2014-04-10
【Aiden in English】
PSSA Writing is a 5th grade specialty. Not a pleasant specialty, but too bad, either. We 5th graders get to write a two-page essay in an hour. Not only do we get sore hands, but also tired brains. Nevertheless, we try our best and aim to be Number 1.
What a surprise! This year PSSA Writing would only have 2 prompts and 12 multiple-choice questions in 3 days, where as last year, there were three prompts and 30 multiple-choice questions in four days. Even though everyone is yelling yeah and woo, I'm sitting there going on No! If there are fewer questions, then each question will be worth more. If I messed up on one, my score just would drop from Advanced to Proficient. Not only that, the prompt they took away was the Narrative that was my favorite.
The first prompt I got was more or less a bummer. It asked me to write about how animals helped people. I barely wrote one and an half pages before I was forced to end the informative essay. The next was a lot more fruitful. I filled both pages and even included a 6th paragraph to write a persuasive essay to the Stamp Committee in order to make a new stamp about anything. I rarely had space for the Independence Hall that I chose to talk about. The second was a stroll in the park. But even though it was no sweat, I took it seriously, just like you should take the PSSA seriously too.
【紅霞譯文】
賓州寫作統考堪稱五年級全體學生的特權，儘管大家並非心甘情願享受這種特權，但你根本無法拒絕。身為五年級學生，我們要利用一個鐘頭的時間寫出篇幅長達兩頁紙的作文，手腕酸得要命，腦袋累得猴死。儘管如此，我們必須使出渾身解數，盡展十八班武藝，奮力爭先。
太出人意料了﹗今年賓州寫作統考要求我們在三天時間裡寫出兩篇命題作文和解答十二道選擇題﹔相比之下，去年的考生得接連四天完成三篇命題作文和卅道選擇題。鑑於此狀，同學們樂得好像撿了便宜，而我卻不以為然。考題數量減少，實際上等於變相增加了每道題的份量，如果做錯一題，其成績就有從優秀降到良好的可能。除此之外，這回被刪除的部分竟是我最喜歡的項目——記敘文。
第一篇寫實作文多多少少有點太落俗套，要求舉例表明動物如何幫助我們。我感覺時間不夠用，到點的時候，自己差不多僅寫出一頁半。第二天的寫作倒是卓有成效，我密密麻麻碼滿了包括六個段落兩大頁紙張，試圖說服郵票委員會設計發行“獨立紀念館”新郵票。第二篇論述文正對我胃口，不過，即使駕輕就熟，也不能掉以輕心，正像認真對待其它賓州統考項目一樣。
