本研究目的有二: 其一旨在於比較文段填充測驗六種不同的題型做為評量教材的可讀性及國中學生英文能力之效能. 藉此提供實踐的方針, 引導老師們根據不同的測驗目標選擇最適當的文段填充測驗題型; 其二在於檢視不同刪略字的類別對學生答題表現的影響並探討英文能力, 文章難易度及答題模式對其所扮演的角色. 藉此分析, 檢視學生答題的弱點. 藉之對國中英語教學提供正面的啟發作用. 本研究所採用的十二篇文段填充測驗卷, 含六種題型, 是由二篇難易度不同的文章設計而成. 參與本實驗的對象, 是台北市立介壽國中六百四十三位國三學生, 以隨機分派方式分為十二組, 每組分配一篇文段填充測驗卷. 此外, 每篇文段填充測驗卷中, 刪略字的類別已事先設計妥善, 以便檢視學生作答的結果. 本研究的主要發現如下: 一. 六種不同的文段填充測驗題型皆能區別文章的難易度, 其結果和其它計算可讀性公式一致. 二. 在六種題型中, 理性式, 刪略後半字式及刪略前半字式文段填充測驗能顯著的辨別文章之難易度. 三. 以效度, 信度及鑑別度而言, 六種文段填充測驗題型用來評量英文能力的效能相當; 然而, 難度則因題型不同而異. 四. 固定式與理性式文段填充測驗, 以前後文可接受的字為評分標準較能鑑別學生的英文能力. 五. 不同刪略字的類別會影響學生答題的表現. 此外, 學生的英文能力, 文章難易度及答題模式皆扮演決定性的角色. 根據上述研究的發現, 我們對其教學啟示做更進一步的探討. 探討的範疇包含選文, 文段填充在英語測驗上之應用, 凝句法在國中教學上扮演的角色及字彙教學的重要性.

The purpose of the present study is twofold. First, it aims to compare the capacity of six different cloze formats as a measuring instrument for both the readability of witten materials and English proficiency of students,particulary at the junior high school level in Taiwan, thus providing a practical guide for classroom teachers to select the most appropriate format according to different testing purposes. Secondly, it is designed to examine the effects of different deletion types on students' performance regarding language proficiency, text difficulty and mode of response. By such an analysis, students' weaknesses in answering certain deletion types under certain circumstances are uncovered. The reults will have positive implications for English teaching in junior high school. Twelve cloze tests employed in the study were developed from six different formats over two passages of differing difficulty levels. A total of 643 third graders at Jie- shou Junior High School in Taipei that took part in the study were randomly assigned into twelve groups. Each cloze group was administered one version of the cloze tests. In addition, words deleted in each cloze test were identifiedand categorized in advance to allow the examination of the possible effects of different deletion types on students' performance. The main findings of thestudy are as follows: 1. The six formats of cloze tests are capable of rankingpassages of differing levels of difficulty in the same order as the two standard readability formulas. 2. Of the six formats, the rational cloze, C-test and FC-test can further discriminate passages of differing levels of difficutly significantly. 3. While the six formats of cloze tests are comparable measures of English proficiency in terms of validity, reliability and discriminatory power among students, they creat tests that are distinct inlevels of difficulty. 4. For the fixed-ratio and rational cloze tests, the acceptable-word scoring procedure yields a more accurate assessment of students' EFL ability. 5. Different deletion types affect students' performance to a different extent. Moreover, subjects' proficiency level, textdifficulty and mode of response are crucial in determining the actual effect.Based on the findings, implications for text selection, cloze in English testing, cohesion in junior high school English teaching and the importance of vocabulary teaching are further discussed.