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STUDYING IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW FOR INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
Paragraph (i)
Australia has been a popular choice for thousands of international
students over many years.
Australia's universities and colleges have become increasingly
recognized overseas for their
exceptionally high standard. In addition, Australia is conveniently
close to South-East Asia
(Jakarta, the capital of Australia's closest Asian neighbour,
Indonesia, is only 5506 kilometres
from Sydney). Revised entry procedures for overseas students have
made it possible for an
increasing number to study in Australia, Sydney, the largest
Australian city, is the principal port of
call for international airlines with services operating to
Australia.
Paragraph (ii)
Named after an ex-Governor of New South Wales, Sydney is the State's
capital city. Located on
the south-east coast of Australia in the temperate zone, it enjoys a
mild climate, averaging 14.5
hours of sunshine per day in summer and 10.25 hours in winter. It is
also the largest, oldest, and
perhaps most beautifully situated city in Australia. First
established by the British as a convict
settlement in 1788, it is a modern cosmopolitan city that has
developed into one of the nation's
major industrial, business, and manufacturing centers.
Paragraph (iii)
Sydney is home to nearly 4.4 million people (as of 1997). The
suburbs reach out from the city
center and harbour some 55km to the north, 35 km to the west and 30
km to the south, creating a
metropolitan area of about 3000 square kilometres. The 57 square
kilometer harbours is one of the
largest in the world, and famous for the unmistakable 134 metre high
arch of the Harbour Bridge
and the graceful sails of the Opera House. It is a busy waterway
with ferries, freighters, hydrofoils
and pleasure craft.
Paragraph (iv)
Not far from the city center are the attractive old residential
suburbs of Balmain, Glebe, and
Paddington, where many people live in smart terraced housed. Art
galleries, pubs, and restaurants
abound in the cosy streets that tend to be quite narrow, whereas the
suburbs surrounding the city's
colleges and universities consist mainly of family homes and
multi-unit blocks - an ideal situation
for students looking for a homestay, or to rent. Sydney's newer
suburbs now have a large
multicultural population, and local shopping centers reflect the
influences of many cultures.
Paragraph (v)
Sydney is home to the State Art Gallery of New South Wales, the
State Conservatorium of Music,
the Australian Opera, the Sydney Dance Company, and the Australian
Ballet. The world-class
Sydney Symphony Orchestra offers superb classical music all year
round. Local theatre is
innovative and well supported, and large-scale overseas productions
tour regularly.
Paragraph (vi)
As well as scores of cinemas and theatres throughout the city and
suburbs, there are numerous
clubs which appeal to people of all ages, and cater for all tastes.
Pubs are the venue for smaller
modern bands, while the big-name popular music artists, both local
and international, attract
capacity audiences at the huge Entertainment Centre in the heart of
the city.
Dining Out
In Sydney, a vast array of ethnic and local restaurants can be found
to suit all palates and pockets.
In summer, cafe patrons often sit outside at tables under umbrellas,
and enjoy the passing parade
of shoppers. Students who prefer to cook at home can choose from
several large weekend markers,
where fresh fruit, fish, and vegetable may be bought more cheaply
than at the local supermarket.
Sydney also has its own Chinatown.
Shopper's Delight
In the heart of the city are several big department stores linked by
enclosed over-the-street
crossings and underground walk ways. Most noticeable are the
towering Centrepoint complex
and the Queen Victoria Building, both containing many shopping
arcades, coffee shops and restaurants.
Out of town, in the suburbs, there are huge regional shopping
centers. At the weekend markets,
bargains can be had when shopping for clothing as well as for a wide
range of assorted goods.
Sporting Facilities
Australia is recognized as one of the most sports-conscious nations
in the world. Sydney boasts an
impressive number of facilities for all types of indoor and outdoor
sporting activities. Wherever
one goes, there are golf courses, cricket pitches, football ovals,
tennis and squash courts, and, of
course, indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Avid ice-skating and
ten-pin bowling fans will find
that these activities are also popular and inexpensive.
Conclusion
Whatever a student is interested in, it is certain to be available
somewhere in Sydney. Outside
the colleges and universities the scope for filling the leisure
hours is enormous, while on campus the
choice is equally varied.
