自2004年江蘇獲準高考獨立命題以來,英語試卷就一直在尋求題型上的突破, 除了常規題型聽力、單選、完形填空、閱讀理解和作文外, 2004、2005年考查了短文改錯, 2006、2007年考查了對話填空, 2008、2009年考查了任務型閱讀。江蘇高考任務型閱讀的設題模式是讓學生閱讀一篇英語文章,然后根據文章內容來完成一個圖表或表格。它要求學生不僅能夠讀懂文章內容而且要能夠對輸入信息進行整合,并在此基礎上輸出信息,即用英語表達。從這種新題型上,我們不難看出命題者的意圖:
一是為了更好地契合高中英語新課標。高中英語新課程的目標是在義務教育階段的基礎上,進一步發展學生的語言綜合運用能力,著重提高學生用英語獲取信息、處理信息、分析問題和解決問題的能力,特別注重提高學生用英語進行思維和表達的能力。命題者顯然是想通過這種題型,來檢測學生用英語獲取信息,以及用英語進行思維和表達的能力。

二是彌補以往的閱讀理解題在閱讀能力測試方面的不足。以往對閱讀能力的考查,都是通過四選一的客觀題來進行的。但是,近年來對單純使用四選一的客觀題型測試閱讀能力有較多的批評,許多測試專家也建議在閱讀理解測試中加入一定量的主觀性試題,因為四選一的客觀題注重的是對信息的確認,判斷和推理,它很難或者不可能有效地測量學習者運用語言的能力,所以,隨著人們對語言運用能力的重視,主觀閱讀題型應運而生,它可以對以往的客觀閱讀測試題型作一個很好的補充。
但是, 作為一種新題型,任務型閱讀是否能真正達到以上目標,還是值得商榷的。
下面就通過對2009年江蘇高考英語任務型閱讀的解析,對該題型作一個討論。
第71題: We are always (71) __▲__ in communication with others. 可以從文章第一段的第四句話(But every day we experience the centrality of our selves in communication.)推知答案為self-centred/subjective。
第72題:Communication(72) __▲__ others. 從文章第二段最后一句話(So, the communication begins with the self, as defined largely by others, and involves others, as defined largely by the self.)可以找到答案即“involves”一詞。
第73題:Messages from others help you(73) __▲__ who you are.從文章第二段第四句話(Positive, negative, and neutral messages that you receive from others all play a role in determining who you are.)可以找到答案,即determine一詞,但需要變其動名詞形式為原形,也可以用define, know或understand 來替代。
第74題:Needs and (74) __▲__ of others should be considered. 可以從文章第二段的倒數第二句話(In a more obvious way, communication involves others in the sense that a competent communicator considers what the other person needs and expects when selecting messages to share.)推知答案,但需要改變形式,把動詞expect 改為expectations, 也可以用hopes, desires以及wishes來替代。
第75題:Communication(75) __▲__ everywhere. 可以從第三段的第一句話(Communication occurs almost every minute of your life)找到答案。即“occurs”一詞, 也可用其近義詞happens, exists或arises替代。
第76題:We are always(76) __▲__ other people by observing even if they do not intend any message for you.可根據第三段第二句話(If you are not communicating with yourself(thinking,planning, reacting to the world around you), you are observing others and drawing inferences from their behavior)推知答案,答案為reading, understanding 或knowing。
第77題:We are constantly collecting meanings from others’ (77) __▲__ .可以從文章第四段最后一句話(We are continually picking up meanings from others’ behaviors and we are constantly providing behaviors that have communicative value for them.)推知答案為behaviors。也可以用acts, action(s)或activities。
第78題:We are constantly (78) __▲__ meanings by what we do.同樣可以從文章第四段最后一句話推知答案為conveying/expressing。
第79題:You may explain what you have done, but you cannot(79) __▲__ what remains in the other person’s mind.在最后一段第四句(Nonetheless, your comment remains both in the mind of the other person and in your own mind. You cannot go back in time and erase your messages to others.)可找到答案,即erase 一詞, 也可以用remove, delete或change 來替代。
第80題:Yon may redo the conversation, but you (80) __▲__ achieve the same results.根據文章最后一句話(Your second experience with a similar setting and person made far different results.)可推知答案,即can’t/cannot。
首先,從上面的分析不難看出,這十個題目基本上都可以歸為變換措辭題,即把文章當中的句子改變一種措辭并讓考生填寫所缺單詞。考查形式比較單一,對于一些重要的閱讀技能,如概括,推理,判斷等幾乎沒有涉及。對學生閱讀能力的考查,應該是一種綜合性的考查。高考對閱讀能力有明確要求:
1.掌握所讀材料的主旨大意,以及用以說明主旨和大意的細節和事實。能用略讀去抓大意,能用查讀去尋找具體信息。
2.既理解字面具體意思,也理解深層抽象含義,包括作者的態度、意圖等。
3.既理解某句、某段的意思,也理解全篇邏輯關系,并據此進行推理和判斷。
4.既能根據材料所提供的信息去理解,也能結合中學生應有的常識去理解。
5.能通過詞匯構成和語境線索,推導出生疏詞匯的意義和使用法。
對閱讀能力的考查,可以圍繞這些具體要求進行。例如托福或雅思對于閱讀能力的考查就包括很多方面,題目類型包括圖表題,篇章總結題,變換措辭題(文章中哪一句話和下面的句子意思上最接近),詞匯題(在一定的上下文中),指代關系題,簡化句子題,插入文本題,事實信息題,推斷題,以及否定排除題等。山東卷的考查明顯借鑒了雅思或托福在閱讀能力考查方面的一些做法。2009 年山東卷閱讀表達部分考查的五道題目分別是對作者意圖的推斷、變換措辭、完成句子、信息提取以及句子翻譯。
其次,一個好的考試應做到有效、可信和可行,同樣,一種好的題型也應如此。信度有兩個方面:一是試題信度, 二是閱卷人信度。試題信度是指一種測驗的得分是否前后一致。例如,如果一種測驗有兩套平行試卷, 同一個人連續兩天做這兩套試卷,而得分幾乎相同, 這種測驗就具有試題信度。 閱卷人信度是指評閱同一試卷的不同評卷人的意見非常相近。顯然,為了增強閱卷人信度,該題型要求每空只能填寫一個單詞,但是這樣一來, 很明顯限制了考生的思維, 考生也許能夠查找到所需信息,也許能夠按照自己的方式對這句話進行釋義,但要求所有的考生都按照出題人的思路去改變一個句子的措辭顯然不能有效地考查學生的閱讀能力和水平。同樣是這篇閱讀文章,如果換一種考查形式,考查的結果肯定大不一樣。筆者有幸參加了今年的高考閱卷,任務型閱讀改了將近3000份,但是沒有改到一份滿分,其中71題,76題和78題的正確率極低,考生對這幾題似乎感到無所適從,是不是這篇文章真的很難, 以至于近3000個學生中,沒有一個人能真正讀懂呢?顯然不是。
