Английский ЕГЭ - банк заданий - страница 246
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Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12-18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Save a gap year until you graduate?
Taking a gap year after your graduation exams has gone out of fashion. It could be down to its notoriety, now that voluntourism schemes are widely considered self-serving. And then of course there’s the cost, which many students are avoiding in favour of travelling for a month or two. “A lot of my friends take the mick out of me saying, ‘Oh, you went to Cambodia on a gap year’,” says Beth Adams, 21, who studied politics and international relations at the University of Manchester, and took a year out after graduating. “You do feel like you’re fulfilling a stereotype a bit.”
According to researchers, the number of people deferring their university places has gone down from 8% in 2002 to around 5% last year. Instead of postponing university study, many graduates are taking a year out after receiving their degree. According to a survey carried out by YouGov and London Stansted airport, more young people are taking a gap year after university, and almost half of UK adults believe job prospects are enhanced by combining travel and learning. So is it better to save your gap year until after graduating?
Definitely, when you’ve been in education for all those years, where your life is September to July, a break is a good idea. You can recharge your batteries and see the world outside the classroom. You can practise foreign languages and improve your communication skills. You have time to figure things out and a year of being able to work on different projects. As a result, you may land in a job in the industry you like.
Although some take a gap year after university because they have a job lined up and managed to delay their start date, most are yet to secure work and are biding their time. It’s a common misconception that such individuals immediately go abroad to volunteer or travel. In reality, students don’t have the funds to do this. Many prefer to stay in their country juggling internships and part-time work.
For those who do go abroad, a gap-year stint volunteering is no longer merely a way for middle-class kids to boost their CVs. Graduates say they are making more considered choices. The practical experience of working abroad helps some of them get ready for a master’s, which is something they do not have time to do during their finals.
Graduates are also using gap years to explore different career routes. According to recruitment firm Tempo, more than half of students feel there is too much emphasis placed on graduate schemes when starting out in their career. Elena Ricci, 23, who graduated from the University of Southampton last year, agrees. “After I finished my degree, I didn’t really know what to do. So I worked for a law firm for a month, and then I went to Cambodia on a placement. If I had gone straight into a grad job, I don’t think I would have been happy,” she says.
Although graduates can bring great skills to volunteering and enhance their employability, there are some risks attached. “You are delaying your career or further study for a year and some employers may not get why you’ve done it,” says Manuel Otero, a senior lecturer in social sciences at Cardiff University who specialises in the link between education and work. His advice is not to stand still. It makes sense to work out what to do, and one of the best ways to find out what to do is to try it out.
After her year abroad, Ricci has now decided to start a master’s in September. She says graduates should ignore stereotypes and do what works for them. So, do what you want, regardless of what others might say. It’s up to you to decide. What works out for others may not work out for you, and vice versa. You never know till you try.
Why is taking a gap year going out of fashion, according to Beth Adams?
Прочитайте текст и выполните задания 12-18. В каждом задании запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному Вами варианту ответа.
Challenges for foreigners in Russia
If you are moving from an English-speaking country to another, some of the problems of the new location will be minimised, but moving to a foreign language country is probably one of the hardest things to do. You will probably experience culture shock and will definitely have your ups and downs. Here’s a list of challenges you can expect to run into while you adjust to Russia.
Language, of course, is a no-brainer, but I couldn’t leave it off the list! I strongly advise learning at least the alphabet before coming to Russia to avoid feeling completely isolated. While going anywhere where you don’t speak the language can knock you down for a while, Russian is especially difficult with its complex grammar structure (cases, verb aspect, prefixes), unpredictable word stress, and difficult pronunciation (the letters ы, ь, and й always get me)… which also means your successes will be especially triumphant!
Effective communication is an essential part of our lives that we often overlook when it comes so naturally, but the first time you can’t answer a cashier’s simple question or can’t properly vent to your host family about your day, you will never underestimate the power of words again.
The second challenge is expressing emotions. Most people are familiar with the stereotype that “Russians don’t smile”. From my observation, Russians tend to show little emotion outside of home. Surrounded by strangers, often in harsh or unpleasant weather, there is no reason to emote freely. Of course, you see friends laughing and couples kissing and people arguing, but for the most part (excluding driving), emotions stay on the inside. Until you get home, when Russians are comfortable and around people they trust, passions run strong.
In the United States, the expression of our emotions tends to vary little in different circumstances, but when expressed, Russian emotions can be even stronger and perhaps even more genuine and heartfelt than Americans are used to.
In addition, if you are a foreign student in Russia, the biggest challenge is a different education system. Russian higher education is very different from that in the United States. For the most part, universities are buildings scattered throughout a city, not the centralised micro-cities that many US students are used to. Russians generally take 9–11 classes per semester that meet less frequently than American courses would, and it is not uncommon to skip a class almost entirely and just cram for the final from other students’ notes or a study guide. Professors are also less available – no office hours, they don’t always give out a school email address, and in general they treat students more like colleagues.
It can be a shock going from a campus plastered with student event flyers to a cluster of half-empty academic buildings, but don’t worry – Russians make up for it by hosting a plethora of clubs and organisations for the city in general. Especially in St. Petersburg and Moscow there are hundreds of clubs to join from language (be a star in the English conversation club; meet other foreigners in the Russian club), sports, acting, dancing, singing, board games, movie-watching, and more! Try making some searches on the Russian social network VKontakte to start out.
Going abroad for a long period of time has its difficulties no matter where you choose to go, but the better prepared you are for the challenges you’ll face in Russia, the faster you will adjust and be able to call this northern empire your second home.
What are people sure to experience when coming to stay in a different country, according to the author?