A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms is a 1957 American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope drama film directed by Charles Vidor. The screenplay by Ben Hecht, based in part on a 1930 play by Laurence Stallings, was the second feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1929 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It was the last film produced by David O. Selznick. This film version, A Farewell to Arms starred Rock Hudson as Frederick Henry, Jennifer Jones as Catherine Barkley, Vittorio De Sica as Major Alessandro Rinaldi, etc. So, now let’s see what this film is about.

Henry, an American officer, who served in Italy during World War I, fell in love with a British nurse Catherine. When he was wounded in the knee and got to the hospital, their relationships developed. Then, being on the front again, Henry killed an engineering sergeant for insubordination. After that, he was caught by the "battle police", who executed officers for the "treachery", but he managed to escape. Together with Catherine they went to Switzerland, where she gave birth to a dead child and then died herself.

As for the acting, I should say that all the actors were great. They got used to the war and performed their characters very vividly. It made me watch this film with great interest since Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones looked exactly like I imagined Henry and his beloved (especially J. Jones, who in her part of Catherine was as irritating and too sweet as the protagonist in the book).

Directing was also on high. There were no unnecessary episodes in the film. Every scene was important for the whole perception of the development of relationships between Henry and Catherine.

To crown it all, I’d like to underline that this film impressed me greatly. It really made me think of love which was born during the war, whether it was true feeling or just a temporary love affair. So, this story gives us a real example of difficult relationships between man and woman in unusual circumstances.

In Love and War (1996 film)

In Love and War is a 1996 romance drama film based on the book, Hemingway in Love and War by Henry S. Villard and James Nagel, starring Mackenzie Astin, Chris O'Donnell, Sandra Bullock, and Margot Steinberg. This film takes place during World War I, and is based on the World War I experiences of the writer Ernest Hemingway. It was directed by Richard Attenborough. The film was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.

A twenty-six –year old American nurse Agnes Kurovsky arrived to Italy as a Red Cross volunteer. There she met a young lieutenant Earnest Hemingway. They fell in love and were going to marry after the war, but circumstances had changed. Henry went to Italy and Agnes stayed in Italy, where a rich doctor proposed her to marry him. She almost agreed and wrote about it to Henry. It became the reason for their separation. Later the girl came to Henry and said about her feelings to him, but his pride made him refuse of his love.

As for the acting, I should say that all the actors were great. They got used to the war and performed their characters very vividly. It made me watch this film with great interest since Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell looked exactly like I imagined Henry and his beloved.

Directing was also on high. There were no unnecessary episodes in the film. Every scene was important for the whole perception of the development of relationships between Henry and Agnes.

To crown it all, I’d like to underline that this film impressed me greatly. It really made me think of love which was born during the war, whether it was true feeling or just a temporary love affair. Somebody can condemn Agnes for a moment of weakness, when she almost agreed to marry an Italian doctor. However, if we explore the situation more carefully, we will understand that everything is not as simple as it seems to be. She was a wise girl, who understood all the responsibility of her choice and he was just a young passionate proud boy. So, this story gives us a real example of difficult relationships between man and woman in unusual circumstances.

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	Testing on facts and an ability to learn	To my mind, testing on an ability to learn is wiser than just checking if a student knows something or not. Our memory is of rather short duration, so we tend to forget facts learnt just before exams. So, if a person is able to learn, they’ll succeed in life.
2	Preparation for A-levels exams	tired face, sleepless nights etc.	It’s a common problem for most students preparing for exams. To my mind, students are just to be self-disciplined and schedule their time.
3	Preparation for entrance exams	loss of weight, black rings under eyes, little sleep	If a person doesn’t sleep and eat enough they’ll lose their energy. For this it’s necessary to take breaks and begin to learn information long before the exam itself.
4	Lack of confidence	surprise when getting a high grade	Well, here we deal with the fact that a guy didn’t expect himself to be clever, therefore we can say that he didn’t prepare for his exam carefully enough, so I think everybody should believe in their abilities and try best to prepare for an exam.
5	Assessment	use of technologies, getting results faster; on-line tests	Well, on-line tests are only useful to get results fast enough, but to understand a student and their way of thinking is hardly possible in this case.

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

Of course, I did. I suffered from the lack of time while preparing for my exams, because I was not able to schedule my studies properly enough. So, I just made myself learn all the material during several days. Of course, it was hard, but there was no other way out.

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.

Contemporary students usually deal with such problems as lack of time, large amount of homework and sometimes misunderstanding among peers and between teachers and students. These problems are, I’d say, permanent. Of course, we understand that if we do many tasks we master our skills, but where are we supposed to get so much time to do it? So, eventually, I agree that challenges are necessary to raise a strong personality, who will be able to cope with mental, psychological and physical difficulties, because only when we struggle to become somebody valued, we achieve high results. Thus, we are to work hard without complaining.

