Some Differences in the Organization of Education in Britain and America

Differences in the organization of education in Britain and America lead to different terms. One crucial word, school, is used in overlapping but different ways. A place of education for young children is a school in both varieties. But the word school in B.E. is never used to refer to a university or other college of highereducation. An American high school student graduates; a British secondary schoolpupil (never student) leaves school. To graduate is possible only from a university, polytechnic or college of education in British usage; graduating entails taking a degree. British universities have 3 terms; American universities have 2 semesters (or in some re­cent cases, 4 quarters). A British university student takes 3 years, in the typical case, to get his degree; these are known as the first, second and final years. The American university student typically takes 4 years, known as freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. While he is studying, the American ma­jors in a particular subject, but also takes electives; the British student usually takes a main and subsidiary subjects. The British term honours degree signifies that the student specializes in one main subject, perhaps with one subsidiary. The American student earns credits for successfully comple­ting a number of self-contained courses of study, the credits eventually reaching the total needed for him to receive a degree. There is no counterpart to the credit system in Bri­tish high education at present.

The British student who has already taken a first degree (usually a B.A. or B.Sc. except in Scottish universities) is a post-graduate; the American equivalent is a graduate. In Ame­rican universities those who teach are known as the faculty; in Britain they are the staff, possibly dignified as the academic staff.

B.E. has no equivalent to A.E. co-ed a girl student, nor is there any B.E. equivalent of the American sorority or fraternity, i.e. nationwide university clubs or associa­tions with restricted membership.

Vocabulary:

B.E. - British English		Британский английский язык
A.E. - American English		Американский английский язык
to take a degree	[dI'grJ]	получать ученую степень
freshman	['frFSmqn]	первокурсник
sophomore	['sOfqmL]	второкурсник
junior	['GHnIq]	студент третьего курса
senior year	['sJnIq]	выпускной курс
to major in a subject	['meIGq]	изучать основные предметы
elective	[I'lFktIv]	факультатив
subsidiary subject (Br)	[sqb'sIdIqrI]	факультатив
the faculty	['fxkqltI]	состав преподавателей
co-ed	['kqu'ed]	однокурсница
sorority	[sq'rOrItI]	университетский женский клуб
fraternity	[frq'tWnItI]	студенческая организация
В.A. (Bachelor of Arts)		бакалавр гуманитарных наук
В.Sc. (Bachelor of Science)		бакалавр естественных наук

b) Copy the table in your notebook and fill it in.

	British English	American English
- Вуз - заканчивать Вуз - заканчивать среднее специальное учебное заведение (ССУЗ) - учащийся ССУЗ - семестр - выпускной курс - однокурсница - факультатив - педагогический коллектив - выпускник - студенческие клубы - студент 1-го курса - студент 2-го курса - студент 3-го курса - студент выпускного курса

Joke

During an examination before Christmas one of the students did not know how to answer the question, “What causes a depression?” - so he wrote: “God knows! I don't. Merry Christmas!”

When the examination paper came back, the student saw that the professor had written on his paper: “God gets 100, you get zero. Happy New Year!”

to get 100 - получить самую высокую оценку

zero - самая низкая оценка

My Flat

We live in a new 16-storeyed block of flats in Strogino. It’s situated in a very picturesque place not far from the Moskva River. There’s a big supermarket on the ground floor and it’s very convenient to do every day shopping.

Our flat is on the fifth floor. It’s very comfortable and well-planned. We have all modern conveniences, such as central heating, electricity, gas, cold andhot running water and a tele­phone. There are three rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall in our flat. There's also a balcony and we can enjoy a lovely view of the river.

The largest room in our flat is the living room and we use it as a dining room and as a sitting room. In the middle of the room there is a big table and six chairs round it. Opposite the window there is a wall unit with lots of books, a TV-set and a videocassette recorder. There are two comfortable armchairs and a small coffee table in the right-hand corner. There is also a sofa and an electric fire inour living room. We like the li­ving room best of all, because in the evenings we gather there to have tea, watch TV, talk and rest.

My room is the smallest room in our flat, but it isverycosy and light. There is a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, an armchair and several bookshelves in my room. There is a thick carpet on the floor. The walls in my room are light-brown and there are some big posters on them. I like my room very much, but from time to time I change it round. I quite often move the bed and change the posters on the wall.

Our kitchen is large and light. It is very well equipped. We have got a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave oven, a coffeemaker and a toaster. We haven’t got a dishwasher yet, because it is very expensive. But I’m sure we shall buy it in the nearest future.

