Minsk State Trade College

1)__________________

Minsk State Trade College was founded in 1957. Today it is one of

the largest secondary special educational establishments in our republic

which trains personnel for home trade.

2) ____________________

Originally, the college was called Specialised Secondary School of Soviet Trade. It was opened when our country needed specialists in trade and public catering, and had 210 students at the full-time department and 150 at the correspondence department. Today the college has more than 2,000 students who want to acquire knowledge in different fields of activity. In 2002 the college celebrated its 45th anniversary. During these years, about 35,000 of qualified specialists graduated from it. Many of them continued their education at universities, and now they are occupying managerial positions in different spheres of activity.

3) ____________________

At first there were only 2 departments in the college: Commercial Activity Dpt. and Cooking Technology Dpt. In 1980 Law Dpt. was opened and in 1982 Accounting Dpt. was established. Nowadays the college trains personnel in 4 majors. Education can be acquired free

or on a fee-paying base, either by correspondence or in full-time department.

4)__________________

Students study for 3—4 years. They can not just get theoretical knowledge but also do practical work at trade enterprises and public catering establishments. The academic year begins on the 1 st of September and finishes in July. It consists of 2 terms. Students have end-of-the-term exams in January and in June. After each term students have 2-week holidays in winter and 2-month holidays in summer.

5)__________________

The college possesses the necessary technical base: 32 classrooms, laboratories, a library with a reading hall, 2 gyms, and a canteen. Here one can have a rest over a cup of tea or enjoy a tasty meal. There is a students' hostel near the college where residents of other towns live.

6)__________________

The college has its own traditions and holidays. The cultural life is varied and interesting. Both teachers and students take an active part in it. The week of Accountancy, Technology, Commercial Activity, Mathematics, English, German, Economics, etc. are organized here regularly. One can attend different concerts and competitions of the member-teams of the Club of the Witty and Merry, read students' newspaper "MGTK Vestnik". College has its own anthem and emblem. And at the beginning of every academic year new students take an oath swearing to be diligent students, to respect teachers and to protect the glory and honour of the college.

Word Study

A. Give Russian equivalents to the following word combinations:

home trade; public catering; commercial activity; technology of cooking; instruction by correspondence; end-of-the-term exams; technical base; academic year; anthem and emblem; glory and honour; to celebrate the 45th anniversary; to train personnel in 3 majors; a gym; a canteen.

B. Give English equivalents to the word combinations:

дневное отделение; заочное отделение; занимать руководящую должность; юридический факультет; получить образование на бесплатной / платной основе; проходить практику; давать клятву; сфера деятельности; закончить университет; торговое предприятие.

C. Find words and expressions in the text with the following
meanings:

1) a student's main subject at college; 2) a large hall or room with special equipment for doing physical exercises; 3) the activities of buying and selling goods or services within the borders of the country; 4) the official song of a particular country or organization that people sing on special occasions; 5) an object that is a symbol of something such as a country or organization; 6) a room in a factory, school, or hospital where cheap meals are served; 7) a date on which something special or important happened in a previous year.

D. Explain in English the meaning of the following words and
word combinations:

the full-time department; the correspondence department; the academic year; technical base; end-of-the-term exams; a students' hostel; free education; on a fee-paying base; department.

78. Diving Deeper

Answer the following questions.

1. When was Minsk State Trade College founded? 2. What kind of educational establishment is it and what specialists does it train? 3. What is the history of the college? 4. How successful are the graduates of the college? 5. How many departments are there today?

6. What are the different options of getting education at the college?

7. Do the students acquire only theoretical knowledge? 8. How can you describe the academic year at college? 9. What can you say about the technical base of the college? 10. How do the college students spend their spare time? 11. What oath do new students take at the beginning of the academic year?

Role-Playing

You are a student of MSTC and have just met a friend who would like to enter this college. Your friend knows very little about students' life and wants to know more about it. Be ready to answer your friend's questions and tell him / her what it's like to study at your college.

Writing

Write an essay on the topic: "The Educational Establishment I Study At".