What new trends in Chinese language education are reflected?, 2023 College Entrance Examination Essay Questions | Students | Reflect
On the 7th, the 2023 college entrance examination kicked off. As in previous years, this year's Chinese composition questions for the college entrance examination still receive widespread attention.
In the 2023 college entrance examination Chinese language test essay, there are four questions ordered by the Education Examination Institute of the Ministry of Education, namely National A, National B, New Curriculum Standard I, and New Curriculum Standard II. Tianjin and Shanghai each have one destiny system, while Beijing has two destiny systems and one micro article.
What are the highlights of this year's essay topic? What aspects of abilities do we focus on testing students? What new trends reflect Chinese language education? Xinhua Viewpoint reporters interviewed multiple experts for interpretation.
On June 7th, at the examination center of Qianxi No.1 Middle School in Guizhou Province, candidates and teachers applauded and rushed to the examination center. Shen Jizhong
Highlighted theme: Emphasizing Bacon's soul casting and cultivating patriotism
The theme direction of this year's college entrance examination essay is to focus on cultivating moral character, inheriting traditional culture, and keeping up with the pulse of the times.
In response to this, the person in charge of the Education Examination Institute of the Ministry of Education stated that this year's college entrance examination essay questions strive to educate people through literature and culture, encouraging students to cultivate emotions, hone their character, and forge their aspirations in the process of learning and using the Chinese language and writing.
Among them, the second volume of the national exam points out the era's propositions of building a community with a shared future for mankind and promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning; The Beijing exam uses "technology as the driving force for economic development" as an example to guide candidates to pay attention to economic and social development; The "Power of Stories" in Volume I of the New Curriculum Standards can explore how to showcase the real, three-dimensional, and vivid image of China to the world, starting from the role of the "main storyteller" in the new era of Chinese stories.
Experts believe that the 2023 college entrance examination essay questions focus on guiding candidates to establish correct views on history, ethnicity, country, and culture, enhancing patriotic awareness and emotions, and enhancing national pride and confidence.
"Highlighting patriotism has been a major feature of the college entrance examination essay proposition in recent years, and this year's national second volume, new curriculum standard I volume, Beijing volume, and Tianjin volume have all been fully reflected," said Hu Xinhong, a senior teacher at Quzhou No.2 Middle School in Zhejiang Province.
The National A Exam proposes two key words: "time" and "technology", with concise guiding texts guiding candidates to think about human subjectivity; The second volume of the new curriculum standard guides candidates to reflect on the meaning and connotation of "their own space", and encourages young people to bravely face the confusion and problems in their growth process; The Shanghai exam questions curiosity and prompts students to further think.
"It seems to be discussing 'curiosity', but in reality, it is guiding students to actively face unfamiliar worlds and explore their mysteries. This exploration is not only a reflection of scientific spirit, but also rich in humanistic significance," said Wang Ximing, the head of Chinese language teaching and research at Fudan University Affiliated Middle School.
Inheriting excellent traditional culture remains a major theme in this year's college entrance examination essay proposition.
In the first volume of the new curriculum standard, "The Power of Stories," candidates can associate stories such as Jingwei Reclamation, Yugong Moving Mountains, Su Wu Shepherding Sheep, and Mulan's Joining the Army with inspiration. The Tianjin exam uses a pair of couplets to guide candidates to focus on the century long rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and to write personalized essays on how to obtain the nourishment of self-cultivation and social life from excellent traditional Chinese culture, and how to draw the wisdom and strength of growth from revolutionary predecessors.
Experts say that the test question system aims to guide young people to be brave in innovation, thinking, and practice, set sail in the new era, and move forward with determination.
Exam focus: Emphasize logical thinking and improve critical thinking ability
The relevant person in charge of the Education Examination Institute of the Ministry of Education stated that the 2023 Chinese language test questions have increased the intensity of testing thinking quality, guiding candidates to improve their logical, visual, and scientific thinking abilities.
For example, the National Grade A essay materials are concise and thought-provoking, requiring candidates to start from the topic, combine personal experiences or observations of social life, analyze, summarize, and reflect on relevant phenomena, condense their own views, and then find and use appropriate evidence to support their views.
"The test materials are very concise, requiring candidates to mobilize their abilities such as association, transfer, and reasoning, discover problems, identify problems, form viewpoints, and carry out arguments. The spirit of exploration and independent critical consciousness required in this process are essential qualities for high school students," said Shen Jiliang, a professor at Beijing Normal University.
Ni Chao, a senior Chinese language teacher at Jiading No.1 Middle School in Shanghai, said that this year's essay questions in Shanghai continue the style of proposition that has been used for many years, with plain language and sufficient openness. Every candidate has something to say. How to form a critical and creative perspective in seemingly friendly problem-solving poses a certain challenge to candidates.
According to Wang Benhua, editor and reviewer at People's Education Press, this year's college entrance examination essay questions focus on examining whether candidates can more comprehensively discover and think about problems, and also provide a stage for candidates to demonstrate their profound, flexible, and critical thinking.
The Beijing exam focuses on two words, "endurance" and "appearance", while the New Curriculum Standard Volume I focuses on writing about "stories". The Tianjin exam uses a pair of couplets as materials. Experts believe that these questions have fewer material limitations and more room for thinking, making them very suitable for showcasing the logical thinking ability and independent thinking level of candidates.
The person in charge of the Education Examination Institute of the Ministry of Education stated that the process of "solving problems" is not only a process of thinking but also a process of learning. The students' interpretation of the composition materials should be transformed into the presentation of vivid examples and the analysis of rich facts in the writing of the article. The process of factual materials emerging, filtering, and externalizing through language and writing in the mind is also a collision process of internal thinking and an emotional agitation process.
