Unit 1. University and Science

1. Discuss the questions in pairs or groups.

  1. What universities had you applied for before you entered Tambov State Technical University?
  2. Which universities in your country have a strong reputation for scientific research?

2. Read the text, make up its summary and retell it in the class.

MY UNIVERSITY

Tambov State Technical University is a state institution of higher education in Tambov. It was founded in 1958 as the branch of the Moscow Institute of Chemical Engineering. From the very beginning, the University has been training engineers in production and manufacturing, so the course contents as close to practice as they can be. The range of specialities and areas of trainings is extremely wide.

Candidates may apply for a variety of courses to receive Bachelor’s Degree (4 years), Master’s Degree (2 years), Specialist’s Qualification (5 years).There are a lot of scientific research centers and experimental institutes on the basis of the University, which are involved in development, implementation and application of new technologies.

Students take an active part in their activities and pick up the practical skills in resolving professional tasks. The University prepares the students to be competent specialists in their field of expertise as well as n information technologies to face the competitive employment market.

Many of the University’s graduates are presently heads of the large industrial enterprises and companies of Russia; they work for administration authorities of various levels, including the Russian government. The University is constantly growing by widening the range of specialties with an interest to prepare highly competent specialists for the competitive employment market. The University s accommodated in six big buildings with classrooms and laboratories, there is a computerized central library, 5 comfortable students hostels, 4 students cafes, a university clinic and several summer camps in the countryside.

LIFE is rich and interesting for the University students. Sports competition and academic contests take place regularly. For a long time now, the “Students Spring” Festival has been a special event celebrated all over the town. The “TSTU Newsletter” is the University’s official scientific journal, there is a University’s TV studio that broadcasts regularly on the whole region. As a center of high information technologies, TSTU is much involved in the campaign aimed to introduce computer and information technologies not only in educational process, but for the overall benefit of the innovative information technologies in the economy, industry, and management and the administration of Tambov and other regions of Central Russia.

3. Read the text again and find the words for the following definitions.

  1. investigation undertaken in order to discover new facts, get additional information;
  2. a person who has taken a university degree;
  3. a building in board and lodging are provided for students, workmen in training;
  4. a day for public celebrations.

4. Read and complete the sentences using the words below. government industries foundation universities equipment at firsthand achievements scientific circles

Scientific research requires substantial funding, especially when it involves the use of expensive ___________. This funding often comes from ____________ of Russia directly from the Ministry of Science and Education. Scientific research is also conducted private-sector _____________ that employ scientists – especially from the applied sciences – who work in the development of industrial or commercial processes and products. Scientific research is also supported by ____________ through professorships. Most professors do not just give classes but also conduct scientific research. What many professors are looking for is the opportunity to work at a University where they can continue their own research. These are the professors whose students have the chance to observe real research ____________. Most universities specialize in certain fields and they are frequently judged on the ____________ of their research professors. Scientists whose research findings are published and are talked about in scientific circles bring prestige to the institution where they work.

5. Vocabulary:

  1. to enter the University – поступать в университет;
  2. institution of higher education – учреждение высшего образования;
  3. branch – филиал;
  4. manufacturing – производство продукции;
  5. course contents – содержание курса;
  6. scientific research – научная работа;
  7. scientific circles – научные общества (круги);
  8. Bachelor’s Degree – степень бакалавра;
  9. Specialist’s Qualification – квалификация специалиста;
  10. carry out – проводить;
  11. carry on – выполнять;
  12. take an active part – принимать активное участие;
  13. pick up – собирать, подхватывать;
  14. resolve tasks – решать задачи;
  15. field of expertise – сфера деятельности, профессиональная специализация;
  16. competitive employment market – рынок конкурентной занятости;
  17. implementation – осуществление;
  18. University’s graduates – выпускники университета;
  19. graduate from – закончить ВУЗ;
  20. administration authorities – управление делами, правление;
  21. government – правительство;
  22. to be accommodated – быть расположенным;
  23. hostels – общежитие;
  24. competitions – соревнования;
  25. academic contests – учебные конкурсы;
  26. “Students Spring” Festival – праздник «Студенческая весна»;
  27. “Newsletter TSTU” – «Вестник ТГТУ»;
  28. to broadcast – вещать, передавать по телевидению;
  29. benefit – польза, выгода.

