The foreign language oral examination consists of three parts, with the first one being reading aloud.
The examiner evaluates the volume, pronunciation, and natural intonation of the candidate's reading and gives a score based on these aspects.
Lin Jianzhi has been immersed in an English language environment these days, and her reading is very fluent. Her voice started off a bit quiet, but as she delved into the reading, she gradually opened up.
The examiner's expression is good, clearly quite satisfied.
Next is the second part, answering questions.
The examiner randomly asks five questions, and the candidates have to respond on the spot.
In addition to assessing volume, pronunciation, and intonation, this part also values the ability to adapt to unexpected situations.
It's also the part that Lin Jianzhi is most afraid of facing!
The examiner asks the first question in English, "Apart from regular classes, where do you usually study English?"
Lin Jianzhi takes a deep breath, slightly excited.
She has seen a similar question in the materials given to her by Zhu Liheng!
After a brief moment of thought, she answers fluently in English, "I listen to radio broadcasts and read English books. I enjoy reading science fiction novels, similar to those adapted into movies..."
She speaks for about two minutes, at a moderate pace, providing a comprehensive introduction to her extracurricular life.
In reality, that's not entirely true. She mainly watches American and British TV shows.
But in an oral exam, she can't answer like that; it would give the examiner the impression that "this student is wasting time on entertainment."
However, she can't respond too rigidly either. It would be too fake to say she reads classical literature, so an all-English novel is the most suitable answer.
After she finishes speaking, the examiner's expression indeed carries a smile.
Lin Jianzhi safely passes all the following questions without any mistakes.
The last major part is the oral essay.
It's also impromptu, with a time limit of ten to fifteen minutes.
The candidate needs to express their views on a certain topic, similar to a debate, but entirely in English.
It involves presenting arguments, giving examples, making transitions, establishing cause-and-effect relationships, and making comparisons.
Of course, this is also summarized by Zhu Liheng for her. Lin Jianzhi herself would never be able to identify so many patterns and steps.
It's a formula to follow, regardless of the specific topic. Start with these aspects in sequence.
After receiving the essay topic, Lin Jianzhi takes a minute to prepare and then begins speaking.
At first, she struggles to find the right feeling and state, but neither of the two examiners look at her. They are either scoring or taking notes.
This eases Lin Jianzhi's nervousness, and she confidently delivers a lengthy discourse.
Her English has always been excellent, and her spoken English has become even more proficient during the three days of practice. She speaks without a single mistake.
Excellent!
Even at the end, the head examiner and the invigilator look up and applaud her.
"You have a remarkable talent for language, and your words carry power. I wish you success in getting into your ideal university," the head examiner wishes her in English.
At the final moment, Lin Jianzhi naturally smiles and replies in English, "My aspiration is to attend University B. Thank you!"
The exam ends, and she leaves the examination room under the guidance of the staff.
It's not until she steps out of that solemn building that Lin Jianzhi's legs tremble with relief.
Her eyes turned red, and she started running towards the door.
Oh my goodness!
This speaking exam is so terrifying!
She had intended to cry, but before her tears could flow, she saw another candidate collapsing and crashing into a tree at the entrance.
Beside him were several parents, pulling him and trying to console him.
Lin Jianzhi stood there stunned, and her tears retreated.
At that moment, Lin's father and mother noticed her and hurriedly approached, each holding her from one side.
Lin's mother: "How did it go? How did it go?"
Lin's father: "Oh dear! Don't ask! As long as it's over!"
Lin's mother: "Oh, I see."
Lin Jianzhi pointed at the candidate who had lost control: "What happened to him?"
Lin's mother whispered, "He scored 141 and was supposed to take the exam for University B. But the results came out saying that his on-the-spot response was poor, and his mindset collapsed during the speaking exam. He didn't even finish it before coming out."
Lin's father: "Enough, let's go."
Originally, after all the exams were over, she should have embraced her parents at the entrance or burst into tears.
But because of the other candidate's mistake, the three of them were afraid of causing trouble and slipped away secretly.
Before getting into the car, Lin Jianzhi took another look at the candidate who crashed into the tree. He was a tall guy, over six feet, a strong young man, but now he was crying in despair.
She suddenly felt fortunate that she hadn't cried.
Otherwise, she would have been the one attracting attention.
In a car across the street,
Zhu Liheng closed his computer and rubbed his forehead. "It's over. I have to go back to the research room."
Ruan Tang turned to look at him and asked, "Is that it? At least go up and say hello!"
Yu E said, "Why not ask how the exam went? That guy next to us was wailing!"
Zhu Liheng replied, "No need. If she didn't do well, her reaction would be even more intense than that guy's."
Ruan Tang and Yu E struggled to find a response for a while.
Zhu Liheng continued, "I've been running back and forth these past few days, and there's still a lot of unfinished work on the other side. I have to go back and work overtime."
Yu E said, "My vacation is over! I'm going back to Beijing!"
Ruan Tang said, "I also have to make a trip to Yanling. My advisor asked me to assist with your project as logistics support. It's infuriating!"
The three of them chatted casually as they drove away from Jingyi City.
Lin Jianzhi's delighted parents dragged her out for a big meal, and Lin's father even opened a bottle of wine, wanting to fill her glass.
Lin's mother was also happy and had a few drinks with them.
As a family of three, they hadn't had such a joyful gathering since Lin Jianzhi started preparing for the college entrance exam.
After all the hard work, shouldn't they celebrate?
Just as Lin Jianzhi was about to lose consciousness, she suddenly stepped on the brakes and firmly declined her father's offer to pour her more wine.
She was afraid that if she got drunk, her parents would notice something.
Besides, she wasn't in the mood to chat with them at all. She was not happy at all.
From getting into the car to having dinner until now, in a slightly tipsy state, she had been constantly checking her phone, looking at it hundreds of times.
Zhu Liheng had disappeared.
They had a good chat before the exam, and he told her to do her best and not to be nervous.
After the exam, Lin Jianzhi couldn't wait to share her results with Zhu Liheng.
But she received no response.
Looking at that profile picture, that chat box, Lin Jianzhi felt abandoned.
Feeling so wronged!
She had already had a few drinks, and her emotions were amplified infinitely. In an instant, tears streamed down her face, crying so hard that she couldn't catch her breath.
Lin's Father and Lin's Mother were celebrating their daughter's triumph, toasting each other.
But who would have expected that after just a few sips, they would see their daughter crying uncontrollably, struggling for breath!
Lin's Mother pushed Lin's Father aside and rushed over, asking, "Xiao Jian, what's wrong? What happened?"
Lin's Father shook his head and hurriedly consoled her, "Huh? Didn't do well on the exam? Oh dear, not doing well on the exam."
Lin Jianzhi cried out, "I want to go home!"
Lin's Mother said, "Alright, let's go home."
Lin's Father echoed, "Go home, go home."
