxTI'mxtIks] быть способным к языкам / математике

to support a family [sq'pLt] содержать семью

salary ['sxlqrI] n жалованье, оклад

seminar ['semInR] n семинар

to have an excellent mark in an examination = to get an excellent mark in an examination ['eksqlqnt 'mRk] получать отличную оценку на экзамене

satisfactory ["sxtIs'fxktqrI] а удовлетворительный

term paper ['tE:m 'peIpq] курсовая работа

research [rI'sE:C] n исследовательская работа; а исследовательский; v исследовать

to do research into проводить исследование

researcher [rI'sE:Cq] n исследователь

scientific supervisor ["saIqn'tIfIk 'sjHpqvaIzq] = scientific adviser [qd'vaIzq] научный руководитель

to mix with people [mIks] общаться с людьми

 

Exercise 2. Try to understand the meaning of the derivatives.

Second, secondary; enter, entrance; prospect, prospector, prospecting; support, supporter, supportive; hope, hopeful, hopeless; favour, favourite; attend attendance; research, researcher; job, jobless; excellent, excellence; satisfy, satisfaction, satisfactory; supervise, supervisor, supervision; defend, defence; mix, mixer, mixture.

 

Exercise 3. Guess what these international words mean.

The Faculty of Humanities, Informatics and Management, a speciality, to specialize in management and administration, a private company, the economy of Russia, a course in economics, lectures, classes, seminars, modern methods, journals on economics and management, a professor, a candidate, a lecturer.

 

Exercise 4. Read the following word combinations and give their Russian equivalents.

To be born; to finish secondary school; to enter an institute; to study full time; to study part time; to take economics; to take a course of accounting; to do well at the institute; to be good at English; to work for a prosperous private company; to be married; to support one's family; to get a salary; twice a week; to attend lectures; to get excellent marks; to have good marks; to give satisfactory marks; to be sure; to make a good economist; to get a good job; to introduce oneself; to graduate from an institute; to do a post graduate course; to learn modern research methods; a scientific supervisor, to defend a thesis; to mix with people.

 

Exercise 5. Read these sentences and express the same in Russian.

1. What higher school did he enter? He entered Rostov University. 2. Anna is in her final year at the institute. 3. Work with children is Helen's speciality. 4. He specializes in advertising. 5. I'm going to be an economist. 6. He took a course in management at university. 7. My father is a good specialist in mining. 8. I'm a lawyer by profession. 9. I got a satisfactory mark in accounting. 10.I have finished my term paper. 11. The monitor of the group was summoned to the dean's office. 12. I did some research on the economic situation in the Rostov region. 13. My friend won a scholarship to this school. 14. I decided that my future lay in management.

 

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences with the proper forms of the verb to have / have got.

1. She ___ a cassette-recorder. 2. We ___ fun at the party last week. 3. ___ you ___ any money on you? - Yes, I ___ some. 4. ___ you ___ any relatives in the city? Yes, I ___. My aunt and uncle live in the suburb. 5. As a rule, my mother ___ to get up early in the morning. 6. Peter was on duty yesterday. He ___ to come earlier. 7. ___ a look at this house. It's very beautiful. 8. She ___ a toothache. 9. I'm not hungry. I ___ a snack. 10. ___ you ___ a good flight? 11. ___ you ___ breakfast? - Not yet. 12. Join us. I'm sure we ___ a very good time in the country. 13. Don't be late. He ___ little time. 14. When she was young my sister ___ to work hard.

 

Exercise 7. Say what things you have got in your room and what they are used for. Use the words from the list below.

Model: I've got a computer in my room. I use it in my studies.

A television, a stereo, a computer, a calculator, a cassette-recorder, a walkman, cassettes, CDs (compact discs); DVDs (digital video discs); a camera, films; a bookcase, a bookshelf, a sofa, a wardrobe, chairs, armchairs.

 

Exercise 8. Work in pairs. Speak about things you have got with you; things you have got at home; relatives you have got in the town/city.

Model: A: Have you got your book on management with you?

B: Yes, I have./No, I haven't…

Exercise 9. Say what you have (got) to do and what you don't have (haven't got) to do. You may either use the word combinations from the list below or give your own variants.

Model: I have (got) to get up early on weekdays. I don't have (haven't got) to get up early on Saturday and Sunday.

To combine work with study; to cook meals; to go to the library every day; to ask for my friends' lecture notes; to work hard; to work independently; to stay at home in the evening.

Exercise 10. Read the following text about students. What do they have in common? What are the differences?