Essay is optional and no penalties(處罰) for wrong answers. These changes will take place in SAT college exam. The changes include the use of some words more commonly used in school and on the job instead of the words such as “prevaricator” and “sagacious”.

College Board officials said the change is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward. The new exam will be rolled out in 2016, so this year’s ninth graders will be the first to take it, in their junior year. The new SAT will continue to test reading, writing and math skills, with an emphasis on analysis. Scoring will return to a 1,600-point scale last used in 2004, with a separate score for the optional essay. For the first time, students will have the option of taking the test on computers.

They also said many students who are terrified they will be tested on lots of SAT words currently can ask for help: practicing with flashcards. They know flashcards are not the best way to build real word knowledge that lasts, but when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road. Students stop reading and start flipping.

The essay will be changed in other ways, too. It will measure students’ ability to analyze and explain how an author builds an argument and it will also be up to colleges whether the essay will be required. Each exam will include a passage drawn from “founding documents”: such as the Declaration of Independence or from discussions they’ve inspired. Instead of testing a wide range of math concepts, the new exam will focus on a few areas, like algebra, thought to be most needed for college and life afterward. A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions, instead of on the entire math portion(部分).

Jim Rawlins, the director of admissions at the University of Oregon, said the changes will potentially help the students but it will take a few years to know its influence, after the students go on to college. He said some colleges are still dealing with questions about the changes made in 2005, such as how to consider the essay portion. The criticism of the SAT is that students from wealthier families do better on the exam because they can afford expensive test preparation classes.

The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students. It has historically been more popular on the coasts, while the other main standardized college entrance exam, the ACT, dominated the central U.S. The ACT took over the SAT in total use in 2012, partly because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of those states’ testing scheme(方案).

ACT president Jon Erickson said when hearing of the SAT changes, his reaction was that they could’ve been talking about the ACT now. “I didn’t hear anything new and different, so I was a little left wanting, at least at the end of this first announcement,” Erickson said .

Bob Schaeffer, education director at the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, said it is laudable(值得稱道的) that the SAT will provide free test preparation, but it is unlikely to make a dent in the market for such preparation. He also said the new test is unlikely to be better than the current one. His organization has a database with institutions that don't require ACT or SAT scores to make admissions decisions.

1.We can learn from the third paragraph that flashcards_________.

A. will become the only way to test words

B. can help students get ready for SAT words

C. can help students memorize the words forever

D. are the best way for the students to get high scores

2.SAT exams will be less required in 2016 with the purpose of _________.

A. getting more students interested in the entrance exam

B. making it easier for students to be admitted into colleges

C. offering chances for the students to be tested on every subject

D. testing the students better on the knowledge and skills they’ve learnt

3.The change in the 2016’s SAT college entrance exam include the following EXCEPT that _________.

A. students will use calculators if they get stuck in certain math questions

B. some words that are uncommonly used won’t appear in the exam

C. students will be given the chance to take the test on computers

D. students will be tested on a wide range of math concepts

4.According to Jim Rawlins, _________.

A. the changes are mainly aimed at students from the rich family

B. the changes will force students to give up writing essay

C. the changes will probably have some bad influence

D. the changes will be of no benefit to students

5.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the ACT ?

A. It is more popular in the coastal cities.

B. More than 1.7 million students took it last year.

C. Jon Erickson felt worried about the SAT changes.

D. It has been the most popular college entrance exam so far.

 

1.B

2.D

3.D

4.C

5.D

【解析】

試題分析：文章介紹了兩種不同的美國(guó)大學(xué)入學(xué)考試--SAT和ACT。SAT是美國(guó)學(xué)術(shù)能力評(píng)估測(cè)驗(yàn)的簡(jiǎn)稱，相當(dāng)于美國(guó)的“高考”。SAT考試出現(xiàn)了一些變化，寫作變?yōu)檫x測(cè)項(xiàng)，一些生僻的詞匯將會(huì)被高中所學(xué)的詞取代，這樣有助于檢測(cè)學(xué)生在高中階段學(xué)到的知識(shí)和掌握的技能。

1.can ask for help: practicing with flashcards...but when the SAT rolls around they become the royal road”可知，學(xué)生可以使用flashcards來(lái)幫助他們練習(xí)SAT詞匯，故選B。

2.the change is needed to make the exam better representative of what students study in high school and the skills they need to succeed in college and afterward.”可知，對(duì)SAT作出的一些改變是為了更好地測(cè)試學(xué)生在高中所學(xué)的知識(shí)和技能，故選D。

3.The changes include the use of some words more commonly used in school...”可知，一些生僻的詞匯不會(huì)出現(xiàn)在考試中，排除B；根據(jù)第二段“students will have the option of taking the test on computers”可知，學(xué)生可以選擇是否參加網(wǎng)考，排除C；根據(jù)第四段最后“A calculator will be allowed only on certain math questions”可知，一些特定的數(shù)學(xué)題可以使用計(jì)算器，排除A；故選D。

4.because they can afford expensive test preparation classes”可知，富人家的孩子上得起輔導(dǎo)課，言外之意是一般家庭的孩子上不起，說(shuō)明這些變化并非針對(duì)富家子弟，排除A；根據(jù)倒數(shù)第四段“the changes will potentially help the students”可排除D，根據(jù)第一段“Essay is optional and no penalties(處罰) for wrong answers. ”可知，作文的要求降低了，這不可能迫使學(xué)生放棄寫作，排除B，故選C。

5.The SAT was taken last year by 1.7 million students.”排除B；根據(jù)倒數(shù)第三段“the ACT, dominated the central U.S”排除B；根據(jù)倒數(shù)第二段“I didn’t hear anything new and different”可知，Jon Erickson認(rèn)為這些變化沒(méi)有新意，排除C；根據(jù)倒數(shù)第三段“The ACT took over the SAT in total use in 2012, partly because it is taken by almost every junior in 13 states as part of those states’ testing scheme(方案).”可知，ACT在2012年超過(guò)了SAT，成為主流的大學(xué)入學(xué)考試，故選D。

考點(diǎn)：教育類短文閱讀

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