写作
Read carefully the following excerpt on standardized test argument in the USA, and then write your response in NO LESS THAN 200 words, in which you should:
- summarize the main message of the excerpt, and then
- comment on whether universities should use standardized tests in enrolling.
You should support yourself with information from the excerpt
Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Should standardized tests be used in the enrollment?
The SAT is the most widely used and most heavily researched college admissions test in the country. In combination with other data, such as a student’s grade-point average, college application essays, and letters of recommendation, the SAT has proven to be a valid, fair, and reliable data tool for college admissions. All of the available research supports this point.
The great majority of our nation’s colleges and universities accept the SAT as an integral part of the admissions process, and most that require the submission of the SAT do so because they know they can make better admissions decisions if they have as many data as possible about every student applicant.
The SAT was originally conceived as an objective measure to even the differences in curriculum and grading across the country. But objectivity has eroded, while the perceived importance of the test has grown.
At Wake Forest University, we saw more costs than benefits to standardized tests. We wanted to signal to prospective students what we really care about: four years of high school success in the most rigorous available curriculum, applied creativity and imagination, and hunger for the opportunity of a Wake Forest education. After careful thought, we made test scores optional—and hoped to enroll students with a broader range of talents, backgrounds, and abilities.
Write your response on ANSWER SHEET THREE.
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Surviving in the Jungle
1. Right equipment
- 【T1】______ clothing 【T1】______
- The only defence against 【T2】______【T2】______
- The legs of the long trousers put into 【T3】______【T3】______
- A 【T4】______【T4】______
- An instrument to find the direction
- A 【T5】______【T5】______
- An instrument to protect your head
2. A 【T6】______pace 【T6】______
- 【T7】______, and rest often 【T7】______
- Follow 【T8】______in the general direction 【T8】______
3. Safe water and food
- Water:
- Streams near native villages: 【T9】______to drink 【T9】______
- Water given by many plants and vines: pure to drink
- Food:
- Fruits and nuts the birds and monkeys choose: safe to eat
- Meat of many kinds of 【T10】______: safe to eat 【T10】______Surviving in the Jungle
Good evening, today’s talk will focus on how to survive in the jungle. Jungle country is not friendly to man, but it is possible to survive there. You must have the right equipment and you must know some important knowledge about the jungle. Then your chances of staying alive are very good.
No one should go into the jungle without the right equipment. You need lightweight clothing, a good knife and a compass. Fishhooks and a line, a rifle and ammunition, and matches in a waterproof container are necessary too. So is a mosquito net to protect the head.
In the jungle you can get hopelessly lost within five minutes after leaving a known landmark. That is why you should always carry a compass. In open country, during the day, you can tell which way to go by studying the sun. At night the stars are sure guides to direction. But in most places the jungle rooftop is so thick that it is impossible to see the sun or the stars. Again and again you must check your position by the compass.
Avoid haste, and rest often. In a place that is hot and damp, the person who sets a fast pace will soon become tired. A steady, even pace is wiser in the long run. Whenever possible, it is wise to follow streams and rivers that are going in your general direction. This may cause you many extra miles of travel. But in the end it will save time and energy.
Mosquitoes will be with you all the time. The only defence against them is to wear the right kind of clothing. You should never wear shots in the jungle. Your trousers must be lightweight and long. The legs of the trousers should be put into your boot tops.
Finding water that is safe to drink can be a problem. Many streams and rivers carry germs that can be deadly to man. Streams found near native villages are always dangerous, even if they are clear and fresh-looking. Such water must always be boiled before you drink it. Luckily, the jungles have many kinds of plants and vines that give water. Water from almost all plants is pure enough to drink. But stay away from vines that have bitter or milky juice.
Many jungle plants also provide food. Before you go into the jungle, learn to recognize the varieties of plants that can be eaten. If you haven’t had a chance to do this, watch that kinds of fruits and nuts the birds and monkeys choose. Such food is almost safe for a man to eat. When you are seeking meat, rivers and streams are the best places to hunt. You do not need to be familiar with the many different kinds of birds and animals. You can eat any of them.
Surviving in the jungle is a science. The jungle peoples have become perfect in this science, and you too. Learn as much as you can about what to expect in the jungle. Make sure you have the right equipment. Then no part of the jungle will seem completely unfriendly or frightening. In fact, you will be able to “live off“ it for a long time.
