My Views on Examination
　　Nowadays the examination is used as a chief means of deciding whether a student succeeds or fails in mastering a particular subject in most colleges and universities. Although it is efficient, its side effects are also enormous.
　　On the one hand, examinations lower the standards of teaching. Since teachers are often judged by examination results, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques. No subjects can be taught successfully with intent to take examinations. On the other hand, the most undesirable effect is that examinations encourage bad study habits. As the examination score is the only criterion for his academic performance, a student is driven to memorize mechanically rather than to think creatively.
　　In fact, few of us admit that examinations can contribute anything really important to the students' academic development. If that is the case, why cannot we make a change and devise something more efficient and reliable than examinations?                 (153 words)

chief  adj. 主要的
master  v. 掌握
side effect 副作用
enormous  adj. 巨大的
intent  n. 意图，意向
undesirable  adj. 不良的
criterion  n. 标准
mechanically  adv. 机械地
creatively  adv. 创造性地
contribute  to 为......作贡献
devise  v. 设计
reliable  adj. 可靠的



Fortune never helps the man whose courage fails.
幸运从来不帮助没勇气的人。
--Sophocles  索福克勒斯

我对考试的看法
　　现在在大多数学院和大学，考试是被用来衡量学生在学习某门课程上是成功还是失败的主要方法。虽然这很有效，但它也有很大的副作用。
　　一方面，考试降低了教学标准。由于经常通过考试成绩来评判老师，他们就会降低要求至只训练学生的考试技巧。以参加考试为目标的话，没有课程能被成功地教授。另一方面，最有害的影响就是，老师助长了学生不好的学习习惯。由于考试成绩是评断他学习表现的唯一标准，学生被迫机械地记忆，而不是进行创造性的思考。
　　事实上，我们中很少有人承认考试对学生学业的发展有任何真正重要的作用。如果真的是这样的话，为什么我们不做个改变，设计出一些比考试更有效更可靠的东西呢？

1. Nowadays the examination is used as a chief means of deciding whether a student succeeds or fails in mastering a particular subject in most colleges and universities. 现在在大多数学院和大学，考试是被用来衡量学生在学习某门课程上是成功还是失败的主要方法。
2. As the examination score is the only criterion for his academic performance, a student is driven to memorize mechanically rather than to think creatively. 由于考试成绩是评断他学习表现的唯一标准，学生被迫机械地记忆，而不是进行创造性的思考。
3. In fact, few of us admit that examinations can contribute anything really important to the students' academic development. 事实上，我们中很少有人承认考试对学生学业的发展有任何真正重要的作。