电大最新教育评价考试小抄.doc

电大教育评价期末复习考试小抄一、填空题1. 教育测量就是根据一定的理论、规则，运用一定的测量工具对教育现象进行数量化描述的过程。2. 教育评价标准是指对应于相应的评价指标或项目， 规定被评对象达到什么程度或水平才是合乎要求的，或是优秀的、良好的等。3. 晕轮效应给评价带来的误差有两个方面， 一是以差概好的 扫帚星效应 ， 二是以好概差的光环效应。4. 问卷结构一般包括标题、指导语和问卷的正文等几个部分。5. 调查法是在科学方法论和教育评价理论的指导下， 通过问卷、访谈、测验等科学方式，有目的、有计划、系统地收集有关教育评价的信息与资料的方法。6. 发展性原则是学生评价最重要、最基本的原则， 指评价以促进学生发展为目的，不仅要关注学生的现实表现，更要注重学生的未来发展。7. 以布卢姆为代表的专家于1956 年发表了认知领域的目标分类， 他们把该领域的目标分为知识、领会、运用，分析、综合和评价六个层次。8. 在教师评价领域存在两种评价观点， 即奖惩性教师评价观和发展性教师评价观。9. 学校教学工作评价的主要内容有师资队伍评价、教学管理评价、教学活动评价和教学绩效评价等。10. 根据评价主体不同， 区域教育评价组织机构有自评组织机构、社会评价组织机构和行政评价组织机构。11.形成性评价是指在教育活动过程中，为不断了解活动进行的状况，及时对活动进行调整，提高活动质量而进行的评价。其主旨在于为改进活动及时提供反馈信息，而不是评定成绩、判断优劣。12. 从指标系统的内容看，条件类指标评价的指标系统有、过程类指标和成果类指标。13. 评价者由于在评价中产生的误差主要有以下几种情况: 晕轮效应、知觉定势、逻辑误差、情绪效应和投射效应.14. 问卷的回收率是运用问卷调查中最重要的问题， 一般要求问卷的回收率不应当低于75%.15. 按照解释分数的标准分， 可将测验分为常模参照测验和标准参照测验。16. 发展性学生评价观认为， 学生处于不断发展和变化的过程之中， 教育的意义在于引导和促进学生的发展和完善，要通过评价促进学生在原有水平上的提高，要发现学生的潜能，发挥学生的特长，不断实现预定的发展目标。17. 美国教育心理学家加涅在其学习的条件一书中认为， 学习的结果或者教育活动所追求的目标，就是形成学生的五种能力:言语信息、理智技能、认知策略、动作技能和态度。18. 教师评价的主要内容有: 教师素质发展、教师教育教学行为和教师教育教学成果。19. 课堂教学质量评价应包括课堂教学过程评价和课堂教学效果评价.20. 学校制度建设评价的内容包括: 制度是否健全、规章制度是否贯彻执行。21. 一个整体被分解成若干因素( 指标) 时， 用来表示每个因素在整体中所占比重大小的数称为权重系数。22. 通常把组织正式评价前被评价对象的自我评价叫预评价，其主要目的是为修订完善评价方案或为正式评价积累经验、收集信息。23. 问卷的回收率是运用问卷调查最重要的问题之一， 一般要求问卷的回收率不应当低于。24. 选拔性学生评价观点强调学校教育是为少数人服务的选拔性教育， 评价的过程就是一种盟别的过程，评价的方法般是考试，以考试成绩决定高低和优劣，评价关注的是作为客体的知识而不是学生主体的发展，评价主体是教师和管理者。25. 做好教师评价工作， 必须遵循以下原则: 整体性原则、教育性原则、客观性原则、校本原则、动态性原则和激励性原则。26. 学校教学工作评价的形式有自我评价、上级主管部门评价和社会评价等。27. 根据评价机构的稳定性， 区域教育评价组织机构有常设的和临时性教育评价机构。28. 教育评价标准的基本要求是先进性、科学性。29. 观察法根据观察实施的方式可分为有结构观察法和无结构观察法。30. 学生评价观点以预先设定的目标为统一的评价标准， 侧重鉴定学生的发展水平是否达到目标，水平性是一种绝对评价。31. 选拔性学生评价观点强调学校教育是为少数人服务的选拔性教育， 评价的过程就是一种现别的过程，评价的方法般是考试，以考试成绩决定高低和优劣，评价关注的是作为客体的知识而不是学生主体的发展，评价主体是教师和管理者。32. 做好教师评价工作， 必须遵循以下原则: 整体性原则、教育性原则、客观性原则、校本原则、动态性原则和激励性原则。33. 学校教学工作评价的形式有自我评价、上级主管部门评价。34. 对学校管理工作计划的评价包括: 目标是否符合实际、工作计划内容是否全面、重点是否突出和措施是否正确、有力。二、名词解释1. CIPP 模式由斯塔弗尔比姆提出， 由背景评价、输入评价、过程评价和成果评价组成。背景评价是对教育目标本身所进行的诊断性评价;输入评价是对用以实现教育目标的教育方案的可行性的评价F过程评价是对方案实施过程的形成性评价;成果评价是对教育方案实施结果的终结性评价。该模式的核心思想是把教育评价看成是为决策提供有用信息的过程。2. 测验效度，是指测验实际测量出其所要测量的特质的程度。3. 教师评价是指在正确教育价值观指导下， 根据教青方针、政策、法规和教育目标、要求以及教师所应承担的任务，运用现代教育评价的理论、方法和技术，广泛收集评价信息，对教师的素质、工作过程以及工作绩效进行全面、客观、公正的价值判断的过程。4. 课堂教学质量评价是指按一定的标准， 对课堂教学活动各要素、各要素发展变化和效果的价值判断，包括对课堂教学过程和课堂教学效果的评价。5. 学校管理工作绩效评价， 是对学校管理工作过程及其行为结果所取得的成绩和效果的价值判断。6. 频数效应指评价对象进入评价者知觉领域的频数影响对其整体印象和评价的心理现象，当评价对象的某些属性反复地出现在评价者面前时，无疑会强化评价者对这属性的认识。7. 重测信度是利用相同的评价指标体系， 间隔一定的时间， 对同一组被评对象进行两次评价， 然后计算两次评价结果之间的相关系数，求得的相关系数称为重测信度。8. 学校教学工作评价就是根据教学目的要求， 利用一切可行的评价技术和手段， 对学校教学工作过程及其预期的一切效果给予价值判断，为改进教学和对被评价对象作出某种资格证明提供信息。9.测验信度指测验结果的可靠性或一致性程度。10. 学生评价是指在- 定教育价值观指导下， 根据一定的标准， 运用现代教育评价的一系列方法和技术，对学生的思想品德、学业成绩、身心素质、情感态度等的发展过程和状况进行价值判断的活动，是教育评价的重要领域。11. 教师自我评价就是以自我为主体， 自己对自己的评价， 即教师依据评价原则， 按照一定的评价标准和发展目标，主动对自己的知识、能力、道德品质、教育教学工作等作出评价的活动。教师自我评价是一个批判反思的过程，更是一个自我提高的过程。三、简答题1.教育评价方案的主要内容一般包括哪些方面?教育评价方案的主要内容一般包括:(1)评价的目的和指导思想; (2)评价内容; (3)对评价指标体系中方法、工具的有关说明刊的评价实施程序的说明; (5)附录，包括教育评价指标体系、收集评价信息的表格等。