2024考研国家线公布啦，来评论区吐槽吧。
🤔️小作业：
1. What is the primary message the author wishes to convey to students who did not achieve their desired exam results?
A) Academic achievements are the only path to success.
B) Poor exam results should be viewed as an irrecoverable setback.
C) Exam results do not define one's potential for future success.
D) Only those with exceptional results deserve recognition.
2. What does the article suggest about the limitations of academic exams?
A) Academic exams are comprehensive tests that cover all essential life skills and qualities.
B) While focusing on specific skills like memory, exams overlook broader personal qualities.
C) The effectiveness of exams in measuring essential life skills is unanimously recognized.
D) Personal qualities are secondary to academic skills measured by exams.
Students need to know bad grades aren't the end of the world
From: The Guardian, 13 Aug 2016
We've all been there. The sleepless night before the big day. Thejitteryjourney to school. The faces of parents keen to hear the news. The sound of celebration andsniffling echoingaround the hall.
我们都有过这样的经历。在那个重大日子来临前夜辗转反侧，前往学校途中忐忑不安，目睹着家长急切期待成绩的神情，以及庆祝与哽咽的声音在大厅中回荡。
jittery
jittery /ˈdʒɪtərɪ/ 表示“紧张不安的；心神不宁的”，英文解释为“anxious and nervous”
sniffle
sniffle /ˈsnɪf.əl/ 可以作动词，也可以作名词，表示“（通常指因哭泣或感冒）抽鼻子，吸鼻子”，英文解释为“to breathe in quickly and repeatedly through the nose, usually because you are crying or because you have a cold”
📍a sniffle=the sniffles) 表示“鼻塞，轻微感冒”，英文解释为“a slight cold that mainly affects your nose”举个🌰：I had a cold a couple of weeks ago and it's left me with a sniffle. 我几个星期前感冒了，现在依然有些鼻塞。
echo
echo /ˈek.əʊ/ 作动词，1）表示“重复，附和；使产生似曾相识的感觉”，英文解释为“If you echo someone's words, you repeat them or express agreement with their attitude or opinion.”举个🌰：Their views often echo each other. 他们的见解常常彼此附和。
2）表示“回响；发出回声；响起回声”，英文解释为“If a sound echoes or a place echoes with a sound, you hear the sound again because you are in a large, empty space.”举个🌰：The sound of footsteps echoed around the hall. 脚步声在大厅里回荡。
作名词，1）表示“回声，回音，回响”，英文解释为“a sound that is heard after it has been reflected off a surface such as a wall or a cliff”举个🌰：The echoes of his scream sounded in the cave for several seconds. 他的尖叫声在洞中回荡了好几秒钟。
2）表示“十分相似的东西；如出一辙的事物；仿效”，英文解释为“a detail that is similar to and makes you remember something else”举个🌰：There are echoes of Mozart in her first piano compositions. 她最早创作的钢琴曲有些地方模仿了莫扎特。
Many students will have worked hard and been rewarded, and nothing shoulddetractfrom their achievements. But let's talk about the ones who are disappointed.
无数学子经过辛勤学习终获丰硕成果，这些成就绝不应忽视。然而，让我们来关注那些感到失落的学生们。
detract from sth
detract from sth表示“（在价值、美誉度等方面）对…产生不利影响；贬低；有损乎”，英文解释为“to make something seem less valuable or less deserving of admiration than it really is”
If we have given the impression,consciouslyor otherwise, that these exams willmake or breaktheir lives, then we will have created sense of failure in these young people. Add a load of friends proudly posting theirdazzlingresults on social media, and you have a potentiallytoxic mix. But they shouldn't despair. Here's why.
