designing alternative techniques and tools to assess high school students’ competency to meet the requirements of the new general educational program

Nghe an department of education and training Hµ HUY TËP HIGH school - - TEACHING INNOVATION DESIGNING ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS TO ASSESS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ COMPETENCY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM Subject: English Author: NGUYỄN THANH TRÀ School: Hà Huy Tập High School Cell phone: 0916070905 Email: nguyenthanhtra7@gmail.com School year: 2020-2021 TABLE OF CONTENT PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Scope of the study 1.4 Organization of the study PART 2: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The New General Educational Program 2.2 Situation judgment 2.3 Assessment 2.4 Approaches to assessment 2.5 Types of Assessment 2.5.1 Formative Assessment 2.5.2 Summative Assessment 2.6 Methods of Assessment 2.7 Levels of Assessment 11 2.8 Tools and Techniques for Assessments 13 2.8.1 Tools and Techniques for Formative Assessment 14 2.8.2 Tools and Techniques for Formative Assessment 16 PART 3: SOLUTION AND DISCUSSION 18 3.1 Demonstration of Using Tools and Techniques for Assessment 18 3.1.1 Tools and Techniques for Formative Assessments 18 3.1.2 Tools and Techniques for Summative Assessments 30 3.2 Discussion 32 3.2.1 Finding from Teachers’ Questionnaire 32 3.2.2 Finding from Stusents’ Questionnaire 35 PART 4: CONCLUSION 40 4.1 Conclusion 40 4.2 Teaching Implications 40 4.3 Limitation 41 REFERENCE 42 APPENDICES 44 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: Nature of Asessment Table 2.2 Links Among Achievement Targets and Assessment Methods 12 Table 2.3 Tools for Formative Assessment 16 Table 3.1: A Sample of Checklist Tool for Speaking Skills Assessment 19 Table 3.2: A Sample of Checklist Tool for Writing Skills Assessment 20 Table 3.3: Tools for Assessment Used by Teachers 33 Table 3.4: Students’ Response about Tools for Assessment Used by Teachers 35 Table 3.5: The Frequency of Feedback Given by Teachers 37 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Types of Assessment Figure 2.2: Tools Suggested 14 Figure 3.1: Bloom’s Taxanomy 24 Figure 3.2: Types of Assessment Used by Teachers 32 Figure 3.3: Teachers' Confirmation about Students' Feedback about Assessment 33 Figure 3.4: Teachers’ Response about Students’ Reaction in Assessment 34 Figure 3.5: Teachers’ Response about Their Assessment 34 Figure 3.6: Students' Reaction about the Way Being Assessed 36 Figure 3.7: Students' Mood of Being Assessed 36 Figure 3.8: Students' Response about Teachers' Assessment 37 Figure 3.9: Response about the Use of Feedback for Learning Progress 38 PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale English is a mandatory subject from grade three to grade twelve of general educational program General educational program is on the whole competency designed As a result, this subject equips students not only communicative competence but also skills, abilities and attitudes related to the field of knowledge The new general educational program in subject of English follows the regulations setting in general eductional program of Ministry of Education and Training The new point of building curriculum is the backward design It focuses on setting objectives from which enables teachers to identify requirements about learning outcomes Afterward, from the outcomes they can choose or suggest content of teaching As far as we see, assessment of learners’ studying result is one of the requirements of the new gerenal eductional program Assessments are key components of all education system and play a major role in a student learning journey It becomes the bridge between the teaching and learning process By measuring students’s achievement and skill mastery, assessment not only facilitates the students to learn but also helps teachers to select teaching approaches Furthermore, administration can decide how to allocate resources and policymaker can evaluate the efficacy of education program Analyzing students how they can understand and are able to give output in all the subjects is assessment Assessment is very significant to track progress and to plan next steps The various techniques involved in assessment are the tools and instruments to collect information about how the students can demonstrate desired learning outcomes The first thing that comes to mind for many people when they think of “classroom assessment” is a midterm or end-of-course exam, used by the teacher for summative grading purposes But such practices represent only a fraction of the kinds of assessment that occur on an ongoing basis in an effective classroom The focus in this section is on assessments used by teachers to support instruction and learning, also referred to as formative assessment Such assessment offers considerable potential for improving student learning when informed by research and theory on how students develop subject matter competence As instruction is occurring, teachers need information to evaluate whether their teaching strategies