{"id":14725,"date":"2019-05-20T07:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T11:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=14725"},"modified":"2019-04-30T23:37:48","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T03:37:48","slug":"draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/draft\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gaokao \u2013 The Most Important Exam in Chinese College Admissions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_14729\" style=\"width: 603px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone post-item__attachment\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14729\" class=\" wp-image-14729\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students-350x232.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-14729\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Next month, millions of high school seniors will take the most important exam (\u8003\u8bd5\u00a0k\u01ceo sh\u00ec) of their lives \u2013 the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Shortly known as the \u9ad8\u8003 (g\u0101ok\u01ceo, higher education exam).<\/p>\n<p>The gaokao is the sole criteria for determining university (\u5927\u5b66 d\u00e0 xu\u00e9) admissions in China. Failure in the gaokao, a prerequisite to enter university, means the student can\u2019t continue to higher education. Passing the exam is not enough either: its score is the deciding factor for the student\u2019s university placement. For Chinese high school students (\u4e2d\u5b66\u751f zh\u014dng xu\u00e9 sh\u0113ng), the future is at stake. This one exam will define their life. A high score on the gaokao can open the gates of prestigious campuses, and with their certificates it\u2019s easier to find a job. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sixthtone.com\/news\/1000330\/why-gaokao-students-score-full-marks-for-bad-english\">Ryan Thorpe<\/a> teaches a creative writing class at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. One class, he asked his 18 students to write about 60 important (\u91cd\u8981 zh\u00f2ng y\u00e0o) seconds of their lives. Almost all of them wrote about the <em>gaokao<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u8fd9\u573a\u8003\u8bd5\u5c06\u4f1a\u51b3\u5b9a\u5b66\u751f\u672a\u6765\u7684\u4eba\u751f\u3002<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Zh\u00e8 ch\u01ceng k\u01ceo sh\u00ec ji\u0101ng hu\u00ec ju\u00e9 d\u00ecng xu\u00e9 sh\u0113ng w\u00e8i l\u00e1i de r\u00e9n sh\u0113ng.<\/p>\n<p>This exam will determine the future of the students.<\/p>\n<p>The gaokao is held every year in June. It lasts two exhausting days, nine grueling hours each day. Most students start preparing (\u51c6\u5907 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i) for the notorious exam a year before. Websites count down the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sowang.com\/gaokao\/gaokaodaojishi.htm\">days<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.daojishiwang.com\/daojishi\/daojishi\/632.html\">remaining<\/a> until the crucial test.<\/p>\n<p>The content of the\u00a0<em>gaokao<\/em> varies by province, but there are generally four subjects (\u79d1\u76ee k\u0113 m\u00f9): Chinese (\u8bed\u6587\u79d1\u76ee y\u01d4 w\u00e9n k\u0113 m\u00f9), math (\u6570\u5b66\u79d1\u76ee sh\u00f9 xu\u00e9 k\u0113 m\u00f9), a foreign language, usually English (\u82f1\u8bed\u79d1\u76ee y\u012bng y\u01d4 k\u0113 m\u00f9), and one comprehensive subject depending whether the candidate chooses to major in liberal arts or sciences.<\/p>\n<p>The competition is huge: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/society\/article\/2149978\/inside-asias-pressure-cooker-exam-sytem-which-region-has-it-worst\">in 2016<\/a>, only 2 percent of the 9.4 million participants were admitted (\u5f55\u53d6 l\u00f9 q\u01d4) by the top 38 schools in China. Parents (\u5bb6\u957f ji\u0101 zh\u01ceng) hope their children will get into a top-tier university (\u4e00\u672c\u5927\u5b66 y\u012b b\u011bn d\u00e0 xu\u00e9). Maybe to even one of the universities in the 211 or 985 projects (\u5de5\u7a0b g\u014dng ch\u00e9ng). The projects (both initiated in the 90\u2019s) aimed to enhance the research standards and to promote Chinese universities as world-class universities in the 21st century. The projects focus on the development of top 100 and 40 universities respectively. Applying to one of the universities in the projects requires high scores on at the gaokao.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u5bb6\u957f\u5e0c\u671b\u5b69\u5b50\u88ab985\u540d\u6821\u5f55\u53d6\u3002<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ji\u0101 zh\u01ceng x\u012b w\u00e0ng h\u00e1izi b\u00e8i 985 m\u00edng xi\u00e0o l\u00f9 q\u01d4.<\/p>\n<p>Parents hope their children will be admitted to the 985 prestigious schools.