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V. Answer the questions.
1. How many universities are there in Great Britain?
2. What are the oldest British universities?
3. What ‘redbrick’ universities can you name?
4. Why did the ‘new universities’ quickly become popular?
5. All British universities are private institutions, aren’t they?
6. What university degrees are conferred?
7. Are universities centres of research?
VI. Mark the statements that are true according to the text.
1. All British universities are private institutions.
2. The admission to the University is by examination or selection.
3. The Department of Education and Science controls appointment of staff.
4. The number and type of facilities is the same at all British universities.
5. Students never work in summer; they work during the academic year.
6. The first postgraduate degree is that of Master.
7. Universities are centres of research.
VII. Choose the right word.
1. Oxford is _____ of all British universities.
a) the youngest b) the oldest c) the poorest
2. All British universities are _____ institutions.
a) state b) old c) private
3. The ______ to the Universities is by examination or selection.
a) admission b) regulation c) innovation
4. Most students take ____ in the summer for about six weeks.
a) exams b) job c) accommodation
5. The students _____ grants.
a) spend b) receive c) pay
VIII. Think of the words to complete the passage below.
There are 47 universities in ____. The oldest universities are _____. The history of ____ began in 1249. Those two universities are different from all other _____ universities. Redbrick universities were built to give technological training _____ universities are private institutions, but they receive financial support from the state. The British government does not think to build new universities. The most interesting innovation is _____.
IX. Complete the sentences and expand the ideas to make a short summary of the text.
1. The oldest Universities in Britain are….. .
2. There is a sharp division between … .
3. New universities became popular because … .
4. Every university is independent, and responsible only to … .
5. Students who pass exams after 3 or 4 years of studies get … .
6. There is a tendency to expand … .
X. Read about different types of British Universities and note down the main differences between them.
Types of Universities
There are no important official or legal distinctions between the various types of university in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad categories.
Oxbridge
This name denotes the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both founded in the medieval period. They are federations of semi-independent colleges, each college having its own staff, known as ‘Fellows’. Most colleges have their own dining hall, library and chapel and contain enough accommodation for at least half of their students. The Fellows teach the college students, either one-to-one or in very small groups (known as ‘tutorials’ in Oxford and ‘supervisions’ in Cambridge). Oxbridge has the lowest student/staff ratio in Britain. Lectures and laboratory work are organized at university level. As well as the college libraries, there are the two university libraries, both of which are legally entitled to a free copy of every book published in Britain. Before 1970 all Oxford colleges were single-sex (mostly for men). Now, the majority admit both sexes.