2. 评价过程中被评者产生的主要障碍心理现象有哪些?评价过程中被评价者容易产生的障碍心理主要有: (1)被审心理。在被审心理的支配下，评价者自我评价草率;不认真领会评价要领;评价过程中小心谨慎等等。 (2)应付心理。被评者在评价过程中容易比较消极、敷衍了事。(3)迎合心理。被评者容易讨好评价者，从而影响评价的客观性。(4) 防卫心理。具体表现为疑虑、紧张、厌烦、回避、旁观、显示、夸耀等等。3. 教师评价学生的-般操作方法有哪些?教师评价学生的一般操作方法有z学业成绩测试法、观察与调查法、评语评价法、表现性评定、档案袋评价等。4. 教师进行自我反思的内容和途径有哪些?教师进行自我反思的内容包括对教学活动的整个过程的反思;对自己教学活动过程中的表现、想法和做法进行反思;以上述两种反思为基础，总结经验，指导以后的活动。教师进行自我反思的途径有:教学笔记、反思日志、交流讨论、调查研究、查阅理论文献等。5. 可以从哪些方面评价中小学的课堂教学质量?可以从如下方面评价中小学的课堂教学质量: (1)课堂教学目标，包括认知目标、智能目标和情感目标的评价; ( 2 )课堂教学内容，包括教学内容适合分层教学目标的程度、讲授内容的科学性和系统性、重点和难点的处理等; (3)课堂教学艺术，包括教师所采取的教学方法、对课堂教学结构的设计刊的课堂教学效果，主要是学生的学习效果; ( 5 )教师本身的基本功和素养的展现以及课堂气氛的评价。6. 可以从哪些方面评价学校的办学特色?评价学校的办学特色，可以考察学校在如下方面是否有特色，并判断其特色的水平，包括学校教青理念、办学思想、教师队伍、学生培养、课程设置、教学风格、科研特点、管理机制、学校文化、校风校貌、资源设施等与众不同的品格和风貌等。7. 确定教育评价标准的依据是什么?其一，国家的经济和社会发展对教育的需要;其二，国家的教育方针政策和法规;其三，教育规律和人的心理活动规律;其囚，从被评对象的实际出发，实事求是;其五，评价主体的需要。(每点各占2分)8. 问卷设计的基本要求有哪些?问卷设计的基本要求是:其一，问题表述简单清楚;其二，问题数量适当;其三，问题措辞避免使用导向性或暗示性语言;其囚，提供答案的选项涵盖问题答案的所有内容;其五，尽量避免使用否定性问题或双重否定性问题;其六，问题排列整齐美观，先易后难;其七，试测问卷的信度和效度。9. 从当前学生评价改革的趋势来看， 学生评价的原则是什么?从当前学生评价改革的趋势来看，学生评价除了遵循教育评价一般原理中所提到的方向性、客观性、可行性、过程性等基本原则外，更应该以促进学生发展和提高为基本指向，遵循发展性、多元化、全息性、差异性等原则。发展性原则，就是评价以促进学生发展为目的，不仅关注学生的现实表现，更重视学生的未来发展，重视每个学生在已有水平上的发展和提高。(多元化原则，就是要从学生发展的多样性、动态性出发，多视角、多向度、多层面、多侧面地认识问题，多渠道收集信息，具体体现为评价内容、标准、方法、主体等的多元化。全息性原则，就是评价必须反映学生学习和发展的全部信息，贯穿于学生学习活动的全过程，全面、全员和全程采集和利用与学生发展有关的评价信息。差异性原则，就是评价必须从学生实际出发，在评价内容、方法、标准等方面要考虑学生的特点，因人施评，在评价目标设置上有多种层次，在评价方法和主体的选择上考虑学生的感受和体验，做出评价结论时因人而异。10. 学校可以对教师的哪些教育教学行为开展评价?学校可以对教师的如下教育教学行为开展评价:工作量;备课;上课;作业辅导g课外活动; 学生学业成绩评价；教研、科研;德育工作;协同工作。11. 通过课堂听课评价他人的课堂教学质量， 评价者要做好哪几项具体工作?课堂听课评价者要做好以下几项具体工作:和被评价老师事先约定听课;做好全过程课堂观察和有重点观察;有重点地进行课堂记录;如有必要，通过学生的感受和收获，了解课堂教学情况，进行课堂快速调查。12. 评价地方校本课程开发时要关注哪些内容?评价地方校本课程开发时要关注如下内容:其一，教师对课程开发的认识程度及参加课程资源开发的广度;其二，地方、学校有效的课程资源开发程度;其三，已开发的地方、校本课程实施情况、效果;其次，能否建立课程资源开发的管理机制。13. 做好访谈法的准备工作：其一， 充分做好访前准备， 制定访谈计划; 其二， 选择适当的时间、地点和场合进行访谈；其三，访谈者需要由访谈对象的熟人引见;其四，建立自然融洽的访谈氛围;其五，访谈者要注意提问技巧F其六，要严守保密的原则;其七，认真做好访谈记录。14. 教师进行自我反思的内容包括对教学活动的整个过程的反思江才自己教学活动过程中的表现、想法和做法进行反思;以上述两种反思为基础，总结经验，指导以后的活动。教师进行自我反思的途径有:教学笔记、反思日志、交流讨论、调查研究、查阅理论文献等。15. 可以从如下方面评价中小学教师的课堂教学质量: (1)课堂教学目标，包括认知目标、智能目标和情感目标的评价(2 )课堂教学内容，包括教学内容适合分层教学目标的程度、讲授内容的科学性和系统性、重点和难点的处理等; ( 3 )课堂教学艺术，包括教师所采取的教学方法、对课堂教学结构的设计、教师本身的基本功和素养的展现以及课堂气氛的评价; ( 4 )课堂教学效果，主要是学生的学习效果。16. 开展区域教育评价有何意义? (1)开展区域教育评价有利于完善教育评价理论，丰富其方法。 (2) 可以促进地方政府和各方力量重视教青， 保证教育投入， 改善办学条件。 (3) 有利于区域教育各要素的统筹、协调和控制。 (4) 有助于发挥协作优势， 进一步加快我国实现 双基 的进度。 (5) 有利于促进区域经济、社会等的良性发展。17.根据评价目的，教育评价可大体分为哪两类?这两类评价的主要区别是什么?根据评价目的，教育评价可大体分为如下两类:一是主要以诊断、改进、促进提高教育活动质量为目的的评价;二是主要以分等、鉴定、区分优劣为目的的评价。两者的主要区别是:在评价方法上，前者(以诊断、改进、促进提高教育活动质量为目的的评价)通常为形成性评价，一般不区分评价对象的优劣程度;后者(以分等、鉴定、区分优劣为目的的评价)通常为终结性评价，一般要对评价对象做出鉴别、分出等级或者决定奖惩。在评价主体上，前者通常是评价者和教育活动的参与者或评价对象共同收集、分析评价信息，被评者的参与度较高，评价者和被评者随时处于沟通状态F后者通常是被评者处于被动的受评地位，评价主体往往是上级、领导或专家等。在评价信息收集渠道上，前者往往采取现场观察、访谈等方式，以定性描述的方式分析、表达评价意见;后者往往采取量化的方式对评价对象的成就进行判断、打分，得出孰优孰劣的结论在评价结果的使用上，前者往往是通过评价诊断教育计划、方案以及教育过程与活动中的问题，为方案或计划的改进，为正在进行的教育活动提供反馈信息，以便提高方案或计划的质量，提高正在进行的教育活动的质量。而后者一般要对评价对象作出鉴别、分出等级或者决定奖惩。