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?

This system includes such grades as A,B,C,D,F

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

They are S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory)

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

In my country they use a standard five-point grading system. (5-excellent, 4-good, 3-satisfactory, 2-fail )

4.       Do schools and colleges practice non-standard grading systems? What are they?

Yes, they do. For example, at Russian primary school pupils may get stars, suns, clouds or something like that instead of marks.

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

China

Below are the percentages and their grade and GPA equivalents

University

Percentage	Grades	GPA
80–100	A	3.7-4.3
60–79	B	2.3-3.3
50–59	C	1.7-2.3
40–49	D	1.3-1.0
Below 40	F	0

India

Until high school, an averaged percentage is provided. A percentage over 90 is considered excellent; between 70-89 is considered to be 'first division'; between 50-69 is considered to be 'second division',between 40-49 is considered to be pass; though these terminologies and classifications depend on the 'board of education'.

Universities here follow Percentage System and 10 point GPA System. The Percentage System works as : Maximum Marks:100, Minimum Marks: 0, Minimum Marks Required for Passing: 35. 100-91% Considered Excellent,75-90% Considered Very Good, 55–64% considered good, 45–55% considered fair, 41–44% considered Pass, 0-40% considered fail. A percentage above 65% is referred as 1st Division and indicates high intellectual level. Some Universities follow weighted average pattern to calculate percentage: 1st and 2nd Semester–40% of the aggregate marks, 3rd and 4th Semester-60% of the aggregate marks, 5th and 6th Semester-80% of the aggregate marks, 7th and 8th Semester-100% of the aggregate marks. The 10 point GPA is categorized as follows: 10-9.1 (O ( out of standing ) or A+)- Best, 9-8.1 (A)-Excellent, 8-7.1 (B+)-exceptionally good, 7-6.1 (B)-very good, 6-5.1 (C+)- good, 5-4.1 (C)- average, 4-3.1 (D+)-fair, 3.1-2 (D)- Pass, 2-0 (E+-E)-fail. A GPA of over 7 is generally considered to be an indication of a strong grasp of all subjects.

Percentage	Eq	U	Classification
90 to 100	4.5	O or (A+)	Outstanding
70 to 89	4.0	A or	Distinction / First class**
50 to 69	3.5	B+	Second Class
40 to 49	3.0	B	Pass Class
< 39	2.0	C	Fail

·         ** Some institutes with difficult curriculum and tough scoring give 70% scoring as Distinction / Honors.

Japan

In Japan, most higher education institutions give grades on a scale from 0–100, but a few universities apply letter grades. While for years an "A" grade range was from 80 to 100 points, some schools (for example, at Kurume University) have started to give the 90 to 100 point range a special grade to indicate excellence.A failing grade is generally called an "E", though some institutions use "F".

Scale	Letter Grade
90-100	Excellent (AA, or T)
80-89	A
70-79	B
60-69	C
0-59	Fail (E or F)

South Korea

Middle School (7–9th grade)
Points are the student's raw score in midterms and finals (out of 100).

Points	Grades
90–100	A
80–90	B
70–80	C
60–70	D
0–60	E

High School (10–12th grade)

Percentage is the students' relative position among other students taking same subject (100% is the highest, 0% is the lowest).

Percentage	Grades
96–100	1등급 / Grade 1
89–96	2등급 / Grade 2
77–89	3등급 / Grade 3
62–77	4등급 / Grade 4
40–61	5등급 / Grade 5
23–40	6등급 / Grade 6
11–23	7등급 / Grade 7
4–11	8등급 / Grade 8
0–4	9등급 / Grade 9

Austria

In Austria, grades from 1 to 5 are used.

Grade	Percentage	Translation
1 (Sehr gut)	100–90	Excellent
2 (Gut)	89–80	Good
3 (Befriedigend)	79–64	Satisfactory
4 (Genügend)	63–51	Sufficient
5 (Nicht genügend)	50–0	Insufficient

The formalized overall grade in Austria is "pass with distinction" (mit ausgezeichnetem Erfolg bestanden), which is given for excellent performance (average of 1.5 and better, no grade below 3) and "pass" (Bestanden, no grade below 4).

If someone is given a "pass with distinction" in his Matura, Diploma and PhD, all curricula absolved in the regular duration time he can have a 'promotio sub auspiciis presidentis rei publicae', (literally "under the auspices of the President of the Republic", meaning that the Federal President will personally attend the graduation ceremony), which is the highest honor in Austria only achieved by 1 out of 2500 graduates (.04%) yearly.

