1869 Harvard Entrance Exam

Parents Forum
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<p>True mathematical skills? Why would we worry about those for standardized testing? </p>

<p>I hope it will become clear to you that the SAT is not a test of mathematical skills --and neither should it be. There are other ways to measure the mathematical skills that are supposed to be acquired in high school. The SAT measures reasoning abilities; math is only a part of that equation. Time constraints are critical to standardized testing.</p>

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<p>I was going to post: Ha! Beat coureur to the Pope question. But I see that I’m more than an hour late for that. </p>

<p>On the other hand, here is something I believe is Pope, not yet quoted by coureur:</p>

<p>A little learning is a dangerous thing.
Drink deep, or taste not that Pierian spring.
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
But drinking deep restores it whole again.</p>

<p>[Done without Google. Probably Pope. coureur can fix the errors in it.]</p>

<p>Also Pope, I think: The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad.</p>

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<p>Pope indeed
A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.</p>

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<p>I’ll confess I know Alexander Pope mostly through the Aubrey Beardsley connection. He did a wonderfully wicked set of illustrations available in a Dover version: <a href=“http://29.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_lgrpytkyI61qfijmro1_400.jpg[/url]”>http://29.media.■■■■■■■■■■/tumblr_lgrpytkyI61qfijmro1_400.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Of course he’s also know for, “To err is Humane; to Forgive, Divine”</p>

<p>though I prefer this version: To err is human. To forgive takes restraint; To forget you forgave Is the mark of a saint. ~ Suzanne Douglass</p>

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<p>Another elegant Pope quote: “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” </p>

<p>Although many people know it from the Johnny Mercer song.</p>

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<p>It’s a bit like long division; You start with the decimal and put commas after sets of two digits both to the left and right of the decimal. But unlike long division you keep doubling the divisor and add an extra digit to the divisor at the end for each operation. Hard to explain without a diagram, but it’s there. The sad thing for us was when we were taught this, probably in 7th grade, it was like how a computer is taught by a programmer. The teacher just focussed on the steps and didn’t take the trouble to explain why it works, which is really a nifty application of basic algebra, and we were too dumb to ask.</p>

<p>As far as the current generation’s reliance on calculators, it’s really double edged. The one who isn’t interested in math learns even less math now; however the kid who has mastered math can tackle much more complex problems in engg/applied math without being bogged down by an uncooperative integral or whatever - a bit like saying the astronaut of today uses computers to fly the shuttle but may lack the skills needed to fly the Wright bros’ plane.</p>

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It may not be. We may think students would use the simple formula area = pi x R x R. But pi was not given here. It did not say how many digits pi would have. No calculator here. It’s possible students were asked to devise a method to find the area.</p>

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<p>I was wrong. I did not read the answer. I thought question 4 was a hint to question 5.</p>

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<p>Thanks, xiggi. Yes, the use of “intoxicated/sober” is part of what distinguishes Pope from ordinary mortals. Here is another, that I think is approximate-Pope:</p>

<p>Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night.
God said, “Let Newton be!” and all was light.</p>

<p>(Corrections to this are also invited–no need to bring up the one that mentions Einstein.)</p>