成都信息工程学院 媒体英语视听说自编教材 Unit1

Unit 1 Let’s Go to College 1 Unit 1 Let’s Go to College

Culture Tips College Education All American children are offered twelve years of free public education, and most good students can get financial help to continue their studies for many more years. Adults who wish to attend school also find many opportunities. College campuses are attracting students from all social classes despite a rapidly rising cost of higher education. A typical college now charges about $3000 a year for food, board, and tuition. The students attending a private Eastern college spend at least $3500 and probably closer to 5000 a year, including tuition, housing, food, books, and personal expenses. State colleges have rather low tuition fees. A student may cut costs by living at home, attending a state or community school, or combining part-time work with a part-time college program. Many college students use their summer earnings to help finance their education. Some students pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees in night school while working full time during the day. Some college courses are offered on television, and these are inexpensive. Fortunately for students with limited funds, financial help is available from many sources. (scholarships，loans and part-time jobs). More than 200,000 scholarships are offered by industries, alumni groups, individual donors, the federal government, and colleges and universities. All colleges and universities offer scholarships to students within very high academic records and abilities. If students receive a scholarship, he or she doesn’t pay part or all of the tuition to attend the school. Students who cannot afford to pay tuition do have ways to attend school. Such a student can ask the school or state government for a grant, which is money that he or she does not have to pay back. Or the student can ask the federal government for a student loan, which is money that he or she must begin to pay back after graduation from college. Clip one News Item New Words & Expressions Exercises 1. involvement n. taking a part in sth. 参加 2. Undergraduate n. 本科生 3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) n. 麻省理工大学 4. Harvard University n. 哈佛大学 5. Harvard College n. 哈佛本科生学院 1 Multiple Choice 1) What is the main idea of this piece of news? A. Requirement to apply for an American college. Unit 1 Let’s Go to College 2 B. Higher education in MIT and Harvard University. C. Programs offered by American college and universities. D. Differences among college, university and institute in the U.S. 2) What are Americans most likely to say when they talk about their higher education? A. “going off to university” B. “going off to college” C. “when I was in university” D. “when I was in institute” 3) In which aspect do universities differ from college? A. They do not offer graduate studies. B. They offer more programs and do more research. C. They help young people prepare to earn a living. D. They offer undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences.

Script Americans use the term college students to mean students either in college or universities. Not only that, Americans almost never say “going off to university” or “when I was in university.” That sounds British. Instead, they say “going off to college” and “when I was in college.” College, university: what’s the difference? Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both offer undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences, for example. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living. But many colleges do not offer graduate studies. Another difference is that universities are generally bigger. They offer more programs and do more research. Another place of higher education, especially in technical areas, is an institute, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet even an institute of technology can offer a wide choice of programs and activities. M.I.T. says that seventy-five percent of freshmen come here with a strong interest and involvement in the arts. A college can also be a part of a university. For example, Harvard College is the undergraduate part of Harvard University. Programs in higher learning can also be called schools, like a school of engineering or a medical school within a college or university.

Keys to Exercises 1). D 2). B 3).B

Clip 2 American Education to Students of Stateless Children From Burma. New Words & Expressions 1) stateless adj. 无国籍的 2）access n. 进入；途径 3）migrate adj.短期的，流动 4）enroll v. 登记；注册 5）enlist v. 招募 6）Burma n. 缅甸