Chapter 17 A Test

This topic is very simple. The key to getting a high score lies in the angle of approach.

Unlike topical essays, this one allows for plenty of room to maneuver.

Chen Yuan remembered a classic topical essay from before, called 'Grades vs. Slaps vs. Kisses.' The comic depicted receiving a slap for scoring 98 after previously scoring 100, but getting a kiss for scoring 61 after previously scoring 55.

Topics like that basically set the direction in stone.

It was basically a direct commentary on family education, with the core being a critique of Hua Xia-style education.

Those kinds of questions are hard to score high on.

Because there isn't even room for a different perspective.

Chen Yuan remembered Liu Fang giving them some cookie-cutter high-scoring essays, then giving a bad example: an essay written by someone in the class—'If you fall behind, you get beaten!'

All he could say was, it was novel, in a brain-dead kind of way.

This question, however, was a semi-open-ended essay question, not a fully determined one. Writing something logical would suffice. You could even write like an elementary school student, "What I want to be when I grow up…"

If it were a novel, how should it be written?

Think about what those literary giants would do.

To complete a piece with a beginning, development, twist, and conclusion within a limited eight hundred words, there needs to be conflict and sublimation.

The need for web novels to earn a living means they aren't suited for test essays, because essays need to be concise.

Also, you can't write about young love.

That's a slippery slope that can't be touched, so it has to be avoided at all costs.

Therefore, after thinking it over, Chen Yuan started writing.

In fifty minutes, he completed the novel. And at the end, he hammered home the theme!

After all, the graders aren't Qidian editors, so you can't write too excitedly, and you definitely can't write satisfying plot points in a Chinese essay.

Now there are twenty-five minutes left until the end of the exam.

Chinese is like this: after you finish the questions, you don't know what to do. Because the answer sheet is all filled in, and you can't draw doodles to modify anything. As for the multiple-choice questions, I felt like I got them all right from the start, but I might have gotten them all wrong. What can I modify?

Completely relying on luck.

If you stubbornly change the right answer to the wrong one, you'll be slapping yourself later.

That's why the first exam is always the hottest topic during the Gaokao. On one hand, the Chinese essay is a topic that everyone can participate in, unlike other subjects that have too high a barrier to entry. On the other hand, you can turn in the Chinese exam early for a particularly long time. Many students compete for the benefit of being the first to be interviewed, so that the designers are clear that Irelia still needs to be nerfed.

But seriously, there's really nothing to be gained by turning in the Chinese exam early. After all, Chinese is something that is either finished or not.

You'd really be something if you could turn in a math exam early that was set by Ge Jun.

But even though Chen Yuan finished early, he didn't dare to slack off. As Liu Fang was about to walk up to him, he quickly flipped the exam and answer sheet over, pretending to be checking the ancient poems.

He couldn't let her see the essay.

Liu Fang actually liked diverse essays, but only from top students.

She often showed everyone some special essays from Class Fifteen, such as narrative essays, novels, and even prose. Because their class had a literary talent whose prose was especially wonderful, even if it were placed in Yu Qiuyu's "Bitter Journey of Culture," it wouldn't be out of place. And as long as that person performed normally, their essay often scored above 55.

By the way, the highest score for essays at Eleventh High School is 56. But those kinds of essays are all ready for a perfect score in the Gaokao.

The reason it was so strict was to prevent students from having opportunistic thoughts.

Try to write argumentative essays as much as possible.

Especially those in the bottom classes.

I, Liu Fang, am begging you. Argumentative essays, three-part structure, old clichés, your level can't support such showing off.

Therefore, Chen Yuan was still a little afraid of being criticized.

Of course, he wasn't worried that the teachers would be too subjectively inclined to give all novels a low score, since the only hard requirement in the exam was 'except for poetry.' So even if he used the novel genre, the graders would score the essays fairly.

After Liu Fang passed him, she strolled over to Zhou Fu's position. She stood next to her, placed her hands behind her back, looked at her test paper, and smiled faintly after a while.

It was clear that she was very satisfied with their Fu Bao.

Or rather, she had a natural fondness for good students.

Unlike Lao Mo, who also showed a strict hierarchy, he actually found some of the worse students quite agreeable.

After all, the homeroom teacher is the easiest to develop feelings for students… of course, I'm not talking about teacher-student romance!

—— "Lao Mo's Youth Romantic Comedy."

Finally, the exam ended.

After Liu Fang collected the papers, the students in the exam hall left the classroom one after another.

Then, several students in the class surrounded Liu Fang and started chatting with her. Chen Yuan also followed, wanting to hear what they were saying.

