GRE考试本质是什么

  GRE考试作为一门拥有独特计分方式和体系的研究生入学能力考试,在考试成绩方面常会引起新手考生的各类疑惑和问题。今天小编给大家带来新GRE考试成绩分数常见问题汇总答疑 ,希望能够帮助到大家,下面小编就和大家分享,来欣赏一下吧。

  实现GRE高分梦想 从了解GRE考试本质开始

  有不少的考生在开始前盲目的备考GRE,而对GRE的一些实质性内容并不了解,虽然精神不错,但还是犯下了很多错误。

  一、GRE考什么?

  这个相当问题相当小白,Graduate Record Examination, 知道全称的同学们自然就会知道这就是个考研考试,而不是英语考试。但知道这个的同学并不少,能够理解的人并不多。如果是考研考试,那么复习的侧重点就应该是提高学习能力,而非一味加强英语水平的训练。大家可以想一想,如果是中国的考研政治,大家一味学汉语,可能这样复习么(当然GRE毕竟和中国考研有很大区别,英语的学习还是占很大比重的,只是不能占全部比重,下文将会提到)?而且也正因为是考研考试,一定的准备时间就必要的。这就是说,大家看看中国的考研考试考生一般要准备多长时间,用什么样的强度来准备,那么就不应该给美国的考研考试以歧视吧。

  但客观的讲,美国的考研考试的确不需要中国那样长的时间,因为GRE很特殊——里面不涉及任何的专业知识,只是单纯的从基础数量和语言分析方面考察学习能力。由于学习能力很大程度上是天生的,所以复习时无非只是加强方法,熟悉题型,养成一种特定的思维习惯——一种ETS倡导的有助于良好学习的思维习惯。

  2.那么第二个问题就来了:GRE考逻辑吗?

  稍微细心点的同学会注意到我上文中尽量避免使用了"逻辑"两个字,因为GRE和考逻辑差之甚远。

  但这也并非是说GRE与逻辑没有关系。恰恰相反,逻辑思维穿插于GRE之中,因为GRE考察学习能力的方法就是通过一定的逻辑思维来实现的。但这些逻辑思维都是生活中运用的逻辑,与真正的逻辑相差甚远。有条件的同学可以去问问学逻辑学的同学,他们是怎么学逻辑的,就会发现,GRE里面的逻辑思维几乎不能称为逻辑了,因此也不算是考逻辑。因此GRE复习的重点也不是学习逻辑思维,而是巩固现有的逻辑思维——为了考GRE而抱着一本逻辑大厚书啃的同学可以放一放了吧。

  3.内地考生PK美国考生

  这里暂且忽略掉因为作弊而拿到高分的那批国人,总的来说,中国人和美国人最后的GRE得分是不相上下的,大陆的考生高分多一些,低分也更多。这乍看是不合情理的,中国人就那么牛,考美国的考研考试都能跟老美叫板?美国人学习了那么多年,GRE的考试模式也更适合于他们,但面对中国人时确实不占优势。

  原因之一当然是数量分析,因为GRE的这个部分甚至连数学的边都够不上,没有复杂的运算,一般的中国子民,在经历了中国多年数学残酷的洗礼后(注:这句话是道出广大考生的心声,笔者数学成绩一直接近满分),看到GRE中的数学就好像狼见到了羊一样捞分。

  而语言推理部分,由于英语学习的确和汉语学习不同,需要不停地背单词,这方面我国人再次占优——大家都是从小到大一路暴力背过来的。当然优势在于中国人勇于下苦工去背,因为词汇量毕竟肯定及不上美国的孩子。美国对于高中毕业生的基本要求是词汇量四万,就算教育体制再怎么宽松,美国学生在这一点上应该是可以达标的,而笔者在考完GRE之后,粗略算一下词汇量也只是两万左右。但众所周知,红宝书给力了十年多,就是因为那些精选的单词给了中国学生一个背单词很好的捷径。红宝书6000-7000的单词,很多都是美国学生至少要在词汇量到达四万以上后才能接触到的单词,我们轻松就可以接触到,这就是中国教育的必杀:抓考点的能力。美国考生在有关考点处的单词反而被的不牢,劣势毕露。

  但国人又明显地在作文处处于绝对劣势。美国考生可以轻松拿到高分甚至满分的项目,国人却只能考人家的一半分。就连笔者的作文一向在国人中比较占优,最后考试时冲击满分还是失败了。除了语言文字的运用能力有所欠缺之外,也与国人的写作习惯有关。

