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Section 6: Sample Constructed-Response Question
TX PACT: LOTE Chinese: Early Childhood–Grade 12 (714)

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Sample Directions for the Constructed-Response Question

This section of the exam consists of a constructed-response question to which you must respond in the target language. You are to prepare a written response on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the question.

Read the question carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response. You may use the eraseable notebooklet provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to this question must be written on the Response Sheets provided and scanned using the scanner provided at your workstation.

Instructions for scanning your response sheets are available by clicking the "Scanning Help" button at the top of the screen.

Your score will depend on the extent to which you effectively communicate a whole message, in the target language, to the specified audience for the stated purpose. You will be assessed on your ability to express, organize, and support opinions and ideas, not on the position you take. Your response to the question will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

You are to prepare a written response to this question of approximately 300–400 words. Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the exam. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.

Any time spent responding to the question, including scanning the response sheets, is part of your testing time. Monitor your time carefully. When your testing time expires, a pop-up message will appear on-screen indicating the conclusion of your exam session. Only response sheets that are scanned before you end your exam or before time has expired will be scored. Any response sheet that is not scanned before testing ends will NOT be scored.

Select the Next button to continue.

Sample Constructed-Response Question

Domain V—Presentational Writing

Competency 009—In response to a prompt, demonstrate the ability to construct a coherent, well-developed passage in the target language that effectively communicates a message.

Read the prompt below.

Imagine that you are applying for an academic exchange program for teachers of Chinese. As part of your application, you are asked to write an essay in Chinese in which you provide your opinion on whether secondary-level students should attend school year-round. In your response, you must include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • your opinion on the topic; and
  • an explanation of reasons, evidence, or experience that supports your opinion.

Your response must be written in Chinese characters (Simplified or Traditional).

Sample Strong Response

[Simplified]

我认为中学生应该全年上学。全年上学不仅可以帮助中学生巩固知识、增进同学间的友谊，更可以培养一代有竞争力的青年，长远地促进社会发展。

首先，全年上学不代表没有假期，只是假期更分散、每次放假时间更短。这样，全年上学的学生学习知识更加有连续性，不容易遗忘知识。现在，美国学生的暑假很长，许多学生不能有效利用假期时间。全年上学可以解决这个问题：学习更有连续性、时间利用更有效。

其次，全年上学可以培养同学间的感情，使友谊更加深厚。如果全年上学，我可以有更多的时间和同学一起组织课外活动、一起打球、看电影、讨论作业题。我相信同伴教育是中学教育中重要的一部分，学生可以从中学会合作、协商和理解的能力。

全年上学除了对学生个人有好处以外，也对社会有好处。美国是全世界暑假最长的国家之一。长远来看，如果美国不全年上学，其他国家全年上学的学生的竞争力将超过美国学生。综上所述，我认为中学生全年上学是可行而且必要的。

[Traditional]

我認為中學生應該全年上學。全年上學不僅可以幫助中學生鞏固知識、增進同學間的友誼，更可以培養一代有競爭力的青年，長遠地促進社會發展。

首先，全年上學不代表沒有假期，只是假期更分散、每次放假時間更短。這樣，全年上學的學生學習知識更加有連續性，不容易遺忘知識。現在，美國學生的暑假很長，許多學生不能有效利用假期時間。全年上學可以解決這個問題：學習更有連續性、時間利用更有效。

其次，全年上學可以培養同學間的感情，使友誼更加深厚。如果全年上學，我可以有更多的時間和同學一起組織課外活動、一起打球、看電影、討論作業題。我相信同伴教育是中學教育中重要的一部分，學生可以從中學會合作、協商和理解的能力。

全年上學除了對學生個人有好處以外，也對社會有好處。美國是全世界暑假最長的國家之一。長遠來看，如果美國不全年上學，其他國家全年上學的學生的競爭力將超過美國學生。綜上所述，我認為中學生全年上學是可行而且必要的。

Sample Weak Response

[Simplified]

我觉得中学生应该全年上学。美国的教育竞争力不太强，世界上别的国家的学生的假期都没有美国学生的这么长。如果我们让学生多上学，他们可以学到更多的知识，更有竞争力。

如果中学生全年上学，家长也就不用担心暑假太长。如果暑假太长，学生待在家里，不能有效利用时间，时间都浪费了。

我特别希望学校能够经常放假，但是每次放得短一点，暑假的时候，我一个人在家，有的时候会感到孤独，想念我的同学。我也觉得，美国的暑假太长了，春季学期学的东西都忘掉了，秋季学期还没有开始。

[Traditional]

我覺得中學生應該全年上學。美國的教育競爭力不太強，世界上別的國家的學生的假期都沒有美國學生的這麼長。如果我們讓學生多上學，他們可以學到更多的知識，更有競爭力。

如果中學生全年上學，家長也就不用擔心暑假太長。如果暑假太長，學生待在家裡，不能有效利用時間，時間都浪費了。

我特別希望學校能夠經常放假，但是每次放得短一點，暑假的時候，我一個人在家，有的時候會感到孤獨，想念我的同學。我也覺得，美國的暑假太長了，春季學期學的東西都忘掉了，秋季學期還沒有開始。

Performance Characteristics

Responses are scored holistically based on the following performance characteristics:

Purpose The extent to which the response fulfills the assignment and is appropriate for the intended audience
Organization and Coherence The extent to which ideas are effectively sequenced and logically connected
Development The extent to which ideas are developed with relevant supporting details
Syntax and Grammar The extent to which the response exhibits a command of syntax and grammar
Vocabulary The extent to which the response demonstrates a command and range of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions
Mechanics The extent to which the response demonstrates accuracy of spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation

Score Scale

The four points of the scoring scale correspond to varying degrees of performance.

Score Point Score Point Description
4 The "4" response reflects a thorough understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response thoroughly fulfills the assignment and is completely appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The ideas are effectively organized and logically connected.
  • The ideas are well developed with specific, relevant details.
  • The response exhibits a comprehensive command of syntax and grammar, containing only minor errors that do not interrupt communication.
  • The response demonstrates a strong command and broad range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions.
  • There are few, if any, errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation.
3 The "3" response reflects a general understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response generally fulfills the assignment and is appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The ideas are generally organized and connected.
  • The ideas are generally developed with some specific details.
  • The response exhibits an adequate command of syntax and grammar, although some errors may cause minor interruptions in communication.
  • The response demonstrates a general command and adequate range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions.
  • There are minor errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation, but these do not interfere with communication.
2 The "2" response reflects a limited understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response partially fulfills the assignment and may not be appropriate for the intended audience.
  • The ideas are partially organized; connections between ideas may be lacking.
  • The ideas are partially developed: details may be limited, repetitive, and/or partially irrelevant.
  • The response exhibits limited command of syntax and grammar; errors sometimes interfere with communication.
  • The response demonstrates a limited command and narrow range of vocabulary, including idiomatic expressions.
  • There are errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation that partially interfere with communication.
1 The "1" response reflects little understanding of relevant knowledge and skills.
  • The response fulfills little of the assignment and is inappropriate for the intended audience.
  • The ideas are unorganized and disjointed.
  • The ideas are not developed: there are few, if any, relevant supporting details.
  • The response exhibits little or no command of syntax and grammar; significant and frequent errors impede communication.
  • The response demonstrates a weak command of vocabulary, with little to no range. Idiomatic expressions, if used, may be inappropriate.
  • Errors in spelling, diacritical marks, and punctuation are so numerous that they impede communication.
U The response is unrelated to the assignment, is unreadable, is not written in the target language, or does not contain a sufficient amount of original work to score.
B There is no response to the assignment.
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