Higher Education in the USA

1. Higher education in America is provided by colleges and universities. The main difference between a college and a university is that the latter is a collection of colleges each of which specializes in a different field.

2. American colleges and universities are either private or
public. There are nearly 1900 institutes of higher learning in America. Roughly one-third are state institutions, 1,200 are private ones. Only about half of the school children graduate from high school in America and receive a high school diploma. College is getting more expensive every year. Not all American families can afford universities education.

3. The American high school offers a wide variety of courses. In the same school a student can specialize in economics, in chemistry and physics, Latin and humanities, or in automobile
mechanics. During the four-year high school program, the student studies four or five major subjects per year. In addition the students usually have classes in physical education, music and art. The first two years are a continuation of secondary education; then a student begins an intensive study of his special field. If a student fails a course, he repeats only that course and not the work of the entire year.

4. Students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshman is a first year student; a sophomore, a second year student; a junior, a third year student; and a senior, a
fourth year student. All students who have graduated from the senior class and who continue studies at a university are classified as advanced students or graduate students.

5. At the conclusion of studies a college or university grants a bachelor's degree; after one or two additional years of studies — a master's degree. The highest academic degree is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). It may take a number of years to complete the original research work necessary to obtain this degree.

6. College prepares the student for two things: either graduate studies, leading to a master's or doctor's degree, or a job immediately after graduation. The majority of college graduates have to apply to public and private employment agencies to get any job, which is not an easy thing.

Variant VI

WASHINGTON, D.C. - CAPITAL OF THE USA

When the thirteen colonies became states and decided to join in a Union, there was much discussion about the capital. The first President of the U.S., George Washington, took an active part in selecting the area for building the capital of the country. It was decided that the city should be built on the north bank of the Potomac River, the place located midway to keep at close touch as possible between the states. Now the Washington Monument is situated here, on the hill in Potomac Park.

The centre of the city is the Capitol Building, where the Congress has its seat. The Capitol stands on Capitol Hill, the highest point in the city. It's a very high and beautiful building with white marble columns. There is a law in Washington against building structures higher than the Capitol. Not far from Capitol is the Library of Congress which holds thirteen million books. Today Washington is a city which attracts a lot of tourists by its fashionable hotels, restaurants and sightseeing attractions as "Mount Vernon" - the house of the first president George Washington; the Lincoln Memorial dedicated to the Great Emancipator, the 16th president of the USA; the National Gallery of Art, the Jefferson Memorial, the Tomb of Unknown Soldier and the city's pride - the Union Railway Station.

The White House is the Residence of the President and every president except Washington has lived there. The cornerstone of the Executive Mansion, as it was originally known dates from October 13, 1792. Since the administration of Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) the term 'White House' has become official. From the Capitol to the White House runs broad Pennsylvania Avenue. All the diagonal avenues are named after states of the Union. Fortunately for sightseers all the main buildings that make Washington so interesting are to be found in groups.

Washington is a city without sky-scrapers, with low buildings and long wide avenues, with the population of more than 3,6 million. It was founded in 1791 as the capital of the USA by the French architect Pierre L'Enfant. Washington is a symbol of the country's unity, history and democratic traditions.

Variant VII

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14