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Е. В. Захарова язык и культура великобритании в условиях европейской интеграции предисловие данное учебное пособие

Вид материалаУчебное пособие
Unit v. schools and universities : bastions of privilege ?
Ii. vocabulary focus
Iii. interpretation
Iv. effective writing
Keys to part four.
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UNIT V. SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES : BASTIONS OF PRIVILEGE ?



I. READING COMPREHENSION


A. Pre-reading Task. Answer the questions:


1) What do people most often remember and appreciate concerning their school and university years?

2) How do you think education influences future employment?


B. Now read and translate the text. Make use of the words and expressions given below:


Graduate – выпускник высшего учебного заведения

Drop-out – отсев (из учебного заведения)

Nursery – питомник

Hotbed – рассадник

extra curricular activities – общественные мероприятия (спортивные соревнования, художественная самодеятельность и т.п.)

rivalry – соперничество

label – маркировать

reunion – встреча выпускников

remuneration – вознаграждение, оплата

stratification – расслоение

abound – изобиловать

civil service – государственная служба

shop – производственный


The university scene is more successful. According to figures from OECD, in Britain at the turn of the century 35,6 per cent of twenty-one-year-olds graduated from university. This is the highest percentage in Europe. Moreover, in 2001 a report on graduate employment commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council found that more new UK graduates expressed satisfaction with their college courses than did their counterparts in Europe and Japan. Government figures showed that only 17 per cent of students in the UK leave universities without a qualification, the second lowest drop-out in the world (after Japan).

As regards the place held in British society and culture by universities – they have always taken criticism from both the political left and right. The left sees them as elitist nurseries for the children of the bourgeoisie. Conversely, the political right sees them as populist hotbeds of left-wing radicalism where the next generation is encouraged into the ways of opposition to authority. However, even when the lines of political division are being redrawn, university graduates (especially from Oxbridge) still dominate the political leadership of Britain. For example, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher both went to Oxford, and almost two-thirds of the people appointed by Tony Blair to the Labour Cabinet since 1997 were educated at Oxford or Cambridge.

Despite sometimes rancorous debate, individuals still feel positive about education. A wide range of them, having had the experience of being in the school play, practicing team sports such as hockey or soccer, or such extra curricular activities as chess or judo, develop and retain a shared sense of pride in their schools. Rivalry between schools is felt by children who are publicly labeled by the uniforms that most British schools make them wear. When they leave school, reports of their achievements will often indicate their schools – so, for example, members of the Oxford and Cambridge rugby teams have their colleges and schools listed thus: Churchill, Shrewsbury School.

Students will often visit their old schools and join Old Girls and Boys Associations, which meet to arrange social functions. Throughout their lives people who went to Eton, Harrow or Winchester schools are referred to by others as Old Etonians, Old Harrovians or Wykehamists (Winchester School was founded in the fourteenth century by Bishop William Wykeham). And they see themselves in this way also. Well into middle age someone will pride himself on being a public school boy.

Even primary schools have reunions, as people feel a need to re-experience the comradeship and spirit of community of their youth. No matter how old people are, school is where they acquired their first long-term friends, developed their social personalities and gained a deep and lasting sense of communal identity.

Education and work are linked in that an individual’s success at school often determines the kind of job he or she goes on to do. The relationship is not always straightforward, but there is a connection between upward and downward trajectories at school and in the workplace. An important effect of the many divisions in British education – between state and private, Oxbridge and redbrick, vocational and academic – is that the workforce experiences ideas of stratification which have been superseded in many other countries. Thus the British workforce is distinguished by its divisions rather than its cohesiveness. Remuneration replicates social division. Process or factory workers have always received (weekly) wages, while predominantly middle-class managers have received (monthly) salaries. There are still quite separate ladders of achievement in numerous workplaces and it is almost impossible for people to cross from one to another despite the fact of John Major, somebody who did not attend university, let alone Oxbridge, exceptionally rising to become prime minister.

Further examples of the continuing stratified nature of Britain unfortunately abound. British company reports still append names to photos of directors while referring to technical processes beneath photos of workers. The civil service is divided into administrative, executive and clerical grades; industry into management and shop floor; banks into directors, managers, clerks and cashiers. These divisions may not be in all cases watertight, but very few people at the top of British industry have risen from the bottom, and this both reflects and determines a British cultural identity based on the social and economic divisions which separate groups of people from one another.


C. Answer the questions:


1) What does the figure of 35,6 per cent refer to?

2) What did a report on graduate employment find?

3) What is the percentage of students in the UK who leave universities without a qualification?

4) Are universities in Britain subject to criticism?

