Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further Information Expanding Your Vocabulary Words and expressions to know when you read the passages. Check them by yourself. Text 19)overall 20)students'marks cluster around the mean grade 21)refute 22)be relevant to... 23)at the expense of:at the cost of 24)provision:offering 25)drawback 26)Impressionistic 27)continuous assessment
Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further information Further Information Words and expressions to know when you read the passages. Check them by yourself. Text 19) overall 20)students’ marks cluster around the mean grade 21)refute 22)be relevant to… 23)at the expense of: at the cost of 24)provision: offering 25)drawback 26)Impressionistic 27)continuous assessment Expanding Your Vocabulary
Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Intercultural Notes Further Information A 考试一一可怕还是公正？ 大多数教育体系采用考试作为衡量一个人对一门学科的 掌握程度的既定手段。人们承认考试有助于识别最有能力的 学习者，在每门课程学习结束时安排考试激发学习者更加努 :力学习。然而由于考试给学生带来压力，近年来，对考试的 、 需要已经受到质疑。在这篇文章中，我将分别探讨支持考试 ,和反对考试的观点。然后我会继续就考试是否应作为评估学 习效果的主要方式进行论述
— Frightening or Fair? Most educational systems make use of examinations and they have become a well-established means of measuring a person’s understanding of a subject. Examinations, it has been argued, may help to identify the most able learners, and the existence of an examination at the end of a course may motivate learners to work hard. However, in recent years, the need for examinations has been brought into question as a result of the pressure they on students. In this essay, I examine arguments that support examinations and those that do not. I then go on to consider whether or not examinations should be as the main mode of assessing learning. A exert retained to keep someone or something Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further Information A Examinations to use influence, authority, or power in order to affect or achieve something The text presents arguments for and against formal examinations. Internationally, many countries now use a combination of assessed coursework and mid-year or final tests (in the form of exams). The coursework may consist of a series of brief tasks, essays, or small projects but such assessment is arguably different from (and complementary to) formal exams. In some places, the idea of continuous assessment has replaced formal exams entirely.Occasionally, a portfolio system is used, for courses such as creative writing.Even with exams, as the Intercultural Notes section shows, there are many variations in the formats of exams. 考试——可怕还是公正？ 大多数教育体系采用考试作为衡量一个人对一门学科的 掌握程度的既定手段。人们承认考试有助于识别最有能力的 学习者，在每门课程学习结束时安排考试激发学习者更加努 力学习。然而由于考试给学生带来压力，近年来，对考试的 需要已经受到质疑。在这篇文章中，我将分别探讨支持考试 和反对考试的观点。然后我会继续就考试是否应作为评估学 习效果的主要方式进行论述。 Intercultural Notes
Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Intercultural Notes Further Information B 一些教育专家给出证据表明考试的存在督促学生认真对待 他们的学业。它使学生向着一个明确的日标去努力，大部分学 生赞同考试是因为它提供了一个集中有效的学习方法（见例， Feng,2000:20)。没有考试的话，学校里不上进的学生的人 数肯定会比现在多得多。在考试过程中，学生为竞争的气氛所 激发，发挥出自己最好的水平，而时间带来的压力正好反映了 现实生活中所有工作的处理都有时间限制一一通常很紧迫。考 试激励认真的学习和健康的竞争，这些反映了外部世界的现实
A number of education experts have presented evidence to show that the existence of examinations encourages students to take their work seriously. They do this by giving students a concrete goal to aim for and most students appreciate examinations for the way they provide an organizing focus for their studies (see, for example, Feng, 2000: 20). Without examinations schools would almost certainly have far greater numbers of poorly motivated students than is the case at present. In the examination itself students are stimulated by the competitive atmosphere to produce the best work they are capable of, and time pressures simply reflect that in the real world all tasks are tackled under time — often very tight ones. Examinations stimulate hard work and healthy competition, which reflect the realities of the outside world. B constraints something that limits your freedom to do what you want Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further Information B 一些教育专家给出证据表明考试的存在督促学生认真对待 他们的学业。它使学生向着一个明确的目标去努力，大部分学 生赞同考试是因为它提供了一个集中有效的学习方法(见例， Feng, 2000: 20)。没有考试的话，学校里不上进的学生的人 数肯定会比现在多得多。在考试过程中，学生为竞争的气氛所 激发，发挥出自己最好的水平，而时间带来的压力正好反映了 现实生活中所有工作的处理都有时间限制——通常很紧迫。考 试激励认真的学习和健康的竞争，这些反映了外部世界的现实。 Intercultural Notes
Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Intercultural Notes Further Information 然而，考试会影响考生的心理状态。格林2001：92)认为： 尽管一点压力对取得好成绩是必不可少的，但考试能引起学 生严重的心理问题。事实上，学生在放松的状态下比他们在 焦急的状态下要做得更好。卡罗尔（见格林，出处同上）在考试 过程中做了一个试验。他发现平静、放松的考生比紧张的考 生答卷有条理得多，表达观点也清楚得多
However, examinations can affect the psychological state of candidates. Green (2001: 92) has argued that although a little stress is necessary to ensure a good performance, examinations can cause some students severe psychological problems. In fact, students who are relaxed tend to do better than those who are anxious. Carroll (see Green, ibid.) demonstrated this in experiments carried out under examination conditions. Candidates who felt calm and were found to organize their work more logically and express themselves more clearly than nervous candidates. C at ease confident and relaxed Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further Information C Intercultural Notes 然而，考试会影响考生的心理状态。格林(2001：92)认为， 尽管一点压力对取得好成绩是必不可少的，但考试能引起学 生严重的心理问题。事实上，学生在放松的状态下比他们在 焦急的状态下要做得更好。卡罗尔(见格林，出处同上)在考试 过程中做了一个试验。他发现平静、放松的考生比紧张的考 生答卷有条理得多，表达观点也清楚得多
Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Intercultural Notes Further Information 下面要考虑的是考试的衡量功能。社会需要一个形成标 准的评估系统来决定谁将继续接受高等教育，谁将做特殊的 工作。很多十分重要的筛选程序都有赖于考试的结果。比如 没有考试结果所提供的客观评估，雇主就很难决定要雇用谁 以及雇用的人应该负有什么责任。大学管理人员也无从得知 谁适合接受学位深造。考试还帮助教育机构检验他们教学方 法的有效性。一组糟糕的考试结果促使学校或大学修正课程 提纲、教学方法和教材
The next consideration is the measuring function of examinations. Society needs a standardized system of assessment for deciding who will continue on to education, and who will do particular jobs. Many very important selection procedures rely on examination results. For example, without the measurements offered by examination results employers would find it very difficult to know whom to employ and at which level of responsibility to employ people. University administrators would also have no way of knowing who was suitable to undertake degree-level studies. Examinations also help educational institutions to measure the effectiveness of their own teaching methods. A set of poor examination results will force a school or university to review its , teaching methods, and instructional materials. D tertiary something that you plan to achieve a list of the main subjects in a course of study objectives syllabuses Note On The Topic Before You Read Reading Further Information D relating to colleges and universities Intercultural Notes 下面要考虑的是考试的衡量功能。社会需要一个形成标 准的评估系统来决定谁将继续接受高等教育，谁将做特殊的 工作。很多十分重要的筛选程序都有赖于考试的结果。比如， 没有考试结果所提供的客观评估，雇主就很难决定要雇用谁 以及雇用的人应该负有什么责任。大学管理人员也无从得知 谁适合接受学位深造。考试还帮助教育机构检验他们教学方 法的有效性。一组糟糕的考试结果促使学校或大学修正课程 提纲、教学方法和教材