英語四級考試巔峰閱讀訓練

　　The standardized educational or psychological tests, which are widely used to aid in selecting, assigning or promoting students, employees and military personnel, have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, and even in Congress. The target is wrong, for, in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informed or incompetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or even misleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user.

　　All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance. How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that the information available is always incomplete and that the predictions are always subject to error.

　　Standardized tests should be considered in this context: they provide a quick, objective method of getting some kind of information about what a person has learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information so obtained has, qualitatively, the same advantages and shortcomings as other kinds of information. Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the empirical evidence concerning comparative validity and upon such factors as cost and availability.

　　In general, the tests work most effectively when the traits or qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicted cannot be well defined, for example, personality or creativity. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of getting comparable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previously recognized.

　　1. In this passage, the author is primarily concerned with _________.

　　A. the necessity of standardized tests

　　B. the validity of standardized tests

　　C. the method used in interpreting the results of standardized tests.

　　D. the theoretical grounds of standardized tests.

　　2. We can infer from the passage that _______.

　　A. standardized tests should no longer be used.

　　B. results of standardized tests accurately reflect the abilities of the testees

　　C. the value of standardized tests lies in their proper interpretation

　　D. special methods must be applied to the result of standardized tests.

　　3. The word empirical most probably means ___________

　　A. theoretical

　　B. critical

　　C. indisputable

　　D. experiential

　　4. According to the passage, standardized tests work work most effectively when ____________.

　　A. the user knows how to interpret the results in advance.

　　B. the objectives are most clearly defined.

　　C. the persons who take the test are intelligent or skillful.

　　D. they measure the traits or qualities of the tests

　　5. The authors attitude toward standardized tests could be described as _______.

　　A. positive

　　B. critical

　　C. prejudiced

　　D. indifferent.

　　答案：DDDBA

　　解題思路

　　1 選D。主旨大意題。第一段是給出話題，作為主題內容的第二、三段都是對標準花測試的理論基礎的介紹。

　　2 選D。推理判斷題。第二段提到，要進行準確預測必須有兩個條件，一個是獲得的信息本身，另一個是對所獲得的信息進行分析。所以對于標準化測試所獲得的信息，也必須使用特殊的方法進行分析。因此D正確。原文中，作者是反對抨擊標準化考試的。因此A標準化考試不應再使用可排除。測試結果是否有效，取決與很多因素，B過于絕對。標準化測試的價值在于它的快速和客觀性，所以C錯誤。

　　3 選D。語意理解題。前句提到通過標準化測試所獲得的信息與其他信息一樣有缺點，也有優點。那么到底采用哪種信息，就應該根據以往實際應用效果為依據的意見。 D正是。ABC分別是：理論上的，緊要的，無可爭辯的。

　　4 選B。事實細節題。文章最后一段提到，當所要測定的特性能被很準確地界定時，測試最為有效。

　　5 選A。 觀點態度題。文章第一段中作者就提出不應該抨擊標準化考試;弊病不在測試本身，而在使用者。最后提出如果使用得當，標準化考試能為人民提供游泳的比較信息。綜上所述，可知作為對標準化測試是持肯定態度的。ABCD分別為：肯定的，批評的，有偏見的，不關心的。

　　全文翻譯

　　標準化的教育或心理測試，目前廣泛應用與對學生、員工和軍事人員的篩選、分配或晉升工作。不過它近來成了各種圖書、雜志、日報甚至議會的抨擊對象。他們的抨擊目標選錯了，因為在抨擊這類測試時，批評者沒有注意到，測試的弊病來自人們對測試不太了解或使用不當。測試本身只是一個工具。其結果是否有價值，是否無意義或者是否產生誤導，除了取決于測試本身，主要取決于使用測試的人。

　　所有對未來表現的準確推測都基于對過去恩德相關表現的了解。這些測試在多大程度上會被后來的表現所證實，取決于預測所采用信息的量、可靠性和相關性，以及對這些信息進行分析所需要的技能和才智。一個謹慎的人都會知道，可用的信息總是不夠全面的，而那些推測也總會有出錯的地方。

　　要對標準化測試進行評價，首先就應該知道，這種測試提供的是一種迅速而客觀地獲取一個人的學識，技能或個人品質的相關信息的方法。所獲得的信息，從質量上來講，與其他信息一樣，既有缺點也有優點。因此在某一特定情況下，究竟是采用測試還是其他種類的信息，或是兩者兼用，須憑關于相對效度的經驗依據而定，還取決于諸如費用和實用性等因素。

　　一般而言，當所要測定的特性能被準確的界定時，測試效果會非常好，而當所要測定或預測的東西不能被準確地界定時，測試效果會非常差。只要使用得當，這種測試是獲得很多人的可比較信息的快捷方法，有時候還能夠發現一些之前沒有發現的潛力很大的大學生。

　　The standardized educational or psychological tests, which are widely used to aid in selecting, assigning or promoting students, employees and military personnel, have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, and even in Congress. The target is wrong, for, in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informed or incompetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or even misleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user.