  4.作文的实质

  GRE的作文叫AW,Analytical Writing, 分为Issue和Argument,国人普遍理解为立论文和驳论文——一个穷白话,一个挑错。这样是不准确的。Issue的精髓在于复杂兼顾,得让ETS判卷人(现在据说是e-rater判卷,所以判卷的也不一定是人)看到思维的全面性,这和穷白话是不同的。有的人费劲力气码了700字,由于片面最后却只得一半的分数。这里要重点强调的是,GRE的作文不要废话,但是能多写就多写。不管判卷者是人是机器,可以肯定的是,都是老手。我们要追求字数,绝不是用模棱两可的废话堆砌成的,而是用个天马行空般广泛的思维铺就而成的。一个思路至少能写出50字吧,有些甚至更多,所以只要头脑运转的快,考虑的点不是很全面都可以轻松写下700+的文章。由此可见,字数从来都不是第一需要关注的问题。只要有brainstorming的能力,写出文章来也会很容易。

  当然有的同学可能虽然思路非常清晰,但写起文章来却最是卡壳,顺接什么的做的也不好,句式没有变换,这个问题我在以后的文章中会详细说明,但可以肯定的是,思路清晰语言不好的同学的得分是一定要强过思路混乱语言优美的同学的。

  再看Argument,复杂全面依然是主旋律,在这方面大家的误区要明显比Issue要多。从argue字面意思上来看,是争论的意思。而所谓争论,即没有绝对的正确错误,再怎么看也都是一家之言。一家之言最重要的当然就是考虑问题的全面性,不然怎么会有说服力。而现在很多同学对此并非给予很大重视,认为argument就是改错,通篇肯定性的语气滥用不说,对于各种可能性的替代措施也讨论的很少——这些都是受到了脑海中默认的"argument比issue容易"的荼毒啊!虽然看似有些argument中的错误很弱智,但大陆的考生没有几个人能够讨论的明白,这是非常关键的症结所在。

  5.最核心的问题:GRE的目的是什么?

  受到传统考试的思维导向,大陆考生见到GRE就像见到了敌人一样,经常用类似"杀鸡"的说法鼓舞士气。但事实是,GRE不是敌人。

  很多人都知道,申请中GRE并非占很大比重,而只是名校的敲门砖。但明白了这点,大家却没有付诸于行动,还是欠缺对于GRE的思索。既然GRE的作用是这样的,那么我们就应该能想得到GRE应该会和中国的考研考试有本质的不同吧。为什么GRE的分数并非那么重要?尤其是去年GRE改革后,采用的新计分方式更是让同一实力段的学生之间的分数差距显得更加的小——从10分改到了1分的差距——视觉冲击力上减轻了很多。为什么ETS会在官网上发一些质量过硬的GRE复习资料?为什么GRE要公布作文题库?

  好好想一想的同学都会明白,GRE不是绊脚石,而是垫脚石。

  考高分也好,考低分也罢,ETS从来不指望以这个拉开档次,而是通过GRE高分的激励,鼓励考生们努力进步,这才是GRE的精髓。以笔者为例,由于在本专业考生中(考试信息中曾经填写了专业)GRE成绩拔尖,GRE成绩就被ETS免费到处发放,使笔者收到了大量世界顶尖大学的邀请,为笔者的升学道路提供了很大的帮助。而如果有些同学没有考好,也可以再考几次,一般的学校都是只看最高的成绩,这也说通了之前的笔者的理论——只要成绩达到一定水平,自身达到了一定素质,GRE的任务就已经功德圆满。

  GRE写作的破题方法

  Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you aGREe or disaGREe with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

  从这个instructions可以看出,我们绝不能单纯地从正负观点去展开文章。因为,它明确说了你需要在写作中讨论“命题”中的陈述在何种情况下成立“true”,在何种情况下不成立”not hold true”。如果你在写作时仍然持有单一观点,你最后的得分可想而知。但是,实际情况是,对于大多数中国考生来讲,他们往往受困于单一观点“黑白分明”的思维定式,不善于从多角度分析一个问题。而这里各位考生需要明白,ETS对于GRE高分作文有一个很重要也是最基本的要求,那就是complexity,也就是“立场和角度的多样化”。为了去应对这样的写作要求,我在这里介绍几种实用且又符合instructions要求的破题方式。

  (1) 融合对立选项(平衡观点)

  很多题目总是会列出两个对象,接受一个抛弃另一个,这个时候可以找寻题设中两个认为对立的对象之间的联系,指出两者是共存的。

  例如:

  It is the artist, not the critic, who gives society something of lasting value.

  1.艺术品本身实际上就有很深刻的内涵和永恒的价值,同时批评家可以让大家明白艺术品的价值在哪里。

  2. 那些流传远久有永恒价值的艺术都是批评家们帮助筛选出来的。

  因此,这两个对象是不矛盾的。

  (2) 关键词分离写

  很多题目中会出现两个对象,从表面上看,它们似乎是一致的,但实际上他们之间存在差异。对于这样的题目,我们可以肯定一个对象,而否定另一个。

  例如:

  Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics.

