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Acronyms of the International Academic World
Today we will talk about the Acronyms of the International Academic World! If you have a desire to live abroad or if you are looking for academic courses in other countries, this article will hopefully be very enlightening for you. This article will also provide information about proficiency tests that also have acronyms that you need to know.
As we have already explained in previous articles, there are nomenclatures that change from country to country, that is, the titles of formations vary from country to country. For example, in Brazil, an MBA is a Post-Graduate degree at the lato sensu level, while in the US, a course with the same nomenclature is a Master’s degree. Now, let’s grow your vocabulary.
Acronyms of the International Academic World
Academic Titles
B.A. – Bachelor of the Arts
B.S. or B.Sc. – Bachelor of Science
B. Mus. – Bachelor of Music
M.A. – Master of the Arts
M.Ed. – Master of Education
M.S. – Master of Sciences
M.Res. – Master of Research
MBA – Master in Business Administration
MPA – Master in Public Administration
MPP – Master in Public Policy
Ph.D. – Philosophy Doctor
International Exams
ACT – refers to the American College Testing is a test that assesses a student’s knowledge of English across different disciplines and is used by American universities in their admissions process. In Brazil, a similar test is the ENEM – Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio.
CAE – refers to the Cambridge English: Advanced. Certificate level C2 in CEFR – Common European Framework of Reference for languages.
IELTS – is the acronym for International English Language Testing System, and designates an English test managed by a number of different organizations such as the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. As a general rule, IELTS is the test that is often required by programs in the UK, Australia and other English-speaking countries outside America. In the American continent, in general, the TOEFL is requested more.
SAT – refers to the Scholastic Aptitude Test. It is one of the most common exams in the US, used by American universities in their undergraduate admissions process. It is a test used as a way to enter higher education.
TOEFL – refers to the Test Of English as a Foreign Language, is one of the most requested English language tests by universities and educational institutions in general. It is created and administered by an organization called ETS (Educational Testing Service).
GMAT – is the acronym for Graduate Management Admission Test or Graduate Management Admission Test. It is an admission test required by most business schools in the US and Europe. The test assesses so-called “mental intelligence” and the ability to make decisions under time pressure.
GRE – is the acronym for Graduate Record Examination, something like “examination of academic record”. The GRE is divided into three areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and critical writing. It is a standardized exam, similar to the GMAT. For all cases, the test is carried out by computer, in an application center.
Institutions and Certificates
BTEC – stands for ‘Business and Technology Education Council‘ which is a UK organization that awards vocational qualifications.
ESL – stands for English as a Second Language which are English courses for students who do not have the language as a first language.
GRE – stands for Graduate Record Examination performed on computers, to assess graduate students.
HNC – stands for Higher National Certificate which is a UK higher education or continuing education qualification certificate. Equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree.
HND – is the acronym for Higher National Diploma which is the UK’s higher education qualification diploma. Equivalent to the first two years of an undergraduate degree.
NVQ – stands for National Vocational Qualification which is a practical, vocational and training course found in the UK.
TESOL – stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages which are courses for English teachers who teach students who do not have English as their first language.
Did I forget any acronyms you want know about? Leave it in the comments!
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Sources:
https://www.estudarfora.org.br/siglas-estudar-fora/
https://www.sk.com.br/sk-gloss.html
https://www.academia.org.br/nossa-lingua/reducoes
Until next time, Happy Learning!
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Jhessika Nascimento
Director of International Partnerships
Jhessika Nascimento is the Director of International Partnerships for Study With Andrea and lives in Brasilia, Brazil.
Jhessika is a bilingual teacher of English and Portuguese, studying for a Master's Degree in Strategic Management in Information Technologies at the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana.
Graduation in Letters - Portuguese and English.
Postgraduate in Teaching in Higher Education.
Postgraduate in Risk Management and Cybersecurity.
Postgraduate Executive MBA in Process Management BPM-CBOK.
Postgraduate in Translation and Proofreading of Texts in English.
