Lectures on Britain - 4 (798453), страница 2
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At Cambridge, these are called"supervisions" and at Oxford they are called "tutorials." One benefit of the tutorialsystem is that students receive direct feedback and work in small discussionsettings.Student tutorials are generally more academically challenging, because duringeach session students are expected to orally communicate, defend, analyze, andcritique the ideas of others as well as their own in conversations with the tutor andfellow-students.University College London (UCL) was founded on 11 February 1826, underthe name London University, as a secular alternative to the strictly religiousuniversities of Oxford and Cambridge.
However its founders encountered strongopposition from the Church of England, among others, which prevented them fromsecuring the Royal Charter that was necessary for the award of degrees, and it wasnot until 1836, when the latter-day University of London was established, that thecollege was legally recognized and granted the power to award degrees of theUniversity of London.Besides Oxbridge and London University there are a lot of newer universitiesso-called Redbrick universities built in the 19th century as a result of the IndustrialRevolution and the expansion of Britain’s overseas empire. With the expansion ofhigher education in the 1960s so-called “plate-glass” or “concrete and glass”universities were established. Over 50 polytechnics and similar higher educationinstitutes acquired university status in 1992.The Scottish universities of St.
Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburghdate back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. Thecost of education stars from 3000 pounds per annum depending on the college andspecialty which one chooses.The academic year in Britain’s universities is divided into three terms, whichusually runs from the beginning of October to the middle of December, from themiddle of January to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end ofJune or the beginning of July.After three years of study university graduates are called undergraduates. Theyleave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts(BA), Science. Engineering, Medicine,etc.
Later they may continue to take the Master's Degree (MA or MSC) and thenthe Doctor's Degree (PhD). Research is an important feature of university workduring two last stages.Some universities offer a vocationally - based Foundation degree, typicallytwo years in length for those students who hope to continue to take a first degreebut wish to remain to work. This form of education is especially popular for adultstudents. Continuing education or Lifelong learning is offered to students of allages.
These may include the vocational qualifications and so-called accessprogramme of one-two year courses to allow adults access to university.There is so-called Distant Open University, intended for people who study in freetime and «attend" lectures by watching television and listening to the radio andnow working on the internet. They keep in touch by phone and email with theirtutors and attend summer schools.Scientific research and development remains important in Britishuniversities, with many establishing science parks to facilitate production and cooperation with industry. Between 2004 and 2012 the UK produced 6% of theworld's scientific research papers and had an 8% share of scientific citations, thethird- and second-highest in the world (after the United States' 9% and China's 7%respectively).
Scientific journals produced in the UK include Nature, the BritishMedical Journal and The Lancet(ланцет, копье).1 Answer the following questions:I. At what age do British children go to school?2. What types of school exist in Britain?3. What age do British pupils normally take exams?4. How can they enter Universities and colleges?5. Which types of British universities do you know?6.
What degrees do British students receive on leaving universities?2. Translate from Russian into English:Обязательное школьное образованиеГосударственные, общеобразовательные, средние школыПрофессиональное образованиеОплата за учебуПоступить в университет,закончить университетScience and technology in the United KingdomScience and technology in the United Kingdom has a long history, producingmany important figures and achievements in the fields.Great Britain was the leading centre of theScientific Revolution and Industrial Revolutionfrom the 17th century and the 18th century. Itwas James Watt (1736-1819) , a Scottishinventor and mechanical engineer whoseinvention of steam engine in 1736 powered theIndustrial Revolution in the UK and played akey role in transforming England into theworld's first industrialized nation.Since James Watt the UK has produced a lot of scientists and engineers creditedwith important advances.
Some of the major theories, discoveries and applicationsadvanced by people from the UK are given below.Major theorists from the UK include Isaac Newton (1643-1727), physicist,mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, who was for more than 30 years alecturer of mathematics at Cambridge.
In 1665 he advanced an idea that lightconsisted of small particles, called today as photons. Later on he came to theconclusion that light had a dual nature and was a combination of photons andwaves. When he got interested in the problem of the cause of the motion of theplanets he came to the conclusion that the force that kept the planets in the orbitsround the sun was the same force that caused objects to fall onto the ground,namely the force of gravity.