Although reviewing the answers after the exam was definitely a bad idea, it was only a monthly exam after all, so Liu Fang wasn't too serious about it, and wasn't stingy with her comments.

"This essay was very simple. If you can still write off-topic, I'm really going to hit someone." Leaning against the podium, Liu Fang warned very seriously.

"Teacher, I wrote about the future me, is that okay?"

"Oh dear." Hearing this, Liu Fang sighed and said, "There were so many things you could write about, why did you have to write about the future me?"

"Then, then is it off-topic?"

"It's not off-topic, but it's too ordinary, just like writing 'I want to be a scientist or artist' when we were in elementary school. There's no argument at all." Liu Fang said truthfully, "Writing like that won't be too bad, but no matter how well you write, it'll be hard for the teacher to give you more than 47 points."

"Then teacher, I wrote 'Hello, Future.'"

"What's the angle of approach?"

"The completion of socialist modernization, talking about the leaps in technological development in Hua Xia over the years."

"Hmm… that's okay, but you won't get a high score either. Of course, if it's written particularly well, there's still a chance for 48." Liu Fang commented fairly.

Writing an essay like that is actually very unstable. Because some students are very rigid, and drag this aspect into every topic, so it's often easy to go off-topic. Of course, if you really encounter this kind of perfect tribute essay topic, then you're really in luck.

"Zhou Fu, what did you write?"

Liu Fang only saw the beginning, but felt satisfied.

*Shiguang ru nülü, wo yi shi xingren.* (Time is like an inn, and I am but a traveler.)

After thinking about it, Zhou Fu said, "I wrote about facing the future with optimism, using the example of the great writer Su Shi. After experiencing the Crow Terrace Poetry Trial, he was exiled for life, and couldn't see a bright future at all. However, he didn't respond negatively. During this time, he created famous works like "Shui Diao Ge Tou," and actively enjoyed life, inventing delicacies such as Dongpo Pork and Dongpo Elbow…"

"Mmm hmm." Liu Fang nodded lightly, fully approving of Zhou Fu's essay.

Essay writing is like dancing in shackles.

But the key is, who dances better.

As soon as Su Shi's line was spoken, she felt that it was just right.

Just stick to this poem and talk about Su Shi's life experiences.

Is it that hard?

It's not hard.

Hearing Liu Fang praise Zhou Fu like this, the other students showed expressions of 'amazing.'

But Zhou Fu already had the strength of the top 200, but was assigned to this exam hall with 900 others, no less than putting a shark in a pond, a complete dimensional reduction attack.

"Chen Yuan, what did you write?" Liu Fang asked proactively when she saw Chen Yuan was also on the side.

Then, everyone looked at him together. Faced with these gazes, Chen Yuan calmly opened his mouth and said, "I wrote about the relationship between the future and the present…"

"Ah, that's right."

Before Chen Yuan finished speaking, Liu Fang directly said these words in a drawn-out tone. Then, she explained to everyone, "This is such a simple question. Did the question setter want to see my dream of being a scientist? No. The word future corresponds to the word present, or rather, the past. So the best way is to insert from this angle."

"Ah? Is that so… hiss, then aren't the others all inferior?" A student asked.

"Isn't even what Zhou Fu wrote not as good as this?"

"It's just the angle of approach." The teacher explained, "Chen Yuan's angle of approach is good, which has laid a good foundation. And Zhou Fu's one is because it's well-written, with good writing and accumulation to write a common angle very well, which is also correct."

In short, they are much stronger than things like "My Future is Not a Dream."

"How did you write it?" Liu Fang asked again.

Chen Yuan said, "I wrote that the future is the result of the continuous accumulation of the present. There is nothing wrong with looking forward to the future, but we should cherish the present more…"

"Fifty, for sure."

Liu Fang raised her finger, pointed it, and very much approved of this argument.

She had always thought that Chen Yuan was a very thoughtful child with a strong understanding, and could always grasp the teacher's pain points in every essay.

But what made her somewhat uncomfortable was that Chen Yuan's reading comprehension was very… it wasn't that it was very bad, just too strange.

She vividly remembered a previous question: What does the rain outside the window represent at this time? Why did the author write this way?

Chen Yuan answered: Maybe it was raining outside the window when the author wrote this passage.

All he could say was that test-oriented education was stifling Chen Yuan.

"Nice, an essay score of fifty." Yu Jiacheng exclaimed, "Then Chen Yuan's total score can pass one hundred again."

"Not you."

