题目内容
A Scottish university is considering allowing students to use their own computers in exams. Edinburgh University already has the equipment to allow a small number of students to use computers during exams. Senior officials at Edinburgh University say that it is unfair to expect students to use pens and paper in exams when the majority of their coursework is done on computers. Undergraduates at the School of Divinity have the choice of using computers with their final answers being collected on a USB stick, but the take-up stands at less than 10 per cent.
Dai Hounsell, professor of higher education at the university, said, “We’ve got to look at alternatives to the handwritten exam. Looking ahead ten years from now, I’m sure there will not be handwritten answers any longer in the exam of certain subjects, but how we get there from here isn’t easy. The plan doesn’t apply so much to science and engineering subjects where students have to use charts and mathematical formulae（公式）. There isn’t technology at the moment to allow them to do that on a computer.” He adds that the approval of students is the key before anything is carried out. He also said, “We don’t want to put students’ future at risk by experimenting as there are technical things which can go wrong. There could be a power failure.”
Nora Mogey, head of Media and Learning Technology Service at the university, said, “A lot of students are not assured enough to make that step in such an important situation. They don’t feel they’ve had enough practice in typing on a computer with a time limit in a high-pressure environment. They think they do better with a pen in their hand than on a keyboard.”
Jennifer Cadiz, president at the National Union of Students in the UK, said, “It’s great to see universities recognizing that times have changed. Exams can be a really stressful time for students and it’s helpful to offer them a flexible（灵活的）way to complete exams.”
No other major Scottish universities have plans to follow in Edinburgh University’s footsteps and the Scottish Qualifications Authority says it has decided not to carry out the plan in its universities.
1.According to Para. 1, we know that in Edinburgh University _________.
A. computers are not allowed to be used during exams
B. students shouldn’t use their pens during exams
C. most coursework is done on computers
D. most students will use computers during exams
2.What’s Dai Hounsell’s attitude towards Edinburgh University’s new plan?
A. He opposes it.
B. He isn’t optimistic about it.
C. He is fond of it.
D. He thinks it necessary.
3.The underlined word “assured” in Para. 3 probably means “___________”.
A. confident B. ready
C. fortunate D. wealthy
4.We can infer from the passage that ____________.
A. other universities will try to carry out the challenging plan
B. universities shouldn’t make students stressful during exams
C. the use of computers in exams won’t spread widely in a short time
D. students should get ready to use computers in exams in future
1.C
2.B
3.A
4.C
【解析】
试题分析: 本文是一篇新闻报道类短文，介绍了苏格兰大学正在考虑允许学生在考试中使用自己的电脑，而且爱丁堡大学的高级官员对此也非常赞同，他们认为在考试中使用电脑也是一种趋势。但是有些习惯用纸和笔答题的学生却对此没有信心。
1.推理判断题。根据文章首段Senior officials at Edinburgh University say that it is unfair to expect students to use pens and paper in exams when the majority of their coursework is done on computers..可知选C。
2.推理判断题。从第二段He also said, “We don’t want to put students’ future at risk by experimenting as there are technical things which can go wrong. There could be a power failure.”可知Dai Hounsell认为用电脑进行考试可能会出现问题，所以他对此不是很乐观，故选B。
3.细节理解题。根据该词后面内容They don’t feel they’ve had enough practice in typing on a computer with a time limit in a high-pressure environment. They think they do better with a pen in their hand than on a keyboard.可知学生们对在电脑上答题考试没有信心，选A。
4.推理判断题。根据文章内容可知用电脑考试的相关方面还不完善，而且别的大学也没有实行这种制度的打算，由此判断在考试中电脑的使用在短时间内不会普及，选C。
考点：考查教育类短文阅读
