University Studies

UNIVERSITY STUDIES

UNIT 3

Family Tree

Andrew Smith Born 1920 Died 1987	Helen Smith b. Jan.1, 1929 doctor retired knitting	Michael Brown b. Feb. 23, 1928 army officer retired gardening	Ann Brown b. Mar. 2, 1931 housewife
Nick Smith b. Apr.3, 1962 single taxi driver girls billiards	Victor Smith b. May 11, 1949 married engineer traveling volleyball	Lucy Smith b. June 10, 1951 married teacher foreign languages	Mary Gates b. July 12, 1961 divorced salesclerk swimming
	Alex Smith b. Aug. 20, 1972 law student music martial arts	Melanie Smith b. Sep. 31, 1975 high school student music photography	George b. Oct. 7. 84

6.3 Describe the members of the family using the information from the table.

Example:

Victor Smith was born in the family of Andrew and Helen Smith on the 11 of May 1949. His father died in 1987. So his mother is a widow. She worked as a doctor but now she is retired. She likes knitting.

Victor has a younger brother Nick who is not married, works as a taxi driver and is fond of girls and billiards.

Victor is married. His wife’s name is Lucy. She is two years younger than Victor. Lucy is a teacher of foreign languages.

Victor and Lucy have two children – Alex and Melanie. Alex is 3 years older than his sister. He is a law student and he is interested in martial arts. Melanie is a high school student and is fond of photography. Both Alex and Melanie like music.

Victor has also some in-laws. Michel Brown is his father-in-law. He is the former army officer, now retired and fond of gardening. Victor’s mother-in-law is Ann Brown. She is a housewife. Michael and Ann’s daughter Mary is Victor’s sister-in-law and her son George is his nephew.

6.4 Draw your own family tree. Describe one of your relatives.

7. WRITING. In writing, give true answers to the following questions. Use the words and word combinations from this Unit.

1. What are your ideas about a typical Belarusian family?

2. Does your family fit the image of a typical Belarusian family?

3. Use your family tree to describe your family relations?

8. PRESENTATION. Use the information from the text “My Family” and your own family tree to present the topic ‘My Family’.

1. WARMING UP. Choose the right variant.

1. I’m studying at a Law …

a) college

b) institute

c) university

2. It’s a … institution.

a) state

b) non-state

3. The education is …

a) free

b) not free

4. I’m majoring in …

a) Economics

b) Law

c) International Law

d) Political Science and Psychology

5. I’m a …

a) full-time student

b) student by correspondence

2. FIRST READING OF THE TEXT. Read the text to find out what it is about in general.

So, I’m a university student at the Law Faculty majoring in International Law. I got into the university earlier this year. I can’t say I had a burning desire to study law. I simply didn’t know what else to do after leaving school and found “a job with prospects ”. Lawyers are very popular in the United States.

There are now so many universities and courses (state and non-state) that about a third of school-leavers go on to higher education. In my opinion, half of them should not be there.

Originally, university was for members of the elite who could afford to pay. Then it was for those with brains and academic ambition. Now it is open to anyone who is averagely bright, can achieve a couple of A-levels and doesn't know what else to do. I’m one of these. Of course, there are some teenagers who really want to be engineers or doctors, or want to know more about history, law or the politics and sociology. They are eager to learn, and deserve their places.

But there are the others, who clearly have no great desire to study; university is simply a way of passing a few years. Because so many people have degrees now, they say, it is important to have one yourself. Almost any degree from almost any university would be better than no degree at all, they add.

Do you want to know about my University? Well, it is one of the oldest institutions for higher education in the country with its own traditions and experienced teaching staff, modern computer classes, lecture and class rooms and a library. The methods of teaching are quite different from those at school and I like it. In fact, I enjoy every minute of being here. The Law course at the University is intended to give thorough basic knowledge in the principles of Law. The range of subjects on the curriculum is wide – from the history of law to different branches of law such as Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and the Law of Tort, Administrative and Family Law, Law of Contract and International Law – and more.

However, the course does not only include strict law, it gives an academic legal education. The emphasis is on developing skills of interpretation and logical thinking

Although many of my fellow-students who study law do so with the intention of practicing in the future, many do not. They prefer instead to go into administration, industrial management or business after graduation.

Truly speaking I can’t say now what area of law interests me most and about my plans for the future. I chose International Law just because I’m keen on learning languages. Besides in the era of globalization it’s impossible, I think, to be an expert in any sphere without understanding international relations.

I admit that education is worthwhile but university is not for everyone. No wonder so many students give up and drop out. But it offers them a chance to grow up and the possibility that they might just learn something. Let’s be democratic, at least for some little while. O.K.?

2.1 C hoose the best variant to complete the sentences below. Use the text to make the right choice.

1. Tom became a law student because …

a) his father wanted him to be a lawyer

b) he wanted to study law

c) he wanted to have a prestigious and well-paid job in the future

2. Today university is practically open to …

a) those who are very clever

b) those who want to have a university degree

c) those with money

3. The Law course at Tom’s University gives …

a) vocational (strictly relating to a profession) training

b) academic (relating to basic knowledge in principles of law) legal education

4. Law graduates …

a) can only practice law after graduation

b) are willingly employed by government agencies and industrial and business enterprises

c) are often on the lists of unemployed

5. Tom has chosen International Law because …

a) it sounds well to him

b) he likes traveling abroad

c) he is interested in languages and relations between States

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