Translate into English. 1. Букингемский дворец - официальная лондонская резиденция английской королевы

1. Букингемский дворец - официальная лондонская резиденция английской королевы

2. Сити - это старейшая часть города. Именное этого места начал расти Лондон.

3. Картинные галереи Лондона - богатейшие в мире.

4. Лондон гордится своими великолепными мостами через Темзу. Наиболее известен Вестминстерский, Лондонский и Тауэрский мосты.

5. Самые знаменитые древние здания - собор Святого Павла, Вестминстерское аббатство, Лондонский Тауэр.

6. Вест-Энд - район богатых магазинов, театров, ресторанов.

7. Лондонский порт и доки находятся в Ист-Энде.

8. Лондонский Тауэр, построенный для защиты Лондона, был крепостью, дворцом и тюрьмой.

Speak on the given topics:

1. The City. 2. The West End. 3. The East End. 4. The district of Westminster.

5. The Tower. 6. St. Paul’s Cathedral. 7. Trafalgar Square.

Text 5

Education in Britain

British education has many different faces, but one goal. Its aim is to realise the potential of all, for the good of the individual and society as a whole. Compulsory primary education begins at the age of 5 in England, Wales and Scotland, and 4 in Northern Ireland. Around half of 3-and 4- year olds in Britain receive nursery education, and many other children attend preschool playgroups, mostly organised by parents. Children usually start their school career in an infant school and move to a junior school or department at age 7. In some parts of the country, though, children begin at a first school at age 5, and move on to a middle school at age 8, 9, or 10. Primary schools vary in size and location, some having as few as two teachers and others as many as 30. At the age of 11 most children go to a comprehensive school where they stay until they are 16. In the past children went to different types of secondary schools, but in most parts of the country everybody now goes to a comprehensive. In Britain most children of compulsory secondary school age (11 to 16) receive free education financed from public funds. Some parents, who do not want their children to go to a comprehensive pay to send them to a private school. The most expensive and prestigious private schools are actually called public school. At 7 and 11 years old (and at secondary school, at 14 and 16), teachers measure children’s progress in each subject against attainment targets. In English, for instance, there are five basic targets: speaking and listening; reading; writing; spelling; and handwriting. For each target, there are ten levels of attainment. For example, in order to achieve attainment level 2 in writing, a child should, amongst other things, be able to structure

sequences of real or imagined events coherently in chronological accounts - this could be in an account of a family occasion, or in a practical mathematics task, or in an adventure story. At the age of 16 children take their examinations. Most take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualifications. Ordinary Levels - normally called just «O» Levels. Children take «O» Levels in as many subjects as they want to; some take one of two, others take as many as nine or ten. If you get good «O» Levels results, you can stay on at school until you are 18, in the Sixth Form. Those who stay on at school after GCSE usually study for two further years for «A» (Advanced) level exams in two or there subjects. They can broaden their range by taking «AS» levels, which demand the same standard of work as «A» levels but cover only half the content, or by taking courses leading to vocational qualifications. Education doesn’t stop with leaving school. Further education in particular is learning which, with its strong ties with commerce and industry, is vital in the effort to keep Britain economically competitive. In 1991 the Government published plans aiming to ensure that everyone over 16 is encouraged to continue in education or training, and to remove barriers between academic and vocational education. Over 500 colleges of further education run courses on everything from catering to business studies. Most further education courses are vocational, but many colleges offer more academic courses, such as GCSE, and «A» levels. There are 400.000 full-time further educational students and 4 million who attend college part-time, by day or block release from their jobs or in the evening. The new National Vocational Qualifications are designed to ensure the relevance of vocational qualifications to employers. More than 2,5 million adults aged 19 or over enrol each year on further education courses- which lead to qualifications or access to higher education; or that teach a craft, a sport, or an aspect of culture. All Britain’s universities enjoy complete academic freedom. They appoint their own staff and decide what and how to teach. The tradition of excellence dates back to the 12 th and 13 th centuries, when Oxford and Cambridge Universities were founded. Four Scottish universities were established in the 14 th and 15 th centuries, while the rest of Britain’s 47 universities were set up in the last 200 years. First degree courses usually last three or four years. The Open University is a little different, because it relies on distance- learning. Prospective students don’t require any conventional academic qualifications to enrol, but the standards of Open University degrees are as high as at other universities. England and Wales’s 34 polytechnics tend to be more Vocationally - orientated than universities, providing degree and sub-degree vocational courses as well as traditional academic degree courses. Many polytechnics (and the 13 central institutions in Scotland) have close links with business, and many students have jobs and attend part-time. For those without standard entry qualifications, access and foundation courses can provide a way in to higher education. The number of access courses in Britain is increasing rapidly.

Vocabulary

сompulsory - обязательный

primary education - начальная школа

infant school - начальные классы

junior school - средние классы

nursery education - дошкольное обучение

comprehensive school - общеобразовательная школа

free education - бесплатное образование

private school - частная школа

public school - частная школа

target - цель; план; задания; состязания; классовая или контрольная цифра

attainment - успеваемость; (pl) навыки, знания