The role of education for modern youth
Тексты для чтения и перевода
Текст № 1.
LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF
Hello, friends. Let me first introduce1 myself. My name is Vera. My surname or last name is Voronina. I was born on the 13th of October in Sochi, Krasnodarsky Krai. This is the most beautiful city in Russia situated on the Black Sea coast2. Now I am a first-year student3 at the Faculty of Environmental Protection of Ufa State Petroleum Technical University.
Now let me describe my appearance4. I am tall and slim5 and have fair hair and blue eyes. My friends say that I am pretty. I love sports and music. I was very serious about a career in gymnastics6 when I was in the 4th form. But then I broke my arm7 and doctors didn't let me go in for gymnastics. I love to listen to the modern music and dance. I dance a lot and I hope I am good at it. I also love swimming. I always swim in the Black sea when I visit my parents, my dear family.
I would like to tell you about my family. There are five people in our family. My father's name is Mikhail Yevgenyevich. He is a mathematician8by education but works at a bank now. My mother's name is Natalya Yakovlevna. She works as a chief accountant9at the hotel «Zhemchuzhina». She also has much work about the house after she gets home from work. But my sister and I always help her. Yes, let me introduce my younger sister. She is still a pupil. Her name is Olga and she is in the fifth form. She is very pretty and a great dancer. We are good friends with my sister. My grandmother, my mother's mother, lives with us. She is very kind10 and helps us a lot.
Our family is very friendly, we have many friends. In summer many relatives come to visit us. And of course they use a chance to spend several11 weeks in beautiful Sochi.
In May I have finished school Num.5 in Sochi. I did well12 in all the subjects but my favourite subjects at school were Computer Science and English. I also enjoyed Geography lessons.
I am very interested in learning English because I always wanted to become an economistora manager at some joint venture13. That is why I think it is necessary to know at least one foreign language. Besides, knowledge of foreign languages helps in everyday life.
As you see, my biography isn't very long yet. But we'll meet again soon and I’ll tell you more about myself. See you later...
VOCABULARY
1. introduce[intrə'dju:s] — представлять, знакомить
2. the Black Sea coast [kəust] — побережье Черного моря
3. a first-year student — студент первого курса
4. appearance [ə'рiərəns] — внешность
5. slim— стройный
6. gymnastics[dჳim'næstiks] — гимнастика
7. broke my arm — сломала руку
8. mathematician[mæθimə’ti∫ən] - математик
9. chief accountant — [t∫i:f ə'kauntənt] — главный бухгалтер
10. kind— добрый
11. several [ 'sεvərl] — несколько
12. to do well— зд. успевать
13. joint venture — совместное предприятие
Add to your active vocabulary
(Пополни свой активный словарь)
How are you? / How are you doing? / How is it going?— Как дела? Как поживаешь? (Informal)
Hi! What's up?— Здорово! Что новенького? (Informal)
tall [to:l] - высокий
short[∫o:t] — маленького роста
stout[staut] — приземистый, коренастый
slim — стройный
fat[fæt] — толстый
plumper(p’lΛmpə] — полный
fair hair[fεə' hεə] — светлые волосы
blonde[blond] — блондин (-ка)
brunette [bru: 'nεt] — брюнет (-ка)
gray hair- седые волосы
bold headed[bəuld] - лысыйshort sighted— близорукий
smart, clever, right— умный
stupid[stju:pid] — тупой, глупый
boring— скучный
fun to be with— веселый человек
easy to go along— легкий в общении
quiet[kwaiət] — спокойный
impulsive[‘impΛlsiv] — порывистый, импульсивный
aggressive[a'grεsiv] — агрессивный
rude[ru:d] — невежливый, грубый
shy[∫ai], confused[kən 'fju:zd] — застенчивый
active[‘æktiv] — активный
talkative[‘to:kətiv] — разговорчивый
enthusiast[in’θu:ziæst] — энтузиаст, затейник
Текст № 2.
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION FOR MODERN YOUTH
Education is very important for youth today. It helps young people realize their possibilities1 in future. It helps find job, do the job well.
People in Russia can get education at different institutions2. They are3 schools, professional schools, technical schools and higher schools. There are a few types of higher schools in our country. They are universities, institutes and academies. They train specialists in the natural and exact sciences and the humanities4. There are specialized higher schools training engineers, doctors, teachers, etc.