　　All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance. How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that the information available is always incomplete and that the predictions are always subject to error.

　　Standardized tests should be considered in this context: they provide a quick, objective method of getting some kind of information about what a person has learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information so obtained has, qualitatively, the same advantages and shortcomings as other kinds of information. Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the empirical evidence concerning comparative validity and upon such factors as cost and availability.

　　In general, the tests work most effectively when the traits or qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicted cannot be well defined, for example, personality or creativity. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of getting comparable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previously recognized.

　　1. In this passage, the author is primarily concerned with _________.

　　A. the necessity of standardized tests

　　B. the validity of standardized tests

　　C. the method used in interpreting the results of standardized tests.

　　D. the theoretical grounds of standardized tests.

　　2. We can infer from the passage that _______.

　　A. standardized tests should no longer be used.

　　B. results of standardized tests accurately reflect the abilities of the testees

　　C. the value of standardized tests lies in their proper interpretation

　　D. special methods must be applied to the result of standardized tests.

　　3. The word empirical most probably means ___________

　　A. theoretical

　　B. critical

　　C. indisputable

　　D. experiential

　　4. According to the passage, standardized tests work work most effectively when ____________.

　　A. the user knows how to interpret the results in advance.

　　B. the objectives are most clearly defined.

　　C. the persons who take the test are intelligent or skillful.

　　D. they measure the traits or qualities of the tests

　　5. The authors attitude toward standardized tests could be described as _______.

　　A. positive

　　B. critical

　　C. prejudiced

　　D. indifferent.

　　答案：DDDBA

　　解題思路

　　1 選D。主旨大意題。第一段是給出話題，作為主題內容的第二、三段都是對標準花測試的理論基礎的介紹。

　　2 選D。推理判斷題。第二段提到，要進行準確預測必須有兩個條件，一個是獲得的信息本身，另一個是對所獲得的信息進行分析。所以對于標準化測試所獲得的信息，也必須使用特殊的方法進行分析。因此D正確。原文中，作者是反對抨擊標準化考試的。因此A標準化考試不應再使用可排除。測試結果是否有效，取決與很多因素，B過于絕對。標準化測試的價值在于它的快速和客觀性，所以C錯誤。

　　3 選D。語意理解題。前句提到通過標準化測試所獲得的信息與其他信息一樣有缺點，也有優點。那么到底采用哪種信息，就應該根據以往實際應用效果為依據的意見。 D正是。ABC分別是：理論上的，緊要的，無可爭辯的。

　　4 選B。事實細節題。文章最后一段提到，當所要測定的特性能被很準確地界定時，測試最為有效。

　　5 選A。 觀點態度題。文章第一段中作者就提出不應該抨擊標準化考試;弊病不在測試本身，而在使用者。最后提出如果使用得當，標準化考試能為人民提供游泳的比較信息。綜上所述，可知作為對標準化測試是持肯定態度的。ABCD分別為：肯定的，批評的，有偏見的，不關心的。

　　全文翻譯

　　標準化的教育或心理測試，目前廣泛應用與對學生、員工和軍事人員的篩選、分配或晉升工作。不過它近來成了各種圖書、雜志、日報甚至議會的抨擊對象。他們的抨擊目標選錯了，因為在抨擊這類測試時，批評者沒有注意到，測試的弊病來自人們對測試不太了解或使用不當。測試本身只是一個工具。其結果是否有價值，是否無意義或者是否產生誤導，除了取決于測試本身，主要取決于使用測試的人。

　　所有對未來表現的準確推測都基于對過去恩德相關表現的了解。這些測試在多大程度上會被后來的表現所證實，取決于預測所采用信息的量、可靠性和相關性，以及對這些信息進行分析所需要的技能和才智。一個謹慎的人都會知道，可用的信息總是不夠全面的，而那些推測也總會有出錯的地方。

　　要對標準化測試進行評價，首先就應該知道，這種測試提供的是一種迅速而客觀地獲取一個人的學識，技能或個人品質的相關信息的方法。所獲得的信息，從質量上來講，與其他信息一樣，既有缺點也有優點。因此在某一特定情況下，究竟是采用測試還是其他種類的信息，或是兩者兼用，須憑關于相對效度的經驗依據而定，還取決于諸如費用和實用性等因素。

　　一般而言，當所要測定的特性能被準確的界定時，測試效果會非常好，而當所要測定或預測的東西不能被準確地界定時，測試效果會非常差。只要使用得當，這種測試是獲得很多人的可比較信息的快捷方法，有時候還能夠發現一些之前沒有發現的潛力很大的大學生。