解析新SAT八大改革.docx

同学，你怎么看新SAT八大变革（可分上中下）针对SAT考试内容上的八大变革，本文结合中国学生的实际进行解读，不出意外应该不会摧毁考生的自信，毕竟，刚刚改革，CB不敢乱来的吧，吧，吧。英文部分嫌长请自行略过The New SAT Key Content Changes他们说：SAT questions focus on skills that matter most for college readiness and success, according to the latest research.什么意思：正如先前分析，新SAT改革的重心在加强考试和大学要求的联系，所以变革都围绕此展开。这里提到的skills（技术）很大程度上指的是写学术论文和进行研究的能力。我们怎么看：这是College Board彰显其社会责任感的说辞，跟我们关系不大。Words in Context他们说：Many questions on the new SAT focus on important, widely used words and phrases found in texts in many different subjects. Some questions ask you to figure out a words meaning based on context. The words are ones that you will probably encounter in college or in the workplace long after test day.No longer will students use flashcards to memorize obscure words, only to forget them the minute they put their test pencils down. The redesigned exams will engage students in close reading and honor the best work of the classroom.什么意思：这里第一段主要说新SAT会主要考察一个单词在特定语境下的意义（通常都直接以单词题的形式出现），而这些词都会在日后的大学和工作中用到。第二段就在反省之前考了太多学生一走出考场就会忘精光的晦涩词语（原来他们是知道的）。在一份更为详细的说明中，CB这里用的标题是Relevant Words，relevant不仅仅说这些词在将来能派上用场，而且也暗示它们的意思跟所处的上下文语境相关。我们怎么看：其实新题型并没有那么新，现行SAT的阅读中的单词词考查的就是上下文，比如entertain除了娱乐还有包容（harbor）的意思，file除了文件还有记录（record）的意思等等。CB辩称以往的单词题语境过于limited，其实也只是针对填空而言填空本质上是跟无关语境的，它考察的就是赤裸裸的记忆力。因此，好消息是那些平日里读了很多原著的小伙伴终于读有所用，毕竟Contextual Vocabulary归根结底考察的是读懂文章的能力，坏消息则是美国小孩儿读的总会更多“一点”。而那些准备通过一个月啃完单词书N遍碾压美国人的“背霸”们，还是乖乖去读书吧。变革指数：难度指数：Command of Evidence他们说：The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the SAT Essay ask you to interpret, synthesize, and use evidence found in a wide range of sources. These sources include informational graphics, such as tables, charts, and graphs, as well as multiparagraph passages in the areas of literature and literary nonfiction, the humanities, science, history and social studies, and on topics about work and career.For every passage or pair of passages youll see during the Reading Test, at least one question will ask you to identify which part of the text best supports the answer to the previous question. In other instances, youll be asked to find the best answer to a question by pulling together information conveyed in words and graphics.The Writing and Language Testalso focuses on command of evidence; The SAT Essay also tests command of evidence. After reading a passage.什么意思：Evidence-based Question是此次SAT改革中最核心的变化，也是SAT早先出版的详解里提及最多的词组（对，所以才这么长orz）。第一段说明这类题型的主要考察学生从材料（sources）中分析、综合和举证的能力，强调了sources的呈现方式可以是图表表格，也可以是一篇文章多个段落；而二三四段讲得是其具体会在阅读语法和作文中怎样出现。阅读中多为举证和读图，语法中为判断句子段落是否合理和结合图标编辑文章，而写作中则是分析其他人是如何通过举证说明论点的。我们怎么看：虽然写作的变革最大最根本，但是因为会单独说，这里我们先把目光放在阅读和语法上面。图表题自身是不太带国别属性的，读图能力强的中国学生读英文图表也很容易，不管是阅读中的读图找对应信息还是语法里面的根据图表编辑文章都互手到擒来；反之同理，所以那些平时看到图表就头疼的小伙伴么该努力爱一下了毕竟，这是今后大学和工作都比较需要的硬本领。如图，新SAT大概会问的问题有，“根据图表和文章，Little Ice Age什么时候开始的？”，抑或“结合作者插入的这个图表，一下哪个论述是切图的？”文章嫌长可删此处下划线段文字举证题基本上都是成对出现，先是很正常的信息题，然后再回答，“哪几行文字让我决定这么选”。大多数时候我们的学生在选对一道题目的时候，都是有据可循的，我们中国学生凭借语感蒙对的情况并不算多。所以这类问题基本山是买一送一。有两个例外：一是部分学神读文章速度快记性好，很多题目都不需要回到原文就能分析出答案，做新SAT就要辛苦一下回头看看，少节约点时间；第二自然就是第一题都做不对，那么基本上就是连着跪了。有人会说举证题的第一题跟以往不一样的是不在文章中给行数了，我的回复是，第二个不是给你现成的线索了么？变革指数： 难度指数：Essay Analyzing a Source他们说：The redesigned SAT Essay asks you to read a passage and explain how an author builds an argument to persuade an audience. This task closely mirrors college writing assignments because it is asking you to analyze how the author used evidence, reasoning, and stylistic and persuasive elements.什么意思：新的SAT作文要求学生读一篇文章（通常来自美国主流媒体热门话题，700字以上），解释分析该文章作者是如何论述他的观点说服听众的。这也符合CB此次改革的愿景原来的SAT文章形式（说说观点，举举例子）跟大学学术论文的要求完全不是一个概念。在新的SAT作文部分，学生需要仔细分析作者如何引用证据，讲道理甚至采取怎样的风格和其他元素。我们怎么看：天哪噜，大老虎来了文章读起来都困难，还要看写作风格？！冷静一下，我们好好看看CB为什么要这么针对美国的海外金主么。首先，一个特别好的消息是作文部分是选考（optional）的。先别欢呼雀跃，常青藤联盟为首的名校都需要学生的作文成绩的（那些志不在此的小伙伴们可以跳到下一条了）。然后，让我们带着虔诚和敬畏端详一下新SAT作文。考生有50分钟时间读完700多字的文章，写一篇分析，最终的分数分为阅读，分析和写作三个部分，各2到8分。对于中国学生难点应该集中在分析和写作，我们的逻辑分析并不是占优势，再加上若干年的语文阅读理解题的“陶冶”，我们在这方面还是需要下苦功的；而写作（包括语法、用词、组织等等）理所应当是我们的最短板，学生们一般都需要大量的练习才能写出流畅的文章来。