[originaltext]M：Patricia, what have you been doing recently?W：I’m doing compar

M：Patricia, what have you been doing recently?
W：I’m doing comparative literature. At the moment, I’m comparing English, French and Russian novels. We write papers on our work. And then about ten of us meet with our professors and read them and discuss them.
M：Is this what you call the seminar system in the universities?
W：Yes. And it works. Because we get on well with our professors and lecturers. Some of them are much older than us. And they don’t mind at all if we disagree with them.
M：You are lucky. When I was a college student, we had classes. But we hardly ever asked questions or discussed anything. It was partly our fault. We were dull, but so were the professors. They didn’t seem to be able to do anything but lecture. Besides, the course itself was so out of date, same with the textbooks. I think students ought to have the same planning and changing their programs of study.
W：Things have changed a lot since then. Many universities nowadays are experimenting with new ideas and new subjects.
M：I can remember worrying about the examination all day long, especially during this time of the year. At that time, everything depended on how well a student does in his finals at the end of his academic year. The uncertainty was surely a great strain on us.
W：Well. We don’t find so great a strain now. We have final exams though. But we also get marks for the work we do. These marks will count towards our degree. Then we will play an important part in deciding whether we get first, second or third class honors.
5. What has the woman been doing recently?
6. According to the conversation, what is a seminar?
7. What does the man think of the professors at his university?
8. What does the man think about exams in his college days?