Tests can be stressful even for the most prepared students,and,unfortunately,test anxiety can actually have a negative impact on your performance.(Just having that knowledge adds to the stress,doesn't it?)Well,the following tips can help you get through your next test with much greater ease--and likely more success! Get Enough Sleep Getting 6 hours of less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit,or lack of sufficient sleep,which can actually make you less sharp mentally and thus negatively affect your performance on tests,even if you spent those missed hours of sleep studying.So it's very important for you to get all of your studying done so you can get a good night of sleep before your big day. Study Smarter Being organized with your studies can help you keep from pulling all-nighters to get all of your studying in and blowing the test because you're exhausted.How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the most important things you need to learn,in order of importance,and hit the items at the top of the list first.That way,if you run out of time,you're mostly covered.Make a list of all the work you have to do,estimate how much time each item will take,and compare that with the amount of hours you have available;this will tell you if you can carefully read or just skim,how many times you can afford to revise papers,and other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done.If you're pressed for time,it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.Oh,and turn off the TV as much as possible until your tests are behind you. Visualize Success Before you fall asleep each night,it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully.Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something,and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can actually help you perform better and feel confident.Being confident as you take your exams can keep you from choking because of the stress.Visualizations can also help you to remember... To study smarter,you'd better   _  . A) finish the most important things first B) stay up to prepare for the coming exams C) try to be perfect in every part of your study D) divide your available time equally among all work
A


I ran into quite a few language problems while vacationing with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her "pants were dirty". They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, "pants" means underpants or knickers, not trousers as it does back home.                                                                                                              Katie -- From America I went to stay with a friend on the west coast last summer. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn't find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.                                                          David -- From Britain When I asked for the "restroom" in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and "rest". It took me years to get through to someone that I only wanted the toilet!                                                         Tom -- From America Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for "boot" was "trunk". In the end we went to a  _ and just solved the problem.                                                            Mary -- From Britain When Tom asked for the "restroom", the people around him thought   _  . A) he wanted to have a rest B) he wanted the toilet C) he wanted a chair D) He wanted to go to a department store
A


Q: According to an old story, a farmer once found that a bag of corn had been stolen from his house. He went to the judge and told him about his loss. The judge ordered all the people of the farm to come before him. He took a number of sticks of equal length and gave one stick to each man. He then said, "Come before me again tomorrow. I shall then know which of you is the thief because the stick given to the thief will be one inch longer than the others." The thief was afraid of being found out, and so he cut an inch off his stick. The next day the thief's stick was found to be one inch shorter than any of the others. In this way the thief was found out, and was at once taken away to prison. The judge gave each man a stick   _  . A) to change back the farmer's corn B) to beat the thief C) as a tool to find out the thief D) so as to play a game together
A: C


*Question*
It had been a long time since I had been to Jacksonville, Florida. I had driven to town hoping to see the old barber shop where my hair had been cut as a child.       I parked my truck and decided to try and locate a telephone to see if the Florida Barber College had moved to a new location.     After walking about a block I saw an open shoe store. I walked inside and asked if I could use their telephone book. Unable to find a listing for the Barber College, I picked out the number of a local beauty salon, hoping they might tell me if the barber college was still in business. The number was busy, so I decided to wait and try again in a few minutes. As the salesman and I stood talking the front door opened and a young man about twenty came into the store pushing himself in a wheelchair. "I need a new pair of shoes," said the customer. As he turned the corner, there was a blanket across his lap. I was shocked to see that the young man had no legs. "A gift for a friend?" I asked the boy. "No," he replied. They are for me," he continued, with a smile on his face. I just smiled back and watched to see what would happen next. "What type of shoe would you like?" asked the clerk. "How about a pair of cowboy boots?" The man pointed to the back wall where three or four pairs of boots were displayed. The salesman, sharply turning, headed off to the backroom.  "Isn't this fun?" the boy asked me. I moved my hand to let him know that I did not understand his question. "When I was a kid, my parents used to buy me a new pair of shoes every year. That was such a wonderful feeling. Something I have never forgotten. The smell of the leather and the pride I felt when I walked around the store showing off my new shoes." The salesman came walking down the aisle with a large box. He sat it down on the floor, took out one boot and handed it to the young man. The boy closed his eyes. He placed the boot against his nose, and drew in a large breath. I did not know what to say as tears began to fall on the young man's cheeks. "What type... Why did the young man want to buy a new pair of shoes? A) Because he bought a pair every year. B) Because he wanted to send a new pair to a friend. C) Because he hoped to keep it for memory. D) Because he enjoyed the feeling of possessing a new pair.
**Answer**

D