New Horizons College English Unit Tracking Assessment ①

Author: Guo Qiqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: New Horizons College English is a college English textbook widely favored by teachers and students. It has a high usage ratio among college English textbooks and is gaining increasing attention for its promising application prospects. It not only well inherits the traditional teaching experience of college English education in China in its editorial system but also actively incorporates new academic achievements in its editorial philosophy, especially in multimedia teaching materials and online English teaching, making it truly a "new century, new horizons." However, in teaching, we deeply feel that students also need a set of self-assessment, exercise-through-questions, key-point reinforcement, and enjoyable unit self-tests—essentially a "platform" for student self-assessment. And this Master's Gold Series: New Horizons College English Unit Tracking Assessment was born out of this need. "Centered on the text and guided by cognition" is the feature of this series. Under the guidance of language cognition, language functions, and language communication, it complements the exercises in the textbook, forms a corresponding contrast with other test-prep exercise books, and aims to improve students' comprehensive English proficiency. The entire book is paired with the textbook and divided into 4 volumes, each containing 10 units, with each unit consisting of 3 parts.
In the first part, the "semantic web map" is compiled based on the "semantic field" theory in semantics and the "prototype" theory in cognitive linguistics. It aims to help students build a mental network of English vocabulary in a new way, reducing the burden of memorization. "One word with multiple meanings" has been a hot topic in English testing in recent years and also a for students in vocabulary learning. This time, we have listed it separately, hoping to draw students' attention to it and help them appreciate the power of "metaphor" in English vocabulary. "Sentence completion" allows students to focus on and experience the significant role and meaning of phrases in constructing sentences from the perspective of functional grammar. The vocabulary and grammar exercises in the second part are closely compiled around the linguistic knowledge points of the text, emphasizing the development of applied skills. Cloze tests are based on the principles of semantics and communication, forming a contrast with the textbook's vocabulary-centered cloze tests, aiming to cultivate students' ability to pay attention to and analyze detailed information and overall discourse content.
The third part is guided by the idea of "" (), selecting reading materials around the unit theme. It not only cultivates students' reading skills but also helps them accumulate relevant background and linguistic knowledge. Translation exercises aim to enhance students' precise understanding of each part of the text. In summary, it reflects the principle of "focusing on concise explanations and extensive practice, integrating structure, function, and language skills," which is the principle of training verbal skills and verbal communication under the guidance of teacher-led explanations. In practice, it encourages students to creatively use language to interact with the text while meeting their needs, fully embodying the principle of "student-centered teaching that serves learning."
In recent years, college students have made rapid progress in English learning, and we believe the most valuable aspect is their shift in learning philosophy: centering on self-directed learning and using actionable tasks as a method, with independent learning and self-assessment. Master's Gold Series: New Horizons College English Unit Tracking Assessment is a product of this trend. "Learning without practice is like a fake master," so we warmly invite you to join this trend. With this book in hand, you can keep pace with the times.