UNIT 3-LEARNING

READING I - University Courses: Business vs Engineering

PREVIEW THE READING
A- Quick Discussion

Discuss these questions with your classmates.

1. Why would a student prefer to study a career-oriented subject?
2. Are there any subjects in your country which have a significantly higher percentage of male or female
students? Why do you think that is?

B- Preview
Read the title of the article and answer the questions below.
1. Which one do you think is a more difficult subject to study?
a. Business b. Engineering c. they are equally difficult
2. Which one do you think is better preparation for finding a job after university?
a. Business b. Engineering c. they are equal

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C- Vocabulary
(1) Here are some words from Reading 1. Read the sentences. Then write each bold word next to
the correct definition below. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

1. When you want to support your opinion in an essay, it is good to provide concrete examples to
support it rather than simply giving your general point of view.
2. In October, the university will launch a new programme to use more solar energy.
3. Chemistry and Physics are related, but they are taught as separate scientific disciplines.
4. If you want to pursue a career in politics, Political science is a good subject to study.
5. Some schools are more oriented towards science learning than others.
6. There is a large gender gap in Science and Engineering education. However, governments and universities
are trying to attract more female students to these subjects.
7. Some people feel that students from lower-income families are under-represented at the best
universities.
8. 8. As distance education evolves, more and more people may get academic degrees online.

a. _______________ (v) to try to do or achieve

b. _______________ (adj) based on actual things and particular examples
c. _______________ (v) to begin something or introduce a new plan
d. _______________ (adj) directed towards or focused on
e. _______________ (adj) not given enough presence; in unreasonably lower numbers than others
f. ________________ (v) to change or develop gradually
g. _______________ (n) a particular area of study
h. _______________ (n) the difference in opportunities, attitudes, pay, etc. between men and
women

(2) Read the sentences. The words and phrases in bold are the opposites of the words in
bold from Exercise 1. Write the correct form of the words from Exercise 1 next to the
opposites below.

1. I started medical school, but it was not right for me, so I decided to quit the programme. pursue
2. Cooking is a non-academic topic that you cannot study at a major university. __________
3. There is an equal male-to-female ratio at my university. __________
4. The university will end its marketing campaign in June. __________
5. Mechanical engineering courses are usually not directed towards people studying literature.
________
6. Every Physics professor at the university attended the meeting, so that department was a bit
over-represented. __________
7. You cannot tell what objects the artist is trying to paint in her work. Her paintings are very
abstract. __________
8. If you do not read the latest research in your field, your career may suffer and stop developing.
__________

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UNIVERSITY COURSES: BUSINESS VS ENGINEERING
1 Perhaps the most important decision a university student has to make is what subject to study. Most
universities offer a wide variety of interesting subjects from which to choose, so for some students the choice can be
difficult. Some university students want to follow their academic interests and study something that is not directly
linked to a future career, such as History or Philosophy. Others are looking for a degree in a practical subject that
provides concrete skills for the working world. For these students, subjects like Business and Engineering are
attractive options. Despite this common ground, however, there are significant differences between these two
subjects in terms of their popularity and the gender ratio' of students.

2 Both Business and Engineering are viewed as subjects which will help students launch their careers after
graduation, but these disciplines also provide a good foundation for continued study in graduate school. Many
students who pursue an MBA2 feel that the best way to get into a good programme is to study Business and
Management in university. Students who want to get a graduate degree in Engineering will have a hard time with the
subject if they have not already taken Engineering courses in university, which is different from degrees more oriented
towards the humanities3. Finally, both areas require the use of mathematics. Business students will need to be able
to work with budgets and financial and accounting ideas, and engineers rely on mathematical calculations for their
work.

3 On the other hand, these two subjects differ quite a bit — both in terms of their popularity and the presence
of a gender gap. By all measures, Business is the most popular subject for UK university students overall. Engineering
subjects, in contrast, are much less popular. This is despite the fact that engineering-led industry contributes about
40% of the UK's gross domestic product, and is a key component of its national economy. In terms of gender balance,
many university courses are commonly more popular with one gender than the other, but Business courses are
equally popular with both male and female students. When asked why they have chosen Business, many women say
that they want to study something that makes them employable but that alsofocuses on communication skills. In
this case of students studying Engineering and Technology, which have less focus on communication skills, only
about 16% of Engineering and Technology students in the UK are female. Engineering and Technology make up two of
the four disciplines that form the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). There are

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different theories about why women are so under-represented in STEM. Some people think that it is simply because
fewer women are interested in the field, while others think that young girls may be discouraged by parents, teachers
and society in general from pursuing STEM occupations.

