The Review of the Film «In Love and War»

In Love and War (1996) is a romance drama film based on the book of Ernest Hemingway «In Love and War» by Henry Villard and James Nagel, starring Chris O'Donnell, Sandra Bullock. It was directed by Richard Attenborough. This film takes place during World War I, and is based on the famous writer’s real experience in World War I as a young soldier in Italy. He was wounded and sent to military hospital where he was nursed by Agnes von Kurowsky. Hemingway, deeply affected by their passionate but ill-fated affair, later wrote several books about it, including «A Farewell to Arms».

Let me represent the brief reconstruction of the events. Ernest Hemingway is an 18 year old writer who wants to be in the thick of the war in Italy. He goes to Italy and finds himself in the trenches of the war. When he and the men are hit with an explosive he carries one of the Italian soldiers to medical help but gets shot in the leg in the process. When in the hospital he meets Agnes von Kurosky, a Red Cross aide who nurses him back to health. He falls in love with Agnes, but she is concerned about their age difference. They admit their feelings, but Agnes decides to marry an Italian doctor. When she realizes her mistake it's too late. Ernest has already grown into a bitter and cynical man. 

Speaking about the problems touched upon in the film, I think it’s important to mention the problem of war and heroism. The problem of heroism is highlighted alongside the war theme. 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. The nightmare of war is shown mainly in hospitals and it produced a great effect of horror on me. The skill of the actors and the director impress and make me remember this film and advise it to the others.

One more point, I’d like to touch upon is a question that arises during the film :“Is it possible to love at war?” What is love at war: flame, passion, lust, devotion, affection, infatuation or something else, something real? This problem is touched upon in the film and revealed through the storyline of Agnes and Ernie. I think that their love was a real one for that place and that time. In fact, at war all the feelings are intensified, that’s why their love was like a passion or a flame, although the affection and devotion are also clear from their relationship. I suppose that Agnes felt affection towards him as to a kid, a young person at war, while Ernie felt passion and lust towards Agnes. This mixture of feelings led to something real which was of vital importance for the main characters at that particular time. The love for the main characters wasn’t possible at peace time and Agnes realized it. So, on the one hand the war prevented the lovers from being together, on the other hand, it couldn’t be born between them without that war.

To tell the truth this film impressed me greatly.  Such things as love and war seem to be incongruous, but this film proves the contrary. The film 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. I really loved this film, it is worth watching.

Answers on the Questions About the Higher Education.

Higher Education in Britain and the USA

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

Britain

Students normally enter university from age 18 onwards and there are separate admission processes for applicants. Firstly they write a UCAS application and submit it to UCAS by the relevant deadline (September to December) and select five courses at higher education institutes. Nowadays the most common qualification for entry to higher education is the General Certificate of Education at ‘Advanced’ (A) level, which students take in the sixth form college. Still some universities or colleges may ask also secondary admissions criteria: results at GCSE or Standard grade examinations (or equivalent), the information provided on the personal statement that generally describes why the applicant wants to study the subject, what makes them suitable to study that subject, etc. Some universities ask candidates to attend an interview or pass additional exams, results of which can be the deciding factor between two similar candidates.

The USA

Talking about the admission it is important to mention that as the United States has no national secondary school curriculum or high school exit examination, colleges rely on 2 privately developed admission – examinations — the SAT and ACT. However, the admission decisions at highly selective institutions are so complex and take into consideration such factors as extracurricular activities, Grade Point Average (a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all semesters and courses completed), a general college admission essay with personal statement and general equivalency diploma.

2. What are the three types of schools in higher education?

They are universities, colleges and institutions.

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

Britain

Degree courses provide students with a three-year bachelor's degree. Many institutions offer an undergraduate master's degree as a first degree, which typically lasts for four years.

The diplomas and vocational courses are generally completed in 1-2 years with the Vocational and Technical Education Councils conferring the degree certificate.

Postgraduate courses include master's degrees, either taught or by research, and the doctorate, a research degree that usually takes at least three years.