The following is a TOEFL Reading practice test to help you prepare for the Reading section of the TOEFL test.
Instructions: Read the sample passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
TOEFL Reading Practice Passage
Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forest of central Sub-Saharan Africa. The genus Gorilla is divided into two species: the eastern gorillas and the western gorillas (both critically endangered), and either four or five subspecies. They are the largest living primates. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of humans, from 95 to 99% depending on what is included, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the chimpanzees and bonobos.
Gorillas' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although their range covers a small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa, gorillas cover a wide range of elevations. The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200 to 4,300 metres (7,200 to 14,100 ft). Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level, with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near its border with Rwanda.
(#1) Gorillas move around by knuckle-walking, although they sometimes walk upright for short distances, typically while carrying food or in defensive situations. (#2) A 2018 study investigating the hand posture of 77 mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (8% of the population) found that knuckle walking was done only 60% of the time, and they also supported their weight on their fists, the backs of their hands/feet, and on their palms/soles (with the digits flexed). (#3) Studies of gorilla handedness have yielded varying results, with some arguing for no preference for either hand, and others right-hand dominance for the general population. (#4)
The eastern gorilla is more darkly colored than the western gorilla, with the mountain gorilla being the darkest of all. The mountain gorilla also has the thickest hair. The western lowland gorilla can be brown or grayish with a reddish forehead. In addition, gorillas that live in lowland forest are more slender and agile than the more bulky mountain gorillas. The eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla. Like humans, gorillas have individual fingerprints. Their eye color is dark brown, framed by a black ring around the iris. Gorilla facial structure is described as mandibular prognathism, that is, the mandible protrudes farther out than the maxilla. Adult males also have a prominent sagittal crest.
A gorilla's lifespan is normally between 35 and 40 years, although zoo gorillas may live for 50 years or more. Colo, a female western gorilla at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was the oldest known gorilla at 60 years of age when she died on 17 January 2017.
Questions
1. According to the passage, gorillas can live in
a. a variety of altitudes.
b. several different countries in Africa.
c. thick forests.
d. lowland forests only.
2. All of the following is true about gorillas EXCEPT
a. they primarily eat smaller animals.
b. they live in a forest habitat.
c. their genetics are similar to humans.
d. their diet consists of vegetation.
3. Look at the word predominantly in paragraph 1. The word predominantly in this passage refers to
a. impulsively
b. unfortunately
c. mainly
d. lastly
4. Look at the word inhabits in paragraph 2. The word inhabits in this passage refers to
a. lives in
b. protects
c. goes
d. works
5. The author implies that
a. most gorillas prefer using their left hand over their right.
b. gorillas rarely walk on their knuckles.
c. gorillas regularly walk upright for long distances.
d. studies haven't solidly proven which hand gorillas prefer using.
6. Why does the writer mention that the eastern gorilla also has a longer face and broader chest than the western gorilla?
a. To validate the importance a broad chest in western gorillas
b. To define the meaning of "broad"
c. To highlight a physical difference between types of gorillas
d. To demonstrate that most gorillas are identical in physical build
7. Which of the following statements is true for BOTH eastern and western gorillas.
a. Both eastern and western gorrilas are brown with red foreheads.
b. Both eastern and western gorrilas have unique fingerprints.
c. Both eastern and western gorrilas have thin hair.
d. Both eastern and western gorrilas have light brown eyes.
8. In Paragraph 3, look at the four numbers (#1, #2, #3, #4) that indicate where the following sentence would be added to the passage.
Such a range of hand postures was previously thought to have been used by only orangutans.
Where would the sentence best fit?
(View all the correct answers below.)
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Answers: 1. d 2. a 3. c 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. b 8. #3
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About Andrea
Andrea Giordano is the founder of StudyWithAndrea.com and has taught more than 1,000,000 students from 180 countries. Andrea holds a Master of Education (TESOL) from Shenandoah University, and is the former Executive Director of TESOL and ESL programs at Campbellsville University. Andrea is a proven leader in online English teaching and is driven by her passion to help you speak English clearly.
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