Higher education 1 Vocabulary to be funded - to be paid for, to supply the money for a degree - a title given by a university facilities - services or conveniences to stand for - to be the short form of, to represent, to mean terminology - specialized words or expressions used in a particular field,                        activity,   job, science etc. to transfer - to move something from one place to another college(see conversation bellow) junior college(see conversation) major(see conversation) minor(see conversation) B.A., B.S., Masters and Ph.D.U.S. degrees (see conversation) 2 Vocabulary in Conversation Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following conversation. Lars: Tina, I am trying to fill out this job application and they want to know about my educational history. It's a little confusing because I don't understand the ______________________ they are using. They are using words such as college, junior college, major, minor, B.A., B.S., Masters and Ph.D.. I have heard these words, but I don't really understand the system. Tina: In America, all students basically study the same thing until they reach high school. After high school, students have the choice to start working or go to college. Lars: What is the difference between a college and a university. Tina: In the U.S., there isn't a big difference between the two. Colleges tend to be smaller schools and universities are usually larger schools with more ______________________. Lars: What are junior colleges? Tina: Colleges and universities in the United States are extremely expensive. Even schools which are ______________________ by the government can cost thousands of dollars a year. Most states have created junior colleges, which are inexpensive schools where students can complete the first two years of their education. Afterwards, students can ______________________ to a normal college or university. Lars: How long do students usually study to get their ______________________. Tina: Usually, it takes four years to get a B.S. or a B.A. American students try to complete their studies as soon as possible because each additional year can cost a lot of money. Lars: What do B.S. and B.A. ______________________? Tina: B.S. means "Bachelor of Science" and B.A. means "Bachelor of Arts." Lars: What does the expression "to major" mean? Tina: The area of study which we specialize in is called "a major". We are also allowed to choose a secondary area of study called "a minor." For example, I majored in biology and minored in Japanese. Lars: What other kinds of degrees are there in the U.S.? Tina: After getting a B.S. or a B.A., students can continue studying and receive a Masters, which usually requires an additional two years of study. And of course, the highest degree is called a Ph.D.. Lars: Is a Ph.D. the same as a Doctorate? Tina: Yes, they are the same thing, although most Americans use the expression Ph.D.. 3 Vocabulary Follow-Up Using what you learned above, read what James said below and answer the questions. James said, "I studied at a local junior college for two years and then I transferred to Harvard University. I received a B.S. in chemistry from Harvard and immediately got a job working for a large pharmaceutical company. I didn't like my job, so I quit and went back to school. I had minored in philosophy at Harvard and I had always loved my political science courses, so I decided to get a Ph.D. in political philosophy. I should complete the course by the end of next year." What did James major in? ____________________________________________ What was James' secondary area of study? ____________________________________________ How long do you think James was at Harvard? ____________________________________________ What is more advanced a Masters, a B.A. or a Ph.D.? ______________________________________ 4 "Get" 1) Complete the following text by filling in the blanks with the appropriate preposition or prepositions. along, to, into, across, around, out, up, together, through, back to Dear Mom and Dad, I finally got _______________ that philosophy class I was telling you about. It wasn't easy. It's a required course and there is no way to get _______________ it. The professor, Dr. Schmitt, seems very good, but I think his class is going to be quite a challenge. Yesterday was the first day of the course. He gave everyone in the class a syllabus describing the homework and the exams. I couldn't believe how much he expects us to do. Several of the students immediately got _______________ and left the room. After they were gone, Professor Schmitt started asking the remaining students philosophical questions. They all had great answers, but then he got _______________ me. "What is art?" he asked me. I tried to answer him, but I couldn't get what I wanted to say _______________ to him. He smiled at me and got three or four art books _______________ . He passed the art books around and asked us to discuss the question in groups. The people in my discussion group were really great; we all really enjoyed debating the question. Since we got _______________ so well, we have decided to form a study group, so we can help each other get _______________ this class. I know my grades haven't been the best, but with the help of this study group I should be able to get it _______________ and do better this semester. Well I need to get _______________ work and finish my assignments for tomorrow. Everybody take care, and I'll see you at Thanksgiving. Love, Steve 2) Now reread the letter above to help you complete the list of definitions below. get _____________: to enter something which is difficult to enter get _____________: to avoid something get _____________: to stand up get _____________: to arrived at get _____________: to explain, communicate successfully get _____________: to pull out, take out get _____________: to enjoy each other's company get _____________: to finish or work through something challenging get it _____________: to organize oneself, to improve one's habits IDIOM get _____________: to return, start again 5 Focus on Verbs The following passage should be completed by putting the verb in parentheses in the Simple Past or the Past Continuous. Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) ________________________. She said she (call) ________________________ me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait) ________________________ for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she (talk) ________________________ to me. I couldn't believe she (make) ________________________ a phone call during the lecture. I asked what was going on. She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually) ________________________ in class. Some of the students (talk) ________________________ about their plans for the weekend and the student next to her (draw) ________________________ a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell) ________________________ me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) ________________________ that my biology professor was quite good and (suggest) ________________________ that she switch to my class. While we were talking, I (hear) ________________________ her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?" Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) ________________________ up the phone and went to the kitchen to make dinner. As I (cut) ________________________ vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be) ________________________ Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class. home english advanced vocabulary in conversation