如果我们有意无意地传递这样一种信息：这些考试将决定他们的一生，那么我们就会让这些年轻人产生挫败感。再加上一大堆朋友在社交媒体上自豪地发布亮眼的成绩，则进一步强化了这种压力。但他们无需感到绝望，原因如下。
consciously
consciously /ˈkɒn.ʃəs.li/ 1）表示“有意识地”，英文解释为“in a way that involves noticing that a particular thing exists or is present”举个🌰：The patient may not be consciously aware of the emotion. 患者可能不会有意识地感觉到这种情绪。
2）表示“有意的，故意的”，英文解释为“in a way that is determined and intentional”
📍词根“consci-”来自拉丁语“conscius”，意味着“知道”，后缀“-ously”表示副词，意为“以…的方式”。近义词: deliberately（故意地），同根词: conscious（有意识的），常用短语: act consciously（有意识地行动）
make or break sth
make or break /ˌmeɪk.ɔːˈbreɪk/ 表示“成就或毁掉…”，英文解释为“to make something a success or a failure”举个🌰：Recognition by this organization can make or break a career. 被这一组织承认可能成就事业，也可能毁了事业。
dazzling
dazzling /ˈdæz.əl.ɪŋ/ 1）表示“光彩夺目的，靓丽的；令人眼花缭乱的”，英文解释为“extremely attractive or exciting”如：dazzling good looks 靓丽的容貌，a dazzling smile 灿烂的微笑，a dazzling performance/display 精彩的表演/展示。
2）表示“（光线）刺眼的，耀眼的，眩目的”，英文解释为“A dazzling light is so bright that you cannot see for a short time after looking at it.”如：a dazzling white light 一道刺眼的白光。
toxic
toxic /ˈtɒksɪk/ 1）表示“有毒的；引起中毒的”，相当于poisonous，如：toxic waste/chemicals/effluent 有毒的废料/化学品/废水，牛津词典2018年度词汇就是：Toxic.
2）表示“令人极不愉快的；不可接受的”，英文解释为“very unpleasant or unacceptable”
3）表示“恶毒的；造成阴影的”，英文解释为“causing you a lot of harm and unhappiness over a long period of time”如：a toxic relationship 不良的关系。
📍词根“tox-”来自希腊语“toxon”，意味着“毒”。近义词：poisonous（有毒的），同根词：toxin（毒素），常用短语：toxic environment（有害环境）
mix
mix /mɪks/ 1）表示“混合；结合”，英文解释为“a combination”举个🌰：There was an odd mix of people at the party. 派对上有形形色色的人。
2）表示“（常为粉状的）配料，混合料”，英文解释为“something that is sold in the form of a powder to which a liquid, such as water, can be added later”如：cake/cement mix 蛋糕粉/水泥配料。
3）表示“混音，混录”，英文解释为“a version of a recorded piece of music”举个🌰：A new mix of their hit single is due to be released early next month. 他们热门单曲的新混音版唱片定于下月初发行。
📍此处，“have a potentially toxic mix”在这里的意思是可能形成一种有害的、或负面的混合情况。所谓的“toxic mix”通常指的是几个因素结合起来可能会产生不良的、有害的或是破坏性的结果。
First, I have marked GCSE and A-level exams. Whoever marked it may well have marked dozens that day andin all likelihoodwill themselves have been under pressure to get through as many as they could as the deadlineloomed. For them it was just another paper they had to mark before they could have dinner or go to bed. A low mark is not a personalslight.
首先，我曾参与过GCSE和A级考试的阅卷工作。不管是谁阅卷，当天都可能批改了数十份试卷，而且很有可能他们自己也承受着压力，在截止日期临近时尽可能多地批改试卷。对他们来说，这不过是在吃晚饭或睡觉前必须批改的另一份试卷而已。低分并不意味着对个人的不认可。
in all likelihood
in all likelihood 表示“几乎肯定的”，英文解释为“almost certainly”举个🌰：In all likelihood, everything will go to plan. 一切几乎肯定会按计划进行。
loom
loom /luːm/ 1）表示“（令人惊恐地）隐约显现；赫然耸现”，英文解释为“to appear as a large, often frightening or unclear shape or object”举个🌰：Dark storm clouds loomed on the horizon. 天边隐约出现了一团团的乌云。
2）表示“（不希望或不愉快的事情）阴森地逼近”，英文解释为“If a worrying or threatening situation or event is looming, it seems likely to happen soon.”举个🌰：The threat of renewed civil war looms ahead. 新一轮内战的威胁在逼近。
slight
slight /slaɪt/ 作形容词，比较熟悉表示“少量的，微小的”，英文解释为“small in amount or degree”如：a slight improvement 略微的改善。
作动词，表示“轻视，冷落；怠慢”，英文解释为“to insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if not important”举个🌰：I felt slighted when my boss thanked everyone but me for their hard work. 我的老板感谢了每个人所付出的艰辛劳动，唯独没有感谢我，这让我感到自己受到了轻视。
作名词，表示“轻视；冷落”，英文解释为“an action that insults a person because someone fails to pay attention to them or to treat them with the respect that they deserve”举个🌰：I regarded her failure to acknowledge my greeting as a slight. 她没有理会我的问候，我认为这是在轻视我。
Second, thereliabilityof marking is seriously questionable. Thescaleof the operation ismassive. It'sa fact of lifethat some of them get it wrong. The examboardsdo what they can tomitigateagainst this, but it's anuphill battle. But above that, what do exams actually test anyway? Memory, certainly. They test time management. They test elements ofcompetencein individual subjects. But, ultimately, they really test how good a person is atsittingexams – and this is even more true with thedemiseof coursework from many areas of thecurriculum.
