Use unit 1 of appendix 11 for written practice exercises

Unit 2. Universities as scientific centers. My university.

Warm-up

1. What do you know about your university / its history and traditions? When was it found?

2. Why was it difficult for you to enter the Polytechnical University? Why not?

3. In what way is university life different from school life?

4. Why do you like the system of education at the Polytechnical University? Why not? What would you like to change in the educational system of your university?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Background

MIT is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research.

Founded in 1861 in response to the increasing industrialization of the United States, the institute adopted the European polytechnic university model and emphasized laboratory instruction from an early date. MIT's early emphasis on applied technology at the undergraduate and graduate levels led to close cooperation with industry but curricular reforms under Karl Compton and Vannevar Bush in the 1930s re-emphasized basic scientific research. MIT was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1934 and researchers were involved in efforts to develop computers, radar, and inertial guidance in connection with defense research during World War II and the Cold War. Post-war defense research contributed to the rapid expansion of the faculty and campus under James Killian.

MIT enrolled 4,232 undergraduates and 6,152 graduate students for 2009–2010. It employs about 1,009 faculty members. 76 Nobel Laureates, 50 National Medal of Science recipients, and 35 MacArthur Fellows are currently or have previously been affiliated with the university. MIT has a strong entrepreneurial culture and the aggregated revenues of companies founded by MIT alumni would be the seventeenth largest economy in the world. MIT managed $718.2 million in research expenditures and an $8.0 billion endowment in 2009.

The Engineers sponsor 33 sports, most teams of which compete in the NCAA Division III's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference; the Division I rowing programs compete as part of the EARC and EAWRC.

Research

MIT was elected to the Association of American Universities in 1934 and remains a research university with a very high level of research activity; research expenditures totaled $718.2 million in 2009.

In electronics, magnetic core memory, radar, single electron transistors, and inertial guidance controls were invented or substantially developed by MIT researchers. In the domain of computer science, MIT faculty and researchers made fundamental contributions to cybernetics, artificial intelligence, computer languages, machine learning, robotics, and cryptography.

Current and previous physics faculty have won eight Nobel Prizes, four Dirac Medals, and three Wolf Prizes predominantly for their contributions to subatomic and quantum theory. In the domain of humanities, arts, and social sciences, MIT economists have been awarded five Nobel Prizes and nine John Bates Clark Medals Linguists Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle authored seminal texts on generative grammar and phonology. The MIT Media Lab, founded in 1985 within the School of Architecture and Planning and known for its unconventional research has been home to influential researchers such as constructivist educator and Logo creator Seymour Papert.

Activities

MIT has over 380 recognized student activity groups, including a campus radio station, The Tech student newspaper, an annual entrepreneurship competition, and weekly screenings of popular films by the Lecture Series Committee. Less traditional activities include the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction" in English, a model railroad club, and a vibrant folk dance scene. Students, faculty, and staff are involved in over 50 educational outreach and public service programs through the MIT Museum, Edgerton Center, and MIT Public Service Center. The Independent Activities Period is a four-week long "term" offering hundreds of optional classes, lectures, demonstrations, and other activities throughout the month of January between the Fall and Spring semesters. Some of the most popular recurring IAP activities are the 6.270, 6.370, and MasLab competitions, the annual "mystery hunt", and Charm School. Students also have the opportunity of pursuing externships at companies in the U.S. and abroad. Many MIT students also engage in "hacking," which encompasses both the physical exploration of areas that are generally off-limits (such as rooftops and steam tunnels), as well as elaborate practical jokes. Recent hacks have included the theft of Caltech's cannon, reconstructing a Wright Flyer atop the Great Dome, and adorning the John Harvard statue with the Master Chief's Spartan Helmet. It is a popular misconception and myth though that MIT students have the hobby of creatively editing Wikipedia articles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology

Insert the missing prepositions if necessary

1. At Mallia, a similarly designed suite was located ………….. the north-west corner of the temple.

2. A government department may place emphasis ………….. careful administration and attention to detail, to research and to political maneuvering.

3. The combination of all these factors led ………….. the tragedy on pad 34.

4. Japan contributed …………… the cost of the research.

5. It can also be argued that as human beings, while engaged ………….. decision-making, we often ignore our fully conscious preferences.

6. Large, colorful graphs and charts will adorn …………… the walls of most offices and factories of the workplace of the future.

7. Moreover, students in colleges encompass ………….. a wide age range and exhibit very varying academic abilities and communication skills.

8. A further disadvantage is the work involved …………… returning the manure to the field.