Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It has bad effects on their ability to study, so do their test results.
If so, use these tips to help you.
Study Techniques
You should always study in the same place.² You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.
Your eyes will² become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too² much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work² will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce² pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination² room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．You should study in a different place every day so that you don’t get bored. |
| B．Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time. |
| C．Check the time during the exam at a certain time. |
| D．Staying up all night is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method. |
What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
| A．Your study desk or table. | B．Your textbook. |
| C．Your dictionary. | D．The equipment you need. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test. |
| B．You’ll have enough energy to deal with and concentrate on your study and exams better by eating healthy diet. |
| C．You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you. |
| D．If you need a break during study, you can walk around for a few minutes. |
John Coltrane was born in North Carolina in 1926 and raised in the small farm town of High Point. As a young boy, he spent a great deal of time listening to the music of the black Southern church. Coltrane’s father sewed clothes and could also play several musical instruments for his own enjoyment. The young Coltrane grew up in such a musical environment. And he discovered jazz by listening to the recordings of such jazz greats as Count Basie and Lester Young.
When John was thirteen, he asked his mother to buy him a saxophone. People realized almost immediately that the young man could play the instrument very well. John learned by listening to the recordings of the great jazz saxophone players, Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker.
In 1943 John and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied music for a short time at the Granoff Studios and at the Ornstein School of Music. He served for a year in a Navy band in Hawaii. When he returned, he began playing the saxophone in several small bands.
In 1948, Coltrane joined trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Seven years later, Coltrane joined the jazz group of another trumpet player, Miles Davis.Then he began experimenting with new ways to write and perform jazz music, and explored many new ways of playing the saxophone.Some people did not like this new sound, while others said it was an expression of modern soul and represented an important change. By 1965, Coltrane became one of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. He was famous in Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States. He was always trying to produce a sound that no one had produced before. Some of the sounds he made were beautiful. Others were like loud screams. Miles Davis said Coltrane was the loudest, fastest saxophone player that ever rived.
Many people could not understand his music. But they listened anyway. Coltrane never made his music simpler to become more popular. He continued to perform and record even as he suffered from liver cancer. He died in 1967 at the age of forty in Long Island, New York._______ play(s) the most important role in John Coltrane’s love of music.
| A．The musical environment in which he was brought up |
| B．His father’s musical instruments |
| C．The church music he listened to |
| D．The recordings of jazz greats |
John’s success in music is largely due to his______.
| A．hard work | B．creativity |
| C．family | D．performing style |
We can learn from the passage EXCEPT that______.
| A．John performed several musical instruments for fun when he was young |
| B．his mother bought him a saxophone in 1939 |
| C．in his early twenties John joined Gillespie’s band |
| D．John went on to perform in spite of his illness |
The correct order of the following events is______.
a. John moved to Philadelphia
b. John joined the group of Miles Davis.
c. John served in a Navy band
d. John became a famous jazz musician
e. John got his first saxophone
| A．d—a—e—b—c | B．e—d—a—b—c |
| C．a—d—e—c—b | D．e—a—c—b—d |
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family's last vacation. It was my six-year-old son's winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week long trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York, so I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport to “earn” more Delta Dollars. Our total take：$1,600.Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big－time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth. I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise. |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. | B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. | D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. |
| B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. |
| D．How to make a business deal. |
Mr. Laurence was not allowed to see Beth, and Meg felt unhappy writing letters to her mother saying nothing about Beth’s illness. Jo nursed Beth night and day, but the time came when Beth did not know her and called for her mother. Jo was frightened, and Meg begged to be allowed to write the truth, but Hannah said there was no danger yet. Then a letter came saying that Mr. March was worse and could not think of coming home for a long time.
How dark the days seemed. How sad and lonely. The sisters worked and waited as the shadow of death lay over the once happy home. It was then that Meg realized how rich she had been in the things which really mattered—love, peace, good health. And Jo, watching her little sister, thought about how unselfish Beth always was—living for others and trying to make home a happy place for all who came there. Amy, sad and lonely at Aunt March’s house, just wanted to come home so that she could do something to help Beth.