Exercises:

I. Complete the following sentences using the text:

1) There are… in the right-hand corner.

2) Our smallest room is very…

3) I have a flat in a new…

4) There are… rooms in my flat.

5) We have… in our kitchen.

6) … because in the evenings we gather there.

7) I like… very much, but from time to time…

8) … there is a wall unit.

9) We have no dishwasher, because…

10) My flat is very…

II. Give English equivalents for the following words and use them in the sentences of your own:

а) 16-ти этажный, многоквартирный дом, первый этаж, удобный, современные удобства, центральное отопление, электричество, водопровод, жилая комната, кухня, столовая, гостиная, стенка (мебельная), левый угол, уютный;

б) не далеко от, больше всего, время от времени, довольно часто, в ближайшем будущем, быть уверенным, вид на…, быть расположенным.

III. Translate into English:

1) Я живу в 15 (10, 8, 5, 1) -этажном доме.
Я живу в многоквартирном доме.

2) Я живу недалеко от Иртыша, но далеко от центра города. (The centre of the city (Br.); Downtown (Am.)).

3) Мой дом расположен в живописном месте.

4) Я живу на первом (2, 5, 9) этаже.

5) Моя квартира очень комфортабельная и хорошо спланирована.

6) У нас в квартире есть все современные удобства.

7) У нас есть электричество, газ, водопровод, центральное отопление.

8) Наша квартира состоит из кухни, прихожей, ванной комнаты, жилой комнаты и двух спален.

9) У нас в квартире есть столовая, гостиная и спальня.

10) Напротив окна находится журнальный столик и два кресла.

11) В правом углу жилой комнаты расположен удобный диван.

12) По воскресеньям мы собираемся в нашей столовой, чтобы поужинать вместе. (to have supper)

13) Моя комната самая маленькая, и я время от времени делаю в ней перестановку.

14) Наша кухня очень удобная и хорошо оборудована.

IV. Give equivalents to the following sentences using the text:

1) I live in a new five-storeyed block of flats.

2) My house is situated not far from the market, so it's very convenient to do shopping.

3) There is a lovely view of the river from my window.

4) We have not all modern conveniences: there is electricity, gas, central heating and no telephone in our flat.

5) We often use our living room as a sitting room and as a dining room.

V. Answer the questions:

1) What house do you live in?

2) Where is it situated?

3) What is situated not far from your house?

4) Is there a shop on the ground floor?

5) What floor is your flat on?

6) What modern conveniences have you?

7) How many rooms does your flat consist of?

8) Have you a balcony? What view is there from your balcony (window)?

9) What are the largest and the smallest rooms in your flat?

10) What is there in the left-hand corner of your living room?

11) What is there in the right-hand corner of your bedroom?

12) What is there in your bedroom?

13) Do you change your room round quite often?

14) Is your kitchen well-equipped?

15) What is there in your kitchen?

VI. a) Study the following words:

– 1 –

attic	['xtIk]	мансарда
balcony	['bxlkqnI]	балкон
bathroom	['bRTrum]	ванная
bedroom	['bedrum]	спальня
lounge	[launG]	гостиная, комната для отдыха
block	[blOk]	квартал, жилищный массив
ceiling	['sJlIN]	потолок
chimney	['CimnI]	труба (печная)
entrance hall	['entr(q)ns'hLl]	прихожая
flat/apartment (Am.)	[flxt], [q'pRtmqnt]	квартира
floor	[flL]	пол
garage	['gxrRZ]	гараж
home	['hqum]	дом, домашний очаг
hostel	['hOst(q)l]	общежитие
house	['haus]	дом, жилище, здание
lift/elevator (Am.)	[lIft], ['elIveItq]	лифт
one-room flat		однокомнатная квартира
radio	['reIdIqu]	радио
roof	[rHf]	крыша
sewerage	['sjHqrIG]	канализация
staircase	['stFqkeIs]	лестница
study	['stAdI]	кабинет
telephone	['telIfqun]	телефон
toilet	['tOIlIt]	туалет
TV-set	['tJvJset]	телевизор
wall	['wLl]	стена