其次，阅卷的可靠性令人严重怀疑。阅卷规模庞大，出错在所难免。尽管考试委员会会尽力减少出错，但依旧很难杜绝。但除此之外，考试到底考什么呢？当然是记忆力。考的是时间管理。考的是特定科目中的某些能力。但归根结底，考试真正考的是一个人的应试能力——随着课程作业在许多学科中被淘汰，这一点变得尤为显著。
reliability
reliability /rɪˌlaɪ.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ 表示“可靠性，可信度”，英文解释为“the quality of being able to be trusted or believed because of working or behaving well”举个🌰：Rolls-Royce cars are famous for their quality and reliability. 劳斯莱斯汽车以其质量和可靠性而闻名。
scale
scale /skeɪl/ 1）表示“标度，刻度；等级”，英文解释为“a set of numbers, amounts, etc., used to measure or compare the level of something”如：the Centigrade/Fahrenheit scale 摄氏/华氏温标。
2）表示“比例；比例尺”，英文解释为“the relation between the real size of something and its size on a map, model, or diagram”如：a scale of 1:10,000 比例尺为1:10000。
3）表示“大小；规模；范围”，英文解释为“the size or level of something, especially when this is large”举个🌰：We don't yet know the scale of the problem. 我们还不知道问题有多严重。
📍近义词：magnitude（大小），同根词：scalable（可扩展的），常用短语：on a large scale（大规模地）
massive
massive /ˈmæs.ɪv/ 表示“巨大的；大量的”，英文解释为“very large in size, amount, or number”举个🌰：They have a massive house. 他们有一座很大的房子。
a fact of life
a fact of life 表示“无法避免的事情”，英文解释为“something unpleasant that cannot be avoided”举个🌰：Going bald is just a fact of life. 谢顶是无法避免的事情。
board
威尔·史密斯被禁止出席奥斯卡活动十年文中提到，board /bɔːrd/ 作名词，1）表示“董事会；理事会；委员会”，英文解释为“the group of people who are responsible for controlling and organizing a company or organization”举个🌰：Every decision has to be approved by the board (of directors). 每项决定都必须由董事会通过。
2）表示“（有特定用途的）薄木板；板；牌子”，英文解释为“a thin, flat piece of cut wood or other hard material, often used for a particular purpose”
3）on board 表示“在船（或火车、飞机）上”，英文解释为“on a boat, train, or aircraft”举个🌰：As soon as I was on board, I began to have second thoughts about leaving. 我一上车就开始动摇要不要走了。
4）board作动词，也可直接表示“（使）上（船、火车或飞机）”，英文解释为“to get onto or allow people to get onto a boat, train, or aircraft”举个🌰：At the airport she boarded a plane to Hangzhou. 在机场她登上了去杭州的飞机。
mitigate
mitigate /ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ 表示“减轻，缓解，缓和”，英文解释为“to make a situation or the effects of something less unpleasant, harmful, or serious”举个🌰：Measures need to be taken to mitigate the environmental effects of burning more coal. 需要采取措施来减轻燃煤增加对环境造成的影响。
📍词根“mitig-”来自拉丁语“mitigare”，意味着“使柔和”，表示通过某种措施减轻不良影响或状况。近义词：alleviate（缓解），同根词：mitigation（缓解），常用短语：mitigate a problem（减轻问题）
an uphill battle
uphill /ˌʌpˈhɪl/ 1）表示“上坡（的）；向山上（的）；朝上坡方向（的）”，英文解释为“leading to a higher place on a slope”如：an uphill climb 向上的攀爬；
2）表示“费力的，艰难的”，英文解释为“needing a large amount of effort”举个🌰：It'll be an uphill struggle/battle/fight to get the new proposals accepted. 要让新的提案获得通过会很艰难。
📍an uphill battle字面意思，“一场艰难的斗争”，在这里可以理解为努力克服困难的过程，表达一种难以解决问题的努力状态。If you refer to something as an uphill struggle or an uphill battle, you mean that it requires a great deal of effort and determination, but it should be possible to achieve it.
