Translate these article abstracts in writing.

MI5 officer: I will expose torture secrets

Former spy to give evidence to MPs

Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay: allegations that torture was ‘witnessed’ (Reuters)

A former MI5 intelligence officer is to break ranks with the agency to present explosive new evidence the security service knew inmates at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre were being tortured. The former senior officer is seeking to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry about how MI5 officials witnessed detainees being tortured at Camp X-Ray and Camp Delta — two of the Guantanamo prisons — in December 2002. Even though the former officer is trying to get official permission to give evidence, it is thought to be unprecedented for a former member of staff to defy the agency in this way. Senior security sources have told The Sunday Times that the testimony will prove for the first time that MI5 was fully aware detainees at Guantanamo were systematically abused and tortured.

2) New ‘problem-solving’ courts will cut costs

Judge Judy Sheindlin presides over a case as her bailiff Petri Hawkins Byrd listens on the set of her syndicated American show, Judge Judy. Problem-solving courts, set up in Miami in 1989, were designed to stop the revolving door between reoffending and prison.

American-style “problem-solving” courts could be extended nationwide after a study found that they save taxpayers thousands of pounds per case. Research suggests that each case using the pioneering method — in which judges and magistrates hold special sessions to advise offenders on how to beat drug or alcohol addictions — would save £ 2.30 for every £ 1 spent. The report by the Centre for Justice Innovation will be welcomed by ministers who are keen to promote the courts across the justice system if a financial case can be made to the Treasury.

UNIT 6

Lead in

Before reading the text please answer the following questions:

1. What is a portfolio?

2. What kinds of portfolio do you know?

3. Have you ever made up your own portfolio?

4. What documents should a young lawyer include in his portfolio when applying for a job?

Portfolio

Among the modern popular educational methods of the higher education system, the method of portfolio takes its own respective place.

The portfolio method is a set of techniques and ways of learning, where a central part is given to the creative work of students.

Longman Dictionary of contemporary English gives several definitions of portfolio: 1) a large flat case used especially for carrying pictures, documents etc.; 2) a set of pictures or other pieces of work that an artist, photographer etc. has done: “You'll need to prepare a portfolio of your work.”; 3) a group of stocks owned by a particular person or company: “an investment portfolio”; 4) BritEng: the work that a particular government official is responsible for: “the foreign affairs portfolio”. Today “portfolio” has also come to denote personal achievements filed in a single document.

The main objective of forming a portfolio is to accumulate and keep documentary evidence of students’ achievements in their study process. Portfolio is not only a modern and efficient way of self-evaluation of the student’s study activity. It also helps to monitor and count his individual achievements, work out skills to assess objectively the level of his own professional competence and
gain the experience of business competition. The main tasks here are: forming and training the student's ability to perceive and process information, to set goals, to plan and organize his own activity.

The portfolio of students’ achievements is a single document which represents a file folder with pads, consisting of the following sections:

1. The general data of the individual student.
2. Working portfolio.
3. Display portfolio.

The general data of the individual student includes title page, self-presentation (CV, cover letter, autobiography and an essay upon the student’s choice), presentation of the graduation University (Kutafin Moscow State Law University), plan of individual educational and career prospects (summary of the motives of choice of the legal profession and further career possibilities).

CV is a summary document containing information on the professional merits, qualifications, work experience and personal qualities of the applicant.

Essays about individual prospects for education and careers motivate students to a brief exposition of the aspects of the future profession, personal assessment of all its positive and negative sides.

Working portfolio (portfolio of process and development) includes student’s work and projects that demonstrate his progress in the formation of his legal competence through the study of the English language: reports, essays, articles with abstracts, legal research projects (conventions, laws, codes), etc. set out in English and also reports on his clinical training written in English.

Working portfolio may also contain materials in the form of timesheets, tables and profiles:

-timesheets of the elective courses passed, with the name of the course, its term, form of study, study area (a branch of law), recommendations and reviews of the teacher;

-table of attended sections, studios, elective governmental activities, supplementary education system with the name of the institution of supplementary education, term of study or employment and the results with the documentary confirmation.

In a display portfolio (portfolio of achievements) student demonstrates different forms of creative activity:

-membership in the Student Council;

-work in the legal clinic;

-membership in the editorial board of the student newspaper;

-participation in holiday student events;

-demonstration of Sports achievements;

-participation in scientific student conferences, competitions, etc.

Such tables reflect the student’s creative activity, indicating the name of the educational field, the name of the document, the level of participation, result scores.
Certificates and diplomas can become a demonstration of the results of high-efficiency in a particular area of student’s activity. Some creative achievements and success not only in the educational but also life activity may be expressed as an essay.

Curriculum vitae vs resume

Please be aware that the name “CV” is common for the UK whereas in the USA the summary of your achievements is called Resume or Ré sumé. So make up the document depending on the nationality of the target company.

Some other distinctions between British and American resume versions can be helpful, for example:

1) According to the latest US rules of political correctness the resume is to contain a minimum of personal data not to tempt a potential employer to discriminate against you on some grounds. The less personal details you indicate in your resume for an American company the better. Do not mention even the date of birth. The number of children, sisters, brothers, wives is in any case entirely superfluous. Your postal address, e-mail and phone number will be sufficient to invite you for an interview.

2) British variant may not include the “Objective” section. It’s typical for the USA.

3) American resume should fit on one page. Two-page resume is a sort of ignorance risk, as American labour market is overloaded by specialists and the competition is incredibly high. You have to show the wonders of brevity skills and put all the important information about yourself on a single page. The margins on the left must be large enough so that the HR manager could safely file your resume in a lever arch folder and read it without removing.

4) Besides be aware and do not forget that when you write a resume for US employers the font size shouldn’t be less than 12 points. It’s all very formal.

5) Some differences in the degree names certainly exist in all countries, but this does not make the translation impossible. So please note that the Russian collocation «диплом с отличием» («красный диплом») correspond to “Diploma with honors” (AmE) / “Diploma with honours” (BrE). You can also use the expression “graduated with honors in. ..” (AmE) or “graduated with an honours degree in…” (BrE). Latin formulation “summa cum laude” is not as common as the previous one.

6) British CV is characterized with indicating a kind of school and sometimes graduation marks.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1.

⇐ Предыдущая 6 7 8 9 101112 13 14 15 Следующая ⇒