A Farewell To Arms

The title of the film under consideration is A Farewell to Arms. It is a 1957 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor. The screenplay by Ben Hecht, based in part on a 1930 play by Laurence Stallings, was the second feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1929 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. The previous one dates back to 1932. It is distinguished by its hand-picked cast - Rock Hudson as Frederick Henry, Jennifer Jones as Catherine Barkley.

First of all, let me give you the brief reconstruction of the events. Frederick Henry is an American, serving as an ambulance driver for the Italian Army during World War I. He falls in love with a nurse - Catherine Barkley. During the retreat of the Italian Army, Henry deserts from his regiment and together with pregnant Catherine make their way to neutral Switzerland. For some months they live happily, but in the spring Catherine gives a birth to a still-born child, and dies shortly afterward.

The main thing, I‘d like to mention is the play of the actors who managed to feel their characters, their souls, mood and the way of thinking even. I am amazed by the way they took the message of the writer. However, sometimes the development of the love affair did not seem natural, they overacted.

Further, I’d like to concentrate exactly on this overacting. In my opinion, the director shifted the accents a lot. This film lacks that all-important awareness of the inescapable presence and pressure of war. It focuses on the love affair of 2 characters. The essential excitement of a violent love is strangely missing here. Mr. Hudson is most noticeably unbending, as if he was cautious and shy, but Miss Jones plays the famous Catherine Barkley with bewildering nervous moves and grimaces. The show of devotion between two people is intensely acted, not realized, but, as I’ve already mentioned, it was a peculiar feature for me in their acting.

 To conclude, the film helped me to imagine the main heroes, the events described in the book. I really enjoyed watching the film because I watch such “old” films rarely but always admire the work and skillfulness of the actors.

In Love and War

In Love and War is a 1996 romance drama film based on the book, Hemingway in Love and War by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel, starring Mackenzie Astin, Chris O'Donnell, Sandra Bullock, and Margot Steinberg. This film takes place during World War I, and is based on the World War I experiences of the writer Ernest Hemingway. It was directed by Richard Attenborough. The film was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.

Speaking about “In Love and War” we can discuss a different way of love-development. War here is a just a kind of setting and a background for feelings. It can be proved by the title - the word “Love” is placed on the primary position not accidentally. This means that the film is about love, relationship and fates, not about war itself.

 Ernie’s feelings to Agnes, his nurse, I can describe only as a passion, a flame. She has prejudices about the age-difference between them and her love to Ernie can be considered as love to a kid, a young man at war.

War is one of the main themes of Ernest Hemingway’s creative work. The main character of In Love and War fought hard to have the right to participate in war. Hemingway emphasizes that heroism doesn’t only exist in the front line, but also in hospitals, where the nurses fought for the lives of soldiers throughout day and night.


Speaking about main characters, Henry and Ernie are cool-headed, unselfish, proud, ambitious, ready for true feelings men, while their beloved are a little different. Agnes has too much prejudices, which destroy everything at the end, while Catherine is devoted to Henry, can not think of a day without him, wants everything to be done his way. It can be proved by the repetion “I’m a good wife. Everything is fine. Do you still love me?” I believe that Agnes was the prototype for Catherine. Hemingway just wrote his semi-autobiographical novel without traits he did not like, it is a kind of his dream, desire to change the events.


So, coming to the conclusion, I’d like to say, this film impressed me greatly. Such things as love and war seem to be incongruous, but Love and War  proves the contrary. Besides, they have a marvelous historical value as it is first-hand records of the events during the World War I. They placed me into the time of war and Ernest Hemingway. It helped me to imagine what kind of a person he was and what influenced his creative talent.

