The Gaokao Exam, 1

 
 
 

Vocabulary

 

annual	ticket (2)	know/knew/known
wrap	score (2)	wrap up (2)
have to	study up	college entrance exam
detail	join (3)	take/took/taken (2)
glad	overstate	pressure (2)
initial	over (3)	ride/rode/ridden (2)
face (2)	battle (2)	mainstream
fate	perceive	consulting
CEO	based in	subject (2)
criteria	fascinated	get/got/got
solely	cover (2)	determine
plus	get into	go/went/gone (2)
essay	dream (3)	current (3)
topic	admission	background
values	cheat (3)	occasionally
ideals	resort (2)	make/made/made
intense	report (2)	transcript (2)
arrest	clean (2)	standard (2)
source	drone (2)	comprehensive
detect	firm (2)	wide/wider/widest
deploy	stump (2)	make sense
aim (2)	signal (2)	recommendation
set (2)	criticism	say/said/said
CEO	level (2)	dimensional
strict	raise (3)	accomplish
status	consider	move toward
include	applicant	approach (2)
look at	apply (2)	investigate
try	right (5)	hear/heard/heard
rap (2)	rigorous	chance (2)
abroad	example	set example
hero	sense (2)	write/wrote/written
search	matter (2)	spend/spent/spent (2)
test (2)	cloudy (2)	old/older/oldest
look at	respond	cookie cutter

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Mike, News Anchor: “In China there’s generally only one ticket into a top university: good scores in the national college entrance exam, known as the Gaokao.

Students are wrapping up the annual exams now, as CCTVs Jim Spellman has been studying up. He joins us with details.

Can you pass?”

Jim, Reporter: “Haha. Absolutely not. I’m really glad I don’t have to take tests like this anymore. Mike, it’s hard to overstate the pressure these students face with so much riding on this one test.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 
After months, sometimes years of studying, nearly nine-and-a-half million high school students in China are finishing the most important test of their lives: the Gaokao, often called the battle to determine fate.

Terry Crawford is CEO of Initial View, an education consulting firm based in Beijing.

Terry Crawford, CEO, Initial View: “It’s kind of a one chance that everyone gets to get into college of their dreams.”

Most Chinese colleges base admissions almost solely on the Gaokao. The test covers subjects like science and math, plus essay questions.

Sun Liquan, Teacher: “The topic of this year goes with the current background and national mainstream cultural values.”

The pressure is so intense that occasionally test takers resort to cheating. Several arrests have been made this year. This drone was deployed to detect electronic signals that may be used by cheaters.

Test Administrator: “The drone will report to us when detecting an unusual signal. Based on those reports we can search the source of the signals and who is aiming to cheat during exams.”

In the US the system is different: students take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. But colleges usually consider a wider set of criteria.

Terry Crawford, CEO, Initial View: “Well, they matter a lot. Many people would say, no we look at your essays we look at your transcript we look at your teachers your recommendations from teachers.

So it’s not it’s not the end of everything if you don’t do well on it.”

The Gaokao has faced criticism for being too strict and one-dimensional. But Crawford says the test creates a level playing field.

Terry Crawford, CEO, Initial View: “It’s raised the education status of a whole country. And that’s something that has accomplished well.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 
Jim, Reporter: “Some colleges in China are moving towards a more comprehensive approach to college admissions to include interviews with the applicants, things like that. But those students will still have to take the Goakoa.

Now Mike, I’ve been investigating this exam and looking at some of the questions. I’m not even going to try the math or science questions — I know neither of us we get any of them right.

But you know one of the raps on Chinese education, something that you hear, one of the reasons why Chinese students sometimes go abroad is it’s too rigorous, based on these standardized tests math sciences.”

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .

 
Jim, Reporter: “But I was really fascinated by some of these essay exams. Let me read a few of the topics for an essay.

First off: “There are numerous heroes in Chinese history who set examples. Please write an essay with the title, ‘If I were given a chance to spend a day with my hero.’”

Okay that makes sense.

Check this one out: “Two fish are swimming in a river. The older one asks ‘How’s the water?’ The younger one says, ‘I don’t know if it’s clean or cloudy.’ Write an essay.”

So to me these are anything but cookie cutter questions. And I’m fascinated that these are some of the topics for the essays. I don’t know how I would respond to to it to either of these essays.

But I may have a better chance than with some of the science and math.”

Mike, News Anchor: “I don’t think the drones out there for that second question; that one’s got to come up here.”

I’m much a much more interesting exam that I think we may perceive it to be here in the United States. I’d be stumped on all of it.”

Mike, News Anchor: “I’m not sure how I’d answer that essay question. Thank you Jim.”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

Questions

Games. In China, students must only have excellent grades to enter university. True or false?

Songs, Singing. Do only a few, top high-school students take the Gaokao exam?

Art, Drawing, Painting. Is the Gaokao exam minor, important or very important? Why do students want to ace (have top marks on) the Gaokao?

ABC. Only Chinese are involved in the development of and preparation for the Gaokao. Is this right or wrong?

Children’s Stories. When taking the Gaokao, are all students completely honest?

Reading and Writing. In the Gaokao exam, students must answer questions on history, literature, social studies, art and geography. Is this correct or incorrect?

PE, Physical Education. Does everyone think the Gaokao examination is perfect, ideal and flawless?

Math, Mathematics, Arithmetic. Are the exam questions easy and straightforward?
 
 
 
Science. My classmates and I have to take quizzes, tests and exams. Yes or no?

Social Studies, Sociology. Describe your exams. What are these quizzes, tests and exams like?

Chemistry. What do students think about exams? Do students like taking exams?

Biology. How do young people enter university? How do universities accept applicants?

Physics. How do you think universities should admit new students? How should universities accept new students?

Classical Literature. What might happen in the future?

Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry. Should schools and universities change or reform? If yes, what should schools and universities do? What could people do?