Anne Whitney, a sophomore(二年级学生) at Colorado State University, first had a problem taking tests when she began college. "I was always well prepared for my tests. Sometimes I studied for weeks before a test. Yet I would go in to take the test, only to find I could not answer the questions correctly. I would blank out because of nervousness and fear. I couldn’t think of the answer. My low grades on the tests did not show what I knew to the teacher ." Another student in microbiology and similar 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 shaking. My hands were moving up and down so quickly that it was hard to hold my pencil. I knew the material and I knew the answers. Yet I couldn’t even write them down!"
These two young students were experiencing something called test anxiety. Because a student worries and it uneasy about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student can’t write or think clearly because of the extreme tension and nervousness. Although poor grades are often a result of poor study habits, sometimes test anxiety causes the low grades. Recently, test anxiety had been recognized as a real problem, not just an excuse 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 how to manage test anxiety .At some universities, students take tests to measure their anxiety. If the tests show their anxiety is high, the students can take short courses to help them deal with their tension. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies .Students are trained to become calm in very tense situations. By controlling their nervousness, they can let their minds work at ease .Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.
An expert at the University of California explains. "With almost all students, relaxation and less stress are felt after taking out program .Most of then experience better control during their tests. Almost all have some improvement. With some, the improvement is very great."

1.
To "blank out" is probably______
1. A.
  to be like a blanket
2. B.
  to be sure of an answer
3. C.
  to be unable to think clearly
4. D.
  to show knowledge to the teacher
2.
Poor grades are usually the result of _______
1. A.
  poor hygienic(卫生的) habits
2. B.
  laziness
3. C.
  lack of sleep
4. D.
  being unable to form good study habits
3.
Test anxiety has been recognized as _______
1. A.
  an excuse for laziness
2. B.
  the result of poor habits
3. C.
  a real problem
4. D.
  something that can’t be changed
4.
To deal with this problem, students say they want to ______
1. A.
  take a short course on anxiety
2. B.
  read about anxiety
3. C.
  be able to manage or understand their anxiety
4. D.
  take test to prove they are not anxiety
5.
A University of California counselor said_______
1. A.
  all students could overcome the anxiety after taking a special test anxiety program
2. B.
  almost all students felt less stress after taking a University of California counseling course
3. C.
  students found it difficult to improve even though they had taken a special test anxiety course
4. D.
  students found it easy to relax as soon as they entered a University of California counseling course

Empathy(同情心) lets us feel another person’s pain and drives us to help. Do any other animals feel empathy? Scientists recently found that rats(老鼠) do, too.
Most people don’t like rats. In many people’s eyes, rats are only bad. But Jean Decety and his partners at the University of Chicago did an experiment. It showed that rats are kind, warm-hearted animals. They can feel each other’s pain.
Scientists placed pairs of rats in plastic cages(笼子) for two weeks. During this time they got to know each other. Then they put one of the rats from each pair into a small container(容器) in the cages. The small container had a door. It was so designed as to fall to the side when the free rat touched it. Many of the trapped(困住的) rats squeaked(吱吱叫) to show their discomfort. The other rats of the pairs could see their suffering(受苦的) friends clearly.
In most pairs, the free rats would become very worried about their friends. They kept trying to save their friends again and again throughout the month. Scientists put the rats’ favorite chocolate in the cages, but the rats didn’t eat it until they had saved their friends successfully. Scientists also found that female rats seemed to act more empathetic than male rats.
“The results are the first to show that rats take action in response to another’s trouble,” Decety said. “Monkeys and chimpanzees have similar behavior. But unlike those animals, rats can be ready used in laboratory studies. They will help us to learn which parts of the brain lead to empathy and helping behavior and whether empathy is natural.”

1.
A person with empathy is often _____
1. A.
  kind-hearted
2. B.
  clever
3. C.
  active
4. D.
  strong
2.
Why didn’t the free rats eat the chocolate at first?
1. A.
  Because they were not hungry at that time
2. B.
  Because chocolate was not their favorite food
3. C.
  Because they wanted to save the trapped rats first
4. D.
  Because they were afraid that the chocolate was bad
3.
Which of the following animals were NOT mentioned in the passage?
1. A.
  Monkeys
2. B.
  Chimpanzees
3. C.
  Rats
4. D.
  Cats
4.
What does the passage mainly tell us?
1. A.
  Rats can feel other animals’ pain
2. B.
  Chocolate is rats’ favorite food
3. C.
  Rats are empathetic and can feel each other’s pain
4. D.
  Female rats are more empathetic than male rats

