我最近幾天綜合美籍編輯 Rebecca Albee，英籍作家 Ian Maxwell 針對四技二專英文試題仔細檢視後提供的寶貴意見，再經求證，排除個人之習慣或偏好，重新整理。
在台灣，入學考試的題目都會成為課堂的教材，因此命題品質對英語教學的影響不言可喻。幾十年來在台灣大家學到不少似是而非的英文，其中許多都是從國人自己撰寫的課本、參考書及英文考題中學來的。
十多年來筆者曾就聯考、學測、指考、統測、基測、會考的英文試題寫過不少評論，指出不少問題。短的散見報章，較長的有載於書林網站，亦見於 English Career 第 32, 34 期等。
英文不是我們的母語，要寫出地道的英文就很不容易，更何況出英文試題？出試題要考慮的因素很多，試題不能抄襲，要自己寫，既要有信度又要效度高，談何容易？入學英文考試命題應聘請英語為母語的測驗專家參與，或委由專業語言測驗機構命題，才是根本解決之道。試想，美國人若要測驗中文能力，題目有可能完全由美國人自己寫中文題目嗎？
國內的學測、指考英文命題係由大考中心負責，會考由心測中心負責命題，統測則由技專校院入學測驗中心負責，但在英文命題方面都不如 LTTC (語言測驗中心) 專業。近年來大考中心的學測與指考英文試題水平已有顯著提升，然統測英文試題水準仍有待加強。
檢視今年的四技二專統測英文試題，發現存在許多不地道的英文句子及用法。
茲舉以下為例：
第 13 題
Alan: I’ve been looking for that book! Where did you get it?
Betty: I just did a search on the Web and found it. It’s not that difficult, you know.
Alan: Really? I must try my hand at it. Can you show me how to do it?
評註：
u I did a search on the Web and found it. 稍微冗長，web 不必大寫，可改為：I searched the web and found it 或 I searched the internet and found it. 可用引號引起來，Google 搜尋比較二者：
"did a search on the Web and found it" 8 results (May 8, 2020)
"searched the web and found it" About 521,000 results
u I must try my hand at it. à改為 I must try it. 較自然。
第 18 題
Interviewer: Have you always worked in the service line?
Tim: Yes. Ever since I graduated from college.
評註：
u worked in the service industry 較 worked in the service line 自然。
*"always worked in the service line" 2 results (皆出自公告英文試題)
"always worked in the service industry" About 43,400 results
搜尋英美網域(site:uk/site:us) 比較二者：
No results found for "worked in the service line" site:uk.
"worked in the service industry" site:uk About 14,200 results
第 22－26 題
Rainforests are the Earth’s oldest living ecosystems. They 22 only a small part of the Earth’s surface, about six percent, but they are very important to us. For example, they provide us with 23 of the Earth’s oxygen and fresh water. A lot of medicines we use today to treat cancer or heart disease 24 from the plants that grow only in rainforests. Many items we use in our own homes come from the rainforest as well. 25, rainforests are disappearing at an alarmingly fast pace, largely due to human development over the past few centuries. Problems 26 from the decrease of rainforests include more pollutions, less oxygen, and fewer species of animals. To keep rainforests from disappearing and save the Earth for our children, we must do something immediately.
評註：
u 26題公告答案是 (B) resulting，不過 Problems resulting from the decrease of rainforests 不是習慣說法。一般會說Problems caused by the decrease of rainforests。
"Problemsresulting from the decrease of " About 4 results
"Problemscaused by the decrease of " About 122,000 results
u 此外，include more pollutions 的 pollution不應加s。pollution 是uncountable noun。
Google搜尋 "include more pollutions" 2 results 結果只有兩項，而且出現以下警示：Did you mean: "include more pollutants"
可見在 Google 的系統裡認為"include more pollutions" 是異乎尋常的說法。除了 Google 提示的 "include more pollutants" 外，更簡單的方式是把 *pollutions改為 pollution。
第32－33 題：
Kelly… and Wendy are at a night market in Tainan. They are looking at the menu and talking about what they would like to eat. Everyone will order only one portion of any item she likes for herself.
…
Kelly: I am hungry. I can eat a horse.
Linda: Me, too….
評註：
u *Everyone will order only one portion of any item she likes for herself. 是很奇怪的句子。把句子的前6字用 Google 搜尋，結果如下：
"Everyone will order only one portion" 2 results (皆出自今年公告英文試題)
搜尋句子中間6字(第4到第9字)，結果如下：
"only one portion of any item" 2 results (皆出自今年公告英文試題)
這句是想表達「每人只叫一份自己喜歡的食物」。其實這句是多餘的，They are looking at the menu and talking about what they would like to eat. 就已經夠清楚了。如果一定要加上這句，可說 Everyone will order only one item they like.
接下來的 *I am hungry. I can eat a horse. 是 Kelly想表達「我餓得要命！」是誇張的虛擬口吻 (a hyperbolic/hypothetical expression)，當然不可能真的吃下整匹馬，但英文的習慣說法是 "I'm so hungry, I couldeat a horse." 不是 *I can eat a horse! 那是台灣及中國有些網路上以訛傳訛的說法。
搜尋一下英美網域 (site:uk/site:us)，就可知這種講法並不存在：
No results found for "I am hungry. I can eat a horse" site:uk.
No results found for "I am hungry. I can eat a horse" site:us.
