In paragraph 9, the word “precautions” attracts me. Then I look it up on Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary. It means that an action which is done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous happening. The main idea of this paragraph is that though the schools have made some measures to prevent cheating, the students still can not give up this kind of habits.
In paragraph 10, it only has 2 sentences. Though it is short, it seems to me that it is the main idea of the following paragraphs. The author thinks that the root of the problems lie in the influence of parents on the children, and it is always parents and teachers that encourage it by their attitude.
In paragraph 11, I am not familiar with ‘nursery schooler’. It means that a child who goes to a nursery school, a school for children who are old enough to attend kindergarten. And the phrase ‘too much a part of human nature’ means ‘it is such a significant part of human nature’.what a mother of a nursery schooler said confuses me. Why she does not prevent her childcheating? In my view, the mother loves her child too much. So she does not want to heart her child. As she said that she can not lay a guilt trip on her child for cheating—it is too temping, too common and too much a part of human nature.
In paragraph 12, I am not familiar with the sentence ----‘I would not be comfortable with an honor code like ours in grammar school or even high school,’ said Mr. James R. Socas, chairman of the honor committee at the University of Virginia. So I read the note of this article after the text. Here ‘an honor code’ and chairman of honor committee’ refer to the fact that some colleges and university in the U.S. operate on what is called ‘the honor system’. Mr. Socas is saying that elementary and high school students are too young to take such responsibility but that college and university students must learn to do this.
In paragraph 13, we can see that more and more professors are turning to open –book exams to test students. This kind of changing can prevent the students from cheating. It fosters conceptual thinking and makes crib sheets and peeking useless.
In paragraph 14, the word ‘dean’ stops me. As I consult it by the dictionary, it means that a high-ranking official in a college or university who is responsible for the organization of a department or departments. As I read this paragraph. It is said that how to prevent the students from cheating in University of Nebraska. ‘I give open –book problems without unique solutions,’ said Stanley R. Liberty, dean of the engineering school at the University of Nebraska. I think it is a very useful way to prevent cheating. Do you think so? We all know if we take such kinds of exams. It is impossible that the same answers are written by two students. It seems to me that it is a very good method.
In paragraph 15, Turning to the Cornell University. It is also said that how to prevent the students from cheating. In this university, professor and students discuss ways that exams can be used as a learning device, not an evaluation tool. I am not familiar with the word ‘evaluation’. After I check it on dictionary, it means ‘to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount or value of something’.
The last 2 paragraphs are easy to understand. It is the end of this article.
So this is only my understanding of these 9 paragraphs, if someone has any other good view, please tell me. We can discuss together.
