Harper's publishes a leaked memo from the Princeton Review advising of subjects that should be avoided when preparing practice-versions of standardized tests. The list is an astonishing testament to squeamishness, and what's most remarkable about it is that it excludes virtually every subject of moment, depth or verve that I can think of, guaranteeing that the examples in these tests will be utterly devoid of any interest-grabbing content, and will consequently lack the vividness that examples can bring to a good examination.
Individuals who may be associated with drug use or with advertising of substances such as cigarettes or alcohol
Name brands, trademarked names
Junk food
Fad diets
Abuse, poverty, running away
Divorce
Socioeconomic advantages (e.g., video games, swimming pools, computers in the home, expensive vacations)
(via Dive Into Mark)
