Alice: Hi! Sorry, I’m really late.
Chris: It’s OK. I am browsing the Internet anyway. Sit down for a while.
A: I wish I didn’t hurry so much to get here. Is what you are reading really so interesting?
C: I came across information about new disposable coffee cups.
A: What? Disposable coffee cups? What can be new about them?
C: You have seen how much trash there is in our park, haven’t you? It’s also on the sides of the roads...
A: Yes. So what? Some people have a most irritating habit of throwing their cups and packaging right on the ground. It’s disgusting but you can do nothing about it, can you?
C: That’s right. We can’t easily change adult people’s behaviour if they are not educated at an early age. But there’s something we are still able to change. Look at this picture. There are two coffee cups here. They look pretty much the same. But one is a traditional disposable cup and the other is made with the addition of plant-based compostable plastic.
A: And what makes it so remarkable?
C: It takes a traditional coffee cup from 5 to 50 years to break down and to disappear. The new cup breaks down in roughly 100 days.
A: Wow. Considering that billions of disposable cups (use) from our landscapes.
C: Yes, but that’s not the end of the story.
A: No? What else is there?
C: There are seeds of different plants in the caps.
A: Seeds? Are you saying that if I drop those new cups all over a lawn, a tree will grow there?
C: Exactly.
Education in the USA drastically differs from many other countries. There are 50 states in the country and each of them has its own peculiarities. So the national system varies from state to state.
Nevertheless, there is a certain pattern of education in the USA, which comprises into three types of schools: public school, private elementary school and private secondary school. Only public schools are free and they have their own system in each state. Private schools, depending on the area, require a certain fee.
Elementary education is available from the age of six or seven. The main school subjects at this stage are English, Arithmetic, Natural Sciences, History of the USA, Geography, Physical Training and several others. Besides learning English, many schoolchildren choose to study different foreign languages, such as French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian etc.
Children study at Elementary school till they are 16. After that, they can go to secondary school, which is also known as high school. Many high schools offer selective subjects for those students who want to enter a specific college or university after school graduation.
The majority of American pupils continue their studies after school. Some go to the college, some to the university. Studying at college lasts for four years, and after that the student gets a Bachelor’s degree.
Studying at university may take four or more years. After four years the students also get the Bachelor’s degree in Arts or Science. Some students, who wish to continue studying, go on for a Master’s degree. Studying at American colleges and universities requires certain tuition fees.
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