所有學生在校期間都需要參加各類考試以檢測和證明自己的學習成績。很多學生在考前會感到惴惴不安，不過，也有人期待並享受在考場上挑戰自我的時刻。無論你是否喜歡考試，在步入考場之前，我們都需要進行系統且長時間的復習，而這一階段通常令人倍感壓力。本集《隨身英語》探討一些能夠幫助緩解考前壓力的有效方法。
課文內容
Vocabulary: exam stress 詞匯：考試壓力
How do you feel about exams? Is it the one thing you dread or an experience you relish because it’s your time to shine? Every year, many young people sit exams and whether they love or loathe them, most of them will face some anxiety in the lead up to the big day.
If you’re anxious about your exams, don’t worry, you’re not alone. It might seem like a stressful time when the pressure is on to pass that all-important test but take a deep breath and absorb some good advice from people who’ve been through the same experience as you.
Eating the right food can feed your brain and keep you alert. Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens recommends making breakfast the most important meal of the day. She recommends eating energy-giving oats and eggs, which contain a nutrient called choline – thought to help cognitive performance and improve memory as we age. And don’t forget to drink lots of water to keep you hydrated – some research even suggests students who take water into the exam hall may even improve their grades.
One thing I know I always need is a good night’s sleep to help me work and think better the next day and that’s what’s recommended for anyone preparing for their exams. If you get good sleep your memory is better and that means you can retain the information you have revised. And it’s good to wind down before bedtime too – no watching TV or chatting on social media!
A good way to reduce your stress is to write down your anxieties. This is something that Lisa Artis from the Sleep Council recommends because it can ‘free your mind’. She also says sitting on your bed when you’re cramming is not a good idea because then you associate that place with stress. Revising for exams can also sometimes seem relentless, so it’s good to take breaks and reward yourself will a small treat, like a cake or a quick run around the block. There comes a point when your brain can’t absorb any more information so you’ll also need to know when to stop.
But if all this talk about revising and exams is still stressing you out, be assured that there are some people who will always be more on edge than you: your parents! They’re there to support you but they’ll be biting their fingernails, worrying about you and the final results. So maybe you need to give them some advice – chill, everything will be ok!
詞匯表
dread 感到害怕
relish 享受
sit 參加（考試）
loathe 憎恨
anxiety 焦慮，不安
the pressure is on 頂著巨大的壓力，面對壓力
absorb 吸收（信息、知識等）
nutrient 營養物質
cognitive performance 認知功能、認知表現
retain 記住
wind down 放松下來
cram （尤指考前）死記硬背、抱佛腳
relentless 沒完沒瞭的
stress you out 使…倍感壓力，令…緊張不已
on edge 煩躁的
chill 別緊張，放松點
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. According to Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens, what is the most important meal of the day?
2. According to the article, how does getting good sleep help you?
3. True or false: Revising on your bed can actually make you feel less stressed.
4.Who do you sometimes need to tell to ‘chill out’ and stop worrying?
5. What does the author mean when he says “There comes a point when your brain cannot absorb any more information”?
2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. Love it or ______ it, the city of Milton Keynes has successfully attracted families and businesses and is used as a model for new towns across the world.
dread relish loathe relentless
2. The young actors felt a lot of ______ before they went on stage for the first time.
anxious anxiety anxiously relish
3. The rain was ______, so we decided to pack up and go home.
absorbing relentless wind down dread
4. Everyone seems to be ______ because the exam results come out tomorrow.
on an edge edged on on edge edging on
5. ______ all your recommended weekly exercise into one or two weekend sessions is enough to produce important health benefits, a study suggests.
Cramming Absorbing Relishing Stressing
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. According to Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens, what is the most important meal of the day?
Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens recommends making breakfast the most important meal of the day.
2. According to the article, how does getting good sleep help you?
If you get good sleep your memory is better and that means you can retain the information you have revised.
3. True or false: Revising on your bed can actually make you feel less stressed.
False. Sitting on your bed when you’re cramming is not a good idea because then you associate that place with stress.
4.Who do you sometimes need to tell to ‘chill out’ and stop worrying?
Your parents.
5. What does the author mean when he says “There comes a point when your brain cannot absorb any more information”?
You have done plenty of revision and it has become hard to remember any more information.
2.請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。
1. Love it or loathe it, the city of Milton Keynes has successfully attracted families and businesses and is used as a model for new towns across the world.
2. The young actors felt a lot of anxiety before they went on stage for the first time.
3. The rain was relentless , so we decided to pack up and go home.
4. Everyone seems to be on edge because the exam results come out tomorrow.
5. Cramming all your recommended weekly exercise into one or two weekend sessions is enough to produce important health benefits, a study suggests.
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