4 To conclude, Business and Engineering are both practical, career-oriented courses that are attractive to British
university students, but which differ in significant ways. Business, the most popular subject, has an even split
between male and female students. Engineering, in contrast, is less popular with women — 84% of its students are
male. As perceptions of men and women continue to change in the UK, and as the job market evolves, it will be
interesting to see if these trends continue or change.

'gender ratio (n) the proportion of males to females in a given population or group
2
MBA (Masters of Business Administration) (n) an advanced degree in business
3
humanities (n) literature, language, history, philosophy, and other subjects that are not a science

WORK WITH THE READING

A- Categorize Read the statements. Write T (true), F (false) or DS (does not say). Then correct each
false statement to make it true according to the article.

____ 1. Engineering-led industry contributes more than half of the UK's GDP.
____ 2. 84% of Engineering students are male.
____ 3. An equal number of men and women want to study Business.
____ 4. There are three STEM subjects.
____ 5. 16% of STEM students are female.

B- Categorize Read the article. Then read these facts and tick if they apply to Business, Engineering or
both.

Business Engineering Both

1 will help students launch their careers

2 has a gender gap

3 is the most popular UK university subject

4 requires the use of mathematics

5 provides a good foundation for graduate school

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 WRITING I
GRAMMAR

PARTICIPLE CLAUSES
Participle Clauses are used to shorten sentences. There are three types of participle
clauses:
1. Present participle (e.g. seeing)
Present participle clauses replace a sentence with an active verb.
e.g. Being such a great singer, she didn’t have problems to find a job.
(As she was such a great singer, she didn’t have problems to find a job.)

2. Past participle (e.g. seen)

Past participle clauses usually replace a sentence with a verb in the passive voice.
e.g. Shocked by the explosion, the people ran for shelter.
(The people were shocked by the explosion and ran for shelter)
3. Perfect participle (having seen)
Perfect -ing participle clause can emphasise that an action was previous to another.
e.g. Having spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently.
(After he had spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently.)

*Participal clauses may express time, reason, result, condition or in a similar way to full
adverbial clauses. They can also be used to express manner, instead of ‘and’ or relative clauses.

* The subject of the participle clause and the main clause cannot be different, so it is not
possible to say: Having a bath, the phone rang. (While Jack was having a bath, the phone rang.)

MANNER
- Jack looked furiously. He slammed the door.
Looking furiously, Jack slammed the door.

INSTEAD OF ‘AND’
- I switched off the alarm clock and slept for another half an hour.
Switching off the alarm clock, I slept for another half an hour.

TIME
Present Participle
- Jack had an accident while/ as/ when he was parking in front of his house.
Jack had an accident (while/ as/ when) parking in front of his house.
Past Participle
- When he was rejected by the school, he felt unhappy.
When rejected by the school, he felt unhappy.
Perfect Participle
- After he had spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently.
Having spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently.

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REASON
Present Participle
- As/ Because/ Since I was trying to run in the rain, I slipped and fell down.
Trying to run in the rain, I slipped and fell down.

Past Participle
- As/ Because/ Since the novel was written by a famous author, it became a bestseller
immediately.
- Written by a famous author, the novel became a bestseller immediately.

Perfect Participle
- As/ Because/ Since Tom had attended this course before, he knew what to expect.
Having attended this course before, Tom knew what to expect.

A- Combine the clauses using participle constructions.

1. The boy who carried a blue parcel crossed the street.
__________________________________________________________ .
2. The battle that was fought at this place was very significant.
__________________________________________________________ .
3. She lay in her bed and wept bitter tears.
__________________________________________________________ .
4. When she saw his email was open, she decided to read his messages.
__________________________________________________________ .
5. She stood at the corner and talked to her friends.
___________________________________________________________ .
6. The children went from house to house and they played trick or treat.
___________________________________________________________ .
7. He was very tall. He became a basketball player.
___________________________________________________________ .
8. While he was waiting in the hall, he overheard a conversation.
___________________________________________________________ .
9. The picture which was stolen from a museum was offered on e-bay.
___________________________________________________________ .
10. After he had spent ten years in Italy, he could speak Italian fluently.
___________________________________________________________ .

B- Complete the sentences using the correct forms of the given verbs.

1. A woman ______________ (wear) a blue hat opened the door.

2. Champagne, _______________ (produce) in France, is exported all over the world.
3. My sister works in a bakery ______________ (make) cakes.
4. A million dollar worth of jewellery _________________ (belong) to the President's wife has been stolen.
5. Pictures __________________ (paint) by Picasso usually sell for millions of pounds.
6. A lorry ________________ (carry) fruit crashed on the motorway.
7. This is a vegetarian restaurant. None of the dishes __________________ (serve) contain meat or fish.
8. The Harry Potter books, _____________________ (write) by JK Rowling, have all been made into films.

