In our system of education today, examinations are a common feature. Our present education system has often been criticized as too examination-orienteD、However, one must remember that in offices and other areas of work, examinations still feature clearly. There is no doubt that the fear and influence of examinations cause much preparation work. So it appears that examinations, whether considered good or bad, would stay for a while as a test of human knowledge. Examinations are meant to test the intellect of a person, how much he knows or how he has learnt from a particular course. It is designed to make students study, which should be their immediate mission in life. In our competitive world of today, examinations have a highly selecting or filtering role. In the university, students have to pass annual examinations before they are allowed to continue, or study a harder syllabus. The examination results would show whether the student is ready to start the next phase of his course. Moreover, for entrance into a university, pre-university examination results would provide a guide as to whether a student has the minimum qualifications necessary. This is because the number of seats in the university is limited and only deserving, hard-working students should be given a place.In offices, whether government or private ones, examination results show clearly whether a person is fit for promotion. The results indicate how much he knows about the work.In our schools, examinations play several roles. Yearly school examinations help to grade students into different classes. Government examinations help to stream students into different classes so that they can pursue a specific line of study.In all these cases, examinations inculcate (反复灌输) a spirit of hard work and competition. Students or office workers can refresh their mind again and again on what they have learnt. This maintains a certain individual and overall standard of knowledge. Students’’ immediate mission in life is____________.