competence
competence /ˈkɒm.pɪ.təns/ 表示“能力；才干；水平”，英文解释为“the ability to do something well”举个🌰：Her competence as a teacher is unquestionable. 她的执教能力无可置疑。
sit
熟词僻义，1）表示“参加考试”，英文解释为“to do an exam”举个🌰：Candidates will sit the examinations in July. 考生将在七月参加考试。
🎬电影《阿里的婚礼》（Ali's Wedding）中的台词提到：My father makes me sit the exam.
2）表示“成为（官方组织的）成员；（在…中）任职”，英文解释为“to be a member of an official group”举个🌰：I'm going to be sitting on the committee for one more year. 我将再任一年的委员会委员。
demise
demise /dɪˈmaɪz/ 1）表示“（曾经存在的事物的）终止，结束，消亡”，英文解释为“the end of something that used to exist”如：the imminent demise of the local newspaper 地方报纸的即将停刊，也可以直接指“死亡”。
🎬电影《史酷比2：怪兽偷跑》（Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed）中的台词提到：This is only the first rung on the ladder of your demise. 直译：这是你们死亡阶梯上的第一步。字幕组翻译为：这只是你们捐献战利品的第一步。
2）表示“倒闭；败落；垮台”，英文解释为“the end of something that was previously considered to be powerful, such as a business, industry, or system”举个🌰：The demise of the company was sudden and unexpected. 该公司出人意料地突然倒闭了。
curriculum
curriculum /kəˈrɪkjʊləm/ 表示“课程”，英文解释为“the subjects studied in a school, college, etc. and what each subject includes”如：the school curriculum 学校课程。
补充：
📍我们常说的简历，CV，就是curriculum vitae /ˈviːtaɪ/的缩写。
They areinfinitelyless effective at testing passion, inspiration and potential. And I've yet to come across an exam that can assess honesty, loyalty or sense of humour.
考试在评估激情、灵感和潜力方面的效能极为有限。我还没有遇到过一种可以评估诚实、忠诚或幽默感的考试。
infinitely
infinitely /ˈɪn.fɪ.nət.li/ 表示“非常；无限地；极大地”，英文解释为“very or very much”举个🌰：Travel is infinitely more comfortable now than it used to be. 现在旅行比过去舒服多了。
I think about my students: the girl who was so nervous that she could hardly speak before giving a presentation but whoperseveredandnailed it. I think of the boy who put his hand upunpromptedto say that he had really enjoyed it. I think of the girl who waited behind after nearly every lesson toclarifyor expand on the points raised.
我想起了我的学生们：那个在演讲前紧张得几乎说不出话的女孩，但她坚持了下来，并成功地完成了演讲。我想到了那个主动举手说他真的很喜欢这门课的男孩。以及那位课后总是留下来，希望更深入讨论和扩展课堂内容的女孩。
persevere
persevere /ˌpɜː.sɪˈvɪər/ 表示“锲而不舍，坚持不懈”，英文解释为“to continue trying to do something in a very determined way in spite of difficulties – use this to show approval”举个🌰：He persevered in learning English. 他孜孜不倦地学英语。
nail
nail /neɪl/ 1）表示“用钉子钉，将…钉牢”，英文解释为“to fasten something with nails”举个🌰：She had nailed a small shelf to the door. 她在门上钉了一个小架子。
2）表示“（成功）做到，完成，实现”，英文解释为“to do something succcessfully”举个🌰：She nailed her audition and got the lead part in the musical. 她在试镜中表现出色，得到了音乐剧中的主角角色。You totally nailed it! 你完全搞定了！
unprompted
unprompted /ʌnˈprɒmp.tɪd/ 表示“主动的，自发的，未经敦促的，未受提示的”，英文解释为“without being told to say or do something”
clarify
clarify /ˈklær.ɪ.faɪ/ 表示“澄清；阐明；使更清晰易懂”，英文解释为“to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation”举个🌰：Could you clarify the first point please? I don't understand it completely. 请你把第一点再阐释一下，好吗？我没有完全明白。
Academicglorymight notbe on the cardsfor them, but I have no worries whatsoever about them carving their places in the world. They have qualities that willstand them in good steadin whichever line of work they choose to pursue.