18. 他人评价中评价者误差心理产生的原因是什么?他人评价中评价者误差心理产生的原因主要有: (l)知觉定势的影响，如晕轮效应、逻辑误差、情绪效应、投射效应; ( 2 )频数和次序效应，即评价对象某种特征出现的次数和次序是影响心理产生误差的重要因素; ( 3 )肯定效应川的群体效应，即从众效应、权威效应、关系效应等。19. 访谈法的优缺点是什么?访谈法的优点有:其一，具有较好的灵活性和适应性，其二，具有较强的可控性，其三，调查过程具有互动性。其缺点有:其一，需要较多的时间和经费，其二，标准化程度低，难以统计，其三，某些因素影响调查结果的一致性和真实性。20. 发展性教师评价观的基本内涵是什么?发展性教师评价观的基本内涵是: (1)以促进教师发展为目的，以尊重教师主体地位和人格为前提，以内涵发展为主，促使每个个体最大可能地实现自身价值。( 2 )评价主要看基础、进步、发展、闪光点，而不是对被评教师进行鉴定、区分。注重教师个人的现实表现，更重视教师和学校的未来发展。( 3 )体现和尊重被评者的个别差异与个性特征，是一种个性化评价，重在使评价对象在评价过程中不断增值 0 (的评价者和被评者，以信任与合作为基础，通过对话共同制定双方都认同的评价目标和发展计划，是一种合作式评价。( 5 )评价是一种持续的教育过程，不是完成某种任务。21. 结合实际谈谈学校教学工作评价的作用。(1)学校教学工作评价有导向和指导作用，它指明了学校教学工作的目标和方向。 (2) 鉴定和选拔作用。教学工作评价通过一系列的监测、考核， 对教师和学生素质与能力、表现与水平等有比较全面的掌握，为确认、评选等鉴定性工作提供依据。 (3) 激励和发展作用。通过目标达成度的评价， 可以使被评价者看到自己的不足和成就，找到或发现成功与失败的原因，可以激励先进，鞭策后进，调动广大教师的积极性。 (4) 反馈和调节作用。通过教学工作评价， 可以了解学校教学目标的达成度和偏离度及其偏离的原因，发现教学工作中的不同典型，调整学校教学工作计划，推广先进经验，使教学管理工作科学化、规范化、制度化。22. 开展区域教育评价有何意义?(1)开展区域教育评价有利于完善教育评价理论，丰富其方法。(2) 可以促进地方政府和各方力量重视教育， 保证教育投入， 改善办学条件。(3) 有利于区域教育各要素的统筹、协调和控制。(4) 有助于发挥协作优势， 进一步加快我国实现 双基 的进度。(5) 有利于促进区域经济、社会等的良性发展。您好，为你提供优秀的毕业论文参考资料，请您删除以下内容，O(_)O谢谢！A large group of tea merchants on camels and horses from Northwest Chinas Shaanxi province pass through a stop on the ancient Silk Road, Gansus Zhangye city during their journey to Kazakhstan, May 5, 2015. The caravan, consisting of more than 100 camels, three horse-drawn carriages and four support vehicles, started the trip from Jingyang county in Shaanxi on Sept 19, 2014. It will pass through Gansu province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and finally arrive in Almaty, formerly known as Alma-Ata, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and Dungan in Zhambyl province. The trip will cover about 15,000 kilometers and take the caravan more than one year to complete. The caravan is expected to return to Jingyang in March 2016. Then they will come back, carrying specialty products from Kazakhstan A small art troupe founded six decades ago has grown into a household name in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. In the 1950s, Ulan Muqir Art Troupe was created by nine young musicians, who toured remote villages on horses and performed traditional Mongolian music and dances for nomadic families. The 54-year-old was born in Tongliao, in eastern Inner Mongolia and joined the troupe in 1975.He says there are 74 branch troupes across Inner Mongolia and actors give around 100 shows every year to local nomadic people. I can still recall the days when I toured with the troupe in the early 80s. We sat on the back of pickup trucks for hours. The sky was blue, and we couldnt help but sing the folk songs, Nasun says. The vastness of Inner Mongolia and the lack of entertainment options for people living there, made their lives lonely. The nomadic people were very excited about our visits, Nasun recalls. We didnt have a formal stage. The audience just sat on the grass. Usually, the