考试恐惧症

　　Writing (图画提纲式议论文)

　　Directions: Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should first describe the drawing, then interpret its meaning, and give your comment on it.

　　"考试恐惧症"

　　范文　

　　Testing students by examinations has long been regarded as a reliable way to assess students’ competence. But disproportionate emphasis on examinations has brought about terrible results. As is depicted in the picture, a schoolboy, frightened to death by examinations, huddles himself up under a desk, refusing to go to school. His parents are trying to comfort him, saying "Come out, there are no examinations today."

　　This drawing implies the harmful effect of examinations on children’s psyche. On the one hand, teachers tend to make use of different kinds of testing to force students to work hard at school. On the other hand, most parents think that school records are the sole criterion for judging the quality of a child’s work. It often happens that a child is punished heavily by his parents just because he does not do well in one examination or another. Therefore, pupils are extremely afraid of taking examinations.

　　As far as I’m concerned, examinations are an effective form of assessment if properly used. But teachers and parents should encourage pupils to concentrate on what they do well at school. And schools have an important duty to try to fit a child’s interest to his possible future career. On no account should they reckon examination as the only means of stimulating pupils to pursue knowledge. (218 words)

　　参考作文地带整理译文：

　　通过考试来测试学生长期以来被认为是评估学生能力的可靠方法。可是不恰当的强调考试已经产生了可怕的后果。正如这幅画所描绘的，一个学童由于极度害怕考试躲在书桌底下缩成一团，不肯去上学。他的父母亲正在努力安慰他，告诉他说，"孩子，出来吧，今天没有考试。"

　　这幅画暗示了考试对儿童心灵的有害影响。一方面，老师们往往利用各种测试来迫使学在校努力学习。另一方面，许多家长认为学习成绩是评判孩子学习质量的惟一标准。常常发生这样的事：儿童由于在某次考试中没考好而受到家长的严厉惩罚。因此，学生十分害怕考试。

　　至于我，我认为，考试如果使用得当，是一种有效的评估形式。可是教师和家长有义务鼓励学生把精力集中在学校里学习得好的功课上。学校的一项重要职责是力图使学生的兴趣适合于他将来可能的工作。他们无论如何也不能把考试认为是激励学生学习知识的惟一手段。