Universities. Kemerovo State University

1. Before reading the text answer the questions:

b. What is the main purpose of universities?

c. What kind of education do young people need nowadays?

Read the text and compare your answers with the information in it.

What Are Universities For?

The primary and central purpose of the university is the search for knowledge and fundamental understanding in all intellectual disciplines and the transmission of that knowledge and understanding.

It has also been a function of universities to give to young people from a relatively narrow age group (say 17-24) an education designed to develop their capacities, more particularly their intellectual capacities, that is, the ability to judge evidence critically, to develop independence of mind, the ability to communicate, curiosity, reasoning power and factual accuracy.

The important thing on the one hand is to educate intellectually mobile specialists capable of renewing and endlessly adapting themselves to new problems and, on the other hand, to organize co-operation on specific problems between specialists. To meet these varying needs, most universities divide their training into two parts: the first three years are devoted to basic education of a rather general and fundamental nature, and the last two years to specific research work, together with the preparation of a diploma paper.

The Indefinite Pronoun “one” as a Subject

The subject of an English sentence is often expressed by the indefinite pronoun “one”. These sentences are translated into Russian by impersonal sentences:

One sees other people’s faults sooner than one’s own. – Ошибки других людей видишь скорее, чем свои.

When one doesn’t know grammar, one often makes mistakes. – Когда не знаешь грамматики, часто делаешь ошибки.

One should remember this rule. – Следует помнить это правило.

One must not do that. – Нельзя этого делать.

Note:

One says – говорят; one can – можно; one may – можно; one never knows – никогда не знаешь; one must – нужно; one need not – не надо; one must not – нельзя, не надо.

2. Translate the following sentences into Russian.

1. One can say that there is no difference between these two sentences. 2. One must say that you are not right in this case. 3. One can get any foreign book in the reading hall of this library. 4. One cannot say that this reporter’s is elegant. 5. One could not forget this festival. 6. One does not know how to act in such circumstances. 7. One should keep fit to look attractive. 8. Duty is what one expects from others.

3. Read the text and answer the questions:

a) What does any university need of their students?

b) Is a learning power just an inborn ability?

c) Can a teacher make all the students achieve great results in learning?