Vocabulary

Elementary education — начальное образование

Secondary education — среднее образование

A grade — класс; оценка

Public school — (бесплатная) средняя школа

Curriculum (pi. curricula) — учебный план/программа

Boards of education — комитеты народного образования

High school — средняя школа

A high school diploma — аттестат об окончании средней школы

Elementary school — начальная школа

Grammar school — грамматическая школа

Secondary school — средняя школа

Junior high school — младшая средняя школа

Senior high school — старшая средняя школа

Language arts — язык (предмет)

Penmanship — чистописание

Science — естественные науки

Social studies — общественные науки

Citizenship — гражданское право

Art — изобразительное искусство

A counselor — консультант, школьный психолог

Electives — факультативные предметы

Vocational subjects — профессиональные курсы

World political issues — вопросы международной политики

Answer the questions:

1. When does a new school year begin in American schools? 2. How many classes a day do American schoolchildren usually have? 3. How many days a week do they attend classes? 4. What kind of school do most American students go to and who is it supported by? 5. How are private schools different from public schools? 6. What kind of school do American children start with and what grades does it include? 7. What grades do secondary schools mean? What is a junior high school? 8. What is a senior high school? 9. Is there a national curriculum in the United States? 10. What subjects are taught in almost every elementary school? 11. What other subjects besides the required ones do secondary schools offer? 12. Who helps students choose electives? 13. Do all the states have the same laws regulating education? 14. Is secondary education compulsory in America? 15. To what age are American children required to attend school? 16. How do they select learning material in public schools? 17. Whose responsibility is this? 18. How do private schools use the fees they collect? 19. Whose responsibility is it to spend the money in public schools? 20. What else are boards of education responsible for?

Give English equivalents:

Учебная программа; старшая средняя школа; учиться в школе; обязательные предметы; чистописание; класс; платить за обучение; общественные науки; консультант; начальная школа; классная аудитория; младшая средняя школа; естественные науки; диплом об окончании средней школы; гражданское право; профессиональные курсы; учебный год; экономика; факультативные предметы; частная школа; физкультура; находиться в ведении церкви; проходить несколько ступеней обучения; аттестация (учителей); учебный материал.

Find words and expressions close in meaning to the following:

physical training; autumn; natural sciences; a form; optional subjects; a pupil; social sciences; to go to school; secondary school; primary school; every year; school authorities.

Complete the following sentences according to the text:

1.Some high schools specialize in particular types of subjects... 2. Language arts is a subject... 3. Four out of five private schools in America... 4. In choosing their electives American students... 5. On their way to a high school diploma American students... 6. Electives can range... 7. In private schools religious teachings... 8. Social studies are a subject... 9. The age limits of schools attendance vary... 10. In America "high school" means... 11. The "core" of required subjects offered at most secondary schools includes...

Explain in English the meaning of the following words and expressions:

Public school, electives; science; a high school diploma, a coun­selor, fear, private school, required subjects, boards of education, learning material.

Replace the underlined words or phrases with their equivalents from the text:

By the early 1980s, the most popular classes they choose to take were physical education, music performance, driver education, health, "shop", home economics. 2. There have always been schools at which fees are paid at all levels. Some of these are open to all social classes and some are not. 3. In some places, the school where basic subjects are taught includes only forms K-6. 4. New subjects were added to the course of study: history, geography, science and En­glish. 5. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, despite the rapid develop­ment of new, well-equipped schools, student began to leave schools that include grades 9-12 before graduation. 6. Social scientists esti­mated that in the course of a lifetime a man with a college degree in America would earn much more than a man with just a certificate issued to a student by a school, indicating graduation. 7. The Federal government in America maintains no schools financed by taxes collected from all citizens. 8. In 1918, a committee of the National Education Association, a teachers' organization, reported seven new goals for education for children over 11 years old. 9. A person with whom schoolchildren decide their schedule said that Tom could take either American History or American Government. 10. High schools offer more than one year-in most cases, several years of math, science and some other classes you must take. 11. Private school often gives an extra educational and social advantage to those young people who have the money to go to them.