Higher Education in Britain and the USA

 1. What are the admission requirements to the colleges and universities in the USA/Britain?

 

Entrance to British universities is rather strict selection process? based on an interview. If students don't get the grades, specified in the offer, a place cannot be taken up. Some universities as Oxford and Cambridge have an entrance exam before the interview stage. As for American universities, students who want to study at a college or university have to take a standardized test, e.g. the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American College Test). Students from other countries outside the US must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

 2. What are the three types of schools in higher education?
As far as I know, there are graduate school, separate professional schools such as a medical school or a law school. 

 3. What degrees are offered by schools of higher learning in the USA/Britain? What are the requirements for these degrees? 

 In Britain a first degree, which is usually an honours degree, generally takes three years. Most courses end with exams called finals. Results are given as classes (= grades): a first is the highest class, seconds are often split between upper second and lower second, and below that is a third. Graduates may add the letters BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. Some graduates go on to study for a further degree, often a master’s degree or a doctorate.
In the USA students are given grades at the end of each course. The highest grade is A; the lowest is F, which means that the student has failed the course and will not get credit for taking it. To check a student’s overall progress, the university calculates a grade point average (GPA). Students who finish their degree with a high GPA may be awarded Latin honours, of which the highest is summa cum laude.


4. What is a credit in the US system of higher education? How many credits must an undergraduate student earn to receive a bachelor’s degree? How can they be earned?

 A student has to earn a certain number of "credits" (about 120) in order to receive a degree at the end of four years of college. Credits are earned by attending lectures or laboratory classes and completing assignments and examinations.Students are given grades at the end of each course. The highest grade is A; the lowest is F, which means that the student has failed the course and will not get credit for taking it. To check a stu­dent’s overall progress, the university calculates a grade point average (GPA).

5. What steps do students have to take to enroll in a college/university for admission? Speak about the exams they take – PSAT, SAT, ACT.

American high school students who want to take to enroll in a college or university for admission have to take a standardized test, e.g. the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ACT (American College Test). Each college or university decides on the minimum score it will accept, though test scores are never the only factor taken into account.

6. What financial assistance are applicants eligible for? What is college scholarship, grants, loan? Explain and bring out the essence of student financial aid?

Students whose families cannot afford to pay the full amount apply for financial aid, receive a financial aid package which may be a combination of grants from the government, a scholarship, a student loan and work-study( a part-time job at the college).

7. What is a GPA (Grade Point Average)?

To check a student's overall progress, the university calculates a grade point average(GPA). Students who finish their degree with a high GPA may be awarded Latin honours.

8. What is the role of a student’s counselor? Specify the function of career development and job placement within a university.

Student counselors, also called guidance counselors, are professionals who help students at the high school or college level

 

10. What are the sources of funding for universities and colleges (both public and private)?

A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government. Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive tax breaks, public student loans, and grants.

11. What is an undergraduate student? A graduate student?

An undergrad student is one who hasn't graduate yet from a college. In college, working on a 4-year degree, their first year they are call Freshmen; the 2nd year, Sophomores; the 3rd year Juniors, and their 4th Seniors. All of those are "undergrads," which is short for "undergraduates." After they get a degree, later, if they stay in school to work on an advanced amount, then they're called graduate students. Undergraduate study is the 4 year term in which you study for your Bachelor's amount. A graduate student is someone who has their Bachelor's degree and is moving on to pursue their Master's level or PhD. Anyone who does not posses a Bachelor's degree but is pursuing one is an undergrad student.
A graduate student- a student who is studying for a degree that is higher than the one received after four years of study at a college or university.


12. Are you for written or oral examinations? Which ones are more objective?

 Oral examinations are rather complicted that written papers. They presupose inevitable necessity to face the examiners, to speak to them openly and even to answer their additional questions. Sometimes students may simply stumble through the exam because of their nervousness and anxiety. That is why I considere that written exams are more objective and are popular with the stydents.

13. What examinations (oral or written) are more popular with Russian students? Describe the psychological types of students of your group.

