The World around Us. Любинская Н.А. - 4 стр.

                     Unit 1. The Truth about Testing
Lead in
Exams are formal tests of somebody’s knowledge and abilities in a particular
subject.
1.    Do you think exams are a perfect way of checking students’ competency?
2.    Are you always at your best at exams?
3.    Why do people often fail to show themselves to the best advantage during
      exams?

                              Take out your pencils…
       Responding to our Sept. 6 cover story on testing, many readers deplored
the emphasis schools place on standardized exams like the SAT. “Our world
needs more creative, curious and engaged thinkers, not more people who are
good at taking tests”, wrote one. “The test can never measure character traits
such as determination and a passion for learning”, warned another. Still, one
correspondent argued that “social mobility is greater with testing than without
it.” One letter took that thought a step further, suggesting that if U.S. leadership
is based on meritocracy, “rather than hounding presidential candidates about
past drug use, we should require them to reveal their SAT scores.”
       Compliments for showing how dangerous these new standardized tests
are. As a former English teacher who quit rather than “teach for the tests,” I ap-
plaud students who refuse to take these exams. Education officials need to find
an alternative fast, before our kids grow up with no idea how to think without a
No. 2 pencil and a multiple-choice bubble sheet.
                                                                    Jennifer A. Ellis

       Twice in my more than 30-year teaching career, I’ve seen the educational
pendulum swing toward testing. Sure, we can and will adapt so that all of our
kids will be “above average.” But a test-driven curriculum saddens me because
that’s all it is. The challenge for teachers of the 21st century is to provide mas-
tery of those necessary test-taking skills without losing sight of our deeper mis-
sion. To me, the real work of teaching is to help youngsters discover their
strengths, to demonstrate the value of cooperation and to model empathy,
imagination and tolerance. After parenting, teaching is the most important thing
we can do for the well-being of everyone on this planet.
                                                                    Judith M.Halley

      Peter Jennings never finished high school. Eugene O’Neill and John
Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in Literature without finishing college. Bill Gates
never finished college either. All you need to “succeed” is discipline, drive, de-


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