For those of us who are studying at school, the time of exams is very stressful (紧张的) and difficult. Some people find exam times so bad that they become ill, because they are afraid of failing; they are afraid of letting their parents and family down. If exams are really making you ill or worried, don't hide your feelings. Talk to someone about it. Maybe you can speak to a friend, or someone in your family, or teachers at your place of study. If one person doesn't help you, ask someone else.

      How to get through exams? Here is some advice:

      Ask a teacher or tutor about how to review your lessons, and exam skills—how to work when you are in an exam. Take short rests during your time of work. If your mind is tired, it will not remember well. Plan your work: study at times when you know you will work at your best. Get enough sleep, and eat healthy food. You need exercise to work well. Walk, run, play sports — whatever you enjoy. Stop thinking about the future and failing.

If you feel ill, talk to someone about your worries. But don't be too relaxed! Some stress over exams makes you work hard for them.

If it upsets(使某人不安) you to talk to your friends about an exam when it is finished, don't do it! In fact, don't even think about the exam you have finished. What is done is done. You cannot change what you have written!

      To this advice, we could add: If you are studying in the evening, don't go straight to bed. Your mind will still be “going round and round”—thinking too much. Do something else, maybe walk or get exercise. Choose something that will relax you, and make you think of other things.

    Once upon a time, there was an old woman who lived in a small house. She planted a lot of beautiful tulips (郁金香) in her garden.

    One night, the sounds of sweet singing and of babies laughing woke her up. She looked out of the window. The sounds seemed to come from the tulips, but she could see nothing.

    The next morning she walked among her flowers, but there were no signs of anyone having been there the night before.

    On the following night she was again wakened (弄醒) by the sounds of sweet singing and babies laughing. She got out of bed and walked softly into her garden. The old woman looked closely and she noticed that a fairy (精灵) mother was singing softly, and that in each tulip-cup was a little fairy baby, laughing and playing.

    The old woman went back to her house quietly. From then on, she never picked a tulip. She didn't allow her neighbours to pick the flowers, either. When the old woman died, all the tulips disappeared overnight. But her grave (坟墓) looked beautiful, because the fairies sang above it and kept it green.

    Dogs like living with people. They are very friendly. They can do many things for people. Some dogs help people to look after sheep, other dogs help them to find the lost children. And some of the dogs can help the blind. They are the Seeing Eye Dogs.

    Now we can see this kind of dogs all over the world. They work for the blind.

    The Seeing Eye dog is strong and easy to train(训练). He helps the blind to walk from place to place. Before a dog becomes a Seeing Eye dog, it must go to a training school for about three months. First the dog has to learn to sit or stay when he hears the trainer's call. In his next lesson the dog learns to take his trainer across busy streets. The dog has many things to learn. At the end of the training school, he must take tests(测试). When it passes the test, it can become the Seeing Eye dog.    

    The new master(主人) may be a man, a woman, or even a child. It takes the dog and his blind master about a month to learn to work and live together.

    Americans love sports--they love to play them, to watch them on television, and to talk about them. But this hobby sometimes has serious results-- at least to the players. For example, when people play tennis, sometimes they hurt their elbows(肘部) and in this way they develop "tennis elbow". Also it is easy to hurt a knee in a football game. These injuries happen while the player is having fun, but they still hurt.

    A few months ago Kathleen Simmons, who loves playing volleyball, hurt her knee in a volleyball game. Her doctor told her that she needed a very difficult operation(手术) or she might not be able to play again. She felt very sad and didn't know what to do.

    Then Simmons learned about "video operation". Simmons found a hospital that was using this new science and went to see the doctor there. The doctors told her the operation could help.

    For this operation, her doctor didn't have to open her knee. Instead he put a very small camera lens(镜头)inside her knee. The lens sent back pictures, which appeared on a television screen. As he worked, he could see the inside of her knee on the TV. With the help of the large pictures on the screen, the doctor knew exactly what to do when he was making the repairs.

    Simmons started walking five days after her operation. Now, six months after her operation, Simmons can do everything she did before her injury. She can play volleyball again."

Information Card

    Hello, boys and girls. My name is Kangkang. I'm from Tianjin. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}  My mother works in No.10 Middle School, too. She teaches Chinese. My father is a doctor in a hospital.

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    On Sunday my mother and I often do some shopping. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}  We will go shopping this Sunday afternoon. My mother says she will buy me a red coat.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}  I want a yellow one. My mother says yes to me. I am happy.

    My father doesn't like shopping at all. He likes animals best. He often takes me to the zoo. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} I think pandas are very cute. This Sunday morning my father will go to the zoo with me.