Lab. Work

MP3 AUDIO 5.1

1. You’ll hear five speakers talking about problems they or their relatives face while studying. Fill in the chart with the information given in the recording. Be especially precise with the column “Your solution to the problem”; here, you’re supposed to give your personal advice to avoid or ease the problems mentioned by the speakers.

Speaker	Problem	Signs of the Problem	Your Solution to the Problem
1	examination	ability to learn and understand	to ask more precise questions
2	preparation for the exams	tired face, sleepless nights etc.	combine intellectual, physical, entertaining activity and sleep more
3	exams to enter university	Lost weight, rings under eyes, sleepless nights	make a schedule and follow it in order to be more prepared without problems
4		Stunned, confidence	think about success and try to do one’s best
5	assessments tests checking automatically	technological problems	improve the system or not to use it until it becomes good enough

2. Have you ever experienced problems while studying?  What were these problems like? How did you cope with them?

Certainly, I have. For me it is difficult to start any preparation, make the first step because I realize how much I will learn then. But when I start I just learn and wait for an exam. However, sometimes it is possible for me to be angry, irritable. I cope with it with the help of breaks and do or watch something interesting what can abstract me from preparations.

3. What are other difficulties that contemporary university students face while studying? When do the problems usually occur? Are there special stresses that cause them? Do you agree that the quality learning is “the travel of hardships”? Give account of about 100 words on the questions mentioned.

There are a lot of problems every student can face but it depends on every person’s self-esteem, self-control and fears. Some can face loneliness and misunderstanding, lack of friends, others – problems with subjects or lack of free time. These problems can start in any time period and students should have abilities to cope with them. I agree with the statement  “the travel of hardships” because you cannot achieve anything until you work hard.

MP3 AUDIO 5.2

Listen to a talk given by a university advisor to a group of students and answer the following questions:

1.      What is the standard grading system in the USA?

It’s the grading system of A, B, C, D, E or F

2.      What are the ‘special grades’ that the speaker mentions in the recording?

Satisfactory and non-satisfactory grades

3.      Comment on the standard grading system in your country?

There are 5 (excellent), 4 (good), 3 (satisfactory), 2 (bad)

4.      Do schools and colleges practice non-standard grading systems? What are they?

Give examples of other grading systems throughout the world? Which of them do you think are efficient for the students’ academic assessment?

In Germany, school grades vary from 1 (very good, sehr gut) to 6 (insufficient, ungenügend). In the final classes of German Gymnasium schools that prepare for university studies, a point system is used with 15 points being the best grade and 0 points the worst. The percentage causes the grade can vary from teacher to teacher. The percentages shown in the table are the ones used in the "Oberstufe" (final classes).

In Afghanistan, the highest score receivable at schools and universities is 100. Depending on the school and the grade of study, a good mark varies, but in most occasions 75 or higher is considered to be a good one.

Grade	Scale 1	Scale 2	Description
90-100	A	4	Excelent
75-89.99	B	3	Very good
60-74.99	C	2	Good
55-59.99	D	1	Acceptable
0-54.99	F	0	Fail

In Iraq, most of the Primary, middle and high schools in Iraq grade out of 100 percent with a passing grade of 50 percent, So the grade point average is out of 100. Most of the post-secondary institutions (Universities, Colleges, Technical colleges ... etc.) uses the "word" grading system described below:

Grade	Percentage
Excellent	90–100
Very Good	80–89
Good	70–79
Adequate	60–69
Acceptable	50–59
Weak/Failure	0–49

In Japan, most higher education institutions give grades on a scale from 0–100, but a few universities apply letter grades. While for years an "A" grade range was from 80 to 100 points, some schools (for example, at Kurume University) have started to give the 90 to 100 point range a special grade to indicate excellence. A failing grade is generally called an "E", though some institutions use "F".

Scale	Letter Grade
90-100	Excellent (AA, or T)
80-89	A
70-79	B
60-69	C
0-59	Fail (E or F)

MP3 AUDIO 5.3

Listen to a talk by a student advisor on campus. Answer the following questions.

1.      What are the rules for dropping a course in the talk provided?

You can drop a course within the first three weeks in the semester. Besides, you should get a signature of the professor of the course you want to drop or you just need official drop card

2.      What warnings does the student advisor give?

You can officially drop a course after the first three weeks of the semester. If you are having problems in a course and you decide later on that you want to drop the course it’s impossible to do so.

3.      How can you avoid getting a failing grade, according to the recording?

If you go through official procedure of getting drop, you will not have any problems

4.      What are the official drop procedures for the elective courses in your country?

Classes can be officially dropped during the first 20 percent of their scheduled meeting time.

MP3 AUDIO 5.4

Listen to a talk given on a college campus.

1.      What are the places of a college campus that the speaker mentions in the recording?

Administration complex, library, students’ centre (a post office, a bank, a theatre, a coffee shop, a travel agency)

2.      Can you find the similar campus places in your college/university? What are other places that are worth mentioning? Characterize them briefly.

There is a library, 2 dormitories, 2 halls of residence, a stadium, a canteen.

3.      Pick out the places from the previous task and make a similar tour around your college/university to inform the freshmen about the campus.

We have a library with a reading room where students can take books or read them there. There are also 2 dormitories where students can live if their homes are far from out Institute. There is also a stadium for PE or individual activity. We have a canteen where every student can have a tasty dinner.