THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN BRITAIN

There are more than forty universities in Britain but the names of the most famous institutions are Eton, Oxford and Cambridge; people do not always realize what place these institutions occupy in the whole educational system. Oxford and Cambridge are universities each having about 10,000 students. Eton is a public school, and the best known of the public schools, which, in spite of their name, are not really public at all, but independent and private secondary schools taking boys from the age of thirteen to eighteen years. The public schools in reality form a very small part of the whole system of secondary education; only about one out offorty English boys goes to a public school, and one cent of 1,500 goes to Eton. Apart from public schools there is a complete system of state primary and secondary education. Ail children must, by law, receive full-time education between the ages of live and fifteen. Any child may attend, without paying fees, a school, and the great majority attends such schools. They may continue, still without paying fees, until they are eighteen. Children, who continue at school until they are sixteen can take the examinations for the General Certificate of Education at Ordinary Level. This may be taken in any number of subjects. Many, after gaining this certificate, leave school to start training, for various careers. Those who stay at school after passing their examinations prepare themselves for an attempt to win a certificate at advanced level, usually in only three or four subjects. During the last years at school the pupils are almost obliged to specialize in narrow fields.

The academic year begins after summer holidays and is divided into three "terms".

Day-schools mostly work Mondays to Fridays only, from about 9 a.m. to between 3 and 4 p.m.

(Front "Life in Modern Britain")

II. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What are the names of the most famous institutions in Britain? 2. Who studies in Eton? 3. Who receives full-time education? 4. How old are children who take examinations for the "General Certificate of Education"? 5. How many "terms" is the academic year divided into?

III. Выпишите из текста интернациональные слова.

IV. Определите по суффиксу часть речи:

likely, buyer, chamber, characteristic, devotion, active, equipment, fruitfully, gaily

V. Выпишите из текста и переведите предложения; а) с оборотом there is (are), б) с причастием I (Participle I), в) с модальным глаголом must.

VI. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на выделенные слова:

a) "You've changed since I last saw you!" I said to my friend. b) Let us go this way for a change. c) Can you give me some change?

a) There are five fingers on each hand. b) I forbid you to lay a finger on the boy.

a) What were your first impressions of Kiev? b) It's my impression that he does not want to read this book. c) Fifty impressions of this book were sold yesterday.

a) When I entered the room I saw a man and a woman there. b) Your friend is a man of character, isn't he? c) Does that man of straw help against birds?

VII. Закончите предложения;

a) Can you...? b) You mustn't.... c) Has she...? d) We didn't.... e) They are....

Вариант 8

I. Прочтите и переведите текст на русский язык:

THE WORKING OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS¹

As a hundred years ago government in Britain is called "parliamentary government". It was true to say that the ministers held office only for so long as they continued to be supported by a majority in the House of Commons.

The two Houses of Parliament, the Lords and the Commons, share the same building, the Palace of Westminster. The present buildings of the Palace were erected between 1840 and 1852 to replace older buildings which had been destroyed by fire in 1834.

The Commons occupy the north part of the Palace, the Lords the south end. The part of the Palace of Westminster induces some hundreds of rooms, among which are library, restaurants, committee rooms and so on. Ministers have offices for themselves within the Palace of Westminster, but ordinary members do not.

The Commons debating chamber is usually called "The House". It has seats for only about 370 of its total membership of over 600. Members do not have special seats. The shape and arrangement of the House are of great political significance. It is rectangular, with the Speaker's chair at one end, and with five straight rows of benches running down one side along its whole length, and five rows on the other side so that the rows of benches face each other across the floor...

Members of the House of Commons have received salaries since 1911.

Each chamber has galleries, parts of which are kept for the use of the public. The beginning of a day's business is at 2.30 p.m. The office of the Speaker has a special importance. The choice of a new Speaker is made by a vote of the House.

The House of Commons meets every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 2.30 in the afternoon, and normally sits until 10.30 p.m. A light at the top of the clock tower, where the famous Big Ben strikes is kept on for so long as the House is sitting.

II. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. How is government in Britain called? 2. What is the building the Lords and the Commons share? 3. When was the fire in London? 4. Where is the beginning of a day's business? 5- What is the sign that the House is sitting?

III. Выпишите из текста интернациональные слова.

IV. Определите по суффиксу часть речи и переведите слова на рус­ский язык.

moralist, moralize, morality, mainly, nomination, offensive, offender, quantity, tasteless, ready

V. Выпишите из текста предложения, иллюстрирующие: а) прошед­шее неопределенное время, страдательный залог (3-е лицо ед. числа), б) причастие I, в) настоящее совершенное время.

VI. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на выделенные слова:

a) Who knows the reason of Pete's absence from school? b) The boy often forgot his books at home because of his absence of mind. c) Cold is the absence of heat.

a) I suppose, you have time to make the bed. b) Go to bed, it's high time to do it. c) There was a wonderful flowerbed before the house.

a) May I ask you a question? b) He always asks after your sister's health. c) This task asks for your special attention.

VII. Закончите предложения;

a) I am to.... b) Can you...? c) You may.... d) She has done.... e) Are you...?

¹ House of Commons - палата общин

Вариант 9

I. Прочтите и переведите текст:

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