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READING II – Distance Learning vs Face-to-Face Learning

PREVIEW THE READING

A- Quick Discussion
Discuss these questions with your classmates.
1. Have you ever tried to learn something online? What were the advantages and disadvantages of
doing this?
2. Which model of learning do you prefer? Give reasons for your answer.

B- Preview Look at the statements below. Do you think they are true (T) or false (F) ?
_______ 1. Distance learning is a new idea.
_______ 2. Distance learning requires good technological access.
_______ 3. Face-to-face learning is better than distance learning.

Now read the article and check your answers.

C- Vocabulary You are going to read an article about distance learning and face-to-face learning.
Before you read, review the collocations and their meanings. Then complete the sentences with your
own words.
core principles (n phr) key values
credible alternative (n phr) reliable substitute
distance learning (n phr) general education from online instruction
modern phenomenon (n phr) recent trend
online degree (n phr) an academic qualification obtained from online instruction
significant difference (n phr) important distinction
technological advances (n phr) developments in technology
virtual classroom (n phr) online course

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 1. One interesting modern phenomenon in my country is _______________________.
2. A subject which might not work well for distance learning is _________________________.
3. One advantage of a real classroom over a virtual classroom is _________________________.
4. One advantage of an online degree over a degree which requires attending classes is ____________________.
5. It's possible that a credible alternative to petrol might be _________________________.
6. Because of technological advances, it is now much easier to _________________________.
7. One of the core principles of many universities is_________________________.
8. One significant difference between secondary school and university is _________________________.

Distance
Learning vs
Face-to-Face
Learning

1 Although many people think it is a modem phenomenon, distance learning has been around for at least 200
years in one form or another. Historical examples of long-distance learning include students being sent a series of
weekly lessons by mail. The technological advances of the past 20 or so years, however, have meant that this form of
education is now a credible alternative to face-to-face learning. Indeed, 1996 saw the establishment of the world's first
'virtual university' in the United States, showing how far distance learning has come in a relatively short space of time.
While it is now possible to obtain a large variety of online degrees, which is the best type of education to pursue? A
closer examination of this topic reveals that distance and traditional educational instruction have significant
differences but also some similarities.

2 When comparing the two systems, the most obvious difference lies in the way that instruction is
delivered. Distance learning is heavily dependent on technology, particularly the internet. In a face-to-face
course, students may only require a computer for the purpose of writing an essay. In comparison, when learning
remotely, technology is the principal means of communication. Face-to-face instruction must take place in real
time and in one location. Conversely, distance learning can happen at any time and in any location, since the learning
is not restricted by geography. The flexibility this provides means that students may be better able to learn at
their own pace, but it may also mean that learners have to be well organized and self-disciplined. In other words,
they must be more highly motivated in order to do well in distance-learning courses. Finally, with face-to-face
learning, the teacher and student have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship. In a virtual classroom,
by contrast, the teacher may seldom or never actually meet the student. This may make it hard for teachers to
understand their students' specific learning needs.

3 Although the nature of the teacher-student relationship may differ in the two methods, they do
share the same core principles. Just as a teacher is the 'knower' in a classroom, he or she is the one responsible for
helping students understand the key sections of an online course. The teacher needs to decide how to best
present the material to be learned and in which sequence the topics should be introduced. He or she must also

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create the assignments for the course and help the students know what resources (textbooks, websites
and so on) will best support their learning. Additionally, a teacher needs to provide student feedback in some
way. For example, a language teacher in a classroom may be able to correct a student's grammar or pronunciation
in the moment, whereas a distance-learning teacher may need to provide written or recorded feedback to be
delivered later. In any case, all the usual elements of the teacher's role are necessary, no matter what kind of
instruction is being used.

4 It is difficult to state whether one form of learning is better than another, since they are geared towards
different learning situations. They are certainly different experiences. Nevertheless, there are strong similarities
between the two systems, which can both produce positive results. A student who has the choice should consider
the advantages and disadvantages of each method before deciding to take a course.

WORK WITH THE READING

A- Identify Write the correct paragraph number (1-4) next to the description.

1. Similarities between the two methods Paragraph ______

2. General summary and conclusions Paragraph ______
3. Differences between the methods Paragraph ______
4. The history and background of the topic Paragraph ______

B- Categorize Are the statements below about distance learning or face-to-face learning or both?
Tick the correct column.

distance face-to-face both

learning learning
1 develops a strong student-teacher relationship
2 relies heavily on technology
3 flexible with time
4 can be an effective way of teaching
5 requires a high level of motivation
6 not limited by geography
7 can suit many types of students

C- Interpret Answer the questions based on your understanding of the information in the article.
1.Why is the difference that is mentioned in paragraph 2 called 'obvious'?
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
2. Why can online learning be slightly impersonal?
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
3. Paragraph 3 states that 'all the usual elements of the teacher's role are necessary' in any kind of instruction.
What are these elements?
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. Do you think this author generally approves or disapproves of distance learning? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________.

