Question

Anna Whitney, a sophomore at Colorado State University, first had a problem taking tests when she began college. "I was always   36   prepared for my tests. Sometimes I studied for weeks before test. Yet I would go in to take the test, only to find I would not answer the questions   37  . I would blank out because of nervousness and fear. I couldn't think of the answers. My   38   grades on the tests did not show what I knew to the teacher." Another student in microbiology had   39  experiences. He said, "My first chemistry test was very difficult. Then, on the second test, I sat down to take it, and I was so nervous that I was  40 . My hands were moving up and down so  41  that it was hard to hold my pencil. I knew the material and I knew the answers. Yet I couldn't  42  write them down!"

These two young students were  43  something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and is anxious about a test, his or her  44  does not work as well as it usually does. The student cannot write or think  45  because of the extreme tension and nervousness. Although poor grades are often a(n)  46  of poor study habits, sometimes test anxiety causes the low grades. Recently, test anxiety has been recognized as a real problem, not just a(n)  47  or a false explanation of lazy students.

Special university counseling courses try to help students. In these courses, counselors try to help students by teaching them  48  to manage test anxiety. At some universities, students take tests to  49  their tension. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies. Students are trained to become  50 in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds  51  at ease.  52  information then comes out without difficulty on a test.

A(n)  53  at the University of California explains, "With almost all students, relaxation and  54  stress are felt after taking our program. Most of them experience better control  55  their tests. Almost all have some improvement."

36. A. badly                  B. well                         C. bad                   D. quite

37. A. correctly             B. mistakenly         C. wrongly           D. later

38. A. high                    B. tall                           C. low                   D. good

39. A. few                   B. different                   C. similar        D. no

40. A. crying                 B. standing                   C. smiling              D. shaking

41. A. quickly        B. slowly               C. quietly        D. frequent

42. A. rarely                  B. even                         C. hardly        D. never

43. A. experiencing B. studying                   C. learning             D. making

44. A. hand                   B. mind                        C. leg                    D. heart

45. A. cleanly         B. cleverly                    C. clearly        D. brightly

46. A. means                 B. cause                       C. excuse              D. result

47. A. answer        B. reason               C. way                  D. excuse

48. A. how                   B. why                         C. what                 D. where

49. A. take                    B. get                           C. do                    D. measure

50. A. quiet                   B. calm                        C. warm                D. cold

51. A. learn                   B. work                        C. rest                   D. know

52. A. Used                  B. Useless                     C. Learned             D. Taught

53. A. student        B. Englishman        C. artist                 D. expert

54. A. more                  B. less                          C. better                D. worse

55. A. after                   B. before               C. during        D. since

Answer 1

36-40. B ACCD             41-45. ABABC      

46-50. DDADB             51-55. BCDBC