are working They also need information about the current understanding of individual students and groups of students so they can identify the most appropriate next steps for instruction Moreover, students need feedback to monitor their own success in learning In the classroom, teachers are the primary assessors of the students Teachers design assessment tools with two broad purposes: to collect information that will inform classroom instruction, and to monitor students’ progress towards achieving year-end learning outcomes Teachers also assist students in developing self-monitoring and self-assessment skills and strategies In order to this effectively, teachers must ensure that students are involved in setting learning goals, developing action plans, and using assessment process to monitor their achievement of goals Obviously, there are a number of methods used to evaluate student learning outcomes However, the most common way that teachers prefer using is the standard test The test is recognized as the most direct mean of assessing student in the field of knowledge Nevertheless, it seems not to meet the requirement of the new general education program The course result of students basing on the scrore they have after the tests is a key basis of data about the achievement of the students This data is not sufficient for the measurement of student’s learning outcomes They also need to be assessed about their skills and atttitude as well as the way they can form their self-learning ability Student assessment is pervasive in schools, yet few preservice programs for educational professions require substantive course in assessment Like a good tool or a machine, a good measuring instrument must meet certain minimum requirements before it is deemed to be reliable What are the essential characteristics and requirements of a good measuring instrument? These are planning, vadility, reliability, objectivity, discriminating power, adequacy, practically, comparability and utility As a result, using only one instrument in assessment seems not to be able to cover all requirements setting by the new general educational program The matter of fact I mentioned above inspired me to choose the topic DESIGNING ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS TO ASSESS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ COMPETENCY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM Hopefully with the suggested techniques and tools, teachers can use them as a source of reference in their teaching process 1.2 Aims of the study The aims of the study are as follows: - To provide a brief review of various assessment techniques and tools used to analyze students’ achievement and progress - To suggest some techniques and tools using to assess learners - To explore the perception of teachers and learners to these techniques and tools in practice 1.3 Scope of the study The study pays a focus on the techniques and tools which are used to assess both strength anh weakness for students at upper secondary level Therefore, the study was conducted on the subject of teachers and learners coming from some high schools in Vinh city 1.4 Organization of the study The study will consist of the following parts: Part 1: Introduction This part consists of the rationale, aims, scope, and organization of the study Part 2: Theoretical Background This part mentions the theoretical background of the topic with an overview of the new program requirement as well as the tools and techniques used to assess the learners’ achivement and process It also suggests some techniques and tools used to evaluate students’ demonstration of skills and knowledge, their performance and products as well as their attitude during learning process The application of these techniques and tools was on the scale of units for students at high school Additionally, the perception of teachers and learners to these techniques and tools will be discussed and identified Part 3: Solution and Discussion Solution and Discussion shows a demonstration of assessments using suggested tools and techniques The data collected from the study will be discussed more in detail in this part Part 4: Conclusion In order to convey an overall conclusion of the study, Conclusion reviews the main findings of the study As for the implication of the study, some suggestions are recommended to contribute to the success of assessing students’ outcomes PART 2: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The New General Educational Program English is one of the core subjects in the new genreral educational program One of the fundamental directions of education reform is the transition from academic education to a practical education which focuses on shaping the capacity for action, creativity of the learners and the transition from the accessibly content curriculum to the learner's ability approach The new program emphasizes on the important orientation of innovation in teaching methodology which foster the positive self-awareness and creativity, develop the capacity for action and capacity for working collaborators of learners In Prime Minister's Decision