开宗明义,到底这一次GRE的变化有哪些呢?我们不妨以命题机构的官方说明着手进行研究,GRE的改革主要从考试形式,试题内容,算分模型三个部分进行。
改变一:笔考和机考结合的形式将被每月进行一到两次的机考取代。
With the introduction of the GRE revised General Test, you‘ll be able to take the entire test on computer (the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Analytical Writing sections) in one session, on the same day, instead of the current split-test administration.
点评:与考试内容无关,更加人性化,考生的准备时间更为经济且不会出现由于一次失败即需要漫长等待的情况。
改变二:将实行统一全球收费结构,中国考生缴纳的考试费将接轨国际标准,消除了以往因参加分开考试所导致的价格差。
The test fees in these regions will also be aligned with the international fee structure, eliminating the split-test administration price tier.
点评:收费结构的统一化更容易从策略上赢得中国考生的信任与青睐。
改变三:新GRE在考试中取消语文部分的类比和反义题,代之以阅读理解与生活场景题。增加equivalence新题型,阅读题量增加的同时也增加了多选题,句子高亮题。
Here’s what is new for the Verbal Reasoning section:
Antonyms and analogies have been removed from the test, so there are no questions that test vocabulary out of context.
New Text Completion questions test your ability to interpret, evaluate and reason from what you‘ve read. Text Completion questions test this ability by omitting crucial words from short passages, requiring you to fill them in by selecting words or phrases.
New Sentence Equivalence questions test your ability to reach a conclusion about how a sentence should be completed while focusing on the meaning of the whole sentence.
There are more Reading Comprehension questions on the test, including new types of questions, such as selecting multiple correct answer choices instead of just one, or highlighting a sentence within a reading passage to answer the question.
点评:这项改变才是GRE考试的学术改变核心,改变的趋势是一方面去掉了在美读研不会遇到的繁文缛节的题目类型,减低了一定不必要的难度,然而另一方面,增加了阅读中的题型和题量,特别是多项选择题出现更能够折射出考生的真实水平。
那么针对如上的学术考核内容的变化,中国学生应该具备哪些破题招数呢?
招数一:你减我不减。
在新GRE中非常明确的是删减了类比反义类的题型,部分同学对此项变化的心态如同巨石落地,身轻如燕。毕竟,长期以来困扰中国同学的破G阻碍即是词汇。类比反义的不复存在仿佛意味着词汇在考G中的重要性不复存在。然而不幸的是,即便类反一去不复返,词汇仍然是铁打的营盘。至少三种题目依然保证着词汇的重要性在考G中毋庸置疑的地位:Reading comprehension, Text completion, Sentence equivalence. 如果说“阅读理解”这部分只是在题型设问上做了一些小的变动的话,那么“完形”和“句子”这后两部分在很大程度上可以看作是现在GRE中填空和类反题型的升级版,特别是ETS还使用了“Equivalence”这样具有以前“类比”含义的词汇,在Sentence Equivalence题型中,主要考查的是单词的相关性。所以,对于词汇,同学们一定不能掉以轻心,要一如既往地保持科学而执着的记背单词的习惯。
招数二:你加我不加
新GRE在阅读考试中增加了不少新的题型,其中包括多选题与句子高亮题,那么此种题型的加入是否意味着传统的GRE阅读方法就会被颠覆呢?答案当然是否定的。不难发现,多项选择题与单项选择题最大的差别仅存在于正确选项于所有选项中的比例。在以往的单选题中,共有5个选项,正确选项的几率为20%,根据官方对新G的描述,从例题中我们不难得出,在总选项只有3个的情况下,正确选项的几率上升到了25%。
Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply.
2. The passage suggests that Glass’s work displays which of the following qualities?
A. A return to the use of popular music in classical compositions
B. An attempt to elevate rock music to an artistic status more closely approximating that of classical music
C. A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements from two apparently disparate musical styles
不难发现,此题为细节定位题,在更容易选择到正确答案的情况下仍然可以沿用传统的解题法更应该坚定我们加大对于传统方法和技巧的训练。