The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light，I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff（东西） they call “books”.

    I was going to have my examination the next day.  “When can I go to bed？” I asked myself. I didn’t answer，in fact, I dared not.

The clock struck twelve. “ Oh，dear！” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed！” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.

    The clock struck one. I was quite desperate（绝望的）now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed，“Oh，God，please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards，Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later，with my head on the desk，I fell asleep.

  When the author was going over his lessons，all the others in the house were  ________ .

    A. asleep                                        B. outside

    C. working in bed                           D. quietly laughing at him

The underlined word wretched in Paragraph 3 probably means _______ .

    A. very happy                                B. disappointed

    C. very unhappy                              D. hopeful

Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because _______  .

A. he was excited                       

B. he was nervous

    C. he was worried

    D. he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

The best title for the passage would be __________ .

    A. The Night Before the Examination          B. Working Far into the Night

    C. A Slow Student                                D. Going Over My Lessons

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.?? 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 will?? 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 too?? 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 work?? 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 reduce?? pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.

 When you arrive in the examination?? 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.

I failed in the examination last term and only then ____ the importance of studies.

A．I realized    B. I had realized     C. had I realized    D. did I realize

Generations of children who sat through endless lessons of “chalk and talk” in front of a bossy teacher can take some relief. But the “chalk and talk” method helped them achieve better exam results. Modern classroom techniques may make school days a good deal happier, but contentment(满足) is not the road to success in examinations, according to university researchers.?

Their three-year study, monitoring the progress of 2000 teenagers, tried to measure the influence of the “boredom factor” in 17 selected schools in the north of England. The researchers also found that the old-fashioned approach(方法) of teachers ordering pupils about is still alive and producing results. Their conclusions were welcomed yesterday by educationists who were worried by the shift to less formal lessons.

The pupils in the latest study were asked to award teachers marks to measure how frequently they followed or ignored today's fashion for “child-centred” education. A five-point scale was given to spot the teachers who always told them what they should know and what to write down. “It was significant and not anything you would get by chance or accident. Certainly, when you compare the pupil's interest and attitude to school, there is a quite definite and highly significant difference,” one of the researchers said. But the rankings were turned upside down when the team of four researchers looked at how the children did in examination. The sort of methods now frowned upon(不赞同) actually improve the final grades.?

The researchers said,“There is nothing wrong with old-fashioned, didactic(说教性的) teaching in the fight place, even if it isn't the flavor at the moment.” However, he insisted the best teachers had always mixed the two techniques to match the needs of pupils, although certain examinations forced some to concentrate more on dictation and learning by rote(死记硬背).?

University researchers have discovered that _______.

A. modern teaching methods provide students with entertainment?

B. students taught by modern techniques are happy and successful?

C. traditional teaching methods help students score higher?

D. students like old teaching better than modern teaching at school?

We can infer from Paragraph 3 that _______.?

A. child-centred education promotes friendship among children?

B. the research findings are not significant enough for a conclusion?

C. those who show greater interest in school did better in exams?

D. those who don't show much interest in school may turn out to score higher in tests

The researchers suggest that _______.

A. more old methods be used in teaching?

B. students be taught how to score high in exams?

C. dictation be used as one of the best teaching methods?

D. old and new methods be used together?

The best title for this text would be _______.

A. The Examination?based Teaching

B. Rote Learning Was the Winner

C. The Problem of Child-centred Education

D. The Problem of the Traditional Method