Прочитайте текст і знайдіть підкреслені слова у словнику. The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries

The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. The United States does not have a national system of education. Each state determines its individual standards and requirements. Though there are enough basic similarities in structure among the various schools and systems.

Elementary education begins at the age of six or seven, when a child goes to the first grade (form). The program of studies in the elementary school includes English, Arithmetic, Geography, History of the USA, Natural sciences and, besides, Physical Training, Singing, Drawing, wood or metal work, etc. Sometimes they learn a foreign language and general history. At the age of fourteen or sixteen schoolchildren leave the elementary school and may continue their education at one of the secondary schools or high schools, as they call them, where they study up to 18. There are almost always required (compulsory) subjects and sometimes students at high school can choose some optional courses. Besides giving general education some high schools teach subjects useful to those who hope to find jobs in industry and agriculture or who want to enter colleges or universities.

After graduating from secondary schools a growing number of Americans go on to higher education. There are more than 3,000 institutions of higher education in the United States with the number of students ranging from fewer than a hundred to 40,000. Young people who want to get higher education must meet some requirements. No student is admitted to a college or university without having completed a four-year course in high school. It means that a student who wants to study at a university or college must begin by doing good work in high school. If his grades in high school are satisfactory, he is admitted to a university or college. Besides, standardized examinations play a decisive role in the admission to most colleges and universities. About 53% of pupils who complete their high school course go on to a college or university.

Institutions of higher learning include a great variety of junior and community colleges, technical and professional schools, which provide two-year programs in such fields as engineering, business, or electronics; and colleges and universities (the former often being a part of the latter), which usually offer four- or five-year programs leading to Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, as well as advanced courses leading to a Master’s or Doctor’s degree. Any of these institutions, in any category, may be either public or private, depending on the source of its funding.

It is common for students to leave home to study, and only about 15 % of all university students live at home while they study. Students may live either in the university campus in one of the dormitories or in private homes in the city in which the University is located.

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1. What is the difference between the system of education in the USA and the systems in other countries? 2. What are the stages of education in the USA? 3. How long do American pupils study at school? 4. How many institutions of higher education are there in the USA? 5. How many years do American students study to get a Bachelor’s degree? 6. Where do American students usually live while studying at a university or a college?

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