他们或许无法在学业上赢得荣耀，但我对他们在这个世界上找到自己的一席之地充满信心。他们所拥有的品质，将使他们在未来选择的任何职业道路上都能够昂首阔步。
glory
glory /ˈɡlɔː.ri/ 1）表示“光荣，荣耀”，英文解释为“great admiration, honour, and praise that you earn by doing something successfully”举个🌰：This was her final professional match, and she wanted to end her career in a blaze of glory. 这是她最后一场职业比赛，她想给自己的运动生涯画上一个荣耀炫目的句号。
2）表示“给人荣耀的事；值得称赞的事；引以为豪的成就”，英文解释为“an important achievement that earns someone great admiration, honour, and praise”
3）表示“（尤指对上帝的）赞颂，赞美，感激”，英文解释为“praise and thanks, especially as given to God”
4）表示“壮丽；辉煌；灿烂”，英文解释为“great beauty, or something special or extremely beautiful, that gives great pleasure”举个🌰：They want to restore the castle to its former glory. 他们想重现城堡昔日雄伟壮观的面貌。
be on the cards
英式 be on the cards 美式 be in the cards 表示“很可能发生”，英文解释为“to be likely to happen”举个🌰："So you think they'll get married next year?" "I think it's on the cards." “那么你认为他们明年会结婚吗？”“我看很有可能。”
stand someone in good stead
stand someone in good stead 表示“（需要时）对某人有用，对某人有利”，英文解释为“to be useful or helpful to someone or something”
And if all that sounds a littleairy-fairy, it's worth stating that, while I can't deny that academic results can open doors to certain careers, it's certainly not the case that they are the only route tofulfilmentandprosperity. Just look at the recent finding in Australia thatplumbersand electricians earn up to twice as much as lawyers.
如果这一切听起来似乎太过理想化，那么值得一提的是，虽然我不否认学业成绩可以打开通往某些职业的大门，但这绝非通往成就和成功的唯一途径。正如最近澳大利亚的一项调查所显示，水管工和电工的收入是律师的两倍。
airy-fairy
airy-fairy /ˌeə.riˈfeə.ri/ 表示“想象出来的；不切实际的；空洞的”，英文解释为“not practical or not based on the situation as it really is”举个🌰：She's talking about buying an old castle. It all sounds a bit airy-fairy to me. 她说要买一座古堡。可我觉得她说的这些有点儿不切实际。
fulfilment
英式 fulfilment /fʊlˈfɪl.mənt/ 美式 fulfillment 1）表示“完成；实现”，英文解释为“the fact of doing something that is necessary or something that someone has wanted or promised to do”举个🌰：Being here is the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. 来到这里就是完成了一生的雄心壮志。
2）表示“满足;满意”，英文解释为“a feeling of pleasure because you are getting what you want from life”举个🌰：She finally found fulfilment in motherhood. 她最终在做母亲后获得了满足感。
prosperity
prosperity /prɒsˈper.ə.ti/ 表示“成功；（尤指经济上的）繁荣，昌盛”，英文解释为“the state of being successful and having a lot of money”举个🌰：A country's future prosperity depends, to an extent, upon the quality of education of its people. 一个国家未来的繁荣昌盛在一定程度上取决于国民的教育质量。
plumber
plumber /ˈplʌm.ər/ 表示“管子工，水暖工”，英文解释为“a person whose job is to supply and connect or repair water pipes, baths, toilets, etc.”举个🌰：When is the plumber coming to repair the burst pipe? 管道工什么时候来修理破裂的水管？
So good luck with results day. But let's all of us, teachers, parents and students, whether things go our way or not, remember that there is far more to life.
因此，愿你在出成绩时好运。但无论结果如何，让我们所有人，包括教师、家长和学生，都应该铭记，人生还有更重要的东西。