No 711 / QDTTg dated 13 June 2012, it is stated that “Changing teaching methods and evaluating learning outcomes, training in the direction of promoting positive selfawareness, active initiative and self-learning capacity of learners” In term of developing the learner’s ability approach, the teachers will not focus too much to the content of teaching In stead, they try to attach special importance to develop learners’ ability As a result, the studying activities consists of activities of identifying problems, practice activities and application activities It means that learners must use what they learn to discover and solve problems in real life These activities can be organized in classroom as well as outside the classroom through some main ways such as studying theory, doing exercise, doing experiments, playing games, role playing, doing projects, attending seminar, having field trip, reading books, joining volunteer work Students may work independently, in group or with the whole class With the aim of innovating, the way of learning and teaching has a dialectic relationship with learners’ outcomes assessment Teachers take the responsibility to change their way of evaluating the learners in many aspects in order to meet the requirement of the new educational program 2.2 Situation judgment Beside the effort of renovating teaching and learning methods, the new program highlights the significance of assessing the learners’ outcomes The first change is that students’ achievement is evaluated based on regular tests and periodical tests The tests are made on four skills of reading, speaking, listening and writing Also, they are designed using multiple choice questions and written form questions While assessment is often equated with traditional tests developed by teachers at high school, educators should use a diverse array of assessment tools and techniques to measure everything from a high school student Just as academic lessons have different functions, assessments are typically desinged to measure specific elements of learning – e.g, the level of knowledge a student already has about the concept or skill the teacher is planning to teach or the ability to comprehend and analyze different types of texts and readings Assessments also are used to identify individual students’ weaknesses and strengths so that teacher can provide specialized academic support Obviously, traditional test is not the only choice for teachers in assessment It can take a wide variety of forms in schools and education systems Additionally, students should be made aware of the expected outcomes of the course and the procedures to be used in assessing performance relative to the learning outcomes They can gradually become more actively involved in the assessment process in order to develop lifelong learning skills 2.3 Assessment According to Allen (2004), assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning to refine programs and improve student learning Assessment in education is the process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupils’ responses to an educational task (Harlen, Gipps, Broadfoot, Nuttal, 1992) Assessment is defined as the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality or ability of someone or something In education, assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students Assessment is a systematic process of gathering information about what a student knows, is able to do, and is learning to Assessment information provides the foundation for decision making and planing for instruction and learning It is an integral part of instruction that enhances, empowers, and celebrate student learning In other words, using a variety of assessment techniques, teachers can gather information about what students know and are able to and provide positive, supportive feedback to students They also use this information to diagnose individual needs and to improve their instructional programs which in turn helps students learn more effectively Assessment must be considered during the planning stage of instruction when outcomes and teaching methods are being targeted It is a continuous activity, not something to be dealt with only at the end of a unit of study 2.4 Approaches to assessment  Assessment for learning Assessment for learning occurs throughout the learning process It is designed with the aim to make each stusents’s understanding visible, so that teachers can decide to provide useful help for students in learning process Students learn in individual and idiosyncratic ways, yet, at the same time, there are predictable patterns of connections and preconceptions that some students may experience as they move along the continuum from emergent proficient In this stage, assessement can be seen as an investigative tool to find out as much as possible about what students know and can do, also what confusions, preconceptions or gaps they might have The wide variety of information collected from students’ learning process will help teachers to determine the next step to move student learning forward In other words, it provides the basis for giving descriptive