Question 10-16
You are advised to spend about 10 minutes on questions 10-16.
Refer to Reading Passage 1 headed "STUDYING IN SYDNEY,
AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS", and look
at the statements below. Write your answers in boxes 10-16 on your
Answer Sheet.
Write T if the statement is True.
F if the statement is False
N if the statement is Not Given in the text.
Q10. Sydney was first established as a settlement for convicted
criminals.
T F N
Q11. Sydney Harbour is the largest in the world.
T F N
Q12. The streets of Paddington are not very wide and contain houses
arranges in rows.
T F N
Q13. The Entertainment Centre is only for international popular
music artists who attract large audiences.
T F N
Q14. There is now a greater variety of restaurants to choose from in
Sydney than in the past.
T F N
Q15. Some department stores in Sydney are joined by walkways above
and below the ground.
T F N
Q16. Australians are sports-minded people, but this is not realized
by the rest of the world.
T F N
Answers:
10-16: TNTFNTF
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LIVING EXPENSES - A GUIDE FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS
In the mid-1990s it is estimated that a student living alone
requires on A$12,000 in living
expenses for each year of study. Of course, these costs increase
with time.
Upon arrival, students should have funds in excess of the
average to cover the cost of text books
and establishment expenses such as rental bond payment and basic
furniture items. The amount
spent on food, recreation, and entertainment expenses will vary
according to requirements, budget,
and location.
Those who are prepared to live in shared accommodation, which
may not be suitable for all, might
manage on A$10,000 per year. It is preferable for overseas students
whose English is in need of
practice to take advantage of live-in situations with
native-speakers whenever possible. However,
sharing with friends who are easy to communicate with is probably
more sensible at first.
The above figures do not include the cost of large
non-essential items such as household
equipment or a car. Owning and maintaining a motor vehicle is
expensive in Australia. Insurance
is compulsory and costly, and parking both on and off campus can be
a problem requiring
additional expense. It is not advisable for a student to own a car
unless it is absolutely necessary.
A reasonable second-hand car can cost in excess of A$4000.
Educational institutions are almost always serviced by
reliable public transport. The university and
college campuses within the major cities are well served by public
buses. In addition, the larger
cities have extensive train systems. For example, in Sydney, most
college and university campuses
are only 10 or 20 minutes from a rail station.
The summer vacation requires special financial planning.
Expenses for this period must be
carefully estimated and added to costs for the academic year in
order to give a realistic total figure
for the calendar year. They are not included in the estimated
A$10,000-A$12,000 previously
quoted. University eating facilities, and some university and
college housing facilities, close
during this time. As a general rule, international students should
expect to spend at least as much
on monthly living expenses during the summer as they do during the
academic year.
Under present immigration regulations, international students
are allowed to work up to 20 hours
during term time and full-time during vacation. It is impossible for
students to expect to earn
sufficient funds working part-time to pay for tuition fees and
living costs. While some students are
able to supplement their funds with money from part-time and/or
vacation work, such work is not
always regular even when available, and this can contribute to
anxiety and study problem. In
general, it is unrealistic to start a course with insufficient funds
in the hope that "something will
turn up". Students should be aware that vacation work has
become more difficult to find over the
last few years, but those interested can contact the Commonwealth
Employment Service or the
Students' Union on campus.
Warm clothes are necessary in the southern States during
winter months, as night temperatures can
drop to less than 10 degrees Celsius. Students should bring as much
clothing from home as
possible, especially if funds are limited. Information on where to
buy inexpensive clothes can be
obtained from the International Student Centre of most colleges and
universities.
Do not rush into buying expensive text books. It is advisable
to wait until your first lectures and
tutorials, and then ask academic staff which are the essential
purchases. There is usually a
second-hand bookshop on campus, and used texts are also advertised
on faculty notice boards.
The Students' Union coordinates a number of outlets on the carious
university campuses that
provide stationery items and other essential study equipment at
reasonable prices. Some courses
require specialized equipment which can be quite costly, and it is
wise to check any additional
costs involved with the course of your choice.
In general, those practically orientated courses tend to incur
higher additional costs. Expenses for
books, stationery, and equipment vary greatly, but you should allow
approximately $500-$1000 a
year.