The USA

Associate degrees prepare students to complete a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year institution or colleges. The Bachelor degree is awarded on successful completion of 120 credits (about 4O courses) for institutions operating on a semester system, and 180 credits for a quarterly calendar. A Bachelor’s degree program is designed to last 4 years, the first year being called ‘Freshman’ year, the second ‘Sophomore’, the third ‘Junior’, and the fourth ‘Senior’. The bachelor’s degree is by far the most common type of degree awarded, preparing students for most jobs that require a college degree and for further graduate study. The next step is the Doctorate Degree that covers many fields of specialization and requires a minimum of 3 to 4 years of study beyond the Bachelor’s degree; 2 to 4 years of study after the Master’s degree; examinations in one or more foreign languages; a thesis which is the result of original research and an oral examination.

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 credit is a system of taking marks for your study. The Bachelor degree is awarded on successful completion of 120 credits (about 4O courses) for institutions operating on a semester system, and 180 credits for a quarterly calendar. They can be earned on seminars or different projects.

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.

PSAT – a preparatory test for admission to universities or colleges.

SAT – a standard assessment test for entering high school institutions.

ACT – a test for entering to high school in the USA or colleges.

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

 They are eligible for scholarship, but it depends from their study, grants, which can be given for their good project work or loan, if they are representatives from families, which are not able to pay for their study. The fees for students from the poorest backgrounds are paid by the state. Besides, some postgraduate positions come with funding attached. These are called studentships or grants. Studentships are mainly funded by the seven UK Research Councils and can cover both fees and living expenses, but there tends to be a lot of competition.

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

Grade Point Average (a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all semesters and courses completed)

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

The role of the student’s counselor is to help students to avoid the problems. People who are educated in the Ivy League have a good chance of finding a well-paid job, and many political leaders have been to Ivy League universities.

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

Private are very expensive so they fund themselves, for example with tuition costing well over $20 000 at some universities, although scholarships are available to help students who cannot pay for themselves.

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

An undergraduate student – who finishes his education and is looking forward to seek his/her bachelor degree.

A graduate student – these who study for the Magister.

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

I am for both written and oral. This or that is not an objective, without another. It is not possible to realize the knowledge of a man, without an interview, but the written part is also important, as it is our written speech.

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

Written examinations are less popular, than oral. My group, except me and Andrew is always nervous, when it is smth about the mark.

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?

I would like to study in these countries, especially in Great Britain. I prefer England to the USA, because they are native speakers in correspondence with America. It is a grade chance to practice the language and to be within other culture. But I should pass on the TOEFL exam, as I am a foreigner.

15. What aspects of American or British higher education system would you like to introduce into our system?

Systems of credits and relationship between tutors and students. A student should choose a teacher, but not vise versa.

Laboratory Work: Higher Education in the USA

MP3 AUDIO 5.1

1. You’ll hear five speakers talking about problems they or their relatives face while studying. Fill in the chart with the information given in the recording. Be especially precise with the column “Your solution to the problem”; here, you’re supposed to give your personal advice to avoid or ease the problems mentioned by the speakers.

Speaker	Problem	Signs of the Problem	Your Solution to the Problem
1	examination	Whether you are a professional in your qualification or only think, that you are	Teachers are to motivate students to take knowledge, learning their subjects and doing different kinds of research work. If a teacher wants a particular student to answer questions on the exam, the teacher should ask himself, whether he has given all the materials which are important to be a professional.
2	Study for three A-levels, preparing for the informatics school	tired face, sleepless nights, works nights and weekends to prepare for her exams etc.	If you want to pass exams very well you have to work hard, but at the same time, you need time to have a rest, or you may overheat and don’t do your work
3	Entering to university	Lost weight, grey reams under his eyes, don’t sleep at all, only for 3 or 4 hours a day	There is the same situation as in the life of the 2nd speaker, but the difference is that it is a man, a boy is better to say. I will advise him not to be so concentrated on the life among books and ink, but to open his eyes for the rest world.
4	To be graduated	Unbelievable for the speaker, unexpected	As Dima Bilan songs in his famous song “I know exactly impossible is possible…” Every person should be confident in himself to overcome barriers in life.
5	Online or electronic exams	Old school papers don’t make work quicker, there is no ability to give results faster, though it is necessary for the students	It is really important question for today’s world. There is a tendency to do all the work in on-line form with the help of the Internet and informatics technology

2. Have you ever experienced problems while studying?  What were these problems like? How did you cope with them?

I experience problems while studying every day, because I have also lots things to do, apart from the institute. These problems were like lack of time to do homework or to cope with it on the good level; sometimes I am really exhausted, because I don’t sleep an appropriate amount of hours; besides, there will be situations when misunderstanding exist between students and teachers. My advice to you is not to think about your problem, you should save them whatever the weather. I try to find compromise between two fighting parts. Truly speaking I am a very difficult person with hard character.

