实战口语情景对话：Testing Students 测试学生

Peter: So we're both teaching at university and I was curious, Jana, what do you think about giving students homework?

彼得：我们两个人都在大学教书，嘉娜，我很好奇你怎么看给学生留家庭作业这件事?

Jana: Ah, that's a tricky one isn't it? Students usually don't like homework.

嘉娜：啊，这是个棘手的问题，不是吗?学生们不喜欢家庭作业。

Peter: Yeah. Did you used to like homework as a student?

彼得：对。你上学时喜欢家庭作业吗?

Jana: I can't remember but these days I kind of like homework as a student because it motivates me to study. I'm terrible at studying on my own so having homework helps me, makes me do something.

嘉娜：我不太记得了，不过最近，作为学生，我有点喜欢上家庭作业了，因为作业能激励我学习。我不擅长自学，所以写作业可以帮助我学习。

Peter: Right. No, I think I agree with you. I think homework is important in the sense that it prepares you for the next class or prepares you for the topic or the classes that are running so it also helps to, it prepares you, I think, and it actually can confirm stuff for you if you go over it again. So we call it homework but I think it's really just maybe preparation or...

彼得：好。我同意你的观点。我认为作业很重要，它可以帮助你为下一堂课做准备，为课堂内容做准备，如果你再复习一遍，你可以再确定一遍。虽然我们称之为作业，但其实我认为那更像是一种准备工作……

Jana: Preparation or review or continuation of the class, isn't it?

嘉娜：准备、复习或者说是课堂学习的后续，对吧?

Peter: Yeah. So maybe we agree that homework's important.

彼得：对。看来我们在作业很重要这点上达成了一致。

Jana: What about tests? Do you like tests?

嘉娜：考试呢?你喜欢考试吗?

Peter: Hmm, that's a big good question. I don't like tests as a learner and I don't like giving tests so much as a teacher but I think in some ways tests have some advantages that you can't get that informaton any other way. I'm not sure.彼得：嗯，这是个很好的问题。作为学习者来说，我不喜欢考试，作为老师来说，我也不喜欢给学生考试，不过我认为从某种方面来说，考试也有优点，可以得到其他方式得不到的信息。我也不太确定。

Jana: So why do we test? Is it to, why do we test, is it again to motivate students to study hard or to check their progress?

嘉娜：那我们为什么要进行考试?我们为什么要考试，又是为了激励学生努力学习吗?还是为了检查他们是否有进步?

Peter: Yeah, I think we test because obviously there's a, we teach at an institution at university and they want grades for students so that students can say that they've passed or failed the course so I guess tests set, you know, sets some kind of standard there to make sure that everybody has more or less the same standard but in terms of actually learning stuff, does a test really make sure that you learn stuff? Do you think?

彼得：对，我认为我们进行考试的原因是，我们在大学教书，学校希望对学生的成绩进行评定，以确定学生是通过了一门课还是没有通过，所以我认为考试是设置了一种标准，或多或少地为所有人设置了同样的标准，但是从学习角度来看，考试是否能确保你的学习?你认为呢?

Jana: Don't know. When I was a student, I personally really hated big tests at the end of the semester.

嘉娜：我不清楚。我上学时非常讨厌期末考试。

Peter: Me too.

彼得：我也是。

Jana: And especially speaking tests. We had a lot of oral exams and I found that extremely stressful. I would have preferred to have more smaller tests throughout the semester but I think it really depends on the learner's style, right?

嘉娜：尤其是口试。我们有很多口试，我发现那让我非常有压力。我宁愿在学期中多进行些小型考试，不过我认为这也要看学习者的类型，对吧?

Peter: Mmm.

彼得：嗯。

Jana: Different people like different things so.

嘉娜：不同的人喜欢不同的事情。

Peter: Yeah, I think it's kind of hard because I think most schools and across the world, you know, they run on tests like we've been taught. I don't know about you but I have had tests since I was in elementary school and when you get to university, you just assume that you will have tests anyway, don't you think?

彼得：对，我认为这很难说，因为我想全世界大部分学校都会进行考试，就像我们学到的那样。我不知道你的情况，我从小学开始就一直在考试，上大学以后理所当然地认为应该有考试，你不这么想吗?

Jana: That's right so maybe students would complain if we don't have any tests.

嘉娜：没错，也许如果没有考试的话，有学生会抱怨的。

Peter: Mmm, I've had students that really said that they learnt, that's the only way they really study if they're forced to study for a test because you put that kind of limit for them there but I'm not sure that it's a really good way to remember stuff because a lot of students just cram a lot of information in their heads before...

彼得：嗯。我的学生曾说，他们学习的唯一方式就是被强制因为考试而去学习，因为这相当于对他们加以限制，不过我不太确定这是不是记忆知识的好方法，因为有很多学生会在考试前把信息塞入大脑里……

Jana: Right.

嘉娜：没错。

Peter: ...the test night and then they forget it after the test.

彼得：在考试前一晚临阵磨枪，然后考试之后就全忘了。

Jana: It's a tricky one.

嘉娜：对，这是个棘手的问题。