feedback for students and deciding on groupings, instructional strategies as well as resources In short, Asessment for learning enables teachers to use information about students’ knowledge, understanding and skills to inform their teaching It also helps teachers to provide feedback to students about their learning and how to improve  Assessment as learning Assessment as learning focuses on students It emphasizes the process of metacognition for students It involves students in learning process where they monitor their own progress, ask questions and practice skills Students use selfassessment and teacher feedback to reflect on their learning, consolidate their understanding and work towards learning goals Within this view of learning, students are the critical connectors between assessment and learning For students to be actively engaged in creating their own understanding, they must learn to be critical assessors who make sense of information, relate it to prior knowledge, and use it for new learning This is the regulatory process in metacognition; that is, students become adept at personally monitoring what they are learning, and use what they discover from the monitoring to make adjustments, adaptations, and even major changes in their thinking  Assessment of learning Assessment of learning refers to strategies designed to confirm what students know, demonstrate whether or not they have curriculum outcomes or the goals of their individualized programs, or to certify proficiency and make decisions about students’ future programs or placements It is designed to provide evidence of achievement to parents, other educators, the students themselves, and sometimes to outside group such as employers, other educational institutions It is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning Assessment of learning becomes significant then when it assists teachers to use evidence of student learning to assess students’ achievement against learning goal and stardard Obviously, each approach has it main goal The teacher therefore should identify the nature of assessment from which they can provide appropriate evaluation to learners The table below will demonstrate the nature of three approaches in assessment Nature of assessment Description  Purpose: Assessment for learning Determine student’s background knowledge and skills; tracks student’s progress in understanding - APPENDIX 2: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS (VIETNAMESE VERSION) BẢNG CÂU HỎI Bảng câu hỏi thiết kế nhằm mục đích tìm kiếm phản hồi học sinh việc sử dụng công cụ kĩ thuật việc đánh giá học tập Câu trả lời cần chân thực tình hiống học tập bạn bới câu trả lời bạn tư liệu quý cho việc nghiên cứu Xin cảm ơn nhiều hợp tác ban Hãy đánh dấu X vào câu trả lời bạn lựa chọn ……………………………………………………………………………… I Thông tin học sinh Lớp: 10 11 Bạn học tiếng anh bao lâu? 12 năm II Trải nghiệm bạn trình đánh giá việc học (Bạn lựa chọn nhiều đáp án số câu) Giáo viên bạn thường sử dụng cơng cụ để đánh giá q trình học tập bạn? Các cơng cụ sử dụng Câu đố Khung đánh giá Học tập thực tế Diễn đàn thảo luận Tự thiết kế kiểm tra Sơ đồ tư Đánh giá bạn cặp Tự đánh giá Thực dự án 10 Bài kiểm tra lực 11 Các cơng cụ khác Bạn có thích cách đánh giá việc học trường khơng? Có Khơng Khơng có ý kiến Bạn cảm thấy tham gia trình đánh giá việc học trường? Lo lắng căng thẳng Bình thường Khơng có ý kiến Bạn thường xuyên nhận phản hồi từ giáo viên sau đánh nào? Rất thường xuyên Thường xun Thỉnh thoảng Khơng Bạn có nghĩ phản hồi từ giáo viên giúp bạn xác định điểm mạnh, điểm yếu mục tiêu học tập bạn q trình học khơng? Có Khơng Khơng chắn Bạn có sử dụng phản hồi họ để cải thiện việc học khơng? Có Khơng Khơng có ý kiến APPENDIX 3: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS (ENGLISH VERSION) QUESTIONNAIRE This questionnaire was designed to serve the aim of discovering students' feedback to the use of tools and techniques in studying assessment The answers, therefore, should be frank to your learning circumstance since your answers will be a valuable input for my study Thank you very much for your cooperation Please put a cross (X) on the answer you choose ……………………………………………………………………………………… I Students’ Profile Your grade: 10 11 How long have you been learning English? 12 years II Students’ Experience in Assesment (More than one choice is acceptable in some sentences) What tools does your teacher use assess you in learning process? Tools Quizzes Rubrics Field Trips Discussion Forums Student Composed Questions Concept Maps Peer Assessments Self Assessments Projects 10 Standardized Tests 11 Others Are you interested in the way of being assessed in your learning process at present? Yes No No idea How you feel when being assessed at school? Nervous and stressful Normal No idea How often you get feedback of your teacher after being assessed? Very often Often Sometimes Never Do you think the feedbacks from your teacher assist you identify strength, weakness as well as your main target in learning process? Yes No Not sure Do you use their feedbacks to improve your learning? Yes No No idea APPENDIX : QUIZ What does ASEAN stand for? How many colors are there of the ASEAN flag? When is ASEAN day? How many members does ASEAN have? What is the capital city of Malaysia? Which ASEAN member state uses the peso as the currency unit? Speakers often use at the end of Yes/No questions What, starting with “s” is the quality of being steady and not changing? A gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun True or false? 