It has only two sentences in Paragraph nine, but it is not so easy to understand these two sentences, especially the first sentence. I read it once and once, try to understand its structure. Finally, I picked up its subject, predicate and object and I know(時態不一致) the meaning of it. The main clause is “students offer papers” and “as their own” is a complement of the object. “Written by term-paper-companies---or by other students” is an attribute of the “paper”. In the second sentence, the word “irresistible” means “impossible to refuse, oppose or avoid because too pleasant, attractive or strong”, which is found in the Cambridge Dictionary.
Paragraph ten is a question. From this question, we can see the author become doubt （doubtful）whether cheating is Human Nature. Besides, the question also directs our attraction to the topic which put forward in the following paragraphs.
In the second sentence of Paragraph eleven, a “nursery schooler” is a child who goes to a nursery school; a school for children who are not old enough to attend kindergarten. The phrase “lay a guilt trip on” in the last sentence means blame or to state that someone is responsible for something had happening. The whole paragraph is expressing a phenomenon that people don’t take much attention to cheating in youngsters. In the example, the mother regards her little boy’s cheating on games as nothing serious, because she did the same when she was in his age. But is that right? Followed by this example, there is another question which asks that “what if the cheating on games turns into cheating on tests?” “What if” is a particular sentence-type, whose original form is “what will be the result if…”So what a good question! It points the key. Just because cheating is tempting, we should forgive it? Because it is common, we should accept it? If it is really a human nature, we should be surrendered by it?
In Paragraph twelve, the adjective “outspoken” attracts my attention. Here it refers to “expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people are offended”, so the phrase “the outspoken” stands for the people who have such characteristic. From this sentence, the perspective is emphasized again. The people are tolerant and kind to youngsters’ cheating, even the most outspoken opponents. They all don’t have the heart to let children live in an environment which are full of honor code. At the end of the paragraph, the question interests me, why does the author ask such a question? I think it’s silly. Of course Mr. James R. Socas did. No one is completely immune
In order to solve the problem of cheating, professors turn to open-book exam, which is referred in Paragraph thirteen and Paragraph fourteen. I think it’s a good idea. First, if take this method, students will rely on books mostly, so crib sheets and peeking will be useless. Moreover, generally open-book problems don’t have unique solutions and they know it’s impossible of two people to come up(with) the same approach, so they loss their excuse of cheating. Second, open-book exam requests more flexibility, rote leaning will not have its position. Third, it gives students opportunity to refresh their brains and explore their potential.
From the description of Paragraph fifteen, we can see a problem that how to make exams as a learning device, not an evaluation tool is waiting for solutions. But frankly speaking, it is really a troublesome problem. In my opinion, it depends. To someone, exam can encourage them (to) study; to others, maybe it only brings disgust and rejection. But I suppose no one can decide whether exams are used as a learning device or as an evaluation tool, except the students themselves. And it should not be banned any way.
In Paragraph sixteen, “for the most part” means mainly, to a large extent. And in the last sentence, an “elusive goal” is one that is difficult to achieve. Why does the author say “that is an even more elusive goal”? The reason is that we are living in a society that is full of two-families and high-pressure jobs. According to the structure of this sentence, it is a little bit complex. In my opinion, it is a stress clause, in which the society is emphasized.
The last paragraph applies a way of avoiding cheating, which is how can parents teach their children if they don’t do well on a test. Parents should not make them afraid of failure, because if they afraid, they will become cheating. Parents should teach them to face failure and how to conquer the difficulty.