performances became a big party with local people joining in. For him, the rewarding part about touring isnt just about sharing art with nomadic families but also about gaining inspiration for the music and dance. Ulan Muqir literally translates as red burgeon, and todays performers of the troupe still tour the regions villages and entertain nomadic families, but their fame has spread around the world. On May 16 and 17, nearly 100 singers and dancers from the troupe performed at Beijings Poly Theater. Their show, titled Ulan Muqir on the Grassland, depicted the history and development of the art troupe. Being from the region allowed me to embrace the culture of Inner Mongolia and being a member of the troupe showed me where I belonged, Nasun, the art troupes president, who is also a renowned tenor, tells China Daily. During a tour in 1985, he went to a village and met an elderly local man, who told him a story about his friendship with a solider from Shenyang, capital of Northeast Chinas Liaoning province, decades ago. The solider gave the old man a handmade saddle when they bid farewell. The story inspired Nasun to write Carved Saddle, a song that later became one of his most popular numbers. Now, every year, Nasun recruits young singers and dancers for the troupe. The troupe has also designed a new repertoire, which is mostly based on the daily lives of Mongolian people, especially the lives of nomadic families, and has combined contemporary musical elements with folk songs of the region. Haimu, a 25-year-old khoomei (a local variant of overtone singing) singer, joined the troupe three years ago. Along with a six-member band, he performs fast songs and soft ones that he writesall while playing the horse-head fiddle.Although I learned the piano since childhood and grew up listening to various kinds of music, to me, the folk music of Inner Mongolia is the root, he says. Performing in remote villages is pleasant. I feel at home on the boundless grasslands, and the warm people there make me feel fulfilled. The first round of spring auction season in Beijing ended last week, but it failed to create much spring in the art market. Although two pieces of Chinese painting fetched more than 100 million yuan, the decline in trading volume and sale rate showed a downturn this year. In the “Grand View: Chinese Painting Highlight” session at China Guardian 2015 spring auctions, Pan Tianshous representative work Eagle, Rock and Flora hit a record auction price of 279 million yuan, while Li Kerans masterwork Jinggang Mountain fetched 126.5 million yuan, an unexpected high in recent years. However, the trading volume fells to 1.87 billion yuan from 2.22 billion yuan in the same period the year before. The Huangchen 2015 Spring Auctions, which recorded 42.5 million yuan in total sales, experienced the same. The section number went down to 5 from 12 compared to last year. According to expert Shao