What should you take in with you when you take an exam? Pen, pencil, eraser, ruler…, and don’t forget a bottle of water!
According to a study at the British Psychological ( 心理学的) Society Annual Conference held in London, students who bring water into exams may improve their grades by up to 10 percent.
Scientists at the University of East London and the University of Westminster, UK, did a study on 447 students. The students were studying for different degrees (学历) at the University of East London. Only 25 percent of them entered the exam hall with something to drink.
Scientists then compared their exam results with their normal schoolwork grades. They found that all those who had brought drinks with them got better grades by between 2 and 10 percent.
It is unclear why drinking water improves exam results. But scientists say having enough water in our bodies and not feeling thirsty could have a helpful effect on our brains. Drinking water may also cut down on anxiety ( 焦虑), which has a bad effect on exam performances, according to Chris Pawson, PhD, of the University of East London.
“Whatever the explanation, it is clear that students should try hard to stay hydrated (含水的)with water during exams,” he said.
So next time, when you are going to have a big exam, try bringing a bottle of water with you.Who knows – it may help you pass the exam!How much may the students improve their grades most if they bring water into exams?
| A．By2%. | B．By8%. |
| C．By10%. | D．By25%. |
How many students in the study got better grades?
| A．About112 students who brought drinks or water into their exams. |
| B．All the447 students who come from the University of East London. |
| C．About300 students who took part in the study. |
| D．About10 percent of the students who studied different subjects. |
The underlined phrase “cut down on” probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．bring |
| C．reduce | D．change |
According to the passage, how does water help students in exams?
a. It is good for their brains.
b. It makes students smarter.
c. It helps students stay cool.
d. It helps students stay awake.
| A．a b | B．a c |
| C．b c | D．c d |
Where can you probably read the article?
| A．Fashion magazine. |
| B．Text book. |
| C．Travel guide. |
| D．Newspaper. |
Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it repaired, as there are a lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though a little more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth. I realized that my approach must be wrong so I decided to try another way. I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair? Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK. I’ll give you twenty pounds for it,” he said. “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I added. “Yes, I saw that. It’s nothing,” the shopkeeper replied.
Everything was going according to the plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell after the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” the man asked in surprise. “Yes, I know. But I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. He shouted, “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said, “And what would you have said if I had walked in and asked you to repair my chair?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it. We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll repair this for you. Five pounds will be the cost,” the man answered. He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.What happened to the writer in the first shop?
| A．He broke his leg. |
| B．His chair was repaired. |
| C．He was refused impolitely. |
| D．The shopkeeper bought his chair. |
What does the underlined phrase “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．The shopkeeper changed his mind. |
| B．The shopkeeper accepted the price. |
| C．The shopkeeper decided to help the writer. |
| D．The shopkeeper found out the writer’s purpose. |
How much did the writer pay the shopkeeper at last?
| A．5 pounds. | B．7 pounds. |
| C．20 pounds. | D．27 pounds. |
From the passage, we can learn that the writer was__________.
| A．honest | B．smart |
| C．careful | D．crazy |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The writer wanted to sell his chair for 20 pounds. |
| B．It was very easy to repair the writer’s broken chair. |
| C．The writer succeeded in getting his chair repaired at last. |
| D．The man in the first shop thought the chair was too old to repair. |
Different students have different ideas about freedom(自由), true friends, love, honesty and so on.
Chen Cheng, 13, a boy from Jiangsu: I think I need a true friend. I had some friends before. However, it seemed that they didn’t regard me as their friends. I told them my secrets but they didn’t share theirs with me. I hope to find a true friend who can share happiness and sadness with me.
Gan Xiaoning, 14, a girl from Heilongjiang: Freedom is what I want most. I am a bird in two cages. In school, I have to follow the school’s rules and listen to teachers. At home, my parents don’t allow me to do what I like, either.
Yuan Siyu,15, Guangxi: I am a boy from a poor family. My father works very hard to support the family. I want to go to a college so that I can find a good job in the future.
Qu Yi,14, a girl from Hebei: I want a complete family. My father died of cancer three years ago. Since then, I have had no chance to be together with my parents any more. I admire my classmates who live with their parents.
Have you ever had problems in your life and don’t know how to be happy? If so ,you will find “Being a Happy Teenager” by Australian writer Andrew Matthews useful. In his book, Matthews tells us how to have a happy life and answers the questions of teenagers.
The book says we should stop being angry. The book tells us some useful skills. For example, if you want to make your memory(记忆) better, you can put what you have learned into pictures of your mind. Many teenagers think that happiness comes from a good exam result or praise from other people. But you can still be happy when there are no such “good” things.
Success comes from a good attitude(态度). If you learn from problems, you have success in the future. Some school boys have problems such as being too tall or too short, but Matthews tells us happiness comes from thinking about things in a positive way.
If you are tall , you can get a better view(视线) at the movie. If you are short, your clothes and shoes take less room in your bedroom! This is Matthews’ most important lesson : you choose to be happy!
A. doctor B. teacher C. writer
A. To have a good attitude.
B. To get praise from other people .
C. To put what you have learned into pictures of your mind.
A. trouble B. success C. illness
A. 积极的 B.消极的 C.落后的
A. have a happy life
B. learn from problems
C. read a useful book
John is thirteen now. He began to study in a middle school two years ago. His home is in a village and it’s nearly five kilometers from the school. He has to get up early in the morning. After a quick breakfast he runs to school and gets there on time. His father hopes to borrow some money to buy a bike for him. But he knows his mother is always ill and his father spends much money on medicine. He doesn’t agree with his father and keeps running there every day. He is never late for class and his teachers often praise him.
Last week there was a sports meeting in his school. John ran faster than any other boy in the boys’ 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. The whole school knew him. He was happy. He told his grandma about the good news as soon as he got home.
“I broke two school records today, Granny,” called out the boy.
To his surprise, the old woman wasn’t happy. She thought for a while and said,“I’m sorry to hear that. We have no money to pay for them, you know!”
A. nine B. eleven C. thirteen
A. keep healthy
B. win the boys’ race
C. get to school on time
A. he doesn’t like riding a bike
B. he doesn’t like his father
C. he knows his father doesn’t have enough money
A. ran faster B. worked harder C. became famous
A. she thought John had broken some things in the school and they had to pay for them.
B. she thought John hadn’t done well in the school sports meeting
C. John’s father couldn’t afford a bike
| Name |
Personal Information |
|
| Norman Bethune |
Born in 1890 in Canada Died in 1939 in China |
A doctor Came to China in 1938 |
| Celine Dion |
Born in Montreal, Canada A singer |
Sang I Surrender at her concert in 2003 |
| Thomas Edison |
Born in 1847 in the USA Died in 1931 |
Made over 1,000 inventions |
| Bill Gates |
Born in 1955 in the USA Started the Microsoft Company |
Wrote Business @ Speed of Thought |
| Mark Twain |
Born in 1835 in the USA Died in 1910 |
A writer Wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
A. Bill Gates and Norman Bethune
B. Mark Twain and Thomas Edison
C. Celine Dion and Norman Bethune
A. Norman Bethune
B. Thomas Edison
C. Mark Twain
A. book B. song C. story
A. 1 year B. 3 years C. 48 years
A. Norman Bethune was born in Canada, and died there
B. Thomas Edison was 75 years old when he died
C. Bill Gates was born in America