Text C. United Oxford and Cambridge University Club

1. In 1821 it was held a meeting at which it was decided to found a club exclusively for gentlemen who had been educated at Oxford or Cambridge. This club was called the United University Club.

2. The original membership was limited to five hundred members from each University, a limit was maintained for over a hundred years.

3. Within a few years the waiting list at the U.U.C. was such that it was decided to found a new club, to be called the Oxford and Cambridge University Club. It was on May 17^th, 1830. The membership of six hundred was expanded to a thousand in 1838 and so it remained for many years.

4. Later in the nineteenth century two other clubs were founded for members of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The new University Club was founded in 1864. It merged with U.U.C. in 1938 and there are still several former members of U.U.C. of the present club.

5. The new Oxford and Cambridge Club closed after the First World War.

6. The amalgamation in 1972 of the U.U. and O.U.C. finally brought to an end the rivalry of one and a half centuries. Today the United club flourishes without having sacrificed the comforts traditionally associated with a London club, and in one of the few clubs to stay open at the weekends.

7. The average age of members is younger than in other clubs and this creates an atmosphere unique in London Clubland.

8. The main clubhouse is an impressive neo-classical building erected in 1836. It is situated in the south side of Pall Mall. The club has several rooms available for private functions, libraries, dining rooms, two bars, twenty-six single and thirteen double bedrooms, each with a private bath or shower and most with a telephone.

Exercise 2. Pick out key-fragments of each of the paragraph. Give the summary of the text.

Exercise 3.Compress texts B, C and write an essay according to the following points:

1. aims of the formation of students’ societies, unions, clubs;

2. the membership of these societies, unions, clubs;

3. the responsibilities of students, societies, unions, clubs;

4. the comforts of clubs, unions, societies.