Jianwu, the art market did not attract much excitement this year due to the booming stock market and the persistent problems of forgery and fake deals. The two pieces of Chinese painting notched up high price this spring due to their own value not due to a revival in the market. The successful transaction of two works with a hammer price of more than 100 million yuan once again confirms that valuable and rare works of high quality always earn the long-lasting high price. Chinese painting and calligraphy is still the pillar of the market. However, the overall sales rate has dropped slightly, which reflects the demand for the ordinary auction goods has weakened,” said the president of China Guardians Hu Yanyan. Besides, the entry of new buyers also makes certain changes to the direction of purchasing. In a word, the overall market trend is very unpredictable. Although China Guardian 2015 Spring Auctions has achieved remarkable results, it does not mean that the market has walked out of the predicament. We still have to wait for the big economic boom to invigorate the art market.” Even so, the hot pursuit of some special items appeared this spring. A special session of China Guardian Spring Auctions titled “Fine GiltBronze Buddhist Images” achieved a great deal with total sales volume of 41.89 million yuan and 92 percent sale rate. The 5th Shamar Rinpoche Statue from 16-17th century of Tibet was sold for 5.06 million yuan. The Beijing Chengxuan Auctions featured almost 2,800 items of coins and stamps in three sessions with good sale rate. The Huachen Auctions also set a special session of photographs under the condition of large-scale decline of auction sessions. There was a palpable dull thud of disappointment that accompanied the return of the imperial entourage of Zhen Huan to her homeland. It followed a couple years of hushed excitement as Chinese fans were fed tidbits about their proud concubine who was supposed to conquer the high ground of the North American market. Zhen Huan is, of course, the title character of The Legend of Zhen Huan, a 2011 television series that swept China off its feet and later took other Asian countries by storm. Two years ago, it was reported that HBO, a premium cable service headquartered in the United States, was going to air it in North America after some modification. Now, a condensed version that provides English subtitles but no dubbing has finally been made available on Netflix for online streaming. This version, highly anticipated as a milestone in Chinas cultural foray overseas, has been widely panned by its home audience. Retitled Empresses in the Palace, the American version has been shortened from its original 76 episodes at 45 minutes each, to six 90-minute episodes. The quick pacing threw off many native viewers, who are accustomed to a more leisurely daytime-soap-style narrative rhythm. (Chinese TV stations would run two or three