5) Do individuals feel positive or negative about British education?

6) Do children feel rivalry between schools?

7) Why are school reunions so popular in Britain?

8) What are the main divisions in British education ?


II. VOCABULARY FOCUS


A. Translate the following word-combinations into Russian:


At the turn of the century; counterparts; a qualification; conversely; team sports; social functions; long-term; to be superseded; clerical; let alone.

In which situations are they given in the text? Reproduce them.


B. Find the English equivalents in the text:

Выразить удовлетворение; подвергаться критике; оппозиция власти; политическое руководство; элитный; широкий круг; достижения; единство; исполнительный; непроницаемый.

Think of your own sentences with these expressions.


C. Match the words which collocate with each other:

1. left-wing a. sports

2. rancorous b. division

3. team c. debate

4. social d. service

5. civil e. radicalism


D. Match the words which are close in their meaning:

1. individual a. top-notch

2. rancorous b. competitiveness

3. elitist c. direct

4. rivalry d. personalized

5. straightforward e. bitter


E. Match the words having the opposing meaning:

1. straightforward a. collective

2. elitist b. alliance

3. rancorous c. devious

4. individual d. common

5. rivalry e. benevolent


F. Match the words and their definitions:



1. payment or other rewards that you set for your work
a. abound

2. to be present in large numbers or amounts
b. division

3. to replace the other thing, especially because it is less modern or less useful
c. rivalry

4. the process of separating people or things into smaller groups or parts
d. remuneration

5. a situation in which people, teams, business etc. compete with one another

e. supersede



G. Translate the sentences into Russian:


1) They are demanding increased remuneration for their services.

2) Rumors abound about the breakup of her marriage.

3) Steam trains were gradually superseded by diesel engines.

4) Civil war eventually led to a permanent division of the country.

5) There is friendly rivalry between the two teams.


H. Insert prepositions where necessary (to; with; in; on; into):

1. according ___ smth 6. opposition __ smth

2. a report ___ smth 7. despite __ smth

3. to express satisfaction __ smth 8. a pride __ smth

4. to encourage smb __ smth 9. to refer __ smth

5. to dominate __ smth 10. to be based __ smth


I. Complete the sentences using the words in the box:

stratification stratified divisions

elitist nurseries abound superseded

populist hotbeds rancorous left-wing


1) An important effect of the many ___ in British education is that the workforce experiences ideas of ___ which have been ___ in many other countries.

2) Further examples of the continuing ___ nature of Britain unfortunately ___.

3) The left sees them as ___ for the children of the bourgeoisie.

4) The political right sees them as ___ of ___ radicalism.

5) Despite sometimes ___ debates, individuals still feel positive about education.


III. INTERPRETATION


A. Paraphrase and explain the following statements. Comment on them:


1) The British workplace is distinguished by its divisions rather by its cohesiveness.

2) Remuneration replicates social division.

3) There is a connection between upward and downward trajectories at school and in the workplace.

4) Well into middle age someone will pride himself on being a public school boy.


B. Answer the following questions:


1) How can the facts that 35,6 per cent of twenty-one-year olds graduate from university and only 17 per cent of students in the UK leave universities without a qualification be accounted for?

2) Why do you think British universities have taken so much criticism?

3) Nevertheless, what makes people feel positive about education?

4) Do you think that very strong after school and university ties are typical only of Britain?

5) How is stratification in education connected with that in workplaces?


IV. EFFECTIVE WRITING


Write about some of the divisions in British education – between state and private, Oxbridge and redbrick, vocational and academic.

These expressions may be used to connect the ideas in your piece of writing:

It must be admitted that Secondly

Certainly For the time being

At all events Until then

All the same It follows that

What is more Therefore

In the first place To sum up


KEYS TO PART FOUR.



UNIT I.

C. 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. e 5. b

D. 1. d 2. e 3. b 4. a 5. c

E. 1. e 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. c

F. 1. c 2. e 3. a 4. b 5. d

H.

1. with

2. into

3. on

4. to

5. -

6. to

7. to

8. in

9. into

10. –

I.

1) endorsed

2) controversial; subject

3) office; priority

4) evolved; provision

5) labeled; loss


J. 1. a 2. b 3. b


UNIT II.

C. 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. e 5. b

D. 1. d 2. a 3. e 4. b 5. c

E. 1. d 2. e 3. a 4. b 5. c

F. 1. d 2. c 3. a 4. e 5. b

H.

1. for

2. -

3. at

4. in

5. on

6. in

7. with

8. of

9. to

10. –

I.