10 What, starting with “L” is a traditional dance of Lao? 11 Which ASEAN member state is known as “the land of smiles”? 12 “GO” is a state verb True or false? 12 Which ASEAN member state is landlocked? 13 Write the name of one member of ASEAN 14 “The land of golden pagodas” is the nickname of … in ASEAN 15 Which ASEAN member state has the largest area? APPENDIX 5: END-OF-TERM TEST Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions Câu 1: A improvement B environment C documentary D development Câu 2: A launched B talked C promised D performed Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions MOTHER TERESA “Do not wait for leaders; it alone, person to person.” - Mother Teresa Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor Considered one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century, she was officially recognised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016 Born in 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, Mother Teresa taught in India (3) 17 years before in 1946 she experienced her “call within a call" to (4) herself to caring for the sick and poor (5) Teresa enjoyed teaching at the school, she was increasingly upset by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta: the Bengal famine of 1943 and the outbreak of Hindu/Muslim violence in August 1946 Her order established a nursing home; centres for (6) blind, aged, and disabled; and a leper colony In 1979, she (7) the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work She died in September 1997 and was beatified in October 2003 Câu 3: A since B after C from D for Câu 4: A devote B encourage C spend D allow Câu 5: A Until B Although C Because D After Câu 6: A the B these C those D a Câu 7: A awarded B received C presented D recognized Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Câu 8: Care is also needed so that inner body parts (lungs, heart liver, etc.) are not touched by the needles A superficial B foreign C external D visible Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions In the 1960s, it took pop and rock groups one or two days to record other their songs Nowadays, it can take months and months Many rock groups begin by recording only one instrument, for example, the voice Then they record other instruments – electric piano, synthesiser, guitars, drums and so on Next, they might use a computer to add special effects Finally, they ‘mix’ all the instruments until they get the sound that they want This means that a CD or cassette will always sound very different from a live concert Music engineers have developed a new computer programme that will change the future of music A computer can analyse a singer's voice Then if you give the computer the lyrics and music of a song, the computer can 'sing' it in that voice This means that a singer only needs to record one song and the computer can then sing other songs in the singer's own voice Singers can sing new songs many years after they have died Most of us listen to music for pleasure, but for the record companies, music is a product, the same as soap powder When a record company finds a new group (or 'band'), they first try to develop the band's 'profile' They will try to create an 'image' for the band that they think will attract young people Instead of allowing the band’s full artistic freedom, they will often tell the band what they should wear, what they should say and how they should sing and play In recent year, many rock groups have started their own record companies because they say that the big companies are too commercial Câu 9: Today, to record songs, it takes A only one or two days B longer than it used to C shorter than it used to D the same amount of time as the 1960s Câu 10: Today’s record procedure results in A some special effects on songs B different sounds of recorded songs and live-performed songs C the mixture between CDs and live concert D differences in voices and instruments played Câu 11: Which of the following is NOT true about the new computer programme? A It can sing only one recorded song of the singer B It is predicted to change the music future C It can imitate singers' voices D The singer does not necessarily present to really sing Câu 12: Record companies don't always A give the band freedom to things B suggest the outfits of the band C tell the band what to say D decide the songs the band will play Câu 13: The word "that” in the passage refers to A the band B soap powder C an image D a company Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges Câu 14: “Thank you very much for helping the disadvantaged children here!” “ ” A What a pity! B That's nice of you! C Sorry, we don’t know D It’s our pleasure Câu 15: "Would you mind turning down the TV