A popular legend says that he made his discoverywhile observing the fall of an apple from a tree in his garden. In 1884 Newtonpublished his famous book the “Principia” in which he explained the law ofuniversal gravitation and motion that has been seen as a keystone of modernscience.Newton was elected a member of the Royal Scientific Society for the invention ofmirror telescope which made a great impression on the contemporaries.There is a monument to Newton in Trinity College at Cambridge with theinscription: “Newton Who Surpassed All Men of Science”.Major scientific discoveries includehydrogen by Henry Cavendish(1731-1810) and Charles Darwin ‘s(1809–82) theory of evolution bynatural selection, fundamental to thedevelopment of modern biology.locomotiveMajor engineering projects andapplications pursued by peoplefrom the UK include the steamdeveloped by Richard Trevithick(1771-1833) and Andrew Vivian(1759-1842).The electric motor was engineered by Michael Faraday (1771–1867), who largelymade electricity viable for use in technology.The theory of aerodynamics was discovered by Sir George Cayley (1773–1857).The first public steam railway as constructed by George Stephenson (1781–1848).The first commercial electrical telegraph was co-invented by Sir WilliamFothergill Cooke (1806–79) and Charles Wheatstone (1802–75).The first tunnel under a navigable river, the first all iron ship and the first railwayto run express services were contributed to by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–59).The invention of the incandescent light bulb (лампы накаливания), by JosephSwan dates back 1826–1914.The unification of electromagnetism belongs to James Clerk Maxwell (1831–79)who was born in Edinburgh in Scotland and worked both as a professor ofexperimental physics first at Kings College in London and in CambridgeUniversity.
He wrote a great number of works in the field of kinetic theory of gasesand electricity.The first practical telephone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922)who also was born in Scotland. Both his grandfather and his father studied themechanics of a sound and became the pioneer teachers of speech to the deafpeople. In 1871 Alexander Bell moved to the USA where he became the professorof Boston University.
There he became interested in the conversion of sound wavevibrations into a fluctuating electric current. That work led him to the invention ofthe telephone in 1876. The first transcontinental telephone was opened in 1915.Later on the UK continued to play a major role in the development of science andtechnology. Major technological advances in this country include the aerospace,motor and pharmaceutical industries.The discovery of penicillin, by biologist and pharmacologist, SirAlexander Fleming (1881–1955).The world's first working television system, and colour television, by JohnLogie Baird (1888–1946).The first synthesis of quantum mechanics with special relativity by PaulDirac (1902–84) in the equation named after him, and his subsequentprediction of antimatter.The invention of the jet engine, by Frank Whittle (1907–96).The invention of the hovercraft (судно на воздушной подушке), byChristopher Cockerell (1910–99).The structure of DNA by Francis Crick (1916–2004).The theoretical breakthrough of the Higgs mechanism to explainelectroweak symmetry breaking and why some particles have mass, byPeter Higgs (1929-).The UK has been playing a very great role in the field of computing.
“A fatherof computer” Charles Babbage(1791-1871) was born in Great Britain. Amathematician, philosopher and mechanical engineer, Charles Babbage iscredited with inventing the first mechanical computer. Although his computerwas not completed it is considered the one which led to more complexdesigns. In 1991 his computer was constructed from the parts on display in theLondon Science Museum according to Babbage original plan and it wasproved that Charles Babbage’s computer could have worked.The invention of the first digital computer also belongs to the EnglishmanAlan Turing (1912–54).
So-called Turing Machine became the foundation ofthe modern theory of computation. Besides during the Second World WarTuring was a leading successful participant in the breaking of Germanciphers.Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical science andartificial intelligence. In 1950 he published a very impressive work“Computing machinery and intelligence”, foreseeing many questions ofartificial intelligence. In this paper he proposed the Turing Test, which is stillapplied in attempting to answer whether a computer can be intelligentScientists are continuing to play a very important role in the UK Tim-BernersLee (1989) took a great part in the creation of the World Wide Web.Some words about a very important British scientist Stephen Hawking (1942).In spite of his terrible physical state (he is paralyzed and can work only oncomputer with eyes) Hawking made outstanding discoveries and theories incosmology, quantum gravity and black holes.The UK remains a leading centre of auto design and production, particularly ofengines, and has around 2,600 component manufacturers.The UK plays a leadingpart in the aerospace industry, with companies including Rolls-Royce playing aleading role in the aero-engine market;BAE Systems defense company, developing armory and information securityacting as Britain's largest and the Pentagon's sixth largest defense supplier ofmilitary weapons.GKN (концерн, производящий компоненты автомобилей, вертолетов, сельхозтехники и др.) acting as major suppliers to the Airbus project.
The Airbus A380has wings and engines manufactured in the UK. Two British-based companies,GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, ranked in thetop five pharmaceutical companies in the world bysales in 2009 and UK companies have discoveredand developed more leading medicines than anyother country apart from the US.Suggested projects(compositions) on the UK life (5-12 pp).1.Important scientific and technological advances made by people from the UK2.Scientific research3.Cultural life.4. Music.5. Literature and writers6. Museums and interesting sights7. National life and characters8.
Personalities.
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