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VOCABULARY SKILL Education Vocabulary

A- Complete each sentence with a word from the box.

assignment degree dissertation examination journal

lecturer plagiarism semester seminar term tutor

1. The word for a written essay at university is a (n) _______________.

2. An academic year can be split into three periods, each called a(n) _______________.
3. An academic year can also be divided into two periods, each called a (n) _______________.
4. _______________ when students copy from or do not acknowledge their sources when writing an essay.
5. A(n) _______________ is a quarterly, peer-reviewed collection of research papers.
6. A(n) _________________is the holder of a research position at a university who also teaches.
7. A(n) _______________ is an occasion when a teacher or expert and a group of people meet to study and discuss
something.
8. A(n) _______________assumes responsibility for students' academic and personal welfare.
9. When you have completed a programme of study at a university, you get a(n) _______________.
10. A(n) _______________ is a long essay of between 8,000 and 12,000 words.
11. A(n) _______________ is a formal test that students must pass to get a specific qualification.

B- Match the academic words to the definitions.

1. alternative a. the act of starting or creating something that will last a long time
2. establishment b. a feature of something
3. virtual c. willingness to do something
4. significant d. something that is different, especially from what is usual; a choice
5. core e. relating to one thing and not others; particular
6. principle f. similar to real life but existing in a technological environment
7. specific g. important, large or great
8. motivation h. central, basic
9. aspect i. a basic truth that explains or controls how something happens or works

C- Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words from Exercise B. You will not use all of
the words.
1. Many students prefer to study a job-related subject as a(n) __________ to an academic course.
2. The flexibility offered by distance learning is seen as a(n) __________ benefit by many students.
3. One beneficial __________ of university education is meeting the other students on the course.
4. Tutors work with students to help them understand the key __________ of their courses.
5. Distance learning requires students to have a high level of __________.
6. Distance learning can make it hard for a teacher to understand a student's ____________ learning needs.
7. As well as taking __________ modules, students will be able to take other optional elective classes in
various areas.
8. 1996 saw the establishment of the world's first ___________ university, which operated only on the
Internet.

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 WRITING II
GRAMMAR- Further Passive
*Passive of verbs followed by that-clauses:
They know that he is abroad. It is known that he is abroad. / He is known to be abroad.
(1) Many verbs that are followed by that clauses (e.g. think, believe, say, know, expect) can be used in passive
structures with introductory it:
It is thought that the Minister will resign.
At that time, it was believed that the teacher was the centre of attention in the classroom.
It is expected that the company will become profitable in the New Year.
(2) Another way of expressing the same ideas is with subject+ passive verb + infinitive:
He is known to be the head of the Physics department.
They are said to own numerous books in their library.
She is understood to have left university.
(3) This structure is also possible with there as a subject:
There are thought to be fewer than twenty students still studying in this class.

Make the sentences passive.

1. People believe that the schools will close.
It _____________________________________________________________
2. Everybody knows the recent company policy is a failure.
The recent company policy ________________________________________
3. Some experts claim that there is a lack of motivation in students.
There _________________________________________________________
4. People suggest that the rate of unemployment will rise.
It _____________________________________________________________
5. People believed that the earth was the centre of the universe.
The earth ______________________________________________________
6. We expect that there will be an announcement on Friday.
It _____________________________________________________________
7. They believe that there are 6,000 different languages in the world.
There _________________________________________________________

WRITING TASK 3: Write a well-organized problem-solution essay about one of the topics
below:
1) What are some problems that are experienced by the students during online classes? What are
some solutions to be offered?

2) Today some university students study at departments which they don’t really want to.
Explain what this problem is like and offer some solutions to prevent this from happening.

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Edit- Complete the self-assessment checklist before you hand in your essay.

SELF-ASSESSMENT Yes No

Does the essay include an introductory paragraph, two / three body paragraphs, and a ■ ■
concluding paragraph?
Does the essay start with an introductory paragraph with a hook and give important
background information regarding the topic?
Is there a clear thesis statement?

Do the body paragraphs provide details and /or examples?

■ ■
Does the concluding paragraph summarize the information you have put in the essay? ■ ■
Have you used expressions for solutions suitably?
• •
• •
Does the essay include vocabulary from the unit?

Did you check your essay for punctuation, spelling, and grammar? ■ ■

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