新西兰英语 721 NCEA results

 　　First listen to November 12th 2012 and January 17th 2010 to hear about NCEA.

　　More than 163,000 students received their NCEA results today. The results were available online and each student had their own password to see their own results.

　　There are three levels of NCEA: level 1 (16 year olds), level 2 (17 year olds) and level 3 (18 year olds). At each level, there are three grades: achieved, merit¹, excellence².

　　Under NCEA, there are standards for each subject. For example, English Level 1, students have to read and understand texts at that level. If they answer most questions well, they achieve the standard. If they write good answers, they receive a grade of merit and if they write very good answers, they receive excellence.

　　It is quite hard for students and parents to understand how NCEA works³ at first. In most subjects, answers are not multi-choice; they are written answers. The final result is not a percentage mark for correct answers.

　　Many years ago, we had a different system of exam results. Students received a percentage mark and only 50% passed. The other 50% failed. People thought this was not fair. We didn’t want a system where so many students failed. We wanted students to show what they knew and what they could do.

　　Grammar

　　?‘Each student had their own password’ – usually ‘each’ requires a singular⁴ pronoun⁵ but it’s too awkward⁶ to use ‘his or her’ (this used to be acceptable⁷ English) so we now use ‘their’.

　　?‘16 year olds’ not ‘16 years old’. Level 1 is for 16 year olds (n); most of these students are 16 years old (adj). This is a very difficult construction and is probably best learnt as an idiom.

　　Vocabulary

　　?text – a piece of writing eg. a poem, story, essay

　　?multi-choice – students choose from 3 or 4 answers

　　?system – a way of doing things based on ideas or principles

　　Questions

　　?What kind of assessment⁸ system do you have in your country?

　　?What are the advantages and disadvantages of multi-choice answers?

　　?What are the advantages and disadvantages of written answers?

1 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

2 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

3 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

4 singular   

adj.个人的，单数的，独一的，唯一的，非凡的；n.单数

参考例句：

• The young man has a singular ear for music.这个年轻人对音乐有非凡的欣赏力。
• The noun is in the singular.这个名词是单数形式。

5 pronoun   

n.代词

参考例句：

• The relative pronoun is often dropped if it is the subject.关系代名词做受词时常被省略。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

6 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

7 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

8 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？