作为世界上最悠久的大学之一，要进入牛津读书可不容易。牛津有一系列措施非常严格的甄选过程来评估学生的能力和潜力：面试能力测试、写作能力测试、中学预测成绩、已获成绩、推荐信等。入学面试是其中的一个关键环节。牛津大学最近公布了部分面试样题，题目全部来自牛津大学负责面试的考官，考官们还解释了他们提那些“听起来很古怪的问题”的背后理由。

关于牛津大学的面试题，外界有很多传闻，但牛津的老师称：“我们的开放式题目并不是捉弄人的，题目不要求任何特殊知识，也没有什么‘对’或‘错’的答案。那些开放式问题是为了激发学生与面试官之间的讨论，观察考生对新思想的反应或者是否能提出有趣的论点。”

“我们希望看到候选人的思考过程，而不是得出具体的答案。面试问题会从熟悉的领域开始，然后拓展到课本以外的广泛领域，看看他们如何应对新的知识和思想。面试不是测试个性或爱好，不会涉及与所选主题无关的事情，例如嗜好或运动成绩等等。“

负责英语学科面试的考官Lucinda Rumsey进一步解释说：“我们不是为了难住考生，所以没必要猜测考官接下来要问什么，没必要提前准备好答案。开放式问题是为了激起讨论，可以有很多发散思维的方向。我们希望看到候选人的批判性思维以及如何探索新的思路。”

“希望这些例子对考生入学面试准备有所帮助。它也可以让候选人提前了解牛津大学的氛围，因为入学后，这样的面试过程在学习任何一门课程时都会遇到。”

牛津大学面试问题

问：If I were to visit the area where you live, what would I be interested in?
(如果我去你的家乡旅行，我应该看些什么有趣的东西?)

Subject 科目：地理 Geography

面试老师Interviewer: Lorraine Wild, St Hilda’s College

面试官解释：
The question gives candidates an opportunity to apply concepts from their A level geography course to their home area. They might discuss urban planning and regeneration, ethnic segregation and migration, or issues of environmental management. The question probes whether they are able to apply ‘geographical thinking’ to the everyday landscapes around them. It reveals the extent to which they have a curiosity about the world around them. By asking specifically about their home area the question eliminates any advantage gained by those who are more widely travelled and have more experience of a variety of geographical contexts.

这个问题给了学生一个机会把他们中学时代的地理知识和他们的家乡联系起来。他们可以讨论城市规划和变迁、民族分类、移民情况、或者是对环境的管理。这个问题考察了学生能否用“地理式的思维”来思考他们每天都面对的环境。同时也能帮我们发现他们是否对世界具备好奇心。而只是问他们家乡的情况，也避免了某些学生可能比其他人旅行更多带来的优势。

问：What is language(什么是语言)?

Subject科目：现代语言Modern languages

面试老师：Helen Swift, St Hilda’s学院

面试官解释：
Although I would never launch this question at a candidate on its own, it might grow out of a discussion. Students sometimes say they like studying Spanish, for example, because they 'love the language'. In order to get a student thinking critically and analytically, the question would get them to consider what constitutes the language they enjoy – is it defined by particular features or by function (what it does)? How does form relate to meaning? And so on.

尽管我决不会单独把这个问题拿出来问考生，但它可能会出现在某些讨论之中。比如，学生们有的时候会表示他们“喜欢学西班牙语”，因为他们“热爱这种语言”。为了让学生们能更具批判性和判断力地思考，这个问题能帮助他们思考“究竟是什么组成了这个他们喜欢的语言”？是因为某些独有的特征、还是因为它的功能性（它能做什么）？形式是如何与内容联系起来的？等等。

问： Why might it be useful for an English student to read the Twilight series？
(为什么英文专业的学生有必要阅读Twilight(暮光之城)系列)?

Subject科目：英语English

面试老师： Lucinda Rumsey, Mansfield College

面试官解释：
There's several reasons I might ask this one. It's useful in an interview to find some texts the candidate has read recently and the Twilight books are easily accessible and popular. Also, candidates tend to concentrate on texts they have been taught in school or college and I want to get them to talk about whatever they have read independently, so I can see how they think rather than what they have been taught. A good English student engages in literary analysis of every book they read. The question has led to some interesting discussions about narrative voice, genre, and audience in the past.

我问这个问题有很多原因。在面试过程中如果能找到一些考生最近正在读的东西是很有用的。而《慕光之城》很多人都读、最近正流行。同时，考生倾向于把焦点都放在他们从学校和大学读来的东西，而我希望能激发他们谈论他们自己选择的读物，进而了解他们的想法、而不是老师灌输给他们的东西。一名优秀的英语系学生会乐于分析他们读的每一本书。这个问题就曾把讨论引向过“狭隘的想法”、 “流派”和“过去的观众”等等有趣的话题上。