The American War of Independence started in （）and ended in （）

A:1776，1784 B:1775，1783 C:1706，1714

The earliest evidence of standardized testing based on merit comes from China during the Han dynasty. The concept of a state ruled by men of ability and virtue was an outgrowth of Confucian philosophy. Standardized testing has not traditionally been a part of European pedagogy. Based on the skeptical and open-ended tradition of debate inherited from Ancient Greece, Western academia favored the essay. The use of standardized testing in the United States is a 20th century phenomenon with its origins in World War I.
One of the main advantages of standardized testing is that the results can be empirically documented ; therefore the test scores can be shown to have a relative degree of validity and reliability, as well as results which are generalizable and replicable. This is often contrasted with grades on a school transcript, which are assigned by individual teachers. Another advantage is aggregation. A well designed standardized test provides an assessment of an individual’s mastery of a domain of knowledge or skill which at some level of aggregation will provide useful information.
Though many educators recognize that standardized tests have a place in tools used to assess student achievement, critics feel that overuse and misuse of these tests is having serious negative consequences on teaching and learning. The temptation is to use the tests to define curriculum and focus instruction. What is not tested is not taught, and how the subject is tested becomes a model for how to teach the subject. Moreover, standardized test scores are problematic tools for school accountability because the examinee scores are influenced by three things: what kids learn in school, what kids learn outside of school, and innate intelligence. Critics believe this is not possible. While it is possible to use a standardized test and not let its limits control curriculum and instruction, this can result in a school putting itself at risk for producing lower test scores, with negative political consequences.
Some critics say that some children do not do well on standardized tests, despite mastery of the material, due to testing anxiety or lack of time management or test-taking skills. This reflects the fact that tests cannot directly measure student knowledge, only the ability of students to apply knowledge in a stressful situation.
Some parents are willing to pay thousands of dollars to prepare their children for tests, a financial barrier that may give children of more wealthy parents an advantage compared to less affluent families. However this criticism would probably apply even more to testing alternatives such as portfolios or essays. Many studies also show that test coaching has little effect on scores on well-buih tests. The ability of wealthy families to pay for higher-quality education is not specifically related to standardized testing.

The standardized testing is advantageous mainly because it is（）

A:effective and dependable B:flexible and general C:repetitive and responsive D:skeptical and open-ended

It is high time that such practices ______

A:are ended B:be ended C:were ended D:must be ended

Step 1: Use open-ended questions
For a conversation to flow well, it’s important to ask open questions, these often start with "how", "when", "why", etc. Try to avoid asking closed questions that can be answered with yes or no answer, because closed question tend to kill the conversation.
Step 2: Listen actively
People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute, but they can listen intelligently at up to 300 words per minute. Since only a part of our mind is paying attention. It is easy to go into mind drift—thinking about other things while listening to someone. The cure for this is active listening, which involves listening with a purpose.
Step 3: Create a "cocoon"
If you’re finding it particularly difficult to concentrate on what someone is saying, try to imagine a "cocoon" around you and the person you’re listening to. Imagine that the cocoon is blocking out all outside distractions (干扰), so you can really focus on what they are saying.
Step 4: Engage with the other person
When someone is trying to get your attention, or engage you in a conversation, don’t turn your back on them, or answer over your shoulder. Instead, tam and face them, engage with them. Good communication is when you really engage. When you are talking to people, observe your body language and your tone of voice. Remember to use gestures, look people in the eye and smile when you talk unless you are complaining about something.

What is the passage mainly about（　）

A:improvement in communication skills. B:open-ended questions vs. closed questions C:distractions and concentration D:mind drift and engaging in conversations

It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.
Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no limits. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or in a theatre. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a respected grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy (婴儿期) on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong (一生的) process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral (基本的) part of one’s entire life.
Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned (指定的) seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are words or an understanding of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling.
Education is different from schooling in that______.

A:the former is predictable while the latter is not B:the former is specific while the latter is not C:the former is a formalized process while the latter is not D:the former is more open-ended and all-inclusive than the latter

第二篇 Schooling and Education It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important. Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no limits. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or in a theatre. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a respected grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy (婴儿期) on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong (一生的) process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral (基本的) part of one’s entire life. Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned (指定的) seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are words or an understanding of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling. Education is different from schooling in that

A:the former is predictable while the latter is not. B:the former is specific while the latter is not. C:the former is a formalized process while the latter is not. D:the former is more open-ended and all-inclusive than the latter.