第 34－37 題 閱讀
Thanks to modern techniques, local farmers in Pingtung (屏東) are able to produce better-quality beans that can be made into fine chocolate. ... In years 2018 and 2019, Taiwanese chocolate makers won numerous top prizes in the International Chocolate Award (ICA)’s World Finals. The rise of Taiwan’s chocolate industry and its wonderful results…. the honor of hosting the ICA’s Asia-Pacific competition in 2019.
Eventhen, the industry is facing a problem. Not many chocolate eaters in Taiwan go for local products. To meet local taste, chocolate makers have come up with a variety of fine chocolates. They hope that as more people learn to appreciate and buy fine chocolate, the domestic market will take off. Encouraged by their success in global competitions, the chocolate makers are also targeting at the global market.
評註：
u 除非是在做比較，「生產高品質的可可豆」不會說produce better-quality beans，會說 produce high quality beans， 而且 better-quality 也不須加 hyphen。Google搜尋結果如下：
*"to produce better-quality beans that" About 4 results
"to produce high quality beans that" About 723 results
u In years 2018 and 2019, Taiwanese 的 years 可拿掉。
Google搜尋 "In years 2018 and 2019, Taiwanese " 3 results (出自今年英文試題)
若把句中的Taiwanese 以Japanese 替換：
No results found for "In years 2018 and 2019, Japanese".
"In 2018 and 2019, Japanese" About 1,600 results
可見 In 2018 and 2019, Taiwanese 才是習慣說法。
u Even then, the industry is facing a problem. Not many chocolate eaters in Taiwan go for local products. 本句在敘述即使台灣的巧克力獲得 ICA首獎、承辦ICA 亞太賽，卻未受到本地消費者青睞。本句開頭的 *Even then 有點突兀，可改為Even with these triumphs, the industry is facing a problem. 或 However, the industry is facing a problem.
此外，把愛吃巧克力的消費者叫 *chocolate eaters也不符習慣，一般會說 chocolate lovers。
u「目標瞄準全球市場」寫成 *"targeting at the global market" 是高階英語學習者常見的 common errors，好像覺得 targeting 不加上at，似乎不夠專注。
查一下台灣及中國網域 (site:cn/site:tw)與英美網域(site:uk/site:us) 對比便知：
"targeting the global market" site:tw About 772 results
"targeting the global market" site:cn About 1,020 results
No results found for "targeting at the global market" site:uk.
"targeting the global market" site:uk About 7,960 results
可知英美人士的習慣是 targeting the global market，targeting 不加 at。
第 38－41 題 閱讀
Early this year, a new coronavirus (新冠狀病毒) caused the rapid spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Many countries began practicing “social distancing” to prevent infection spread by increasing the space between people. All over the world, social distancing brought about changes in people’s ways of living, learning, and working.
評註：
upracticing “social distancing” to prevent infection spread 可改為practicing “social distancing” to prevent infections。
Lifestyle changes due to social distancing affected almost everyone. People avoided crowded places and unnecessary traveling. In Italy, for example, church leaders spoke to followers online. Elsewhere, online shopping in Taiwan and home entertainment in China rose significantly in February.
u新冠肺炎疫情尚未結束，本文許多處描述現況的時態不宜用過去式，應用現在完成式。
*Lifestyle changes due to social distancing affected almost everyone. 應改為：Lifestyle changes due to social distancing have affected almost everyone.
以下為提到social distancing 常見的表達句型：
Social distancing has becomea new (norm in our daily lives/way of life/way of living/ necessity of life/routine…)
u*church leaders spoke to followers online 本句應該是指神父、主教、或教宗在線上講道，不是和信徒「講話」，可改為church leaders are now preaching online。
Social distancing also had an effect on learning. In Australia, when schools were still open, teachers tried not to let students mix in common areas that included the classroom, café and library. As the crisis worsened, schools closed one after another. By early April, over 90% of the world’s students were not attending school. In some places, such as Italy and Hong Kong, students turned to learning from home through Internet connection.
評註：
u*Social distancing also had an effect on learning. 應改為：
Social distancing has also hadan effect on learning.
u用 *not to let students mix in common areas 表達「不讓學生在公共區域密切接觸」英文不夠精確：
No results found for "students mix in the cafeteria".
No results found for "students mix in the halls"
宜改為 not to let students mingle in common areas
ulearning from home through Internet connection.
一般習慣會說 learning from home online 或 learning from home through the internet，不說learning from home through Internet connection。
"learning from home through Internet connection" 2 results (皆出自公告試題)
"learning from home online" About 591,000 results
"learning from home through the internet" About 13,300 results
In the fight against the coronavirus, people stayed apart to stay healthy. However, they all stayed connected to feel a sense of togetherness.
評註：
u 這裡時態應用現在完成式。整句可改為：
In the fight against the coronavirus, people have stayed apart to stay healthy. However, in this separation, everyone feels a sense of togetherness.
以往許多人學英文只是為了考試，或許覺得能在考試上得高分就好，英文不道地、不正確有什麼關係？但在全球化的時代學英文是要拿來應用，做為工具，學到的英文要能在生活及職場上發揮，才不算白學。(Jerome Su, May 13, 2020)
蘇正隆 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長，師大翻譯研究所副教授，《麥克米倫高級英漢雙解詞典》總編輯
Rebecca Albee 美籍編輯
Ian Maxwell 英籍作家