As you know, every student has his own point of view. Some choose written exam in the hope for cheating. Others prefer to speak face to face with their examiners and prove that they know well a given material or even they would like to go to the mat. To my way of thinking, written examinations are rather popular in Russia then written papers. You have not to worry, to nerve unlike viva exams.



14 Would you like to study in the USA or Great Britain? Why? Why not? What are the requirements for foreign students to study in the USA or Great Britain?

Well, to be honest, it s a brilliant idea to study abroad. There is always BUT. Firstly, you have to work harder, harder, harder to achieve their aim. Secondly, all depends on parents' income, because you are young and as a rule don't have a job to earn yourself for study. On the other hand it would be unfair to depend completely on parents.
Students from countries outside the US who are not native speakers of English must also take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

 

 

 

 

Laboratory Works

Laboratory Work 1

Speaker	Problem	Signs of Problem	Your Solution to the Problem
1	examination	incapable of showing students’ ability to learn	To combine oral and written exams with lowing difficultness
2	Preparing for A-levels	Tired face, sleepless nights	Do not overload oneself, otherwise it can lead to lamentable consequences
3	Entering into University	Loss of weight, great big black rims under eyes, sleepless nights	Do not overload oneself, otherwise it can lead to lamentable consequences
4	Getting a very high grade	Stunning, exciting	Try to save this level and not to revalue oneself
5	Electronically testing	Getting results faster	Do not rely only on machines as they can bog down

2. While studying I faced many problems, which were closely connected with unfairness and injustice from the direction of my teachers. Some of them were bad not only at teaching but also at holier-than-thou and irreverent attitude towards us. Frankly speaking, I never forget how the teacher of biology punched my classmate because of a bad behavior. All that had effect on me and my pupils. Worst of all was when they talked up our personal life and spread unacceptable gossips. That is why I was irritated at them and at the educational process.

  3. Studying is part of a process of change and, sometimes, change can cause a lot of anxiety. If you go to university straight from school, you are facing the challenge of leaving home, separating from your parents and beginning the process of finding your identity, as an adult, and your place in the world. This is a big psychological upheaval. When you become a student you may feel differently about yourself, and other people may react to you differently. There may be sports, social and political activities open to you now, which you've never tried before. This has two aspects: it can be very exciting, but it can also be terrifying. It can be easy to take on too many things, because you don't want to miss out on any new opportunities. Accommodation, finance, food, and travel can all present daunting problems in your first weeks. Ask for help from older students, from other first-years, or from your teachers. Don't be proud - you are not alone in your difficulties.

Laboratory Work 2

1.    They use the standard system of grading: A, B, C, В, F

2.    For some courses you can get satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade.

3.    We have a standard mark system: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for exams and for pass-fail courses there’s another system.

4,5 As practically all the countries pass to Bachelor’s system so there’s a system of points which students get for each task they should complete. At the end of the course these points are counted and if there’s enough to pass this course they get a pass or a mark.

Laboratory Work 3

1.    You can drop the course within the first 3 weeks of the semester. First, you need a signature of a professor of the course you want to drop on your official drop-card. Then, you need come to the advisor to get his or her signature.

2.    You can’t officially drop the course after the 3 weeks of the semester. If you have some problems with your course and you want to drop it you can’t do it.

If you stop attending a course without going through the official drop procedure the course will remain on your schedule and you receive a failing grade.

3.    To avoid any problems you should follow these rules.

Laboratory Work 4

1.    Library, Students’ Centre, Administration Complex, the Auditorium

2.    Library, the Dance Hall, where students can take part in diverse performing and hobby groups; the canteen and several cafeterias where students can have a snack

3.    First, on the ground floor there’s a library and a reading room where you can get diverse books, journals, magazines. There’s also on the first floor a canteen. Here the meals are very tasty. On the each floor you can make a photocopy. On the second floor you also can find an accounting department if you have some problems with your scholarship. On the third floor there’s a local trade of students. Also we have different hobby groups which can interest you: theatre, dance or singing.