4.0796 Odds and Ends (3/81)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Sun, 2 Dec 90 23:53:05 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0796. Sunday, 2 Dec 1990.
(1) Date: Sat, 24 Nov 90 00:09 PST (7 lines)
From: KESSLER <IME9JFK@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 4.0743 Qs: Chinese; Hyphens; Amharic Machine Xlation
(2) Date: Tue, 20 Nov 90 13:27:25 CST (35 lines)
From: "Michael S. Hart" <HART@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Disturbing news about vocabulary and SATs
(3) Date: Sat, 01 Dec 90 10:16:18 CST (39 lines)
From: "Michael S. Hart" <HART@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Databases, Almanacs, etc.
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 90 00:09 PST
From: KESSLER <IME9JFK@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject: Re: 4.0743 Qs: Chinese; Hyphens; Amharic Machine Xlation
Info on this machinese and tianma, please? news to me, it is. Thanks.
J Kessler or write or reply to IME9JFK@UCLAMVS
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------41----
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 90 13:27:25 CST
From: "Michael S. Hart" <HART@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Disturbing news about vocabulary and SATs
I heard two pieces of disturbing news lately. Does anyone have further
information or details.
1. The average vocabulary of a 16 year old in 1947 was 25,000 words,
-------------------------------------------1990 " 10,000 "
2. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is being dropped from many of
the college requirements, or made optional. I seem to remember
that in 1967 or so there was some big legal case because one of
the major tests (CEEB - College Entrance Examination Board), or
one of the others (sorry, not sure) actually had a negative co-
relation with success in college.
Thank you for your assistance,
Michael S. Hart, Director, Project Gutenberg
INTERNET: hart@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu
BITNET: hart@uiucvmd.bitnet
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of any
person or institution. Neither Prof Hart nor Project Gutenberg have any
official contacts with the University of Illinois.
"NOTICE: Due to the shortage of ROBOTS and COMPUTERS some of our
workers are HUMAN and therefore will act unpredictably when abused."
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------46----
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 90 10:16:18 CST
From: "Michael S. Hart" <HART@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Databases, Almanacs, etc.
In working through our introduction to the more run of the mill CD fare,
(we just acquired MicroSoft Bookshelf, Grolier, PCGLOBE, etc) we noticed
a statistical bent to the information we had long ago noted in databases
prepared through the United Nations. The literacy rate for the US is at
a rated 99% in virtually all of these sources: whereas we hear constant
warnings in the news that 20-25% of Americans can't read well enough for
the filling out of job applications. We have a local group of "research
enthusiasts" who love to find anything which can't be found; I presented
them with this and similar issues (such as were do citizens of the US go
most often when then emmigrate to other countries?) The stated figures,
as per the UN were that no one ever leaves the US. This was no error in
relation to the fact that the figures were in thousands and there were a
small enough number to be statistically insignificant, as the same books
showed emmigrations of six individuals in another instance.
Can anyone point out reference works which would be more accurate in the
reporting of such materials.
Thank you for your interest,
Michael S. Hart, Director, Project Gutenberg
INTERNET: hart@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu
BITNET: hart@uiucvmd.bitnet
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of any
person or institution. Neither Prof Hart nor Project Gutenberg have any
official contacts with the University of Illinois.
"NOTICE: Due to the shortage of ROBOTS and COMPUTERS some of our
workers are HUMAN and therefore will act unpredictably when abused."