– 2 –

bookcase	['bukkeIs]	книжный шкаф
carpet	['kRpIt]	ковер
chest of drawers	['Cestqv'drLz]	комод
cooker	['kukq]	плита, печь
cooking things		принадлежности для приготовления пищи
cupboard	['kApqd]	шкаф для посуды
curtain	['kWtn]	штора, занавеска
cushion	['kuS(q)n]	диванная подушка
desk		письменный стол, парта
dining table		обеденный стол
double bed	['dAblbed]	двуспальная кровать
drawer	[drL]	ящик (выдвижной)
dressing table	['dresIN]	туалетный столик
furniture	['fWnICq]	мебель
gas-stove	['gxsstquv]	газовая плита
kitchen-unit	['kICIn]	кухонный гарнитур
lamp-stand	['lxmpstxnd]	торшер
mirror	['mIrq]	зеркало
night table		тумбочка
ornament	['Lnqmqnt]	украшение
padded stool	['pxdId]	пуфик
picture	['pIkCq]	картина
pillow	['pIlqu]	подушка
shelf (shelves)	[Self], [Selvz]	полка (полки)
shower	['Sauq]	душ
sink		раковина
sofa-bed	['squfq]	диван-кровать
stool		табурет
tape-recorder		магнитофон
three-leaved mirror	['lJvd]	трельяж
video-cassette recorder	['vIdIqu]	видеомагнитофон
wardrobe	['wLdrqub]	шкаф для одежды
washing machine		стиральная машина
writing table		письменный стол

– 3 –

antique	[xn'tJk]	антикварный
cheap	[CJp]	дешевый
clean	[klJn]	чистый
expensive	[Iks'pensIv]	дорогой
high	[haI]	высокий
long	[lON]	длинный
low	[lqu]	низкий
modern	['mLdqn]	современный
narrow	['nxrqu]	узкий
nicely-furnished	['naIslI'fWnISt]	прекрасно обставленный
old-fashioned		старомодный
short		короткий
tidy		опрятный
well-equipped		хорошо оборудованный
wide	[waId]	широкий

– 4 –

at	у	next to	рядом с
in front of	перед	on the right (left)	справа (слева)
in the corner	в углу	opposite	напротив
in the middle of	в середине	over, above	над
near	около	under	под

b) Translate the sentences using the words from this exercise:

1) У моей бабушки двухкомнатная квартира в новом квартале. 2) Он живет в студенческом общежитии. 3) Его кабинет хорошо оборудован, в нем современная удобная мебель. 4) В углу нашей спальни стоит большой книжный шкаф, а напротив него – письменный стол. 5) В центре нашей гостиной стоит широкий обеденный стол. 6) У нас в спальне над туалетным столиком висит красивое антикварное зеркало. 7) На полу в жилой комнате у нас дорогой ковер. 8) У окна стоит письменный стол и табурет.

VII. Ask each other about your flats. Begin your questions in the following way:

- How many rooms…?	- What is there…?
- What have you…?	- Is there…?
- Have you…?	- Are there…?
- Where is…?

VIII. Describe the room on the picture.

1. kitchen	6. dressing table
2. table	7. chest of drawers
3. bed	8. carpet
4. armchair	9. curtains
5. wardrobe

IX. Read the dialogues and find English equivalents for the following word-combinations:

свой собственный дом; снимать квартиру; хозяйка дома или квартиры, сдаваемых внаем; квартирная плата; кондиционирование; выходить на (об окнах); высотный дом; частный дом.

– 1 –

- I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Denissov. I’d like to make friends with you. Please put down my address. I’ll be happy to receive a letter from you.

- And you must write down mine. I’ll gladly correspond with you.

- Robert W. Scott, 16, East Street, Salisbury ['sOlzbqrI], England.

- Thank you, Mr. Scott. Now put down my address. Andrei P. Denissov, House 15, Flat 80, Matrossov Street, Tambov, Russia. If you write the address in Russian, you’ll have to change the order of names.

- Thank you very much. Well, I know that. I’ll send you a postcard as soon as I return to Britain.

– 2 –

- I’m sorry, Mr. Scott, but when you gave your address you failed to mention the number of your flat. What is it?

- That’s right. I didn’t mention because I haven’t got one. I live in a small house.

- I see. Is it your own house or do you rent it?

- I have a house of my own. I inherited it from my parents.

– 3 –

- I say, Harry, have you got a home of your own or do you rent a flat?

- I rent a room from a landlady.

- Is your rent high?

- Very high. Rents in Britain keep going up. I have to move from one district to another searching for lower rents.

– 4 –

- What kind of home do you live in, Mr. Denissov?