The ISS project is a partnership of five - the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.
At the moment, no program for its use nor any money has been put in place to support the platform beyond 2015.
One of the biggest issues stopping an agreement on station-life extension（延长期） is the human spaceflight examination ordered by US President Barack Obama.
The Americans are developing a new vision for space exploration, and the rockets and spacecraft they will need to start it. The future of US joining in the ISS is closely tied to the result of the examination.
Mr Dordain, the European Space Agency's (Esa) Director General, said no one partner in the ISS project could alone call an end to the platform. A meeting would be held in Japan later in the year where he hoped the partners could get something clearly going forward. He said it was also necessary the benefits（成效） were increased and the costs were reduced. Increasing the benefits could include finding new uses for the station.
Esa has called for ideas on how to use the ISS as a platform for Earth observation（观测站）. Mr Dordain said the agency had received about 20 very good proposals.
On the issue of reducing costs, there were many ideas on the table, he explained.
He also questioned whether it was necessary for the station to have six astronauts at all times. If there were periods when little maintenance（维修） was required or the experiment load was light, could the ISS run on a smaller group of people, he suggested.
Construction of the space station should finish this year. Next month, two components built in Europe - a connecting node and a robotic control room - will be flown to the platform by the US shuttle Endeavour.
Tranquility and the Cupola, as they are known, will complete the non-Russian side of the ISS

1.
Why will America joining in the ISS be tied to the result of the examination?
1. A.
  Because America is the greatest power among them
2. B.
  Because America provides most of the money
3. C.
  Because they need America’s rockets and spacecraft
4. D.
  Because Obama ordered the human spaceflight examination
2.
According to Mr Dordain, how should they do to reduce costs?
1. A.
  To find new uses for the station
2. B.
  To make little maintenance
3. C.
  To reduce the experiment load
4. D.
  To have fewer astronauts sometimes
3.
Where do you think you can read this passage?
1. A.
  In a story book
2. B.
  In a handbook
3. C.
  In an advertisement
4. D.
  In a newspaper

A very strict officer was talking to some new soldiers whom he had to train. He had never seen them before, so began, “My name is Stone, and I’m even harder than stone, so do what I tell you or there’ll be trouble. Don’t try any tricks (诡计) with me, and then we’ll get on well together.”
Then he went to each soldier one after the other and asked him his name, “Speak loudly so that everyone can hear you clearly,” he said, “and don’t forget to call me ‘sir’.”
Each soldier told him name, until he came to the last one. This man remained silent and so Captain Stone shouted at him, “when I ask you a question, answer it! I’ll ask you again: “What’s your name, soldier?”
The soldier was very unhappy, but at last he replied,“My name’s Stonebreaker, sir,”he said nervously (紧张地)

1.
According to what the officer said, _____
1. A.
  trouble would come if anybody made tricks
2. B.
  obeying his orders would sometimes bring no trouble
3. C.
  he always got on well with his soldiers
4. D.
  he often had trouble with his soldiers
2.
The last soldier remained silent because _____
1. A.
  he didn’t like the way the officer spoke to them
2. B.
  he was afraid the officer would be angry when he heard his name
3. C.
  he wanted to see what would happen if he disobeyed his order
4. D.
  the question was funny for him to answer
3.
According to the officer, how to answer the question, “How old are you ?” _____
1. A.
  (sadly) Twenty, sir
2. B.
  (clearly) Twenty
3. C.
  (quickly) Ten years younger than you, sir
4. D.
  (loudly) Twenty, sir

Mother-of-three Carmen Blake called her midwife(助产师)to ask for an ambulance when she went into labor unexpectedly with her fourth child.
But the 27-year-old claims she was refused an ambulance and told to walk the 100m from her house in Leicester to the city’s nearby Royal Infirmary(医院).
Her daughter Mariah was delivered on a pavement outside the hospital by a passer-by, just before ambulance crews arrived.
Ms Blake said she started going into labor at about 7:15 am on Sunday, August 2. She said, “I phoned up the Royal Infirmary, it’s just across the road.
“I went into the bath and realized she was gong to come quickly. I didn’t think I’d be able to make it out of the bath, so I phoned the maternity(妇产科的) ward back and told them to get an ambulance out.”
They said they were not sending an ambulance and told me I had had nine months to sort out a lift.
Experienced mother MS Blake today said she knew she had to get herself out of the bath and try to get to the hospital.
Eventually MS Blake and her friends enlisted the help of a physiotherapist(理疗师) who happened to be passing on her way to work. She dialed 999 and helped deliver baby Mariah while waiting for emergency services.
Ms Blake said despite the happy ending she was upset she was told to make her own way to the hospital as, being an experienced mum, she knew she did not have the time.
Today a government spokeswoman said, “We are disappointed that Ms Blake was not happy with the advice and care she received and will of course investigate any complaint. We are pleased that both Ms Blake and her daughter are well and healthy.”

1.
Carmen Blake, the 27-year-old mother, gave girth to her new child Mariah
1. A.
  in the city’s Royal Infirmary
2. B.
  in the ambulance on her way to hospital
3. C.
  out of the bath at home
4. D.
  in the street on her way to hospital
2.
The underline3d phrase “went into labor” in the first paragraph probably means
1. A.
  felt worried
2. B.
  felt tired
3. C.
  gave birth to
4. D.
  went to sleep
3.
It can be inferred that
1. A.
  there were not enough ambulance in the Royal Infirmary
2. B.
  the story ended with a sad ending
3. C.
  the maternity ward said Ms Blake only needed a lift
4. D.
  the maternity ward said Ms Blake ought to call earlier
4.
Carmen Blake accused the Royal Infirmary of
1. A.
  failing to send an ambulance to help her
2. B.
  having killed her newly-born baby
3. C.
  not taking good care of her and her baby
4. D.
  refusing to admit her into the hospital