topic-specific vocabulary

Education
A. Look at the sentences below and fill in the gaps using the appropriate word from
A, B or C.

1. He didn’t get a good grade the first time he did his IELTS exam, so decided to _____________ it.
A. resit B. remake C. repair

2. People who attend university later in life are often called _____________ students.
A. aged B. mature C. old

3. Although she had left school and was working, she went to evening classes at the local College of
_____________ Education.
A. Upper B. Further C. Higher

4. After he left school, he decided to go on to _____________ education and applied for a place at
Edinburgh University.
A. further B. upper C. higher

5. He received a local government _____________ to help him pay for his course.
A. fee B. fare C. grant

6. Education helps us to acquire knowledge and learn new _____________ .

A. skills B. powers C. abilities

7. Although she already had a first degree from university, she decided that she wanted to work towards
a _____________ degree later in life.
A. further B. senior C. higher

8. We should make the best of every _____________ to learn.

A. chance B. opportunity C. availability

9. Nowadays, _____________ education is promoted a lot in schools.

A. body B. health C. vitality

10. A large number of parents are dissatisfied with the _____________ education system, and put their
children into private schools instead.
A. government B. national C. state

11. Because so many students find exams stressful, some colleges offer a system of __________________
assessment instead.
A. continual B. continuous C. continuing

12. He has read a lot of books and _____________ a lot of knowledge.

A. acquired B. won C. achieved

B. Complete sentences 1-11 with a suitable word or expression from the box.

primary • numeracy • graduate • evening class • course

discipline • literacy • day release • kindergarten • enrol
secondary • skills • pass • correspondence • qualifications • degree

1. When Michael was three, he started going to a __________________________ .

2. At the age of five, he entered __________________________ education.

3. He learned basic __________________________ such as __________________________

and __________________________ .
topic-specific vocabulary
Education
4. After he turned eleven he began to attend __________________________ school.
5. Although he was lazy and lacked sufficient __________________________ , he was able to
__________________________ his exams.
6. When he was eighteen he found a college which offered a __________________________ in Art
and Design.
7. He was able to __________________________ for the course a few days before his nineteenth birthday.
8. He worked hard and three years later was able to __________________________ with a
__________________________ in Art and Design.
9. After that he followed a __________________________ course in photography from a college in the USA
using the Internet.
10. The __________________________ he gained impressed an advertising company he wanted to work for.
11. Although he is now working, he has decided to attend an __________________________ after work,
although he was disappointed that his boss didn’t offer him __________________________ .

C. Now read this essay and complete the gaps with one of the words or expressions from
Tasks A and B. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

‘You are never too old to learn’. Do you agree with this statement?

Education is a long process that not only provides us with basic (1)__________________________ such as
(2)__________________________ and (3)__________________________ , but is also essential in shaping our
future lives. From the moment we enter (4)__________________________ as small children, and as we
progress through (5)__________________________ and (6)__________________________ education, we are
laying the foundations for the life ahead of us. We must (7)__________________________ ourselves to work
hard so that we can (8)__________________________ exams and gain the (9)__________________________
we will need to secure a good job. We must also (10)__________________________ valuable life skills so
that we can fit in and work with those around us. And of course (11)__________________________
education helps us to understand how we can stay fit and healthy.

For most people, this process ends when they are in their mid-to-late teens. For others, however, it is the
beginning of a lifetime of learning. After they finish school, many progress to
(12)__________________________ education where they will learn more useful skills such as computer
literacy or basic business management. Others will (13)__________________________ on a programme of
(14)__________________________ education at a university where, with hard work, they will have the
opportunity to (15)__________________________ after three or four years with a well-earned
(16)__________________________ . After that, they may work for a while before opting to study for a
(17)__________________________ degree - an MA, for example, or a PhD. Alternatively, they may choose
to attend an (18)__________________________ after work or, if they have a sympathetic employer, obtain
(19)__________________________ so that they can study during the week. And if they live a long way from
a college or university, they might follow a (20)__________________________ course using mail and the
Internet. In fact, it is largely due to the proliferation of computers that many people who have not been
near a school for many years, have started to study again and can proudly class themselves as
(21)__________________________ students.

We live in a fascinating and constantly changing world, and we must continually learn and acquire new
knowledge if we are to adapt and keep up with changing events. Our schooldays are just the beginning
of this process, and we should make the best of every (22) __________________________ to develop
ourselves, whether we are eighteen or eighty. You are, indeed, never too old to learn.
Education answers

A.
1. A (we can also use the word retake) 2. B, 3. B, 4. C, 5. C, 6. A, 7. C, 8. B, 9. B, 10. C 11. B, 12. A

The British higher education system is formed of universities and colleges, where students can take degrees
in various specialized subjects. Students need a certain level of passes at ‘A’ level to enter a university, and
most universities ask students to come for special entrance exams and interviews. Fees in higher education
are in some cases met by grants, but many students are required to pay for their tuition fees and take out
loans to do this.

B.
1. kindergarten ( we can also use the words nursery or playschool) 2. primary 3. skills / literacy / numeracy
4. secondary 5. discipline (this can also be a verb) / pass (the opposite of this is fail) 6. course (we can also use the
word programme) 7. enrol 8. graduated (this can also be a noun - a graduate; a student who has finished a course
at university. A student who is still at university is called an undergraduate) / degree 9. correspondence (we can also
use the expression distance learning) 10. qualifications 11. evening class / day release

C.
1. skills, 2 + 3. literacy / numeracy (in either order), 4. kindergarten, 5. primary, 6. secondary, 7. discipline, 8. pass,
9. qualifications, 10. acquire, 11. health, 12. further, 13. enrol, 14. higher, 15. graduate, 16. degree,
17. higher, 18. evening class, 19. day release, 20. correspondence, 21. mature, 22. opportunity

Other words and expressions which you might find useful include:
pupil power (a relatively new expression suggesting a school or college where the students are partly responsible for
choosing what and how they learn) / faculty / subject / resources / campus / adult education / infant school / junior
school / comprehensive school / take or sit an exam / private education / co-educational / lecture / seminar / tutorial