3. What are other difficulties that contemporary university students face while studying? When do the problems usually occur? Are there special stresses that cause them? Do you agree that the quality learning is “the travel of hardships”? Give account of about 100 words on the questions mentioned.

Some times students have to choose student’s life or study itself. For instance, our faculty of the foreign languages doesn’t give permission to students to take parts in different performances. But sometimes heads of the faculty and teachers may help you, as for me, they has given me a hand to cope with the study, when I was a participant in the institute’s awards “Mr. of the Student’s Life”.

The problem usually occur when neither teacher nor student what to drive a nail to the head the problem.

I agree that quality learning is “the travel of hardship”. It is out of the question to take knowledge without hard work. Every person has talent, but you need something to develop your talent: for instance you have to burn the midnight oil or something like that, if you want to be a good specialist, if you want your future employer to take into service.

MP3 AUDIO 5.2

Listen to a talk given by a university advisor to a group of students and answer the following questions:

1.   What is the standard grading system in the USA?.

A B C D or F – most of the courses use this system of grade.

2.   What are the ‘special grades’ that the speaker mentions in the recording?

They are satisfactory E or F and unsatisfactory - U grades

3. Comment on the standard grading system in your country?

There are 4 grades in my country. You are a bachelor after the 4^th course and then you can go to the degree of the Magister.

4. Do schools and colleges practice non-standard grading systems? I don’t know whether Russia school goes out of the standard rules. Any innovation in our country is supposed as the worst thing. What are they?

5. Give examples of other grading systems throughout the world? Which of them do you think are efficient for the students’ academic assessment?

MP3 AUDIO 5.3

Listen to a talk by a student advisor on campus. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the rules for dropping a course in the talk provided? You can drop a course within three first weeks of a semester. If you want to drop a course you need a signature of the professor who leads this course or an official drop card. Then you should come to the speaker to get her signature.

2. What warnings does the student advisor give? You can’t officially drop a course three weeks later after beginning of the semester. It is impossible to do so, if you don’t do so within three first weeks. But if you drop a course without an appropriate permission you will receive a falling grade.

3. How can you avoid getting a failing grade, according to the recording? You must obey the rules.

4. What are the official drop procedures for the elective courses in your country? If you teach a certain subject in any state office you can drop your classes in these days when you are a teacher at  school, college or a technical colleague.

MP3 AUDIO 5.4

Listen to a talk given on a college campus.

1. What are the places of a college campus that the speaker mentions in the recording? They are library, administration place, student center, which includes a bookstore, a post office, a bank, a theater, a travel agency, a coffee shop.

2. Can you find the similar campus places in your college/university? Yes, we can, but there are no theater, post office and travel agency. What are other places that are worth mentioning? Canteen and dressing room.  Characterize them briefly. You need a place where you can not only have a snack, but to eat normal meal like your mother does.

3. Pick out the places from the previous task and make a similar tour around your college/university to inform the freshmen about the campus.

Dear freshmen, you are on the first floor now. The administration is located her, it takes the entire hall from the right of you. Besides, at the end of this hall there is a library, which works from 10 am up to 5 pm. There are two sections of the library, where you can take your book, are based in a vault.

The canteen is also in a vault. Moreover there are two gyms which are also there, like a dressing room.

There are two small cafes where you may have a snack on the third and the second floor. But there is a cafeteria in a new building of our institute, where you can go with the help of the transition on the second floor.

Your faculty lies on the 4^th floor, where the sun is hot and stars are closer. Good Luck! Be “to be ” with you!

ps
We had our first tour with Natalia Yakovlevna Evtiuhina when we were freshmen. There is no WC for men in the 4^th place, that’s why me and my male colleagues have to ladder to the 3^rd floor. Besides, the teacher showed us the canteen, the dressing room and the gum.