Is the Unified State Exam (USE) a good or bad thing?

It's good to have an innate literacy in the Russian language... Fortunately, I do. Although I don't agree that it's innate: you need to read a lot, and everything is remembered purely automatically. As for knowledge: my main goal is to get into a good university on a scholarship spot, and the USE is my hope and support in this—especially since I am confident in my knowledge. The USE can help you get into a university, but after that... if you don't know something, those are your problems, so the ignorant get kicked out.
Regarding "rabbit reflexes." Straight-A students simply don't need to look for a triple bottom where there isn't one. That is exactly what is being tested. Failing students have an advantage in this sense, but they'll still be kicked out of university later anyway, so there's no need to be envious. There is plenty of time for everything, even though I am a known slow-poke plus I check everything three or four times.
Luck and intuition are big things. I'm a bit off own axis (the wheels have come off the track and rolled away with the roof :) ), so I always help myself with magic. It works! I always choose either the easiest option or what I know.