  首先,我们可以看出,题目中的两个对象customs (风俗)和 ethics(伦理)实际上是有很大差异的。因此,科技对他们的影响力也绝对不会是一样的。

  1.肯定customs

  customs是可以被科技改变的,比如很多典礼和文化还有迷信都因为科学的进步而废除了,还是有很多传统被赋予了新的含义。

  2.否定 ethics

  ethics是很难被科技改变的,无论科技怎么变,道德是数千年以来人类共同承认的东西,是不会随着科技的发展而改变的,反过来是道德影响科技的发展。

  (3) 定义模糊关键词

  很多题目的key point就在于如何定义关键词,题目给出的概念不够明晰的时候,可以有不同的理解,而不同的理解就可以有不同的方向破题。

  例如:

  "Facts are stubborn things. They cannot be altered by our wishes, or our inclinations."

  我们可以看出,本题中的 “facts”意义就非常模糊。因此,我们可以通过对于其不同定义来po解题目。

  1.如果fact作为一种自然客观规律,这样的fact是我们无法改变的,比如所有的生物终将死亡。时间是不能倒退的,这些是我们通过亲身感受可以感知到的,无论怎么努力,这些事实是不可能改变的。

  2.如果把fact理解为记录的史实,那么fact是有可能改变的。诚然发生过的事情不可以改变,但是历史本来就不可能完全真实的记录已经发生的事实。这样的情况下“fact”很多时候都是被改变的。

  GRE写作范文积累:媒体

  题目:

  In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished.

  在今天这个媒体铺天盖地的社会中,人们已经很难把任何人当作英雄了。任何人只要是沦为媒体的话题,那么他注定会名声扫地。

  正文:

  Too often we hear people say that with the ever-increasingly intensive media coverage,no public figure would safely pass the scrutiny of this mass media campaign and eventually subject to the downfall of their reputation as public heroes. I agree that this phenomenon is abundant in the modern society; however, the speaker goes too far in claiming that no woman or man could secure his or her place as heroes.

  Admittedly, the mass media has a role in the demystification of a person that were once regarded as a paragon and model of the society he lives in. it is understandable mainly for two reasons. For one thing, the mass media industry’s prosperity owns much to their detailing recording and description of people’s idols. After all, the executive understand that nothing could be more appealing and eye-catching than observing that a public figure making mistakes and thus being banished from the adoring shrines built by public. Consider Nixon’s Water Gate Scandal, Bill Clinton’s sex scandal, and Kennedy’s ex-marital scandal, each of which become the hottest topic being reported on the media coverage. If it were not for the mass media scrutiny, we would expect that people still regard them as the national hero as ever before since as public servant of a country, a politician’s personal moral equates in importance to that of the public moral. The second for the occurrence of this phenomenon is closely related with the psychology of the public. People enjoy the pleasure of seeing famous people do the same stupid thing as they do since it is the nature of human beings to be jealous of the success of others. What is more, some people take the flawless nature of a hero for granted because they consider that as the symbol of a nation, the duty of a hero is to withstand scrutiny from all aspects.

  Finishing analyzing why the media scrutiny is so rampant today and how they contribute to the demystification of public heroes, I insist that although heroes are more subject to scrutiny today than the previous century, it is too presumptuous to assert that it is impossible to regard any woman or man as heroes. Everyone has his foibles and to regard those foibles as the yardstick to judge a person may prove to be unfair. The result is deleterious, our society has no people to pay admire, to draw inspiration from. Additionally, even if the psychology of public is critical with who would stand with their scrutiny and secure a place as public models, they learn that heroes are just ordinary people like us and to fully appreciate them requires an unbiased perspective from all sides of their life. Clinton is considered to misuse his power in deceiving public about his wrongdoing as well as his undisciplined behavior.

  However, he is still the model of presidents in American history who play an important role in drawing American economy to the right track and tackling many problems rooted in the American society. I pessimistically argue that heroes will always there to be our models and under strict scrutiny, we would more easily observe the true self under the glorious appearance.

  What is more, we should observe a strange phenomenon in today’s media industry that is on one hand, they create many heroes and on the other hand they downplay a lot of heroes. We observe too often that a singer may regarded as national hero since he won the favor of fangs all over the world, or a athlete as a hero for the sake that he won the Olympic games, or a entrepreneur as a hero with regard to the economic contribution he devote to the country. These phenomenon aptly informs us that media scrutiny is not always the objective and precise way of examining the qualification of a hero and we would not rely on them to make judgment. Thus it is no sensible to declare that the media will hold the power of diminishing heroes since the claim downplay the rational thinking by modern people.

  To sum up, I concede with speaker insofar as the mass media scrutiny power exerted by modern media industry. However, the speaker goes too far to claim the result would be the diminishing of any woman or man heroes, which I am strongly against.This conclusion misconstrues the role placed on media as well as underestimating the critical analyzing ability of modern people.

 

 

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