please?” “ ” A Sure Here you are B No, I don’t like it very mueh C What! You must be kidding! D Sorry I didn’t know I was disturbing you Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions Câu 16: While Tom and I , someone knocked at the door A talked B were talking C were being talked D were talked C shop for grocery D feed the cat Câu 17: I often at the market near her house A the cooking B clean the house Câu 18: is the controller of the body Led by the brain and nerves, it allows us to move, talk and feel emotions A Nervous system B Circulatory system C Digestive system Câu 19: by your father? A Was that book writing B Did that book write D Skeletal system C Did that book written D Was that book written Câu 20: is the member of a family who earns the money that the family needs A Women B Husband C Breadwinner D Homemaker Câu 21: When you something good for others, you will find your life _ A harmful B meaninglesss C hopeless D meaningful Câu 22: John made me a lot with his hilarious jokes A laugh B laughing C to laugh D laughed Câu 23: The reason why she’s sad is that her exam result was rather A disappointing B disappointed C disappointment D disappoints Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of the primary stress in each of the following questions Câu 24: A opportunity B population C disadvantaged D eradicate Câu 25: A teacher B money C decide D mother Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions Câu 26: Sometimes it is difficult to avoid to drink when we enjoy an informal party A to drink B it is difficult C Sometimes D an informal party Câu 27: While we talked, someone in the same room was recording our conversation A While B someone C talked D was recording Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Câu 28: They try to imitate the wing and shape of animals in nature to produce parts of veicles A paste B irritate C irrigate D copy B TỰ LUẬN (3 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences without changing their meanings ( points ) They have never seen that film before  This is the first …………………………………………………………………………… 2.Thanh spends hours a day doing the homework  It takes ………………………………………………………………………………… Mr Dryden mended the washing machine  The washing ……………………………………………………………………………… He arrived in the middle of our lunch time (while)  He ………………………………………………………………………………………… II In about 80-100 words, write a passage about the advantages of a tablet PC (1 point ) …………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………… APPENDIX 6: GCSE TEST Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions Question 1: A hole B home C come D hold Question 2: A watched B cleaned C stopped D picked Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions Question 3: A admit B suggest C remind D manage Question 4: A approval B applicant C energy D influence Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions Question 5: More and more investors are pouring money into food and beverage start–ups A the B a C an D Ø Question 6: Do you think there _ less conflict in the world if all people spoke the same language? A were B will be C would be D are Question 7: Linda rarely goes to school by bike, but today she a bike A rides B is riding C is going to ride D will ride Question 8: John has worked very late at night these days, he is physically exhausted A yet B hence C because D so Question 9: I agree one point with Chris: it will be hard for us to walk 80km A in B of C on D for Question 10: , the ancient place is still popular with modern tourists A Building thousands of years ago B It was built thousands of years ago C To have built thousands of years ago D Built thousands of years ago Question 11: Once _ in the UK, the book will definitely win a number of awards in regional book fairs A is published B having published C published D publishing Question 12: Your hair needs _ You’d better have it done tomorrow A cut B to cut C being cut Question 13: He was pleased that things were going on _ D cutting A satisfied B satisfactorily C satisfying D satisfaction Question 14: Although our opinions on many things , we still maintain a good relationship with each other A differ B receive C maintain D separate Question 15: Daniel a better understanding of Algebra than we A makes B has C takes D gives Question 16: The pointless war between the two countries left thousands of people dead and seriously _ A injured B wounded C spoilt D damaged Question 17: Eager to be able to discuss my work _ in French, I hired a tutor to help polish my language skills A expressively understandably B articulately C ambiguously D Question 18: The sight of his pale face brought to me how ill he really was A place B house C life D home Mark the Letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 19: In a study, more Asian students than American students hold a belief that a husband is obliged to tell his wife his whereabouts if he comes home late A urged B free C required D suggested Question 20: Though I persuaded my boss to solve a very serious problem in the new management system, he just made light of it A completely ignored by chance B treated