变革指数：难度指数：Math that Matters Most他们说：The Math Test focuses in-depth on three essential areas of math: Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Heart of Algebra, and Passport to Advanced Math.Problem Solving and Data Analysis is about being quantitatively literate. It includes using ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts.The Heart of Algebra focuses on the mastery of linear equations and systems, which helps students develop key powers of abstraction.Passport to Advanced Math focuses on more complex equations and the manipulation they require.Current research shows that these areas are used disproportionately in a wide range of majors and careers. The redesigned SAT also includes questions on other topics in math, including the kinds of geometric and trigonometric skills that are most relevant to college and careers.什么意思：以前的数学考试包括算数，代数，几何和统计，考得都比较浅显。现在的关注点主要有三：代数基础，高阶数学入门类包括复杂方程等，和应用题。数学部分还会增添一些比较有用的题目如三角函数等。简而言之，以前的数学要么太简单，要么跟大学太没关联，而现在更专门更实际。我们怎么看：这131个英文单词我们中国学生应该浓缩成两个词看：“我全会做”和“应用题”。复杂方程和三角函数等应该会让一些美国学生吃亏，一些考题不许用计算器对中国学生来说应该也不是什么大事，然而，应用题的横空出世再次敲响了警钟：新的SAT数学题平均每题51个单词（先行的是27），而考试时间并没有显著增加，对，这就是赤裸裸地把阅读放在数学里面，这就是在赤裸裸地增加native speaker的优势。当然了，根据笔者目前为止的新SAT做题经验，对很多数学好的学生来说，读懂数学题往往并不需要读完51个单词，你去试试就了解啦。变革指数：难度指数：Problems Grounded in Real-World Contexts他们说：Throughout the SAT, youll be asked questions grounded in the real world, directly related to work performed in college and career.The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section includes questions on literature and literary nonfiction, but also features charts, graphs, and passages like the ones students are likely to encounter in science, social science, and other majors and careers.Questions on the Writing and Language Test ask you to do more than correct errors; they ask you to edit, revise, and improve texts from the humanities, history, social science, science, and career contexts.The Math section features multistep applications to solve problems in science, social science, career scenarios, and other real-life situations. The test sets up a scenario and asks several questions that give you the opportunity to dig in and model it mathematically.什么意思：这里讲新的SAT考试特别注重跟现实世界的接轨。比如阅读里面有非小说类的文章（社科类等等），也有图表；语法考试不只是纠错，还有编辑、修改文本等等，而这些都是大学和工作环境中会真是遇到和用到的。数学考试更是模拟了很多现实场景，要求学生利用数学解决生活问题。我们怎么看：谢谢，我们都已经知道了。在这个层面上，新老SAT的区别也只是在问题的呈现方式上有所区别而已，需要利用的知识点还是大同小异的。相信这个差别很快就会在大量的准备工作中被消解，最终转化为考试成绩的终究还是能力。变革指数：难度指数：Analysis in Science and in History/Social Studies他们说：The redesigned SAT asks you to apply your reading, writing, language, and math knowledge and skills to answer questions in science, history, and social studies contexts. In this way, the assessments call on the same sorts of knowledge and skills that youll use in college, at work, and throughout your life to make sense of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues.The redesigned SAT includes a range of challenging texts and informational graphics that address these sorts of issues and topics in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section. Questions will require you to read and understand texts, revise texts to be consistent with data presented in graphics, synthesize information presented through texts and graphics, and solve problems that are grounded in science and social science.什么意思：跟上面的改变类似，这里说新的SAT不仅仅跟现实接轨，还注重在多领域展现学生的语言、数学、阅读和写作能力，期望学生能把这些技能运用到今后学习生活的方方面面。我们怎么看：但就改变本身而言，跟前者并无太大区别，CB无非再告诉我们他们现在教育方面的诉求。我们需要注意的是第二段的“a range of challenging texts”（不同范围的有挑战性的文本），所以会有新的领域的文章引入（如科学类文章），具体难易程度取决于出卷方CB（目前的一套新SAT中出现了关于DNA的文章，不是很容易读）。而且，新的SAT还会记录学生文理科相应的分数（cross-test score），这样大学可以更直观了解到学生的长度和短处。变革指数：难度指数：U.S. Founding Documents and the Great Global Conversation他们说：When you take the SAT, youll be asked to read a passage from U.S. founding documents or the global conversation they inspired.The U.S. founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers, have been inspired by and have helped to inspire a conversation that continues to this day about the nature of civic life.Authors, speakers, and thinkers from the United States and around the world, including Edmund Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, Nelson Mandela, and Mohandas Gandhi, have broadened and deepened the conversation around such vital matters as freedom, justice, and human dignity.The new SAT includes texts from this global conversation. The goal is to inspire a close reading of these rich, meaningful, often profound texts