Today a student must assimilate5 large amounts of new information. It is growing all the time. So the main task of higher education is to teach students to gain the new information by self-training6.
Study rooms are now equipped with TV sets, computers, video tape-recorders, etc. Lectures and seminars alternate with laboratory work, discussions, research work and self-training.
A large part of study time is devoted to7 basic subjects. This enables8 future specialists to attain9 greater professional knowledge and assimilate more modern methods of scientific research, advanced production technology, its organisation and management. This provides a basis for10 the study of special subjects and the organisation of practise.
Great is the role of books in the education. It is practically impossible today to imagine our life without books. You can find them in every house. But very seldom people think about a long way the book has come. At first man learned to draw pictures, then letters and alphabetic writing appeared. For a long time people used papyrus11 and skins of different animals to write on. Then the Chinese invented paper.
At that time there were not so many books as there are now. All the books were written by hand with pen and ink. Monks12 did the most of this writing. Some of the books were very beautiful. But it took much time to write a book. Often many years were spent to make one copy of a book. This made books very expensive. Most people had no books at all and those who had twenty books were considered to be very rich.
At last13 men learned how to print14. It happened in Germany in the middle of the fifteenth century. The man who invented the art of printing15 in Russia was Ivan Fedorov. He started his work in Moscow, and then moved to other cities. In 1574 he printed the first Azbuka (ABC). This book helped people to learn the alphabet and taught them to read.
Now we find it hard to imagine17 the bookless world of the past. Books are printed in great number16all over the world and every person can enjoy their wisdom18.
VOCABULARY
1) realize one’s possibilities – реализовать чьи-то возможности
2) an institution – учебное заведение
3) They are… - зд. Это …
4) the natural and exact sciences and the humanities – естественные, точные и гуманитарные науки
5) assimilate – усваивать
6) to gain the new information by self-training – приобретать новую информацию самоподготовкой
7) to devote to – посвящать
8) to enable – давать возможность, позволять
9) to attain – достигать
10) to provide a basis for – обеспечить основу для
11) papyrus [pə’paiərəs] - папирус
12) monk – монах
13) at last – наконец
14) to print - печатать
15) the art of printing - искусство книгопечатания
16) in great number - в большом количестве
17) to imagine – представить, вообразить
18) wisdom - мудрость
Текст № 3.
THE UNIVERSITY I STUDY AT
The petroleum university is one of the leading1 higher schools on training of scientifically pedagogical staff for profile higher schools of Russia. It trains specialists for oil-and-gas and building complexes. In postgraduate studies2 they train specialists of the top skills on 27, and in doctoral studies3 - on 5 scientific directions.
225 persons study in postgraduate, and 22 persons are trained in doctoral studies. More than 100 professors of the university carried out the scientific management4 of post-graduate students and doctors. In 1996 the first eight graduates defended their theses. Basically these are young people in the age not older than thirty - the future professors and heads of the faculties of the university.
Eight specialized councils5 on awarding of scientific degrees of candidate and doctor of sciences6 work at the university. For the years of the existence of the university 140 doctor's and 1150 master's theses were defended at these councils. Curriculums7 according to standard specialties are successfully improved. Except for the traditional five years' program, training of specialist is carried out on multilevel system (the bachelor - the expert - the master).
Educational process at all grade levels undergoes great changes8. The wide development is received by modern information and computer technologies.
One of the major fields of activity of the higher school in modern conditions is its international cooperation in the fields of science and education with foreign universities and organizations. Today at the university more than 150 foreign students from 24 countries of the world are trained.
In recent years there were made more than 17 agreements with educational and scientific institutions of France, England, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, China and other countries. They are successfully realized.
Groups of post-graduate students and doctors take annual training9 in the French institute of petroleum, at the University of the city of Mishkoltz (Hungary) and at the Gorny institute of Austria and in other countries. For the first time10 in 1996 24 teachers of the USPTU after having trained at the Huyron university (England) have received international certificates giving them right to teach their specialty in English.
Post-graduate students and teachers of the university take part in international conferences with reports, participate in exhibitions and read lectures at foreign universities.