as important C disagreed with D discovered Mark the Letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 21: Students from that university have conducted a survey to find out the most effective study habit A organized B delayed C encouraged D proposed Question 22: Some operations may have to be halted unless more blood donors come forward to help A offer B claim C attempt D refuse Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges Question 23: Bill is talking to his colleague Bill: “ _, Jack?” – Jack: “Fine! I have just got a promotion.” A What happened B What are you doing C How are you doing D How come Question 24: Two students are talking in a new class Student 1: “Excuse me, is anybody sitting here?” – Student 2: “ ” A No, thanks B Yes, I am so glad C Sorry, the seat is taken D Yes, yes You can sit here Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California Tan grew up in Northern California, (25) _ when her father and older brother both died from brain tumors in 1966, she moved with her mother and younger brother to Europe, where she attended high school in Montreux, Switzerland She returned to the United States for college After college, Tan worked as a language development consultant and as a corporate freelance writer In 1985, she wrote the story "Rules of the Game" for a writing workshop, which laid the early (26) _ for her first novel The Joy Luck Club Published in 1989, the book explored the (27) _ between Chinese women and their Chinese–American daughters, and became the longest–running New York Times bestseller for that year The Joy Luck Club received numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Award It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made into a major motion picture for (28) _ Tan co–wrote the screenplay Tan's other works have also been (29) into several different forms of media Question 25: A however B moreover C so D but Question 26: A preparation B base C source D foundation Question 27: A relate B relative C relationship D relatively Question 28: A whom B that C what D which Question 29: A adjoined B adapted C adjusted D adopted Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions Newspapers and television news programs always seem to report about the bad things happening in society However, there is a place where readers can find some good news That place is the website called HappyNews The man behind HappyNews is Byron Reese Reese set up HappyNews because he thought other news sources were giving people an unbalanced view of the world Reese said about HappyNews, “The news media gives you a distorted view of the world by exaggerating bad news, misery, and despair We’re trying to balance out the scale.” Not everyone agrees with Reese’s view, though Many people think that news sources have a responsibility to provide news that is helpful to people People need to know about issues or problems in today’s society Then they are better able to make informed decisions about things that affect their daily lives Reese said that HappyNews is not trying to stop people from learning about issues or problems HappyNews is just trying to provide a balanced picture of today’s world By the end of its first month online, HappyNews had more than 70,000 unique readers About 60 percent of those readers were women Something else unique makes HappyNews different from any of the other news or information websites that are on the Internet Unlike many other websites, HappyNews gets fan mail from its readers on a daily basis Question 30: Which of the following is the best title for this passage? A “Byron Reese Tells People How to Be Happy” B “Good News for a Change” C “Newspapers vs Online News” D “Why Women Like HappyNews” Question 31: How is HappyNews different than other news sources? A All of the stories are written by Reese stories B HappyNews does not exaggerate its C Its stories are not about bad things women D The website only has stories about Question 32: The word “they” in paragraph refers to _ A sources B problems C people D issues Question 33: Why might some people NOT like HappyNews? A It doesn’t tell them about important issues or problems B Reese’s stories are about misery and despair C Some sources give a balanced view D The stories are from around the world Question 34: What does “exaggerating” mean in this reading? A improving B explaining C editing D worsening Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions No sooner had the first intrepid male aviators safely returned to Earth than it seemed that women, too, had been smitten by an urge to fly From mere spectators, they became willing passengers and finally pilots in their own right, plotting their skills and daring line against the hazards of the air and the skepticism of their male counterparts In doing so they enlarged the traditional bounds of a women's world, won for their sex a new sense of competence and achievement, and contributed handsomely to the progress of aviation But recognition of their abilities did not come easily "Men not believe us capable." The famed aviator Amelia Earhart once remarked to a friend "Because we are