李家同：我慶幸自己不是現在的年輕人

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文／李家同（清華大學、靜宜大學、暨南大學榮譽教授）

每一年到了會考的時候，我都會注意英文和數學的會考題目，兩者實在都不容易。比方說，以今年會考的英文題目來看，第26~27題的題目是遊戲的規則，然後要看了以後回答到底誰贏了。這實在令我搞不清楚到底是考英文還是智力測驗。我總希望我們的會考裡面有一些基本題目，理由如下：

（1）很多同學不會回答難題，但是會做基本的題目。如果基本題目極少，這些孩子就一定被羞辱，會拿到C（待加強）。去年我們有三分之一的全國國中畢業生，英文會考拿到C，其實這些學生之中，有些同學是有基本能力的，我們實在應該給他們鼓勵而非羞辱。

（2）很多大學生仍然會犯很多基本文法錯誤，很多教授都告訴我，這種現象乃是因為我們國家的考試是不重視基本觀念的。所以，以我們的會考為例，就無法知道有多少同學連最基本的觀念也沒有。

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可是我一直有一個困惑，那就是我也唸過高中，當然也要經過考高中這一關，可是我一點都不記得當年的英文考試有多難，所以我就拜託教育部的一位官員幫我找民國43年考高中的英文和數學考題。這位官員給了我很多各個學校的考題，因為民國43年沒有統一聯考的制度。看了這些考題以後，我實在感概萬分，因為比起現在的會考，當年的每一所學校其實所考的題目都有兩個特色：

（1）沒有叫你看一篇長篇大論的文章，然後問你問題。

（2）裡面都有非常基本的題目。

Translate the following into English：

（1）你為什麼要來這個學校?

（2）十月十日是中國的國慶日。

（3）我們學校沒有女生。

（4）因為下雨我們不能去了。

（5）你願意和我去游泳嗎?

看了這五個句子以後，我感動地幾乎想流淚，因為這五個句子就是我夢寐以求的考題。我總認為我們該有這種題目。當年考高中，尤其像新竹中學、一女中這種學校，都是菁英份子去考的。因為民國43年國民義務教育只有六年，所以當時沒有國中，只有初中。要進初中就不容易，我進成功中學的初中是經過考試入學的。現在進國中不需要考試，可是奇怪的是，考菁英份子的題目很容易，考普羅大眾的題目卻又百般刁難，這到底是什麼原因呢?

有一位學生認為這是「創意」搞出來的，我們現在成天講創意，考題也要有創意，不能考一些基本的題目，考基本的題目就表示出題的人沒有創意了。

可憐的是我們的學生，一旦題目太有創意，學生就不知所措矣。有的時候我們納悶兩件事：

（1）很多孩子現在很不喜歡唸書，上課就在睡覺。

（2）很多孩子要去上補習班，補習班是現在我國日益成長的產業。

如果我們看了當年的考題，再和現在的考題比較一下的話，我們應該就可以得到答案了。我還是要說我真慶幸自己不是現在的年輕人。

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以下我將民國43年一女中入學考試英文題目的一部份列出，原來的考題有一百題之多，我也再列了今年我國的英文會考題目，各位看看這兩者是否有鮮明不同。一女中的考題我雖然只列了一部份，其他的題型完全一樣。

我真希望政府能夠看看這些考卷，然後以後在考題中加入一些非常基本的題目。我實在看不出來這有什麼害處，我都沒有說我們不可以有難題，我只說我們要多一點最基本的題目。可惜的是，大概沒有人會聽我的話。

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省立臺北第一女子中學、省立臺北第二女子中學、省立板橋中學（女子組）聯合招生

作　法

1. A ________ has two wheels.

(1) lamp (2) bicycle (3) clock (4) book

2. He writes with a ________ pen on paper.

(1) chalk (2) stick (3) ink (4) fountain

3. We do not go to school on ________.

(1) Saturday (2) Wednesday (3) Friday (4) Monday

4. He takes his ________ before he goes to school.

(1) breakfast (2) lunch (3) picnic (4) supper

5. Columbus ________ America.

(1) invented (2) went (3) created (4) discovered

6. ________ is the way out.

(1) entrance (2) sigh (3) exit (4) exile

7. He buys meat and fruit in the ________.

(1) movies (2) market (3) school (4) post office

8. The opposite of “lend” is ________.

(1) give (2) buy (3) look (4) borrow

9. ________, people did not live in houses as we do.

(1) A few days ago (2) Long, long age

(3) Again and again (4) Now and then

10. The sun rises in ________.

是對的，或是四個都不對，請仔細選出：

(1) east (2) the east (3) south-east (4) north-east

11. ________ is good to eat.

(1) Stone (2) Coal (3) Gas (4) Cloth

12. I like to play ________ with my friends.

(1) water (2) watch (3) pin (4) knife

13. My country is ________.

(1) the Yellow River (2) the Republic of China

(3) the United States of America (4) the Philippine Islands

14. ________ is one of the most important materials for making clothes.

(1) Wood (2) Iron (3) Cotton (4) Machine

15. I drink ________ of tea.

(1) apiece (2) a kind (3) a cup (4) a grain

16. My brother likes to play with ________.

(1) my sister (2) a book (3) the bowl (4) the pin

17. We like to ________ about our school

(1) say (2) tell (3) speak (4) talk

18. Can you see ________ birds on the tree?

(1) few (2) some (3) any (4) none

19. On each side of the head there’s one ________.

(1) ear (2) eye (3) hand (4) foot

20. The ninth month of the year is ________.

(1) November (2) October (3) August (4) December

21. My father is always ________ of studying.

(1) willing (2) love (3) like (4) interesting

22. I sit in a ________.

(1) desk (2) tree (3) chair (4) floor

23. Five and seven are ________.

(1) thirty (2) twelve (3) nine (4) fourteen

24. I have tow hands; one is the right hand and the other is the ________.

(1) lift (2) left (3) front (4) behind

25. Tom is going to put his letter into the ________.

(1) letter-box (2) toy-box (3) ticket-box (4) book-case

26. Four time eleven is ________.

(1) twenty (2) fifteen (3) forty-five (4) four hundred

27. We Chinese eat with ________.

(1) chopsticks (2) pencils (3) poles (4) saucer

28. I take three ________ a day.

(1) dinner (2) meals (3) rices (4) food

29. I have my hair cut ate the ________ shop.

(1) butchers’ (2) barber’s (3) baker’s (4) woodcutter’s

30. ________ don’t you go to school on Sunday?

(1) What (2) Where (3) Why (4) How

31. She ________ newspaper every day.

(1) has read (2) reads (3) read (4) is reading

32. My aunt ________ him English.

(1) was teaching (2) has been teaching

(3) are teaching (4) is teaching

33. ________ he get up early in the morning?

(1) Do (2) Has (3) Does (4) Don’t

34 The train ________ the station ten minutes ago.

(1) was leaving (2) will be leaving (3) has left (4) left

35. Can you ________ a picture like this?

(1) drawing (2) to draw (3) drew (4) drawn

36. They ________ in this school for three years.

(1) Had been (2) have been (3) has been (4) have to be

37. Each of the girls ________ a pen.

(1) had had (2) have (3) has (4) had

38. Tom with Paul ________ in the garden.

(1) is (2) are (3) be (4) being

39. The desk is ________ by the carpenter.

(1) make (2) makes (3) making (4) made

40. The old man ________ to much wine.

(1) has drink (2) have drank (3) had drink (4) has drunk

41. He always gets ________ the bus at the station.

(1) at (2) after (3) on (4) by

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