6. Give the synonyms to the following words:

  1. investigation
  2. chance
  3. apply for
  4. conduct
  5. extremely
  6. to settle
  7. establishment
  8. subsidiary
  9. enterprise
  10. management
  11. production
  12. experts
  13. now
  14. to be situated
  15. different
  16. goods

7. Speaking

Discuss the following questions with your group mates:

  1. How do you learn foreign languages?

    What advantages does the baby have?

    What advantages does the adult have?

  2. What is most difficult for you in learning languages?
  3. What is most important for you in learning languages?

    learning vocabulary

    learning grammar

    speaking practice(and not being corrected all the time)

    listening

    reading

    pronanciation

    Put the list in order of importance.

    What are your suggestions for effective language learning?

    Example

    Practice speaking as much as possible.

    Watch video and read books and newspapers.

9. Grammar Practice

Complete the tense chart.

Use the verb work for the active and passive in the third person singular.

Complete the following sentences.

Continuous tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb _____+ the_______participle.

Perfect tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb ________+ the ______ partciple.

Passive tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb________+ the ______ participle.

ACTIVEPASSIVE
Present Simplehe worksit is worked out
Pres. Continuous
Present Perfect
Pr. Perfect Contin.
Past Smple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Contin
Future Smple
Future Contnuous
Future Perf. Contin

Grammar Exercises:

1. Choose the right variant. Say which tense is it.

  • 1. We … at the station at six o’clock yesterday.
  • a) arrived b) had arrived c) is arriving
  • 2. Mr. Will …in the Bank for 5 years/
  • a) works b) is working…….c) has been working
  • 3. Next week we … to a new flat.
  • a) moved b) is moving c) shall move
  • 4. Dick White still … his novel.
  • a) writes b) is writing c) has been writing
  • 5. He …. before we left
  • a) stood b) was standing c) had been standing
  • 6. He …four cars, all of them Rolles-Royces.
  • a) had b) have c) has
  • 7. Paul … tennis since morning.
  • a) is playing b) has been playing c) plays
  • 8. I …under a tree when it began to rain.
  • a) stood b) was standing c) had been standing
  • 9. There is no more cake, we …it.
  • a) has been playing b) plays c) is playing
  • 10. I hope they … the car by bus, but yesterday I ….
  • a) will repair b) shall have repaired c) have repaired

2. Put the verb in brackets in the correct tense, and decide if it is active or passive.

  1. My car (steal) last week.
  2. She (arrive) yet.
  3. (see) ever Henry?
  4. Joseph Ford, the politician who (kidnap) last week as he was driving to his office.
  5. A cure for cancer (not find) yet.
  6. This book (translate) into several languages.
  7. Usually I go to the Institute by bus, but yesterday I ….
  8. John (sleep) right now.
  9. It often (rain) in autumn in Tambov.
  10. My office ( decorate) at the moment.

3. Put the verb in brackets in the correct tense and voice.

  • a. Mike (examine) by a doctor last night, and (say)to be in good health.
  • b. I am delighted that my husband (find) unharmed.
  • c. A man (question) in connection with the kidnapping.
  • d. He (kill) in a car crash/
  • e. How these machines made?
  • f. The post (deliver) twice a day.

4. Put the following sentences into the passive, using a personal pronoun as a subject.

  • a. People asked me a lot of questions about my background.
  • b. Someone usually shows airline passengers how to use a life jacket at the beginning of the flight.
  • c. If somebody offers you a cheap camera, don’t buy it. It’s probably stolen.
  • d. Doctors have given him six months to live.
  • e. Someone will tell you what you have to do when you arrive.
  • f. My parents advised me to spend some time abroad before looking for a job.
  • g. Pleased to meet you. People have told me a lot about you.
  • h. At interviews, people ask you quite searching questions.