episodes every day.) I did not finish the full-length version and found the truncated one not difficult to follow. Whats lost, I believe, are the interesting setups and pauses that illuminate the Chinese art of storytelling. Much of the plot is still there. It is the flavor that was sacrificed. The American edition uses the framework of the Empress Dowager in her senior years reminiscing at the beginning and the end of each episode, hinting at whats to come and recapping the key points. This device, not used in the original, is culturally understandable but artistically mediocre. What puzzles me is the two new songs for the opening and end credits. They were written in English, but sung by Chinese with an uncomfortable accent. They were obviously designed to appeal to an English-speaking base, but do not jibe with the Chinese dialogue. Speaking of the dialogue, the English translation, picked apart by some Chinese, is too literal for my taste. I can imagine a typical American hit by a flurry of royal ranks, addresses and greetings, even multiple names and titles for the same person. The first half hour must be a swamp to wade through, very much like my experience of getting through a Tolstoy tome with its endless inflections of names transliterated into lengthy Chinese. I see the choice of verbatim translation as an effort for conveying exotica. It is fairly competent, with no error that I could detect, but fails to rise above words or capture the essence of the language. A cultural product usually crosses over to a foreign territory first by an emphasis on the commonalities. But whether inside or outside China, the temptation to sell it for the differences is just too great. Sure, the sumptuous sets and costumes are a big attraction, but the narrative technique has becomehow shall I put it?a bit anglicized, which is necessary for cultural export. Judging by the responses, this legend, which, contrary to the claim of the English trailer, is totally fictitious, has departed from China but not yet landed on American shores. I am a big fan of Ralph Waldo Emersons essay titled Self-Reliance. If youve not yet read it, I strongly encourage you to do so. In this essay, the venerable Emerson talks about eschewing the trappings of society and finding ones own path. He urges the reader to find rectitude and lead a moral life. He professes that, only by being self reliant, as opposed to relying on the government and being dictated to by society, can one begin leading a decent and purposeful life. He avers that such a life is the only life worth living. I agree with him. This essay was written during a time of social upheaval in America, and it is rather odd that Emerson authored it, as he was a part of the upper crust of society at the time. It just so happened that he looked around him, at the indolence and the wantonness of the people in his circle; he wondered how in the world he came to