If Liu Fang hadn't been here, Chen Yuan would have already unleashed his husky finger at Yu Jiacheng.

Why do you have to bring up what I want to avoid?

"Ah." And Liu Fang was reminded by Yu Jiacheng's words, sighed, and was really a pity.

That's right, what am I so surprised about?

His score will always be only this much. If he performs well, he can pass 110, and if he doesn't perform well, he will still have just over 100.

Hey, Fangzi, you have to see people's progress. Didn't I get all the ancient poems right today…

"So, you wrote an argumentative essay, right?"

Chen Yuan wouldn't let himself down, and since he had said so, it must be an argumentative essay. The reason why Liu Fang asked was to make the students next to her clear that as long as the angle of approach is accurate, the argumentative essay cannot be overturned.

"…" After a brief silence, Chen Yuan opened his mouth and said, "Uh-huh."

Hearing this, Liu Fang was also relieved. However, Zhou Fu on the side saw the problem and instantly understood.

Chen Yuan generally doesn't lie, and when he wants to lie, he will choose to be silent. At this time, if you ask him, he will most likely answer with 'Uh-huh.'

His 'Uh-huh' means—you understand it yourself.

"Go eat, there are exams in the afternoon." Liu Fang reminded everyone not to review the answers, and not to take the mere monthly exam too seriously.

She had always disliked students who insisted on asking her to change their scores after the exam. This wasn't the Gaokao, so why bother?

Monthly exams are only about mastering the test-taking methods.

Then, everyone left the exam hall, picked up the bags that were placed on the desks outside, and prepared to go to the cafeteria.

"How was the Chinese exam this time?" Zhou Fu asked, "Do you think it was difficult?"

"… Okay."

Chen Yuan felt that the most helpless thing about him in the subject of Chinese was that no matter what the question, he couldn't tell whether it was easy or difficult.

Therefore, he could only pray that the Chinese exam would be as difficult as possible in the Gaokao, so that the score line would be suppressed. And he would always get that broken score of 100 and something.

"I have a hunch." Zhou Fu looked at Chen Yuan and said with great trust, "This time, your score will improve in every subject."

"Why?" Chen Yuan didn't understand.

You're really like my mother, trusting me infinitely.

But even my mom isn't as blindly confident as you.

"Because…" Zhou Fu smiled, covered her mouth with her hand, and whispered in his ear, "504+121=625."

"… No, how could she tell you even this?"

Chen Yuan blushed, blushing very seriously.

Xin Bao, can't we talk secretly?

Also, how far have you guys talked?

She wouldn't have also told you about my anxiousness to establish a relationship, would she?

Xia Xinyu, you big dummy!

"I think it's pretty good." Zhou Fu smiled and quickly comforted him, "She told me, also hoping to let me supervise your study a little bit."

"Although that's what she said, but… sigh."

Chen Yuan actually has some academic snob qualities. Before the results come out, he doesn't want everyone to think that he is too hardworking. Moreover, it's for the reason of chasing her to the same school, too much of a pure virgin.

It doesn't fit his persona.

"I also have the level of 120 in Chinese. I can also help you a little bit with some questions." Zhou Fu said proactively, "Except for the essay, if you raise the score of other questions by seven or eight points, you can pass 110. If, with my help, you can break through 110, you two have to treat me to dinner."

Then, chat about the college chapter during dinner.

But can the two of them really get into the same school? The difference is 120 points…

It's more realistic for Chen Yuan to be at the same score as me.

Wait, wouldn't that mean that we are in the same school in college, and then Xinyu is in a good university in the same city next door?

No, in that case, I might really not be able to resist making mistakes…

No, no, absolutely not!

"But. If you can surpass me, I will treat you to dinner." After some thought, Zhou Fu decided to encourage Chen Yuan to move towards higher and farther goals.

It's good that I'm by Chen Yuan's side, after all, I have a certain sense of morality.

But if it's some other girl who is too proactive… there's a possibility that this boy will cheat.

"Okay, okay, okay."

Chen Yuan nodded and agreed to the bet: "Surpass, I'll try my best to surpass you."

………

While the students began to take the math exam, the Chinese teachers also expedited the grading of the papers in order to save their weekends, so that they wouldn't have to work hard to grade papers on the weekend.

Among them, everyone has their own part to be responsible for.

Moreover, in order to carry out grading alternately without wasting time, the grading of essays is also carried out simultaneously.

The way to grade essays is really just as everyone complains, each teacher spends at most two minutes looking at them.

