Gaokao Exam: A Hyperbolic Reality and the Irony of Sacrificing Education

In China, the Gaokao exam holds immense importance for students in public schools, as it's believed to determine their entire future. This leads them to focus solely on the test grades; thus, they are always memorizing and doing practices, forgetting the true essence of education. Additionally, some students, like my classmate W.Y. and I, are chosen to skip a year of junior high and enter high school early to have two full years to review Gaokao materials. However, we fail to realize that this exam is not the sole defining factor in our lives for a long time.

1. Hyperbole: The statement 'it's believed to determine our entire future' exaggerates the significance of the Gaokao exam.
2. Metaphor: The phrase 'forgetting the true essence of education' compares the focus on test grades to losing sight of the deeper purpose of learning.
3. Alliteration: The repetition of the 'm' sound in 'memorizing and doing practices' creates a musical effect.
4. Irony: The mention of students like W.Y. and the narrator skipping a year of junior high to review Gaokao materials highlights the irony of sacrificing a year of education for the sake of an exam that may not have as much long-term impact as believed.
5. Foreshadowing: The statement 'we fail to realize that this exam is not the sole defining factor in our lives for a long time' hints at a future realization or change in perspective.