1. public; backbone

2. superiority; antiquity

3. opt out; authorities

4. non-denominational

5. expenditure; covered; running; congregations


J.1. b 2. c 3. c


UNIT III.

C. 1. f 2. h 3. b 4. g 5. c 6. a 7. e 8. d

D. 1. g 2. f 3. h 4. a 5. b 6. c 7. d 8. e

E. 1. c 2. f 3. e 4. g 5. h 6. b 7. d 8. a

F. 1. d 2. e 3. h 4. a 5. c 6. g 7. b 8. f

H.

1. to

2. with

3. on

4. on

5. on

6. from

7. for

8. to

9. to

10. in

I.

1. realm; visual

2. boasts

3. access

4. gap

5. seek; alummi

6. grants; loans

7. qualify

8. intake; assessed


J. 1. a 2. b 3. b 4. c


UNIT IV.

C. 1. d 2. c 3. e 4. a 5. b

D. 1. b 2. e 3. d 4. a 5. c

E. 1. d 2. a 3. b 4. e 5. c

F. 1. b 2. d 3. a 4. e 5. c


H.

1. preeminince

2. co-educational

3. unnecessary

4. underachievement

5. disaffection

6. underpaid; unpaid

7. disagreed

8. international

9. recycle

10. uncertainties


I.

1. in

2. on

3. to

4. –

5. to

6. on

7. to

8. to

9. to

10. on


J.

1. national curriculum; individual initiative

2. underachievement; disaffection

3. international Baccalaureate; alternative

4. syllabuses

5. bulling; academic progress


K. 1. a 2. b 3. b


.UNIT V.


C. 1 e, 2 c, 3a, 4b, 5d.

D 1d, 2e, 3a, 4b, 5c.

E.1c, 2d, 3e, 4a, 5b

F. 1d, 2a, 3e, 4b, 5c.


H.

1. to

2. on

3. with

4. into

5. -

6. to

7. –

8. in

9. to

10. on

I.

1. divisions; stratification; superseded

2. stratified; abound

3. elitist nurseries

4. populist hotbeds; left-wing

5. rancorous


CONCLUSION




Britain is at a crossroads now. The very idea of ‘Britain’ has come under a number of forceful attacks. One of the current features noticeable alongside speculations over the end of Britishness is an increase in discussion of Englishness, spurred on by the rise in Celtic nationalisms over recent years. There appears to be a rush to define Englishness because sections of white England increasingly feel they have already lost their historical monopoly on Britishness.

The recognition of differences between the countries within the United Kingdom has resulted in attempts to homogenize those within them; to rediscover the English, for example, as though people in England have remained unaltered for decades, or even centuries, despite the changes to their cultural identities brought about by Britain, Europe, the Empire, globalization and ethnic migration. Whatever the future holds for the people who live in the British Isles, what is required is a new sense of national identity.

The technological revolution has also enormously changed people’s lives in the home, challenging the idea of the family unit by turning its members into consumers of a great number of domestic leisure activities, while postwar migration has greatly altered the ethnic population on the streets and the rise of the European Union has meant that British people have thought more deeply about their national identities, some wishing to call themselves primarily ‘Welsh’, ‘Irish’, ‘English’, ‘Scottish’, others ‘British’ and others ‘European’, ‘Asian’ or ‘African’. Britain is composed of various contrasting elements: asylum seekers and moneyed gentry; settled suburban commuters and country farmers; nostalgic OAPs and young ravers – each experiencing a different version and expressing a different view of the country when talking about their relation to Britain. Any of these experiences of being British is a product of individual identity and experience, formed by a range of factors such as employment, gender, region, religion and education, and each of these alternative views would supply a picture of Britain which an only take place in a mosaic of opinions. As much as if not more than ever, in the twenty-first century it is wrong to that there is a single British character or personality, rather than a plurality of cultural identities.


СПИСОК ИСПОЛЬЗОВАННОЙ ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ:


1) Jenkins, J.A. Britain. A short History. One World. Oxford, 2001.

2) Mc Dowall, David, Britain in Close-up. Longman, 2002.

3) Storry Mike; Childs, Peter. British Cultural Identities, London, 2002.

4) Kramsh, Claire. Language and Culture, Oxford University Press, 1998.

5)Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, Longman, 1999

6)Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, OUP, 2000

7)Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, 2002

8)An A to Z of British Life, A..Room, OUP, 1992

9)The Wordsworth Dictionary of British History, ed. J.P.Kenyon, Wordworth Edition , 1998


10) New English-Russian Dictionary, Moscow, Russky Yazyk Publishers, 2001

11)Adrian R.W.Room, Dictionary of Great Britain, Moscow, Russky Yazyk Publishers, 1999