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.

【答案解析】

有些大学生患有考试焦虑症，不过现在好了，这些大学开设了特殊的课程来帮助他们缓解这种考试焦虑症。

1. c。语义理解题。从第 1 段最后一句话hitoshi sakamoto, an anthropology (人类学) student at temple university in tokyo reports similar experiences 可以明显看出 doreen sykora 和 hitoshi sakamoto 都患有考试焦虑症。

2. d。词义猜测题。doreen sykora 因考试时过度紧张和害怕，那当然是思维不清晰。

3. a。语义理解题。从文章第 3 段第 2 句话 in these courses, advisors and psychologists try to help students by teaching them to manage test anxiety 可以看出大学开设这门特殊课程的目的。