Whether the beginning is relevant to the topic, whether the ending is sublimated, and the examples in the middle are glanced at to see if they are appropriate. Then, the basic score can be determined. And this. It doesn't even take two minutes.

However, there are also test papers that take three or four minutes to read completely, that is, good essays.

"This time the question is very simple, basically there will be no off-topic, so everyone should try to suppress the scores. Also, for people who are off-topic, don't be reluctant, and give them low scores severely." When grading the papers, Wu Wensen, the head of the Chinese grade group, issued such instructions to the Chinese teachers.

Then, everyone also followed this standard, and the essays that were graded were generally around 45 points, and a little better at 47 or 48. And those that were obviously off-topic, but wrote eight hundred words, were all treated with 30 points.

It is said that Chinese cannot pull up the score, but good and bad can also have a difference of 17 or 18 points in terms of essays alone.

I don't understand why students don't value this subject.

There are still several students in Class Fifteen who scored 130 points. Aren't they also very competitive?

"Is this the little literary talent in your class? Teacher Liu." A male teacher suddenly turned his head and smiled while grading the essay, and said to Liu Fang at the workstation behind him.

"It's meaningless to him whether the test paper is sealed or not." Liu Fang sighed.

"It's really well-written, I can't even reach this level of writing. While writing prose, it's not even the cliché theme of 'taking dreams as horses and living up to our youth'." The teacher sighed.

"What is the angle of approach?" Liu Fang asked.

The teacher thought for a while and said, "Relieving the past, then we have the present: having the present, we also meet the future."

"Good!" Hearing this, Wu Wensen leaned over, took the test paper, and nodded while reading it, "This child is really stable, the theme is so precise, and he can still write prose. I remember him, his total ranking is also in the top thirty, right?"

"Last time was 29, in the first liberal arts exam hall." Liu Fang said.

"Okay, really okay." Wu Wensen nodded and said, "If he really doesn't want to write argumentative essays, if he can have this kind of performance every time, maybe he can really get a perfect score in the Gaokao essay. And he originally has the level of 985, if the essay has this kind of strong performance, maybe he will be specially recruited to a higher level of prestigious school."

For example, Haidong University, which originally had some support for local students.

"Like the author of "The Death of Chi Tu," being specially admitted by Nan Shi?" A teacher chimed in.

"It's not impossible." Wu Wensen really thought so.

The definition of literature is too broad, and pure literature majors generally like this kind of spiritual child.

Of course, there are also times when things go wrong.

That is, Ji Jing University recruited a candidate who wrote an essay in oracle bone script, and then found out that he was a fool after he came in…

Now, they really don't take a different path and use this method to make special admissions.

However, he already has such a good total score. In addition to a good writing style, being favored by the highest literary institution is not impossible.

"Then how many points?" The teacher asked.

Wu Wensen thought for a while and said, "55 points, one point less than the full score."

The full score in Eleventh High School is 56, which is basically only given to top masterpieces.

And 55 points is equivalent to 58 in the Gaokao grading scale.

It may even be lucky enough to become a perfect score essay.

"Then the group you graded is from the first liberal arts exam hall."

After a female teacher said enviously, she pinched her temples with her hands, and said with a subtle mood, "I seem to have graded the essays from the poor science class…"

Then, she began to suffer torture.

Quickly grade the test papers, 44, 45, 44, 46…

However, there is Ganoderma in the wasteland.

*Rensheng ru nülü, wo yi shi xingren.* (Life is like an inn, and I am but a traveler.)

Citing the example of Su Shi, each paragraph tightly grasps the theme. Moreover, the words at first glance are written by a girl, especially beautiful.

51, maybe.

After the overall score suppression, it is already considered a very high score.

It's really surprising that there are such candidates in the poor science class.

However, Ganoderma is Ganoderma. If it can be seen everywhere, it will not be precious.

More are wastelands, and the particularly insidious feces hidden in the wastelands.

"My Future is Up to Me"

You are not writing about the future either.

What kind of brain, so off-topic…

36.

43, 47, 44, 46.

The female teacher hoped to end this wave quickly after grading a test paper in an average of one and a half minutes.

However, she was stuck in front of a test paper for a long time.

For a full five minutes.

Finally, unable to make up her mind, she opened her mouth to the Chinese team leader and said, "Teacher Wu, come here."

"What's wrong, is it difficult to judge?" Wu Wensen asked.

Generally speaking, this theme should be very clear.

"No, it's easy to judge. I subjectively think this is a masterpiece."

After the female teacher handed out the test paper, she said, "But I'm not sure, should this test paper also be judged according to the standard of 56 for a full score?"