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Control work V-II
1. Render the article in writing The article entitled “A pretty boy” is about education in an ordinary Australian school. The author touches upon the problem of relationships between a teacher and a pupil. The author’s aim is to show us methods of treating pupils in an ordinary school and to let us see the differences from Russian methods of education and upbringing. The main character of the article is a boy. He is about 12 and he likes school. But why? The author tells us about qualified teachers and interesting lessons. The teacher’s attention is drawn to the development of children’s personality and talents. The teacher never does anything to hurt a kid’s feelings. The teacher tries to create a friendly relaxed atmosphere and make school a welcoming place for children. The teacher never scolds a child for his misbehaviour, but makes hints about children’s mischievous pranks in a very friendly way. A qualified teacher gives individual attention to each child. Pupils are treated with respect. Australian pupils don’t have homework. All their works they do in class with the teacher’s help. Each child has his own sheet of tasks; he is spared the routine of rewriting tasks into his copy-book, he concentrates on giving the right answer. It encourages pupils’ independent thinking and decision making and brings good results. Teachers try to compliment children for all their actions and even for their appearance. It stimulates children to do their best to please a teacher with their progress. It tell on children’s good marks and desire for being at school every day. The Australian system of education is concerned with intellectual and physical development of children. Children go in for sport; they go to the theatre, they make various tours. It helps to mould worthy citizens with a correct sense of values. I share the author’s opinion about the methods of education in that school. I strongly believe that school is a place for cultivating positive personal qualities. Children spend in school about ten years and it exerts significant influence on them. And this influence should be good. The author is sure to make us reconsider the relationships between teachers and pupils in Russian schools. As a rule Russian children don’t like school. Often Russian teachers use methods aiming only at teaching counting and writing, only at getting knowledge; they are concerned only with discipline and school results not with children’s feelings and wishes. But it would be wrong to assume that Russian school education is worse than Australian one. Every country follows its own purposes and is based on its own methods and resources in education. And we can’t condemn the Board of Education of Russia for not using the Australian methods of education because of very limited resources. We have our own methods of education, they are not bad. But our attitude to pupils of any age needs to be reconsidered.
2. Using the topical vocabulary write a mini-essay (1,5 – 2 pages) on the topic “The Purpose of Education as I See It” Just as prosperity must have a purpose, education must have a purpose too. And speaking about the purpose of education I want to lay emphasis on the fact that besides knowledge and skills children need to be taught respect, responsibility, honesty, and civic virtue. These core values can be taught to every child and, when taught, they will improve the life of every child. Nelson Mandela once said that, "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." He was right. Reading, maths, and science can give children strength of mind. Character education can give children strength of heart. So we can raise a creative and free person. I believe that education is the foundation for freedom. Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh facts, to tell the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and facts from fiction. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be a man gifted with reason, but with no morals. We need to give children healthier minds and healthier spirits. We need to give children a chance at a good life in which they can find both prosperity and purpose. I suppose that a good character is not something everyone is born with, it is something everyone must learn from those who have it. And nobody can build a good character if no one teaches him how. It is in power of education to teach how to build a good character. It is a teacher who can mould children’s personalities and maintain a correct sense of values besides teaching children how to count and write. We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. Broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the nation but also the accumulated experience of social living. Unfortunately, many teachers see their goal (or purpose) only in cultivating in their pupils good skills and good behaviour. They are concerned only with discipline and school results, not with developing human qualities of their pupils. They think they are successful as teachers, but they failed. The right purpose is to educate children as creative personalities, as human beings with a correct sense of values, not only with an ability to write, to count and to carry out teachers’ and parents’ orders. It’s no easy matter to educate the person like this, it demands a teacher should be a good example for his pupils, to demonstrate all good qualities of a teacher’s personality, all resourcefulness and tolerance, all creative abilities and talent. And it is awesome responsibility. We need to make sure children are on the path to respect, responsibility, honesty, and civic virtue. We need to ensure children a promising future of not only academic achievement and professional success, but also moral strength. We can have a positive impact on our future by giving all children the tools they need to succeed in all aspects of their life…a healthy body, a healthy mind, and a healthy heart. When we give children knowledge and skills, we give them tools to build a future for themselves. And when we give our children lessons in character, we give them tools to build a brighter future for their world. Everyone knows that good leaders and good people do not just have intelligence. They have a passion for improving the circumstances of others and making the world a better place.
3. Text “Seven Days in May” by F. Knebel and Ch. Bailey
LA-4 (4; 5): 4. How were he (J. Lyman) and Gianelli privately mocked at? The Republicans privately derived the Lyman-Gianelli ticket as “The Cop and the Wop”, trying to turn Lyman’s pride in his Ohio law-enforcement record (Cop was used as a slang term for a police officer, it was a kind of obvious hint about Lyman’s post of Attorney General of Ohio) and Gianelli’s ancestry (Wop was used as a taboo term for an Italian person) against the two Democrats. 5. Did it help to win the election? Why? It helped Lyman and Gianelli to win the election because the mockery about “The Cop and the Wop”-ticket cost G.O.P. more votes than it gained. I think, G.O.P. made some kind of publicity of the two Democrats, exposing G.O.P. itself to ridicule at the same time because of using political tactlessness.
AA-1 Talk about the situation Jordan Lyman found himself in. What were his problems? Lyman signed a disarmament treaty with Russia in the United States embassy in Vienna. But the military-industrial complex met that treaty with hostility – that treaty could have reduced industrial orders and it might have meant limitation of budget financing for the business. Lyman found that the treaty was a double-edged weapon – on the one hand all people felt the weight of a nuclear holocaust lift from their shoulders, on the other hand, people started to worry about their jobs as if the United States couldn’t prosper without making bombs. Gallup registered drop in rating of Lyman’s administration. So under the adverse conditions Lyman and Gianelli tried to “sell” the treaty to the Senate and the country.
WS-2. Give the English equivalents from the text; think out a situation in which some of them could be appropriate. Narrate your stories to your group-mates.
He might have been a better President than he was. But it was too late, his time had gone. His abilities didn’t allow him to show breadth of understanding of the economic situation. He wasn’t able to chart a course to reform that situation, although there were people on the staff of his administration who were fitted for that kind of job. But he couldn’t take on trust, he couldn’t confide in them. He had won the previous election only thanks to manipulations with public opinion, he couldn’t – and didn’t want to – stay on the charged course. When he had been running for the Presidency, his only dream was to exercise the power in his own interests if and the people who gave him money for his election campaign. Now, when his presidency turned into a great scandal, it was necessary to weigh the pros and cons, but he wasn’t be able to do it – he was panic-stricken.
WS-3. Write out from the text word-combinations with the verbs “make” and “do” in opposite columns. Add up other phrases you have met in other English texts.
1. He made a mistake in doing business with dishonest people. Before making a deal he should have found everything about his partners. 2. Make up your mind to do what is right. 3. He will make a good President. 4. Do all the thinking to find the way out and don’t make an ass of yourself. 5. If you have made a decision - stay on your course. 6. I could do with a few like you to make up for the time I’ve lost with others. 7. He was trying to do something for the people who voted for him. 8. I can’t make out what she is going to do next. 9. It doesn’t do a girl any good to make up too much. You only need a dash of lipstick and a comb through the hair. 10. Will you do me a favour and pass over the newspaper with election returns.
WS-6. Give synonyms for these words and word combinations; make a statement using one of the below synonyms and ask your group-mates to agree with you.:
Ronald Reagan charted a course to achieve a reduction in taxes and government spending in order to leave more money in the hands of citizens.
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