A The school I went to

a) The school I went to
1. What school did you go to? [secondary school; gymnasium; vocational school; technical school; lyceum; specialized English school]
2. In what age did you begin to attend it?
3. Where is it situated?
4. What compulsory and optional subjects did you study at your school?
5. What were your favorite subjects?
6. How many times a week did you have your English lessons?
7. What did you do during your English lessons?
8. What was your mark in English?
9. Who was your favorite teacher?
10. What do you think are the characteristics of an ideal /bad teacher?
b) Entering the Institute
1. When did you first start thinking about entering a higher educational school?
2. Did anybody advise you or was it your own choice?
3. What made you choose the Railway Institute rather than some other higher school?
4. Do your parents approve your choice?
5. How many entrance exams did you pass?
6. What marks did you get in Physics and Mathematics?
7. How did you prepare for the exams? [You attended the fitting school – подготовительные курсы; your teacher helped you; you read a lot of books yourself or you didn't prepare for your exams at all.]
8. Were you afraid of taking exams?
9. Was the competition intense?
10. What was the most difficult subject for you to take?
c) You are a freshman now
1. Do you like being a student?
2. Was it difficult for you to get accustomed [привыкать] to the system of lectures and seminars after the school system of classes?
3. What do you find more useful: lectures of seminars?
4. Do you always take notes of lectures?
5. Is it difficult or easy for you to follow the lectures?
6. Why are some lectures boring [скучный]?
7. What subjects are included in the first-year program at your faculty?
8. What subject is the most interesting/ the least interesting; the one you think the most important/ the least important; the one you find the most difficult/ the least difficult?
9. What marks do you expect to get?
10. How much time do you spend to prepare your homework?

TEXT В
Read the text filling in the blanks with the prepositions if necessary. Translate it without a dictionary and find at least 10 differences between our Academy and Cambridge (do it in written form).

CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge is one ___ the two main universities ___ England located ___ the Cam River. It was founded ___ the beginning ___ the 12th century. Until 1871 Cambridge University was exclusively ___ men. Nowadays University consists ___ 24 different colleges, including four colleges ___ women. The oldest college was founded ___ 1284, and the most recent is Robinson College which was opened ___ 1977.
The head ___ the University is the chancellor who is elected for life. The teachers are commonly called «dons» and «tutors». The University developed its own system, which is called “a system ___ individual tuition”. Each student has a tutor who practically guides him through the whole course ___ studies. The tutor plans the student's work and once a week the student goes ___ his tutor to discuss his work ___ him. Besides, the student attends lectures. The course___ studies lasts 4 years. The academic year is divided ___ 3 terms. The students study Natural and Technical Sciences, Law, History, Languages, Geography and a number ___ other subjects. After 3 years ___ study a student may proceed (получить учёную степень) to a Bachelor's degree and later to the degrees ___ Master and Doctor.
Students are required to wear gowns (мантия) ___ lectures, ___ the University library, ___ the street ___ the evening and ___ official visits. All the students must pay ___ their education, exams, books, laboratories.

Lesson 13. Theme: Oral practice. Speaking: Education in Great Britain and USA. Answer the questions. Discussion

Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for England; whilst the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland,[6] Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
For details of education in each region, see:
• Education in England
• Education in Northern Ireland
• Education in Scotland
• Education in Wales
The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the OECD currently ranks the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as 13th in the world in reading, literacy, mathematics, and science with the average British student scoring 503.7, compared with the OECD average of 493.

Education in the United States is provided in public, private, and home schools. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities. The bulk of the $1.3 trillion in funding comes from state and local governments, with federal funding accounting for only about $200 billion.[2] Private schools are free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through independent regional accreditation authorities, although some state regulation can apply.

In 2013, about 87% of school-age children (those below higher education) attended state funded public schools, about 10% attended tuition- and foundation-funded private schools, and roughly 3% were home-schooled.
By state law, education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state. This requirement can be satisfied in public or state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. Compulsory education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school.
There is also a large number and wide variety of publicly and privately administered colleges and universities. Post-secondary education is divided into college, as the first tertiary degree, and graduate school. Higher education includes extremely wealthy and selective universities, public research universities, private liberal arts colleges, historically black colleges and universities, community colleges, for-profit colleges, and many other kinds and combinations of institutions. College enrollment rates in the United States have increased over the long term. At the same time, student loan debt has also risen to $1.5 trillion.
According to a 2016 report published by the U.S. News & World Report, of the top ten colleges and universities in the world, eight are American.