women, seldom are we trusted to an efficient job." Indeed old attitudes died hard: when Charles Lindbergh visited the Soviet Union in 1938 with his wife, Anne–herself a pilot and gifted proponent of aviation – he was astonished to discover both men and women flying in the Soviet Air Force Such conventional wisdom made it difficult for women to raise money for the up – to – date equipment they needed to compete on an equal basis with men Yet they did compete, and often they triumphed finally despite the odds Ruth Law, whose 590 – mile flight from Chicago to Hornell, New York, set a new nonstop distance record in 1916, exemplified the resourcefulness and grit demanded of any woman who wanted to fly And when she addressed the Aero Club of America after completing her historic journey, her plainspoken wordstestified to a universal human motivation that was unaffected by gender: "My flight was done with no expectation of reward," she declared, "just purely for the love of accomplishment." Question 35: Which of the following is the best title for this passage? A A Long Flight B Women in Aviation History C Dangers Faced by Pilots D Women Spectators Question 36: According to the passage, women pilots were successful in all of the following EXCEPT _ A challenging the conventional role of women B contributing to the science of aviation C winning universal recognition from men D building the confidence of women Question 37: What can be inferred from the passage about the United States Air Force in 1938? A It had no women pilots C It had old planes that were in need of repair job B It gave pilots handsome salaries D It could not be trusted to an efficient Question 38: In their efforts to compete with men, early women pilots had difficulty in A addressing clubs money B flying nonstop C setting records D raising Question 39: According to the passage, who said that flying was done with no expectation of reward? A Amelia Earhart B Charles Lindbergh C Anne Lindbergh D Ruth Law Question 40: The word ‘skepticism’ is closest in meaning to _ A hatred B doubt C support Question 41: The word ‘addressed’ can be best replaced by D surprise A mailed B came back to C spoke to D consulted Question 42: The word ‘counterparts’ refers to A passengers B pilots C skills D hazards Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions Question 43: Some people say often that using cars is not so convenient as using motorbikes A say often motorbikes B using cars C so D as using Question 44: They are having their house being painted by a construction company A having B their C being painted D construction Question 45: Transgender people are denied the ability to join the armed forces due to discriminating policies implemented by the government A Transgender B are denied C armed forces D discriminating Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions Question 46: “I agree that I am narrow–minded,” said the manager A The manager denied being narrow–minded B The manager admitted being narrow–minded C The manager refused to be narrow–minded D The manager promised to be narrow–minded Question 47: A supermarket is more convenient than a shopping centre A A shopping centre is not as convenient as a supermarket B A shopping centre is more convenient than a supermarket C A supermarket is not as convenient as a shopping centre D A supermarket is as inconvenient as a shopping centre Question 48: It was a mistake for Tony to buy that house A Tony couldn’t have bought that house B Tony can’t have bought that house C Tony needn’t have bought that house D Tony shouldn’t have bought that house Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions Question 49: Julian dropped out of college after his first year Now he regrets it A Julian regrets not having dropped out of college after his first year B Julian wishes he didn’t drop out of college after his first year C If only Julian hadn’t dropped out of college after his first year D Only if Julian had dropped out of college after his first year would he not regret it Question 50: Seth informed us of his retirement from the company He did it when arriving at the meeting A Only after his retiring from the company did Seth tell us about his arrival at the meeting B Not until Seth said to us that he would leave the company did he turn up at the meeting C Hardly had Seth notified us of his retiring from the company when he arrived at the meeting D No sooner had Seth arrived at the meeting than we were told about his leaving the company ... me to choose the topic DESIGNING ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS TO ASSESS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ COMPETENCY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM Hopefully with the. .. various assessment techniques and tools used to analyze students’ achievement and progress - To suggest some techniques and tools using to assess learners - To explore the perception of teachers and. .. as the tools and techniques used to assess the learners’ achivement and process It also suggests some techniques and tools used to evaluate students’ demonstration of skills and knowledge, their