Generally speaking, a cumulative Grade Point Average does not exist in the Austrian educational system and therefore has little relevance in the local job market.

France

In France, schools grades typically range from either 0 (worst) to 20 (best) (or, sometimes, from 0 (worst) to 10 (best)). A mark below the average (10 out of 20 or 5 out of 10, depending on the scale) is usually a fail. For the French National High School Level (baccalauréat), a grade of 8–10 typically gives the right to take an additional oral exam in order to try to improve that average to 10 and pass. A grade between 10 and 12 is a simple pass (without grade) ; between 12 and 14 (more rarely 13–14) the grade is called "assez bien" (rather good) ; 14–16 is called "bien" (good) ; above 16 is "très bien" (very good). An exams jury can award the "Félicitations du Jury" for any mark, though they usually reserve it to a candidate who has achieved 18/20 or more. Grade equivalence between France and the U.S. Grading Scale Scale U.S. Grade Equiv. 14-20 = A ; 12-13.9 = B+; 11-11.9 = B; 10.5-10.9 = B-; 10.1-10.4 = C+; 10 = C; 9-9.9 = C-; 8-8.9 = D; 0-7.9 = F;

Germany

In Germany, school grades vary from 1 (very good, sehr gut) to 6 (insufficient, ungenügend). In the final classes of German Gymnasium schools that prepare for university studies, a point system is used with 15 points being the best grade and 0 points the worst. The percentage causes the grade can vary from teacher to teacher. The percentages shown in the table are the ones used in the "Oberstufe" (final classes).

German Grade System
Percentage	Grades by education			Descriptor	Approximate Conversion
(varies with school/subject)	primary & 1st secondary (1st–10th grade)	2nd secondary(Gymnasium, 11–12/13th grade)	tertiary(Hochschule&Universität)		(to the U.S. system*)
90–100	1	15 points	1.0	"sehr gut" (very good: an outstanding achievement)	A+ or A
		14 points
	1-	13 points	1.3
80-90	2+	12 points	1.7	"gut" (good: an achievement which lies substantially above average requirements)	A or A-
	2	11 points	2.0
	2−	10 points	2.3
65–80	3+	9 points	2.7	"befriedigend" (satisfactory: an achievement which corresponds to average requirements)	B+
	3	8 points	3.0		B
	3−	7 points	3.3		B−
50–65	4+	6 points	3.7	"ausreichend" (sufficient: an achievement which still meets the requirements)	C+
	4	5 points	4.0		C
0–50	4−	4 points	5.0		C-
	5+	3 points		"mangelhaft" / "nicht ausreichend" (below the requirements)	D
	5	2 points
	5−	1 point
	6	0 points		"ungenügend" (not sufficient / failed: an achievement which does not meet the requirements)	F

Switzerland

Switzerland has a grading scheme from 1 to 6. 6 is the highest and 4 the minimum pass mark.

Grade	Signification
6	Excellent
5.5	Very good
5	Good
4.5	Relatively good
4	Pass
3.5	Fail
3	Poor
2.5	Very poor
2	Extremely poor
1.5	Almost no performance
1	No performance, absence without good cause, cheating or attempt to cheat

So, I like best the grading system in Switzerland, because there is a possibility to note subtle difference between, for example, 4 and 4.5.

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?

·         It’s possible to drop a course within the first  3 weeks of the semester

·         It’s necessary to get a signature of the professor of a course

·         It’s necessary to get a signature of the adviser

2.       What warnings does the student advisor give?

·         It’s impossible to drop a course after the 1^st three weeks of the semester

·         If a student drops a course without official drop procedures, the course remains on his schedule, thus he is going to receive a failing grade

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

Yes, if you follow the drop procedure, you can drop a course without a failing grade

4.       What are the official drop procedures for the elective courses in your country?

There is no a possibility to drop a course in Russia, even the so-called “elective”, even this kind of courses is obligatory.

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?

·         The library

·         The student center (university bookstore, a post office, a bank, a theatre, a coffee shop, a travel agency and a bowling alley)

·         The administration complex (the offices of university administrators and the student records office, the auditorium where registration takes place)

2.       Can you find the similar campus places in your college/university? What are other places that are worth mentioning? Characterize them briefly.

Yes, we also have got a library, a university bookstore, and a coffee shop). The other places worth mentioning are a stadium, where students do their P.E. classes, a hostel, where live many students from other districts, a concert hall, where many interesting events take place and, of course, a canteen, and the favorite place of most students.

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.

So, in our institute we have got a well-equipped library, a big stadium, where we go in for sports, a university bookstore, where you can buy all the necessary books, a canteen, where you can eat during something tasty, a concert hall, where many interesting events take place and a hostel, where many students from other districts live.