Most university campuses have banks and/or credit unions. The
banks issue drafts, traveller's
cheques or foreign currency notes, and accept telex or airmail
transactions. In some colleges and
universities the credit union is the institution's own credit union.
In addition to normal banking
and financial services (with no transaction charges), credit unions
usually provide special services
for international students.
Money may be deposited or withdrawn from branches of the
credit unions and banks during
business hours from Monday to Friday (but nor on public holidays) or
24 hours a day from the
many on-campus automatic teller machines. Business hours for
financial institutions vary, but
credit unions are usually open from 9 am to 5 pm weekdays, and,
generally, banks are open from
9:30 am to 4 pm (5 pm on Fridays). Some services are available on
Saturday mornings in selected
areas. While prices often compare favorably with prices overseas,
because Australia is a large and
exciting country it is very easy to overspend, especially if on a
tight budget.
Glossary:
campus -grounds of a college or a university
faculty -department and staff of a college or a university
lecture -instruction given to a class of students
tutorial -individual or small group instruction given by a tutor at
college or university
Questions 17-22
You are advised to spend about 10 minutes on Questions 17-22
Refer to the Reading Passage 2 headed "Living Expenses - A
Guide for Overseas Students", and decide which of the answers
best complete the following sentences. Write your answers in boxes
17-22 on your Answer Sheet. The first one has been done for you as
an example.
Example:
The annual living expense for a student in Australia living alone in
the 1990s is estimated to be:
a) $10,000
b) $8000
c) $12,000
d)$20,000
Q17. Sharing accommodation is
a) approximately $10,000 per year cheaper than living alone.
b) more expensive than living alone.
c) not always suitable for students
d) suitable for most students
Q18. Students buying a car should take the following costs into
account:
a) the purchase price of the car
b) insurance costs
c) parking costs
d) all of the above
Q19. During summer vacation:
a) all institutional housing facilities close down
b) additional living costs are involved.
c) university canteens remain open
d) monthly living expenses decrease
Q20. Regular part-time work is:
a) always a available
b) not always available
c) sufficient to pay for tuition fees
d) 20 hours during full-time vacation
Q21. Courses that are more practical:
a) can require specialized equipment
b) are usually cheaper
c) cost $500-$1000 a year
d) are usually more difficult
Q22. Credit unions on campus:
a) are open 24 hours a day
b) provide the usual financial services offered by banks
c) deduct fees for normal transactions.
d) are sometimes open on public holidays
Questions 23-33
You are advised to spend about 10 minutes on Questions 23-33
Refer to the Reading Passage 2 headed "Living Expenses - A
Guide for Overseas Students".
Choose the most appropriate word, phrase or figure from those given
in the box below. Write
your answers in boxes 23-33 on your Answer Sheet. The first one has
been done for you as an
example. Note that may use each word, phrase or figure once only.
Example: recommended
It is Example that students have sufficient funds available
to cover both the costs of living and
studying while in Australia. Accommodation comprises approximately
(23) of a student's
annual living costs. Expenses (24) depending on personal
requirements, budget, and location.
Owning a car is not advisable nor a (25) for students, since
universities and colleges are
(26) by public transport.. during summer vacation, international
students must budget
(27) , if they are not to exceed their allocated yearly expense.
Present immigration (28) enable students to work up to (29)
per week. Although
these regulations attract students to Australia, work is becoming
increasingly hard to obtain. If
money is in short supply, clothing should be (30) from home, and
warm clothing is
necessary, especially during (31) .
Text books can be expensive, but can often be bought
second-hand. On-campus banking and
financial services provide extensive services, and funds are readily
(32) from credit unions
and banks, during business hours, or through automatic teller
machines. However, care must be
taken not to overspend if the budget is (33)
spend bought 15 percent brought
carefully available winter change
Department necessity 20 hours expensive
need recommended restricted too high
inexpensive 10 degrees regulations 45 percent
vary necessary well served nearby
located part-time 20 weeks evening
Answers:
17-22: c d b b a b
Q23. 15 per cent
Q24. vary
Q25. necessity
Q26. well served
Q27. carefully
Q28. regulations
Q29. 20 hours
Q30. brought
Q31. winter
Q32. available
Q33. restricted
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