Hi Grace,

    How's it going? Sorry I haven't emailed for a while, but I had so much to do!

    I had told you about my decision to take up a sport. I knew I wasn't fit and I wanted to get some exercise. But that wasn't the only reason that I decided to do a sport. Students who play sports do better at school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Exercise also helps learning and memory.

     {#blank#}2{#/blank#} First, I tried soccer. I had played a bit of soccer before and I thought it wouldn't be too bad. I knew I couldn't run for very long without feeling tired. On the first day, I was able to run for the first ten minutes, but then I was so tired that I couldn't even kick the ball!

    Then, I tried volleyball. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I was able to run for the first twenty minutes and I wasn't the slowest runner in the team! After a few weeks, I could run faster and longer. I was doing better and feeling better. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Maybe I'm not a team sport person after all!

    Finally, I tried Kung fu. It's a great sport that exercise the body and the mind. You learn to follow instructions carefully and do what you are asked to do. This is the right sport for me! {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I feel so confident that I even showed some moves to the class last week! Can you believe it?

I hope you're OK! Write and let me know what you've been doing!

    Bye for now!

                                                                                                                                                                               Kristie

A. I got very excited about soccer.

B. But I couldn't decide on a sport.

C. Running helps me to keep fit.

D. Things were a bit better this time.

E. Then I found volleyball terribly boring.

F. They are more confident and less stressed.

G. I practice twice a week and I haven't missed a class.

    If anyone had told me three years ago that I would be spending most of my weekends camping. I would have laughed heartily. Campers, in my eyes, were people who enjoyed insects bites, ill-cooked meals, and uncomfortable sleeping bags. They had nothing in common with me. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

The friends who introduced me to camping thought that it meant to be a pioneer. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} We sleep in a tent, cooked over an open fire, and walked a long distance to take the shower and use the bathroom. This brief visit with Mother Nature cost me two days off from work, recovering from a bad case of sunburn and the doctor's bill for my son's food poisoning.

    I was, nevertheless, talked into going on another fun-filled holiday in the wilderness.   {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Instead, we had a pop-up camper with comfortable beds and an air conditioner. My nature-loving friends had remembered to bring all the necessities of life.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} We have done a lot of it since. Recently, we bought a twenty-eight-foot travel trailer complete with a bathroom and a built-in TV set. There is a separate bedroom, a modern kitchen with a refrigerator. The trailer even has matching carpet and curtains.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It must be true that sooner or later, everyone finds his or her way back to nature. I recommend that you find your way in style.

    Tests can be stressful even for the best students. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to make your stress much more manageable.

    Get Enough Sleep

    Getting 6 hours of sleep or less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit(不足),which makes you less sharp mentally and prevents you from performing properly on tests. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} This way, you needn't stay up for the test and can get a good night of sleep before your big day.

    Study Smarter

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Make a list of the most important things you need to learn and hit the items at the top of the list first. This will ensure they're mostly covered if you run out of time. Make a list of all the work you have to do, estimate how long 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 the papers.

    Visualize(想象)Success

    A proven way to build your confidence is to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully. Visualization can not only help you perform better in the tests but can help you remember facts. You can create detailed situations that involve the information you're trying to remember.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

Stay Calm

    There're several techniques that can help you calm down quickly.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it for a while and then let it out slowly. Your stress will come out with your exhales(呼气)

A. Be organized with your studies.

B. Extra time on tests can bring success to students.

C. Test anxiety has a negative impact on your performance.

D. In this process you can strengthen the facts in your memory.

E. Breathing exercises can be extremely effective in helping you relax.

F. So it's very important to get all your studying done before your exam.

G. There are options for easing stress and potentially improving test performance.

    A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety(焦虑) is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress，how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

    Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen's work.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}What they look for is your presence—to listen, to talk，to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express his worries and fears，but don't let them focus on those fears.

    Help them get organized.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Together，you and your teen can work out a time-table in which he/she can study for what he/she knows will be on the test.

Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his/her privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It's important for your teen to eat a healthy，balanced diet during exam times to focus and do his/her best.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If this happens，encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet，rather than junk food，is best for reducing stress.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and do something active when he/she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation，fun，and exercise is all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance his/her time so that he/she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

    Show a positive attitude.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen's pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for his efforts. Most importantly，tell your teen that things will be all right，no matter what the results are.

A. They will only make the situation worse.

B.A parent's attitude will influence their teen's emotions.

C. The best thing is simply to listen.

D. Help your teen think about what he has to study and plan accordingly.

E. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite（胃口）.

F. Encourage your teen to relax.

G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

    Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence. However, you can receive better grades if you want. Yes, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Here's how.

    ●Plan your time carefully. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Then make a schedule of your time.Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments.Of course, studying shouldn't take up all of the free time on the schedule.

    ● Skim before you read. Look over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carefully. As you preview the material, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Later when you begin to read, you will recognize less important material and you may jump over some of these parts. Skimming helps double your reading speed and improve your understanding as well.

    ● {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Go over your notes as soon as you can after class. Review important points mentioned in class as well as points that confuse you. If you know what the teacher will discuss the next day, skim and read that material, too. If you review your notes and textbook regularly, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Regular review leads to better grades in tests.

    There are other techniques that might help you with your studying. Improving your studying habits will improve your grades.

A. Review regularly

B. Make a list of your weekly tasks

C. you get some idea of the content and how it is organized

D. Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later

E. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject

F. the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer

G. even students with average intelligence can be top students without extra work

Helpful tips for college-bound seniors

    Researching a college is one of the most time-consuming tasks that you'll encounter.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}For example, what classes and facilities the college has to offer, and what sports it offers. After narrowing your choices to a group of colleges, you'll have to start to research these in depth.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}He or she may be able to help you find things about the colleges that you could not get yourself.

    Knowing what you want to study is another key to looking for a college.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}By knowing what I want to do, I can then look at colleges that I've been thinking about applying to and narrow my choices down. If a college doesn't have the courses I need, then it's definitely out of the picture.

    Another key thing to look for is the college's testing requirements.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Some colleges also require an SAT II test in certain areas, for example English or Math. Remember to look at a college's GPA requirements, too. You may find a college where there's everything you want, but your GPA isn't high enough to be considered. In this case you may need to attend a junior college for one or two years.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}At this point you may want to have a long discussion with your parents, and find out how much they're willing and able to spend on college. If it isn't enough to cover your full tuition, then you may want to apply for financial aid or a scholarship. And your final option maybe looking for a college that doesn't cost as much.

A. All colleges require an SAT or an ACT test.

B. And lastly, but definitely not the least, is tuition.

C. Look for a college now if you plan on attending one.

D. You need to find out many basics about possible colleges.

E. If you will be a senior in the near future, this article is for you.

F. I plan to major in business management and minor in computer applications.

G. If you have a college counselor at your school, this would be a good time to ask for advice.