Student Grants

1. The Conservative government has tried to replace grants with a loan system. This means that students would have to finance their own higher education in much the same way as students in many European countries and in the USA.

2. Most students who gain a place at a recognized institution of higher education are awarded

a financial grant from their local authorities.

3. This is supposed to be enough to cover most of the fees and living expenses of a course during term time. But the size of the grant depends upon parental income (means test). This means that some students with rich parents may receive no grant, while others with less rich parents will be given a partial grant.

4. It seems likely that a modified loan scheme may be introduced in the near future by the government. But there is a strong feeling in Britain that higher education should be free for those who are qualified to take advantage of it.

5. The grant is reduced progressively at present as parental income passes 10, 000 pounds. After this level, the parents are supposed to make a contribution to their children’s grants. But almost 50 per cent do not make any contribution. Many students who receive a full grant complain that it is not enough to cover all expenses, and the grant has declined in real terms since the 1960s.

Exercise 4. Translate the following proverbs and quotations into

Russian. Explain them.

 

They know enough who know how to learn. (Henry Adams)

An investment to knowledge pays the best interest. (Benjamin Franklin)

Happy is he that is happy in his children.

There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies. (W. Churchill)

To know is nothing at all, to imagine is everything. (Anatole France)

A little learning is a dangerous thing. (A.Pope)

Will and intellect are one and the same thing. (B.Spinoza)

 

 

Oral Practice

Describing People’s Appearance

 

Patterns

What does he look like? - Как он выглядит?

General appearance:

tall, short, medium-height; fat, plump, thin, slim, well-built;

beautiful, nice, plain, attractive, good-looking, pretty, handsome.

Hair:

blonde, brown, black, red, ginger, white, grey, salt-and-pepper, fair;

straight, wavy, curly, short (-cut), long, bold (boldish),

moustache, beard.

Eyes:

black, grey, hazel, brown, blue, green, wide, slantish

Nose:

large, small, thin and long, up-turned, short, hawked.

Chin:

clean-shaven, pointed, dimpled, square

 

Exercise 1. Learn the dialogues by heart. Make dialogues of your own

using the patterns.

 

I

Ben: Hello, Peter. How are you?

Susan: Thanks, fine. And you?

Ben: Thanks, fine too. Have you seen Kate?

Susan: Kate? I think, I don’t know her.

Ben: You do. Do you remember that attractive girl at Peter’s party?

Susan: There were many attractive girls there. What does she look like?

Ben: She is slim and she’s got hazel eyes and long dark hair.

Susan: Oh, yes, now I remember her. I haven’t seen her since that party.

 

II

Peter: Have you taken after your mother or after your father, Kate?

Kate: After both of them. I’ve got wavy fair hair like my mother’s and

a long thin nose like my father’s.

Peter: Is your father tall?

Kate: Just average.

Peter: Has he got a beard or a moustache?

Kate: Neither of them.

 

Exercise 2. Play a game. One person thinks of a member of the class.

The rest of the group ask questions to guess who it is.

Exercise 3. One student describes a person and the rest of the class try

to draw a picture of this person.

 

Unit 4

Text 1