The Ufa State Petroleum Technical University is a component of the uniform educational space11 of the Russian Federation and participates in integrational processes with the thermal power stations of the Russian Federation and the republic of Bashkortostan, carries out a united scientific and technical, educational -methodical, industrial and financial politics for the decision of problems facing12 them.
VOCABULARY
1) leading – ведущий
2) postgraduate studies – аспирантура
3) doctoral studies – докторантура
4) scientific management – научное управление
5) a specialized council – специализированный совет
6) to award a scientific degree of candidate and doctor of sciences – присуждать научную степень кандидата и доктора наук
7) curriculum – учебная программа
8) to undergo great changes –подвергаться большим изменениям
9) annual training – ежегодная подготовка
10) for the first time – впервые
11) uniform educational space – единое образовательное пространство
12) problems facing smb. – проблемы, стоящие перед кем-либо
Текст № 4.
MY MOTHERLAND
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area1 is about 17 million square kilometers. 12 seas and 3 oceans wash the country: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Byelorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea border with the USA.
There is hardly2 a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found: steppes3 in the south, plains4 and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.
There are two Great Plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland5. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus6, the Altai and the others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.
There are over two million rivers in Russia. The longest river in Europe, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main rivers the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake (1600 meters) is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea but there is much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is very clear.
Russia has one-sixth of the world's forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.
There are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south on the vast territory of the country. In the middle of the country the climate is moderate7 and continental.
Russia is very rich in oil8, coal9, iron ore10, natural gas, copper11, nickel12 and other mineral resources.
Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers13 are exercised14 by the Duma.
The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.
At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated, there are a lot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation. The industrial production is decreasing15. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt16.
But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world again.
VOCABULARY
1) total area - общая площадь
2) hardly - едва
3) steppe - степь
4) plain - равнина
5) lowland - низменность
6) the Caucasus - Кавказ
7) moderate - умеренный
8) oil - нефть
9) coal - уголь
10) iron ore - железная руда
11) copper - медь
12) nickel - никель
13) legislative power - законодательная власть
14) to exercise - выполнять
15) to decrease - снижаться
16) to go bankrupt - обанкротиться
BASHKORTOSTAN
The Republic of Bashkortostan is a sovereign republic within the Russian Federation. It is located along the South Urals. Its territory is 143.600 square kilometers. The population is over 4 million people. About a hundred nationalities inhabit1 the Republic.
From the point of natural conditions2 Bashkortostan can be divided into three parts: western, mountains and Bashkir Trans-Urals3. The climate is continental with moderately warm, sometimes hot summers and cold winter.
More than 600 rivers and 800 lakes trim4 the beauty of the Republic's nature. Many of the rivers, including the Ural and the Agidel, belong to the Caspian Sea basin5.
Bashkortostan is rich in forests. The Republic accounts6 nearly all lime-tree7 forests of Russians. It is the lime-tree that makes Bashkir honey world-famous.
The mineral riches of Bashkortostan include iron ore8, copper, gold, zinc, aluminum, chromium, brown coal, natural gas, salt, manganese9, gypsum, lime-stone10 and many other deposits.
Oil is the main mineral resource of the land. Oil-related industries11 - power generation12, oil refining, chemical, gas and petrochemical have become most prominent13. The convenient geographical location promotes the development of manufacturing and agribusiness. Bashkortostan ranks14 second among the Ural regions as regards15 its manufacturing potential.
The Republic of Bashkortostan offers extensive facilities for exports and import of raw materials, fuel and manufactured item, maintaining trade and business ties with both the West and the East.
The BAL (Bashkir Airlines) carrier connects Ufa with the largest cities in Russia, the post-Soviet republics and abroad.
VOCABULARY
1) to inhabit – населять
2) from the point of natural conditions – c точки зрения природных условий
3) Bashkir Trans-Urals – Башкирское Зауралье
4) to trim – украшать
5) a basin – бассейн
6) to account – рассматривать (-ся), считать (-ся)
7) a lime-tree – липа
8) iron ore – железная руда
9) manganese – марганец
10) lime-stone – известняк
11) oil-related industries – относящиеся к нефти
12) power generation – энергетическая
13) prominent – известный, видный
14) rank – занимать какое-либо место
15) as regards – что касается, относительно