我們不能否認,作為一種新題型,任務型閱讀有它的獨到之處,它把文章用一種框架形式表達出來,讓人對文章主要內容一目了然;它既考慮到英語運用能力的考查,又對傳統的閱讀測試做了補充,把獲取信息和語言運用糅合到一起進行考查。但是,它同樣有它的不足之處, 考查的形式比較單一,偏重結構而忽視了對其他閱讀技能的檢測; 每空填一個單詞的設題模式雖然增加了閱卷人信度,但降低了試題的延展性,不能有效地拓展學生的思維; 對一些深層次的理解,如作者的態度,意圖等,不容易設題。
總之,在傳統的閱讀測試中加入一定量的主觀性試題,已成為一種趨勢,但是在題型設計、出題思路以及選材上都還需要仔細斟酌。高考的設題模式對平時的課堂教學有直接的影響, 因此對于任務型閱讀這種新題型,還需進一步完善,使其既能全面、有效地測試學生的閱讀能力及水平,又能更好地引導課堂教學。
附2009江蘇高考任務型閱讀
請認真閱讀下列短文,并根據所讀內容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一個最恰當的單詞。注意:每個空格只填1個單詞。請將答案寫在答題卡上相應題號的橫線上。
Communication Principles
How you see yourself can make a great difference in how you communicate.“Every individual exists in a continually changing world of experience of which he(or she) is the center”. Many communication scholars and social scientists believe that people are products of how others treat them and of the messages others send them. But every day we experience the centrality of ourselves in communication. A student, for instance, may describe a conflict with a teacher as unfair treatment:“I know my teacher doesn’t like the fact that I don’t agree with his opinions, and that’s why he gave me such a poor grade in that class.” The teacher might say the opposite. Each person may believe that he is correct and that the other person’s view is wrong.
The concept of self originates is communication. Through verbal and nonverbal symbols, a child learns to accept roles in response to the expectations of others. You establish self-image, the sort of person you believe you are, by how others think of you. Positive, negative, and neutral messages that you receive from others all play a role in determining who you are. Communication itself is probably best understood as a dialogue process. Our understanding of communication comes from our interactions with other people. In a more obvious way, communication involves others in the sense that a competent communicator considers what the other person needs and expects when selecting messages to share. So,the communication begins with the self, as defined largely by others, and involves others, as defined largely by the self.
Communication occurs almost every minute of your life. If you are not communicating with yourself(thinking, planning, reacting to the world around you), you are observing others and drawing inferences from their behavior. Even if the other person did not intend a message for you, you gather observations and draw specific conclusions. A person yawns and you believe that person is bored with your message. A second person looks away from you and you conclude that person is not listening to you. A third person smiles(perhaps because of a memory of a joke he heard recently) and you believe that he is attracted to you. We are continually picking up meanings from others’ behaviors and we are constantly providing behaviors that have communicative value for them.
More often than not, you may have hurt someone accidentally and you may have tried to explain that you did not mean that. You may have told the other person that you were sorry for your statement.You may have made a joke out of your rude statement. Nonetheless, your comment remains both in the mind of the other person and in your own mind. You cannot go back in time and erase your messages to others. Communication cannot be reversed(倒退), nor can it be repeated. When you tried to re-create the atmosphere, the conversation, and the setting, nothing seemed right. Your second experience with a similar setting and person made far different results.
參考書目:
1.Rod Ellis, 1999, The Study of Second Language Acquisition. 上海外語教育出版社
2.Arthur Hughes,1990,Language testing for Teachers. Cambridge University Press
3.束定芳,莊智象,1996,《現代外語教學——理論、實踐與方法》. 上海外語教育出版社
4.教育部,2006,《普通高中英語課程標準(實驗)》. 人民教育出版社