Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test. Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon . Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught. The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught. Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can't see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) The teachers are curious about teaching to the test. B) Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students. C) Ability to read and write has nothing to do with ability to do well in tests. D) Preparations for a test of a skill do not mean the acquisition of that skill.
D
One Test for Graduate and Business School. Getting an advanced degree can create many opportunities. The GRE revised General Test--the most widely accepted graduate admission test worldwide--can bring you one step closer to achieving your career goals. There has never been a better time to take the test that gives you more opportunities for your future. The GRE revised General Test features question types that closely reflect the kind of thinking you'll do in graduate or business school. Who Takes It? Prospective graduate and business school applicants from all around the world who are interested in pursuing a master's , MBA, specialized master's in business or doctoral degree take the GRE revised General Test. Applicants come from varying educational and cultural backgrounds and the GRE revised General Test provides a common measure for comparing candidates' qualifications. GRE scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement your undergraduate records, recommendation letters and other qualifications for graduatelevel study. When and Where Do People Take It? The GRE revised General Test is available at more than 700 test centers in more than 160 countries. In most regions of the world, the computerdelivered test is available on a continuous basis throughout the year. In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, the computerdelivered test is available one to two times per month. In areas of the world where computerdelivered testing is not available, the paperdelivered test is available up to three times a year in October, November and February. Who Accepts It? The GRE revised General Test is accepted at thousands of graduate and business schools as well as departments and divisions within these schools. What is the purpose of this passage? A) To sell test papers. B) To introduce a kind of test. C) To get new students for schools. D) To compare two kinds of tests.
B
Q: As a palace, the Tower of London.was a great place to live.As a prison, it, wasn't so nice ----especially since so many prisoners lost their heads.Today tourists can explore 5the Tower in the United Kingdom.Here are some reasons why the Tower was and still is a cool place. Ravens are like superheroes. Well, sort of.Legend says if the ravens that live on the Tower grounds ever leave, the Tower will fall apart.No one knows when the ravens first showed up, but Charles II took the legend so seriously that in the 1670s he gave an official order that six ravens be kept there all the time.Today there are still always six. You might have lived at a zoo. In 1204, King John kept a collection of animals, including lions and elephants.About 50 years later, King Henry III received a polar bear.the bear was kept on a piece of rope so it could fish from the Thames River that flows by the Tower. If you lived at the Tower today, your mom or dad might be in charge. The 35 Yeoman Warders and their families are among the few still allowed to live at the Tower.Established in 1509 a;? bodyguards! for the king, today they give tours and manage the day-to-day details of the Tower.They're called "beefeaters," possibly because their job once allowed them to eat beef from the king's; table. You need a secret password at night. Called the "Word," the password changes every 24 hours and is a must-have to enter the Tower after hours.It's written on a piece of paper and delivered to the Yeoman on duty for, the night. You could find buried gold. In 1662, a goldsmith named John Barfcstead supposedly hid more than $40,000 worth of stolen gold somewhere on.the Tower grounds.Many have searched for the gold, but it has never been found. Which of the following is TRUE about the Tower of London? A) King Henry III kept lions and elephants in it. B) It stands on the bank of the Thames River. C) Nobody is allowed to enter it at night. D) It is also used as a prison nowadays.
A: B
*Question*
Students who work during term time to support themselves at university are far more likely to graduate with a poor degree, according to a government-funded study published yesterday. Undergraduates with part-time jobs are a third less likely to get a first or upper second-class degree than other students, harming their career chances. Students from the poorest backgrounds were most likely to take jobs during term because they could not depend on help from their parents. The report, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, also found a clear relation between fear of debt and employment in non-graduate jobs. Students from poorer backgrounds are known to be more unwilling to be in debt than those from middle class families. The study of 8,600 people who graduated in 1999 was made by Peter Elias, of Warwick University, and Kate Purcell, from Bristol Business School. They found that twice as many first-class degrees were awarded to students who did not work during term compared with those who did. Between 35 and 38 percent who worked during term achieved a lower second, compared with about 28 percent of those who did not. Professor Elias said that the increase in school fees next year to PS3,000 would have to be monitored carefully for its effect on poorer students. "Higher education is going to be a harder struggle for those who do not come with all the advantages," he said. He suggested that universities could get in touch with employers to provide work experience on good salaries to choose students during holidays, so that they did not have to work during term. Why did lots of students take term-jobs at university? A) No one would lend them money to continue their study. B) They wanted to improve themselves by taking part-time jobs, C) Their families were poor and couldn't afford the high expense. D) They thought earning money was more important than studying.
**Answer**
C