5. Making questions

  1. rain/it /when/you arrived?
  2. How much/ the train/ to Moscow/cost?
  3. How long/ you/ know/ this man?
  4. What/ look for/ you? My dictionary. I think I left it here yesterday.
  5. Where/ Shakespeare/ born?
  6. Anyone/ see/ Mrs Petters / this morning?
  7. You/ use to speak/ Japanese when you were young? Yes, but I forgotten it now.
  8. All your classmates/ go/ to the party yesterday?
  9. How long/ Sarah and Eduardo/ be/ married?
  10. Paul / work / on anything special at the moment?

You are going to interview someone about her/his present, past and future learning at school/at the University.

What schools did …? When will graduate from ?

When university? How many languages speak/learn?

10. Practice in proof-reading:

Correct the student’s composition (using the following symbols (^, Ww, T, Sp, Wo, Ww, Gr, P, /). Find twenty mistakes in it.

My name is Helen Dailly, and I come from England. I born in 1976 in one small village outside England. When I was six years I went to the nursery school, and I enjoyed it very much. When I was eleven I’ve moved to Scotland because my father is a diplomat, so my all life I live in differents countries. After school, I was for four years in a business collage and I got a degree in business administration. I working for a company that products mini i-pad. It’s a good work, and I’m very interest for computers. I went to learn japanese because my father and I will start our own business in America soon.

11. Read the text and characterize a scientist. Who is a scientist from your point of view?

Who is a scientist?

If you ask a hundred people in the street to say what image the word “scientist” evokes in their minds, what do they describe? A person in a white coat and wearing thick eyeglasses working with beakers and test tubes full of bubbling liquids in some university laboratory. This is a typical stereotype! Scientists do not just work in academia. Many are fond in private industry or working for government agencies.

Most scientists in the private sector are involved with applied research and development. Private-sector scientists and scientists employed at universities both deal with the same concepts. But if you are working in the private sector, you are coping with more stringent timeframes and you are more attuned to the bottom line – money. If you are an engineer, you are probably working closer to an actual production line, using resources to make products within a budget and a time table.

If you are a physicist, you could be hired by a biotechnology firm or you could find yourself working for a semiconductor manufacture, or a food-processing company. If you field is biology, you could work in the biomedical field researching and developing new drugs, vaccines and treatments.

If you have completed a degree in science or engineering, you have proved that you can think analytically and that you are comfortable with math. If you have gotten this far, you have mastered a host of scientific theories and terminology that are incomprehensible to most laypeople. But if you want to do well in today’s world, learn how to communicate effectively, especially with people from other fields or with laypeople. If you are looking for a bigger budget for your research project, make sure you have the communication skills necessary to argue your case with the people who hold the purse strings.

Vocabulary:

  1. to evoke – вызывать, пробуждать (чувства);
  2. beakers – бутылочка с мерной шкалой;
  3. test tubes – пробирка;
  4. bubbling – пузырящийся, булькающий;
  5. liquids – жидкости;
  6. applied research – прикладное научное исследование;
  7. to cope with – справляться с заданием;
  8. stringent – строгий, обязательный;
  9. within timeframes – в сроки;
  10. to be attuned – быть приученным, приспособленным;
  11. to hire – нанимать на работу;
  12. semiconductor manufacture – производство полупроводников;
  13. food-processing – технология производства пищевых продуктов;
  14. drugs – таблетки;
  15. vaccine – вакцина;
  16. treatment – лечение;
  17. to master – овладеть знаниями, мастерством;
  18. incomprehensible – непонятный, непостижимый;
  19. communication skills – навыки общения;
  20. laypeople – непрофессионалы в определенной среде;
  21. to argue – спорить, доказывать;
  22. to hold the purse strings – распоряжаться деньгами, контролировать расходы

12. Whatch wideo "Oxford University Tour"

Retell about Oxford University in class