Speaking exams can be stressful! What if you don't understand the examiner (考官)? What if you don't get the exact word you need? Don't panic (惊慌)! Remember that everyone gets nervous in exams, especially oral exams. So, don't worry and our tips will help you feel more confident in a speaking exam.

★ Listening to as much English as possible will help to improve your speaking. Listening to songs, and watching films, TV series or video clips will help you feel more confident about speaking.

★{#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you speak English regularly in class, you will find it easier to speak in an exam.

★{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's not a race. Before you speak, think carefully about what to say and speak a little slower than normal.

★{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Use words and expressions you have used before. If you don't know a word, think of another way to say it.

★{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you find this difficult, practice with a friend at home. Stand at opposite ends of a room and speak to each other in English. Or speak to each other in English on your computers.

★{#blank#}5{#/blank#} So, take some deep breaths before the exam and try to relax.

    When it comes to the letter grade on your test or homework, you might notice that there is no letter E. Have you ever thought about why that is so?

    In the A, B, C, D and F grading system, the first four letters are typically considered passing grades. An F in this system simply stands for“fail”.The word“fail”happens to start with the letter F, which seems to leave out the letter E. The fact”．Some schools have U grade for“unsatisfactory”,or I grade for “incomplete”.

    Even with all this said, we should also point out that E grade actually has been used pretty commonly throughout the history of letter grades in the US.

    The first college in the US to use a letter grading system like the ones we use today is Mount Holyoke College. In 1897, they began to use the following grading scale:

A: 95-100%(excellent)       B: 85-94%(good)      C: 76-84%(fair)

D: 75%(barely passed)       E: below 75%(failed)

    We can see the inclusion of E instead of F.

    Gradually,the letter grading system became more popular throughout the US. However, many schools decided to drop the E grade and go straight to F.There is no evidence(证据) to really support this, but one possible explanation is that teachers were worried that some students and parents might mistake E for “excellent”.

    Why do we have letter grades? Well, part of the reason is that they made grading simpler during a time of great change for schools. As the 20th century began,growing cities and an increase in immigration led to larger school classrooms. Most teachers at that time thought this new letter grading system was an easy, fair and clear way to grade students.

    Today, more and more people argue that letter grades don't fully reflect(反映) student learning. However，as teachers try to improve grading methods, many parents continue to favor the letter grades they got as kids, they are familiar(熟悉) and easy for parents to understand. So while they might not be perfect, the letter grades probably aren't going away any time soon.

    The Reasons of Learning English

    Today lots of people in China can speak English and more and more people are learning this language. Then what do they learn English for? We have done a survey and here are some people's reasons:

    Alice White: I like traveling by myself very much. I've been to many places in China, and I plan to travel to some foreign countries. English is the most widely used language in the world, so learning English will do great help to my trips.

    Mark Smith: I'm actually not so interested in English. I like Chinese much better. However, I have to learn English. We have to take English exams and the score(分数) of English takes a large part in the total score. Luckily, I'm not doing too badly in it, or I'll have to struggle(奋斗) with it.

    Ben Green: It is necessary to learn English. As you know, the competition in the job market is very fierce(激烈的). If I have a good knowledge of English, I will have a chance of getting a good job.

    Kate Lu: It's interesting, isn't it? I can get information that others can't get. I can talk and write letters to interesting people that others can't communicate with. And I can always make people surprised by speaking good English.

Information Card

    Chris is not a traditional explorer(探险者)— he usually works in an office for a large organization. Yet his job can sometimes be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.

    Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Borders (无国界医生). MSF sends trained doctors all over the world to help people after a war or a disaster. Chris is a doctor from France who has travelled to many places to organize programmes that help people.

At the moment, there are over 27,000 trained doctors and nurses taking part in MSF projects and tasks. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be prepared to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should expect difficult conditions. Doctors with experience in tropical(热带的)diseases are especially useful because most of MSF's work is in Africa. When MSF accepts a doctor for a task, he has to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.

    But why would a doctor leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience you gain is a great help in your work. Besides, just like the explorers of the past, you need to keep an open mind and learn to get on well with the people you meet. Above all, at the end of each task, you have made a real difference to people's lives.

    The summer holiday is coming. Try to take some time off from school and have fun. Here are some ideas for planning your summer holiday.

    First of all, joining a club is a good idea! You can join a music club, a sports club or an art club, it's good for your future and the teachers in the club can give you some good advice (建议). You can also make some new friends.

    Doing something good for society (社会) is also great. There are many volunteer programs(志愿者项目) for you to choose, such as looking after the____①___or the young, cleaning the streets, planting trees or keeping the traffic(交通) in order. You know that students can also make the world better.

    Did you ever live with another family? You can join in a program___②____"Meeting a New Family" .Two families exchange their children for some time so that they can learn how to get on well with others.

Summer camps are still popular today. An English summer camp can be a good one. You can not only make friends but also learn English.