Reading, reasoning and relating

The article below which contains a description of the requirements of thesis or dissertation for a PhD, is worthy of taken note of.
THE STAR'S MIND OUR ENGLISH Friday October 5, 2007
Reading, reasoning and relating
By YONG AH YONG
ONE way to find out whether a candidate understands a passage or not is to make him or her answer several questions based on the passage. In the examination, some questions require straightforward answers, some implicative answers, some inferential answers and some rational evaluation or judgment.
There are, in general, six types of questions.
The first type is about the main topic or main theme. The questions ask you about the central thought or significance of the passage. Sometimes, you may be asked to give a suitable title to the passage.
The second type asks for specific details or explicitly stated ideas.
The third type asks you to draw inferences. They ask for the intended meaning between the lines.
The fourth type concerns tone or attitude. The questions test your ability to sense the emotional state of the author.
The fifth type is about context meaning. The questions ask for the meaning of a word or phrase depending on the situation.
The final type asks for the method of organisation or the writing style of the author.
As you read a passage, use a pencil to underline the key ideas and make relevant notes. Give the exact answers according to the questions. If you give irrelevant answers, you will earn no marks even if your sentence structure is perfect.
Remember, all your answers must be written in full sentences. In this respect, do not write “Because ??????” You can write “It is/was because ???????”.
Read the following passage carefully:
There are in general two ways of getting the prestigious title ‘Doctor’ or ‘Dr’ in front of one’s name. The first is by graduating with a medical degree, and the second by earning a PhD.
The term of Doctor of Philosophy or PhD originates from Philosophiae Doctor in Latin, which means “a teacher of philosophy”. Here, “philosophy” is taken to mean all academic disciplines outside the fields of theology, medicine and law, following the practice and tradition of European universities in the Middle Ages while pure science is known as “natural philosophy”.
The degree of PhD is the highest degree awarded by a university. It is obtained by researchers in a wide array of disciplines in the sciences and humanities. The PhD has become a requirement for a career as a university professor or a researcher in various fields.
The detailed requirements for the award of a PhD degree vary from university to university. In general, a candidate must submit a thesis or dissertation involving an intensive original academic research. A PhD candidate must attend a viva voce or orally defend his or her work before a panel of expert examiners appointed by the university.
A PhD candidate has to undergo a prescribed minimum period of study ranging from one to three years before submission of the thesis. In addition, he or she may have to successfully complete a certain number of advanced courses relevant to his or her area of specialisation.
In recent years, several professional or vocational doctorates have been introduced, such as Doctor of Engineering (EngD), Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Clinical Psychology (D Clin Psychol) and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). These typically involve some specified coursework and a research component in the form of two or three smaller research projects, rather than a single dissertation focusing on one major topic, as well as a series of examinations where the emphasis is on breadth rather than depth of knowledge.
Another two to four years is usually required for the writing of a thesis which makes a substantial contribution to human knowledge. The dissertation in the social sciences and humanities is typically 100 to 450 pages in length. A PhD dissertation generally consists of a comprehensive literature review, an outline of research methodology, findings of previous related researches and in-depth scientific, social, historical, philosophical or literary analysis.
The US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation do not discriminate between various doctorates. Whether you hold a Doctor of Arts (DA), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), or Doctor of Education (EdD), you are given the same status and respect as a PhD.
However, there are doctorates not earned by academic research. They are known as higher doctorates, such as DLitt (Doctor of Letters) and DSc (Doctor of Science), which are granted on the recommendation of a committee of examiners on the basis of publications of research findings which have greatly made advances in human knowledge and skills.
Send the answers to these questions to me at ayyong2000@yahoo.com:
1. In what ways can we obtain the title ‘Dr’ in front of our name?
2. What do “philosophy” and “natural philosophy” mean according to the Middle Ages tradition in European universities?
3. What is viva voce? In your opinion, what is the purpose of viva voce?
4. What does a PhD thesis contain?
5. Explain the meaning of “breadth and depth of knowledge”.