<\/p>\n<p>Last June, the public transportation department in Zhengzhou city, Henan province, <a href=\"https:\/\/t.cj.sina.com.cn\/articles\/view\/3570337933\/d4cf088d00100hiq7\">placed<\/a> the buses that service number 211 and 985 routes outside the test venue for the waiting parents. The company offered the anxious parents water and magazines to spend the nine hours test session. The parents got on the bus to rest but mainly for good luck. The verb for getting on the bus \u4e0a (sh\u00e0ng) also means to attend university. The phrase \u201c\u4e0a985\u201d or \u201c\u4e0a211\u201d can refer to bus number as well as to one of the universities in the famous projects.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u516c\u4ea4\u90e8\u95e8\u795d\u798f\u8003\u751f\u90fd\u80fd\u8003\u4e0a985\uff0c211\u9ad8\u6821\u3002<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>G\u014dng ji\u0101o b\u00f9 m\u00e9n zh\u00f9 f\u00fa k\u01ceo sh\u0113ng d\u014du n\u00e9ng k\u01ceo sh\u00e0ng 985,211 g\u0101o xi\u00e0o.<\/p>\n<p>The bus department wish the candidates admission to 985 and 211 universities.<\/p>\n<p>This short film presents two mothers that are willing to do everything to help their kids pass the exam:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-wWQ4S0VKoM\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-wWQ4S0VKoM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In Ordos city, Inner Mongolia province, the B\u00f3 Yu\u00e1n H\u00e1o Sh\u0113ng hotel <a href=\"http:\/\/www.berun.cc\/view.aspx?id=20519\">set up<\/a> a small booth and distributed mineral water for the candidates and their parents. On the red banner hung over the booth was written the slogan: \u91d1\u699c\u9898\u540d (j\u012bn b\u01ceng t\u00ed m\u00edng). This expression is a useful greeting during June. It refers to the honorable list of participants who passed the exam during the period of Chinese imperial examinations. Those people could enter into government or political offices and acquire fame and power. Simpler ways to wish someone good luck in the gaokao are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u9ad8\u8003\u8003\u8bd5\u795d\u4f60\u6210\u529f\uff01<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>G\u0101o k\u01ceo k\u01ceo sh\u00ec zh\u00f9 n\u01d0 ch\u00e9ng g\u014dng!<\/p>\n<p>Good luck in the gaokao!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u795d\u4f60\u53d6\u5f97\u597d\u6210\u7ee9\uff01<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Zh\u00f9 n\u01d0 q\u01d4 d\u00e9 h\u01ceo ch\u00e9ng j\u012b!<\/p>\n<p>I wish you\u2019ll get a good score!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u795d\u4f60\u9ad8\u8003\u987a\u5229!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Zh\u00f9 n\u01d0 g\u0101o k\u01ceo sh\u00f9n l\u00ec!<\/p>\n<p>I wish you success in the exam!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u52a0\u6cb9\uff0c\u6211\u4e3a\u4f60\u795d\u798f\uff01<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ji\u0101 y\u00f3u, w\u01d2 w\u00e8i n\u01d0 zh\u00f9 f\u00fa!<\/p>\n<p>Do your best, good luck!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m glad that I survived\u201d, says one of the Interviewees in the next video about memories from taking the gaokao:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Memories of taking the gaokao-China\u2019s national college entrance exam\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HLc16huiRx4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Text vocabulary<\/u><\/p>\n<p>\u8003\u8bd5\u00a0k\u01ceo sh\u00ec = exam<\/p>\n<p>\u9ad8\u8003 g\u0101ok\u01ceo = higher education exam<\/p>\n<p>\u91cd\u8981 zh\u00f2ng y\u00e0o = important<\/p>\n<p>\u5927\u5b66 d\u00e0 xu\u00e9 = university<\/p>\n<p>\u4e00\u672c\u5927\u5b66 y\u012b b\u011bn d\u00e0 xu\u00e9 = top-tier university<\/p>\n<p>\u4e2d\u5b66 zh\u014dng xu\u00e9 = high school<\/p>\n<p>\u4e2d\u5b66\u751f zh\u014dng xu\u00e9 sh\u0113ng = high school students<\/p>\n<p>\u5de5\u7a0b g\u014dng ch\u00e9ng = project<\/p>\n<p>\u5bb6\u957f ji\u0101 zh\u01ceng = parent<\/p>\n<p>\u51c6\u5907 zh\u01d4n b\u00e8i = to prepare<\/p>\n<p>\u5f55\u53d6 l\u00f9 q\u01d4 = to admit<\/p>\n<p>\u79d1\u76ee k\u0113 m\u00f9 = subject<\/p>\n<p>\u8bed\u6587 y\u01d4 w\u00e9n = Chinese<\/p>\n<p>\u6570\u5b66 sh\u00f9 xu\u00e9 = math<\/p>\n<p>\u82f1\u8bed y\u012bng y\u01d4 = English<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><strong>\u597d\u597d\u5b66\u4e60\uff0c\u5929\u5929\u5411\u4e0a\uff01<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students-350x232.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/chinese-students.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>Next month, millions of high school seniors will take the most important exam (\u8003\u8bd5\u00a0k\u01ceo sh\u00ec) of their lives \u2013 the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Shortly known as the \u9ad8\u8003 (g\u0101ok\u01ceo, higher education exam). The gaokao is the sole criteria for determining university (\u5927\u5b66 d\u00e0 xu\u00e9) admissions in China. Failure in the gaokao, a&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/draft\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":14729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14725","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14725"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14731,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14725\/revisions\/14731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}