Every year in America, high-school students who want to go to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT in a shortened way. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them or whether any will be admitted at all. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one’s mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English portion(部分)involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, hand-written on the spot. That’s an interesting way to test writing ability, put content aside, have you ever seen young people’s handwriting lately? Or anyone’s for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They scribble class notes in what can generously be described as the written word. And they hand-write, or more often print, a word or two of identification on luggage and lunch bags. Otherwise penmanship (书法) — once taught so morally and easefully by second-grade teachers, has gone the way of the dodo bird which has died out.
Yet today’s kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and legibly (字迹清楚地), for several minutes on this SAT Test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl of young people who’ve been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one’s score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers and earn bigger tax refunds (退税) because the tax inspectors can actually read the computations (计算结果). And don’t forget, we all have to turn to handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when power goes out.
The subjects to be tested in the SAT include ______.
A.math, English, reading and handwriting |
B.math, grammar, reading and writing |
C.math, foreign language and writing |
D.math, English and handwriting |
The author writes this passage to introduce the fact that ______.
A.writing seems to be very important in the SAT |
B.those who will go to colleges have to take the SAT |
C.students should practice handwriting more often |
D.in the computer age kids know how to write legibly |
What does the underlined word “scribble” probably mean?
A.Write quickly and roughly. | B.Take notes difficultly. |
C.Print penmanship carefully. | D.Describe written word generously. |
According to the passage good handwriting can ______.
A.help students get high scores in tests | B.make a student more popular |
C.measure students’ ability | D.assist one to get a job |