"The themes of these questions are all things that students have thought about or should have thought about before. Candidates need to awaken their life experiences, sublimate from emotional understanding to rational expression." Professor Zheng Guihua from Shanghai Normal University suggests that there should be less vague discussions, more typical examples, and more genuine emotions. Only by relying on these ideas can the article truly move people.
Reflective trend: guiding deep thinking and promoting authentic expression
Several experts believe that, looking at the trend of essay writing in recent years, it can be found that essay questions are more focused on student life and pay attention to Chinese language practice. This also reflects some important trends in the development of Chinese language education.
——Close to student life and highlight humanistic education.
Zheng Guihua said that this year's composition topics are concise, clear and relaxed, which reflects the humanistic care of Chinese education.
From the 2020 National III Volume Essay on "How to Draw Seems for Yourself" to the 2021 National A Volume Essay on "May and May", and then to this year's New Curriculum Standard II Volume "Youth's Space"... In the eyes of experts, in recent years, Chinese composition questions have been more closely related to the lives and psychology of teenagers, helping students better express their thoughts and ideas.
"The essay questions are close to life and reality, making it easy for candidates to think and associate, and write articles with genuine emotions and feelings," said Li Qi, the leader of the Chinese Language Teaching and Research Group at Shishi Middle School in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
——Deep reading, extended thinking, and personalized writing.
This year's New Curriculum Standard Volume II essay is a type of composition question that combines reading and writing. It derives relevant essay topics based on other module materials in the exam paper, and there is a certain correlation and dialogue between writing and other module materials in the paper.
The person in charge of the Education Examination Institute of the Ministry of Education pointed out that the combination of reading and writing test questions is the first time they have been officially used in the national college entrance examination, so they are only weakly related to other module materials to avoid reading obstacles that may cause difficulty in reviewing the questions. Through this question type, it can be seen that Chinese language education is increasingly emphasizing the combination of reading, writing, and thinking, which also points out new directions for future Chinese language teaching.
——Flexibly apply knowledge and cultivate core competencies.
In the view of experts, as a comprehensive and practical course, in recent years, Chinese composition questions have not set a threshold for the purpose of question review, but rather focus more on showcasing the comprehensive literacy of candidates and encouraging personalized expression.
Professor Lu Jianming from Peking University believes that in recent years, Chinese language composition in the college entrance examination has taught students that in order to achieve good grades, they must study hard, read more books, and read good books.
Zhang Yunjia, the leader of the Chinese language teaching and research team at Henan Experimental High School, said, "Based on this year's college entrance examination essay questions, in future teaching, we should not only cultivate students' ability to flexibly apply knowledge, but also focus on expanding their horizons. We should integrate the cultivation of core competencies into education and teaching, and better encourage students to be brave enough to discover problems and explore and express themselves."
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Xinhua News Review | Life is a long and arduous journey, and dedication to one's family and country requires steadfast commitment
Children aspire to leave their hometowns, but if they don't become famous, they swear not to return. On June 7th, 2023, the curtain of the college entrance examination opened, and 12.91 million students nationwide wrote a new chapter in their lives.
With the disclosure of the college entrance examination essay questions, grand propositions related to the relationship between the present and the future, as well as between individuals and the world, are presented to millions of candidates - how can one become the master of time and stick to one's original intention in the twists and turns of time? How to showcase oneself and be inclusive in the competition of life? Exploring an unfamiliar world, is it just because of curiosity... For many young people, the college entrance examination is still a threshold towards adulthood. In the moment of crossing the past, looking down and contemplating the relationship between people and time, the relationship between oneself and others, the relationship between known and unknown, can be a meaningful rite of passage.
The answers will not be uniform, just as future life will inevitably have its own brilliance. Years later, when tasting the laughter and tears, success and failure of life, time may give such an answer - the road of life is long and noble, with perseverance, and a broad mind and steadfast commitment to the world.
What is Youheng? Drips of water and stones pierce through, showcasing the power of time. In the long river of time, the only thing that can stand firm is perseverance. "People have better control over time due to technological development, but there are also people who have become servants of time. What kind of association and reflection does this sentence evoke?" As revealed by this year's national college entrance examination essay question, technological development is advancing rapidly, information dissemination is so fast, people have a broader perspective and more choices, and the wave of change is surging, making perseverance particularly valuable.
"Wherever our country needs it, we will go." Faced with the vastness and unknown, before the college entrance examination, Teacher Zhang Guimei sent a message of peace and firmness. In the morning exercises and evening classes day after day, and in the simple companionship year after year, children deeply cultivate the belief that "only by keeping going", and go to the places where the motherland needs the most, achieving their own lives.
Why practice diligently? A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but gathering sand makes a tower requires perseverance. The words "endurance" and "appearance" in this year's Beijing college entrance examination essay questions are sure to make many candidates feel excited. The speeches under the national flag, reports on research achievements, and releases of new products undoubtedly attract attention and become shining moments in life. Undoubtedly, every successful appearance is destined to rely on long-term achievements and cannot be separated from taking action. And to string the repeated appearances into a chain of life's pearls, the test is the endurance of life.
"If the accumulation of water is not thick, then the boat is powerless; if the accumulation of wind is not thick, then the wings are also powerless." In the prosperous era of China, the sky and highlands are vast, and the strength of youth reflects the strength of China. Youth and struggle carry the Chinese dream. Having walked through countless mountains and rivers, one still needs to trek through them. Devoting oneself to the vast ocean of our country and era, working hard and steadfastly, is the right choice for youth!