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No longer are contributions to computer technology confined to any one country:_____is this more true than in Europe. hardly little seldom nowhere
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Tom gave me a new knife as______for the one he lost. substitute compensation reward pension
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Some educators try to put students of similar abilities into the same class because they believe this kind of______grouping is advisable. homogeneous instantaneous spontaneous anonymous
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How could Hitler’s vast operation of highly-organized mass murder, which was not______to Jews, come about? conformed complied confined consented
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(1) In contrast to logic, there is common sense, or still better, the Spirit of Reasonableness. I think of the Spirit of Reasonableness as the highest and sanest ideal of human culture, and the reasonable man as the highest type of cultivated human being. No one can be perfect: he can only aim at being a likeable, reasonable being. In fact, I look forward to the time when the people of the world will be informed with this reasonable spirit, both in their personal and their national affairs. Reasonable nations live in peace and reasonable husbands and wives live in happiness. In the selection of husbands for my daughters, I shall have only one standard: is he a reasonable person? We cannot imagine perfect husbands and wives who never quarrel:we can only conceive of reasonable husbands and wives who quarrel reasonably and then patch up reasonably. Only in a world of reasonable beings can we have peace and happiness. The Reasonable Age, if that should ever come about, will be the Age of Peace. It will be the age in which the Spirit of Reasonableness prevails.
(2) The Spirit of Reasonableness is the best thing that China has to offer to the West. I do not mean that Chinese warlords are reasonable when they tax the people fifty years ahead: I mean only that the Spirit of Reasonableness is the essence and best side of Chinese civilization. I had this discovery of mine accidentally confirmed by two Americans who had lived a long time in China. One, who had lived in China for thirty years, said that the foundation of all Chinese social life is based on the word chiangli, or “talk reason.“ In a Chinese quarrel, the final clinching argument is, “Now is this reasonable?“ and the worst and commonest condemnation is that a man “pu chiangli“ or “does not talk reason“. The man who admits being “unreasonable“is already defeated in the dispute.
(3) I have said that: “For a Westerner, it is usually sufficient for a proposition to be logically sound. For a Chinese it is not sufficient that a proposition be logically correct, but it must be at the same time in accord with human nature. In fact to be ’in accord with human nature, to be chinching (i.e., to be human), is a greater consideration than to be logical.’“ The Chinese word for reasonableness is chiangli, which is composed of two elements, chiang or human nature, and li or eternal reason. Chiang represents the flexible, human element, while li represents the immutable law of the universe. “ A cultured man is one who understands thoroughly the human heart and the laws of things. By living in harmony with the natural ways of the human heart and of nature, the Confucianist claims that he can become a sage. But then the sage is no more than a reasonable person, like Confucius, who is chiefly admired for his plain, common sense and his natural human qualities, i.e., for his great humanness.
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PASSAGE THREE
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There is a lot of debate over the best way / to measure the economic costs of smoking./ Every study is based on different assumptions and uses different methods./ For example, should you measure the cost of smoking / by looking at the cost of treating major illnesses like lung cancer? / Or should you measure the cost of less serious illnesses? / Anyway, regardless of how you calculate them, / the economic costs of smoking are insignificant/ when compared with the real price of smoking: / the misery caused by the death of over 400,000 people each year.
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W: Hello Jerry. You look sleepy!
M: Yes, I stayed up late last night. 1 had an exam this morning.
W: But research has shown that not getting enough sleep can have a negative effect on our ability to learn.
M: Really?
W: Yes. Researchers from Boston College in the USA have found the lack of sleep is a significant factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils. The findings could be relevant to any of us who are trying to learn something.
M: You’re right.
W: And the most interesting fact is that it is more of a problem in wealthier countries such as the United States, England, France and Saudi Arabia.
M: You’re talking about computers and TVs in their bedrooms and using smartphones?
W: Yes, they’re tempted by all this technology instead of just getting their heads down and having a good night’s sleep. The survey found 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds in the US were identified by their teachers as being affected by the lack of sleep. The international average was 57%.
M: That’s a serious problem.
W: William Myers, Principal at South River High School says this is a challenge for teachers because if teachers don’t make their classes more engaging, they would see a decline in their performance. They would see students who were sleepy, maybe heads down at the end of the day. So they have to put a lot of work into keeping students alert and excited about school.
