
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 2, 1995                   TAG: 9511020093
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SAMPLES OF EXAM QUESTIONS

The 1994 U.S. history exam by the National Assessment of Educational Progress contained both multiple-choice questions to measure factual knowledge and short writing exercises to measure reasoning ability. Examples:

Question Type 1, asked of high school seniors:

``The Monroe Doctrine was intended to: (A) promote United States trade with China; (B) help keep the peace in Europe; (C) discourage European involvement in the Americas; (D) protect United States business in Japan and Korea.'' (Answer is C; 41 percent of seniors answered correctly.)

``What was one consequence of Nat Turner's rebellion?: (A) Large number of slaves fled to the North; (B) Slave revolts broke out throughout the South; (C) Conditions for slaves on many Southern plantations improved; (D) Southern states passed laws designed to tightly control slaves.'' (Answer is D; 34 percent correct).

``Between 1960 and 1980, what invention most changed the way people in the United States worked?: (A) The typewriter; (B) The computer; (C) The superconductor; (D) The radio.'' (Answer is B; 88 percent correct.)

Question Type 2, asked of seniors:

The test booklet shows an 1876 magazine cover illustration of American Indians and the caption, ``What shall we do with our Indians?''

``Look at the magazine cover. What historical events would have led this question and picture to appear on the cover of a popular magazine in 1876?''

``What attitudes displayed toward American Indians by other Americans are suggested by this magazine cover?''

(Students have three lines to answer each part. For full credit, they must answer both and provide specifics - for example, discussing Western land disputes or the issue of Indian reservations. They receive only partial credit for vague statements such as, ``There were lots of arguments between the government and Indians then.'')

Question Type 1, asked of fourth-graders:

``The centers of religious activity in the Spanish colonies in the Americas were called: (A) missions; (B) presidios; (C) courthouses; (D) monasteries.'' (Answer is A; 38 percent answered correctly.)

``Which of these was one of the thirteen colonies that fought the American Revolution against the British?: (A) Illinois; (B) California; (C) New York; (D) Texas.'' (Answer is C; 32 percent correct.)

``Which war did the United States enter to prevent the spread of communism? (A) The Mexican-American War (B) The First World War (C) The Second World War (D) The Vietnam War.'' (Answer is D; 31 percent correct.)

- Associated Press

by CNB