Doreen Sykora is now a junior at McGill University. She had a difficult time when she first began college. She said, “I was always well prepared for my examinations. But when I go into class to take the exam, I would fall apart. I could just blank out because of nervousness and fear.” Hitoshi Sakamoto, an anthropology(人类学) student at Temple University in Tokyo reports similar experiences.

These two young students were experiencing something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and is stressed(加压力于) about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student cannot write or think clearly because of the severe tension and nervousness.

Now there are special university courses to help students. In these courses, advisors and psychologists try to help students by teaching them to manage test anxiety. Such a course helps students learn to live with stress and not fail because of it. First students take a practice test to measure their worry level. If the tests show that their stress level is high, the students can take a short course to manage the fear. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies. They get training to become calm in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds work more easily. Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.

Doreen Sykora saw immediate results after taking such a course. She now has enthusiasm about the relaxation methods. “Mostly, what I do is imagine myself in a very calm place. Then I imagine myself picking up a pencil. I move slowly and carefully. I breathe easily and let all the tension out. With each breath, more worry leaves me. It really works too. My grades have improved greatly! I’m really doing well at McGill now. This relaxation method works not only on examinations, but it has improved the rest of my life as well.”

For Hitoshi in Tokyo, the results were much the same. He is enjoying school a lot more and learning more.

1. What is the similarity between Doreen Sykora and Hitoshi Sakamoto?

A. They are students from the same university.

B. They failed in all the examinations.

C. They both had experiences of test anxiety.

D. They both had the same poor studying habits.

2. The phrase “blank out” in Paragraph 1 refers to “_______.”

A. lose interest in the exam           B. refuse to take the exam

C. get an extra paper                  D. be unable to think clearly

3. What’s the purpose of some special university student-help courses?

　　A. To help students to reduce test anxiety.   

　　B. To show a stress level experienced by students.

　　C. To learn more knowledge about test anxiety.

　　D. To have a better understanding of test anxiety.

When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

　　Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."

The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that

__________.

A. they must reach the age of 60

B. they should be easy to make friends with

C. they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

　 D. they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

Doctors __________.

A. encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively

　 B. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

　 C. believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer

　 D. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that __________.

　 A. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

　 B. cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

　 C. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

　 D. Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.

　 A. they can remain young                         B. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

　 C. they find it enjoyable and interesting        D. they might meet fewer troubles in life

The passage is mainly about __________.

A. a group of cold-water swimming lovers              

B. the polar bears' life 

　 C. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming              

D. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

 

When did you last see a polar bear(北极熊）?On a trip to a zoo,perhaps?If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago,you would have seen a whole polar bear club.These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water.That day,the air temperature was 3℃,and the water temperature was a little higher.The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island,New York are usually about the age of 60.Members must satisfy two requirements.First,they must get along well with everyone else in the group;this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club.Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November to February.

　　Dcotors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming.Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops.Other doctors,however,point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

　　The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming.They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm.Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water.A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round;they find it fun and relaxing.As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water,I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."

72.The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.[来源:学+科+网]

　　A.they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

　　B.they must reach the age of 60

　　C.they should be easy to make friends with

　　D.they must agree to swim outdoors from November to February

73.According to the passage,some doctors believe it is true that_____.

　　A.Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

　　B.cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

　　C.you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

　　D.cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

74.The Polar Bears like to swim year-round,for_____.

　　A.it is an easy way ot keep the body warm in winter

　　B.they can remain young

　　C.they find it enjoyable and interesting

　　D.they might meet fewer troubles in life

75.The passage is mainly about_____.[来源:]

　　A.the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

　　B.a group of cold-water-swimming livers

　　C.the Polar Bears' life in New York

　　D.doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming

 

阅读理解

　　Where did you see a polar bear? At a zoo, perhaps If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island , New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

　　Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart best stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

　　The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favourite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system （循环系统） because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.

　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”

1．Which of the following is NOT necessary for members of the Polar Bear Club? ________.

[　　]

A．They should be easy to make friends with

B．They must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

C．They must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

D．They must have reached the age of 60

2．Doctors ________.

[　　]

A．encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively

B．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

C．believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer

D．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming.

3．According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that ________.

[　　]

A．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

B．there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming

C．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

D．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

4．The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round because ________.

[　　]

A．they can remain young

B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

C．they find it enjoyable and interesting

D．they might meet fewer troubles in life

5．The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers

B．the Polar Bears' life in New York

C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming

D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club