单选题
Anne Whitney, a sophomore 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 biology had 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 is uneasy about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually does. The student cannot 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 has been recognized as a real problem, not just an excuse or a false explanation of lazy students.
Special university advising courses try to help students. In these courses, advisors 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 tensions. 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 our program. Most of them experience better control during their tests. Almost all have some improvement. With some, the improvement is very great."

单选题 To "blank out" is probably ______.

A. to be like a blanket
B. to be sure of an answer
C. to be unable to think clearly
D. to show knowledge to the teacher

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 要结合上下文理解生词含义。根据第一段“I would blank out because of nervousness and fear. I couldn’t think of the answer.”可知，blank out在此是指由于紧张和害怕导致一时忘了答案，因此选C。

单选题 Poor grades are usually the result of ______.

A. poor sleeping habit
B. laziness
C. lack of sleep
D. inability to form good study habits

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 由第二段第四句活“poor grades are often a result of poor study habits”可知成绩差是由不良的学习习惯造成的结果。因此答案为D。

单选题 Test anxiety has been recognized as ______.

A. an excuse for laziness
B. the result of poor study habits
C. a real problem
D. something that cannot be changed

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 由第二段第五句话“test anxiety. has been recognized as a real problem”可知考试焦虎已经被认为是一个真正的问题。因此答案为C。

单选题 To deal with this problem, students say they want to ______.

A. take a short course on anxiety
B. read about anxiety
C. be able to manage or understand their anxiety
D. take tests to prove they are not anxious

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 由第三段可知，学生先参加一个考试焦虑度的测试，如果焦虑度高的话，则会参加短期课程来减缓焦虑，因此答案为A。

单选题 A University of California advisor said ______.

A. all students could overcome the anxiety after taking a special test anxiety program
B. almost all students felt less stress after taking a University of California advising course
C. students found it difficult to improve even though they had taken a special test anxiety course
D. students found it easy to relax as soon as they entered a University of California advising course

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 由最后一段“With almost all students. relaxation and less stress are felt after taking our program. ”可知几乎所有的学生，在参加过我们的项目之后，会变得更轻松，压力感减少。因此答案为B。