- I live in a four-room flat with all the modern conveniences including air-conditioning. Two of the rooms overlook the river.

- Is your apartment as Americans say in a tall block?

- Yes, I live in a new multistoried block of flats of experimental design.

- You Russian people are progressing pretty fast in housing construction. I say this as a civil engineer. Travelling over your country I saw thousands of nice-looking private houses cropping up around big towns and industrial centres.

- Yes, I for one am also building a country summer house on a river, a dacha as Russians say.

X. Make up special questions to the sentences:

1) My address is: House 56, Flat 71, Lenin Street, Omsk, Russia. 2) I rent a house from a private landlord. 3) I live in London. 4) I live in flat 52. 5) I have a four-room flat in a new block.

XI. Answer the questions:

1) What town (city) do you live in? 2) Do you live in the student hostel or at home? 3) Does your family rent a flat or do you have a home of your own? 4) What is your address? 5) Is the flat you have good for your family? 6) Do you live in a private house? 7) What can you say about the living conditions of Russian students? 8) What can you say about the rent in Britain? 9) What can you say about the housing problems in Russian? 10) What can you say about the privatisation of flats and houses in our country?

XII. a) Read the advertisements and describe the flats to let.

To Let

A separate flat facing the river on the second floor, central heating, hot water, a bathroom, a big kitchen, a spacious living-room with three large windows, a bedroom. All the rooms are furnished and in perfect order. The landlady is middle-aged, friendly, kind, always willing to help. The rent is $100 a month.

A separate room on the fifth floor for a single man, with furniture and a separate bathroom. There is a desk, three chairs, a sofa, a TV-set and a bookcase. The telephone is in the hall. There is no lift. The room is small but warm and cosy. The rent is only $50 a month.

b) Imagine that you are a landlord (landlady), make up your own advertisement about the flat (room) you rent.

XIII. Make up dialogues on the following situations:

- You want to correspond with your friend, so you have to exchange your addresses.

- You want to know as much as possible about the home of your friend who lives in a student hostel.

- You are discussing the living conditions of your friend who lives in a modern block of flats.

XIV. Describe your own flat or the house you live in.

XV. Translate and discuss the following texts:

A. The majority of the British population live in small houses built close together. A typical house of this kind is built with two floors. The front door, which faces the street, opens into a hall with two rooms, one on each side of the hall. One of them is the dining-room the other may be called the sitting-room or the living-room. The most modern name for this room is the lounge.

The rooms upstairs are bedrooms; they are often very small. Often the dining-room is the most comfortable room in the house, and the one that is used all the time. The other members of the family bring their hobbies and games to the table.

Very many houses of this type were built in British cities in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the land on which they stand has become very valuable and the owners either sell it, or pull down the old houses and build large blocks of flats. In this way the owners make more money.

Many British people give their suburban house a name, such as the Cedars, the Poplars, the Rhubarb Cottage, even though there are no trees or vegetables in their gardens. People of high social position have country houses with names, so a house with a name seems “better” than a house with a number. Numbers make the postman’s work much easier, but this is not important.

B. My friend spent a day in an English family. This is what she wrote to me about her visit.

“… Before coming to England, I had read that the English were not very hospitable. A well-known proverb says that an Englishman’s house is his castle. So you understand I

brighter and more organised.

The house itself is a two-storeyed brick structure with lots of flowers in front of the main door. On the ground floor they have a dining-room, a lounge and a kitchen. The French window of the lounge opens into a green lawn. The lawn is extremely smooth. As Paddy explained, it had taken the English many centuries to make their lawns look so beautiful. On the first floor there are their bedrooms, a library and a room for guests, which is very often occupied. On both floors there are bathrooms and lavatories. I want to emphasize that the house is not big, the lounge being the largest.

I had a marvellous time in this family! They all were so friendly and well-disposed towards me that soon I began to feel at home. With such hospitable and sociable people as the Weldings, the time passed very quickly. In the evening they took me for a drink to the local pub. The pub I’ve been to occupies the ground floor of an average two-storeyed house. It consists of several rooms that are furnished by comfortable arm-chairs and small tables. In the corner of one of the rooms there’s a colour TV-set. In fact, the pub is the place where you can just sit and have a glass of beer and have a chat with your friend.

I enjoyed my visit to an English family. And I think there were tears in the women’s eyes when we were saying good-bye. But on the other hand, they did not ask me to come once more or to give them my home address; they did not give me their address either. So I still wonder if the Englishman’s house is his castle.

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