On the first day of December, the doctor came in the morning. He looked at Beth, then said quietly, ‘If Mrs. March can leave her husband, I think she should come home now.’
Jo threw on her coat and ran out into the snow to send a telegram. When she arrived back, Laurie came with a letter saying that Mr. March was getting better again. This was good news, but Jo’s face was so unhappy that Laurie asked, ‘What is it? Is Beth worse?’
‘I’ve sent for Mother,’ said Jo, beginning to cry. ‘Beth doesn’t know us any more.’
Laurie held her hand and whispered, ‘I’m here, Jo. Hold on to me. Your mother will be here soon, and then everything will be all right.’Meg had to write to her mother because _________ at the moment.
| A．her mother was away working in another town |
| B．her mother was looking after her father in hospital |
| C．she wanted to tell her about the illness of Beth |
| D．she knew that her mother was getting worse |
Which of the following is NOT true about Beth?
| A．She finally recovered from the illness. |
| B．She liked playing the piano very much. |
| C．She once almost drowned herself in the river. |
| D．She was shy but devoted to others. |
Amy _______.
| A．was at Aunt March’s house to help with the housework |
| B．was somewhat self-centered in the earlier part of the story |
| C．was much older than Beth and liked drawing very much |
| D．studied all by herself at home instead of going to school |
From the story we know that _______.
| A．Laurie helped Jo publish her story in a newspaper |
| B．Laurie had been taking care of Mr. March before Beth got ill |
| C．Laurie and Jo were very good friends to each other |
| D．Laurie and Jo got married in the end |
Cloning is suggested as a means of bringing back a relative, usually a child, killed tragically. Some parents can understand that wish, but it must first be recognized that the copy would be a new baby and not the lost child. Here lies the difficulty, for the sad parents are seeking not a new baby but a return of the dead one. Since the original would be fondly remembered as having particular talents and interests, would not the parents expect the copy to be the same? It is possible, however, that the copy would develop quite differently. Is it fair for the new child to be placed in a family with such unnatural expectations?
Copying is also suggested as a means by which parents can have the child of their dreams. Couples might choose to have a copy of a film star, baseball player or scientist, depending on their interest. But because personality is only partly the result of genetic inheritance (基因遗传), conflicts would be sure to come up if the cloned child failed to develop the same interests as the original. What if the copy of Einstein shows no interest in science? Or the baseball player turns to acting? Success also depends upon fortune. What if the child does not live up to the hopes and dreams of the parents simply because of bad luck?
Every baby should be wanted for itself, as an individual. In making a copy of oneself or some famous person, a parent is carefully specifying (详细说明) the way he or she wishes that child to develop. In recent years, particularly in the United States, much importance has been placed on the right of individuals to reproduce in ways that they wish. So I suggest there is a greater need to consider the interest of the child and to refuse these suggested uses of cloning.According to the author, in cloning a lost child parents ___________.
| A．lose the talents of the lost child |
| B．expect too much from the copy |
| C．are sure to have an identical copy |
| D．are sure to have a baby of their dreams |
What, in the author’s opinion, affects the success of parents’ dreams?
| A．The efforts of the parents. |
| B．The cloned child’s personality. |
| C．The cloned child’s interest in Einstein. |
| D．The cloned child’s natural talent. |
In the last paragraph, the author implies that ________.
| A．the cloned child is viewed as independent |
| B．parents carefully protect the rights of the cloned child |
| C．parents are eager to wish the cloned child to be somebody. |
| D．the right of growing in his own way is taken away from the cloned child |
As a boy growing up in India, I had wanted to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have lively memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and very enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
| A．Growing up in India. |
| B．Once traveling to Canada with his father. |
| C．Once staying in Canada. |
| D．His father’s stories about his traveling experiences. |
The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．happy | B．excited |
| C．angry | D．sad |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s trip to Europe in 1998?
| A．Both their going and return were by air. |
| B．They traveled in the spring that year. |
| C．The author traveled with one of his parents. |
| D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
| A．an airline company | B．a city in India |
| C．a city in Europe | D．a travel agency |