英國威爾士地區(qū)將取消 2021 年夏季的 GCSE 考試（英國普通初級中學畢業(yè)文憑）、 AS-level 考試（高級補充程度會考）和 A-level 考試（普通中等教育證書考試高級水平課程），學生成績將基于課堂評估。威爾士教育部部長柯絲蒂·威廉姆斯（ Kirsty Williams ）表示，由于受新冠肺炎疫情的持續(xù)影響，不可能保證考試能夠在公平的競爭環(huán)境下進行。

After months of uncertainty, pupils studying A-levels, AS-levels and GCSEs across Wales now know they won’t be sitting exams next summer. Instead, they face assessments under teacher supervision to start in the second half of the spring term. They will be externally set and marked but delivered in a classroom setting.

經(jīng)歷了幾個月的忐忑不安后，在威爾士地區(qū)學習 A-level 課程、AS-level 課程以及 GCSE 課程的學生們現(xiàn)在得知他們明年夏天不用參加這些課程的考試。取而代之的是，他們將在老師的監(jiān)督下，從春季學期的下半學期開始接受評估。評估將由校外機構設置和評分，但會在課堂中進行。

The Education Minister Kirsty Williams says the change is needed to allow for a level playing field, and that the result from each school will be played into an agreed ‘national approach’ to provide consistency across Wales.

威爾士教育部部長柯絲蒂·威廉姆斯認為這個變化是必要的，以給學生提供一個公平的競爭環(huán)境。每所學校的評估結果將參照經(jīng)過商議決定的 “全威爾士地區(qū)指導方針”，以保證威爾士各地評估標準的一致性。

The decision follows a regrading row last summer and two reviews – one by the exam body Qualifications Wales, the other by an independent panel – which recommended scrapping most or all of the exams.

這項決定是在今夏一場要求重新評定學生成績的爭論以及兩次復審之后做出的，其中一次復審由考試監(jiān)管機構 “威爾士資格證書”（Qualifications Wales）執(zhí)行，另一次復審由一個獨立小組執(zhí)行，兩次復審均建議取消大部分或全部的考試。

詞匯表

pupils 小學生，此處泛指學生
sitting exams 參加考試
assessments 評估
supervision 監(jiān)督
term 學期
set （考核內容）設置
marked 給評分
a level playing field 一個公平的競爭環(huán)境
regrading 重新打分
reviews 評審
scrapping 取消

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. True or false? According to the text, GCSEs, AS-levels and A-levels are cancelled in 2021 across the UK.

2. What will pupils in Wales face instead of their GCSEs, AS-levels and A-levels?

3. How will these exam replacements be set and marked?

4. Who conducted the two reviews which resulted in the decision to cancel the exams?

答案

1. True or false? According to the text, GCSEs, AS-levels and A-levels are cancelled in 2021 across the UK.
False. According to the text, they are cancelled in Wales, one of the UK’s four countries.

2. What will pupils in Wales face instead of their GCSEs, AS-levels and A-levels?
They will face assessments under teacher supervision to start in the second half of the spring term.

3. How will these exam replacements be set and marked?
They will be set and marked externally, meaning not by the school or the teachers.

4. Who conducted the two reviews which resulted in the decision to cancel the exams? 
The two reviews were conducted separately by the exam body Qualifications Wales and an independent panel.