M: That’s quite a challenge then!
W: Yes, this research looked at the link between the amount students sleep and their test results. Not surprisingly it found children with more sleep achieve higher test results in maths, science and reading. There is a lesson there for all of us — I think I’ll just shut my eyes, and have 40 winks.
M: You mean a short, light sleep?
W: Yes. Scientists believe the lack of sleep causes your brain to run on empty. It struggles to absorb and retain ideas.
M: I feel like that now.
W: Besides, doctors find the lack of sleep can also lead to health problems such as obesity — that’s when someone is dangerously overweight — and to mood swings — that’s changes in how someone feels or behaves. So, what is the solution to all of this?
M: Well, the school day in some countries starts later, allowing teenagers a bit of a lie in. And others have a break in the afternoon — like a siesta. But the real solution is for students to go to bed earlier.
W: This research has also highlighted another problem. Because teachers are simplifying their lessons to take account of the students who are sleepy, there’s concern that pupils who are getting enough sleep are losing out in these adjusted lessons. So everyone suffers.
This is the end of Conversation One. Questions 1 to 5 are based on Conversation One.
1. What is the relationship between sleeping and learning?
2. Why do students from wealthy countries sleep less?
3. Among 13- and 14-year olds throughout the world, how many lack sleep?
4. According to William, why is it a challenge for teachers?
5. What is the real solution to allowing students to sleep more? The more you sleep, the better you learn. The less you sleep, the better you learn. Not getting enough sleep has a negative effect on learning. Sleeping too much has a negative effect on learning.
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M: Now are the some of the richest kids in the world and the money they’re making. The current issue of People magazine features some very famous faces who are under 15, and cashed in on concert tours, movies, TV shows and more. Julie Dane is People’s senior editor. Julie, good morning!
W: Good morning.
M: So, when you looked at some of these kids, were you amazed at the money they’re making?
W: Yeah, I mean it’s nothing like when I was a kid, that’s for sure.
M: That’s right. Well, let’s get started with Miley Cyrus. I mean this girl is a machine.
W: She is in the industry and to herself. And she only has the biggest kids show on cable: she has this huge concert tour: she was taking home a million dollars a week. She just signed a 7-figure book deal and this year her merchandise sales for Hannah Montana are expected to hit a billion dollars.
M: A billion?
W: A billion with a “B“!
M: And she gets a percentage of that, right?
W: She does. She gets a percentage of it. I mean she’s really raking in it, but she does have her, you know, had on her shoulders and her mum says that most of the money is going into an investment fund that she won’t touch it until she’s 18.
M: Wow... and where is all that besides all that money, I mean, does she seem like she’s handling this stuff OK?
W: Er, she seems like an incredibly mature, grounded girl which is great to see.
M: Another one of her Disney stable mates, this is such a hot band, the Jones Brothers. I mean, the Disney basically resurrected them and now they’re just pulling in the dough.
W: They’re huge. They just signed a multimillion-dollar two-year-concert deal. They’re taking in a 12 million on this concert tour among the three of them. And, you know, they’re also super grounded and they have a good family around them. They give 10% to charity. So it’s a good story.
M: And then what cash do they have? What do they like?
W: They do spend money. They give their mum a really nice diamond watch, they buy new computers, and Nick, the youngest, he’s 15, has just shot up 1,500 dollars for a pair of shoes.
M: Yeah, let’s gonna say that they’re all kind of clothes horse.
W: Yeah, they’re definitely natty dressers.
M: Yeah, and when you look at all these young actors, what’s the common theme you see amongst them, the actors in these country-goers?
W: Well, these really successful ones, like Miley and Jones Brothers have really good families around them and they’re clearly not in this on their own. They have families to help them along and they seem to be totally normal kids.
M: Great, well, Julie Dane, thank you so much.
W: Thanks for having me.
This is the end of Conversation Two. Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two.
6. What is this interview mainly about?
7. What has Miley Cyrus done?
8. How did Miley handle the money she has made?
9. How much did Jones Brothers give to charity?
10. What do these kids have in common? Movie stars who are very famous. Young movie stars who have just entered the circle. Young superstars who have made a lot of money. The life of famous people.
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