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Question: My ninth-grade art teacher doesn’t give any grade above 94% because, she says, "There’s always room for improvement." In previous years, I earned a 99% and a 100%. The 94 I received this term does not reflect the hard work that I put into this course. Because of her "improvement" theory, I got a lower grade than I deserve. Is her grading philosophy ethical (符合职业道德规范的)?

Answer: Your teacher’s grading system may be unwise, but it is not unethical. A teacher deserves wide latitude in selecting the method of grading that best promotes learning in her classroom; that is, after all, the prime function of grades. It is she who has the training and experience to make this decision. Assuming that your teacher is neither biased nor corrupt and that her system conforms to school rules, you can’t fault her ethics.

You can criticize her methodology. A 100 need not imply that there is no possibility of improvement, only that a student successfully completed the course work. A ninth grader could get a well-earned 100 in English class but still have a way to go before she writes as well as Jane Austen. What’s more, grades are not only an educational device but are also part of a screening system to help assign kids to their next class or program. By capping her grades at 94 while most other teachers grade on a scale that tops out at 100, your teacher could jeopardize a student’s chance of getting a scholarship or getting into a top college.

What it is wrong to condemn her for is overlooking your hard work. You diligence is worthy of encouragement, but effort does not equal accomplishment. If scholars suddenly discovered that Rembrandt had dashed off "The Night Watch" in an afternoon, it would still be "The Night Watch."

I could spend months sweating over my own "paintings", but I’d produce something you wouldn’t want to hang in your living room. Or your garage.

One feature of a good grading system is that those measured by it generally regard it as fair and reasonable—not the case here. Simmering (难以平息的) resentment is seldom an aid to education.And so your next step should be to discuss your concerns with your teacher or the principal.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

47. The ninth-grader thought that his art teacher should have given him ______.

48. According to the answer, a teacher should have the freedom to ______ to encourage learning.

49. We learn from the answer that a student who gets a 100 should still work hard and keep ______.

50. The example of Rembrandt’s painting suggests that a distinction should be made between ______.

51. The ninth-grader is advised to go to his teacher or the principal to ______.

参考答案：

47 a grade above 94 / a higher grade

文中第一段告诉我们，这个九年级学生不满意艺术老师给出的94分，因为在前一学年中，他获得了一个99，一个100，他认为这个94不能反映出他花在这门课上的心血。因此，这个九年级同学认为他的老师应该给他一个比94更高的分数。题目中的should have given him指“本应该给他”，表示一种与事实相反的假设。

48 select the method of grading

答案在Answer 部分的第一段第二句。原文中的deserve wide latitude与have the freedom 意义相近，promote learning 与encourage learning 表达的意思相同。因此答案是select the method of grading，指选择判分的方式。

49 improving

答案在文章Answer 部分的第二段第二、三句。这一部分表达的意思是一个拿到了100分的学生仍会有很大的需要进步的空间。第二句中有一个词可以表达继续进步的意思，即improve. keep 后需接动词的ing形式，因此填入的词是improving.

50 effortand accomplishment

Rembrandt (伦勃朗，17世纪一位荷兰画家，文章中提到的The Night Watch 是他的名作《夜巡》)出现在Answer 部分的第三段。伦勃朗的例子主要是为了说明付出与成就不完全对等。答案在这一段第二句中，应填入的内容是effort and accomplishment. 题目中的distinction， 意思是区别。

51 discuss his concern

答案在文章最后一句，应填入的内容是discuss his concern.