The whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work—these people are the very soul of capitalism.

　　Charles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.

　　Fortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be "different" and not knowing how to go about it.

　　1　The student who earns A's on his report card has grasped the idea and has found the real meaning of individuality. So has the youngster who has designed his own spaceship, who paints pictures of the world around him, or who can name all the states and their capitals. According to the author unique individuals are persons who______.

　　A. do something better than other people

　　B. know more about a subject than other people

　　C. excel others in work

　　D. all of the above

　　2、People who regard individuality as a surface thing always do the following EXCEPT

　　A. wearing bright clothes B. coloring their hair

　　C. doing better than others D. decorating their skin with tattoos

　　3、Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. Henry Ford invented assembly-line technique.

　　B. Elisha Otis was the inventor of the lift

　　C. George Westinghouse created cranks.

　　D. Lewis Waterman put the ink into the pen.

　　4、It can be inferred from the passage that______.

　　A. the real secret to being unique lies in our excellent work

　　B. if we want to be different we'd gain more profit

　　C the student who earns A's on the report card has not grasped the real meaning of　individuality

　　D. all Americans work miracles In the writer's opinion

　　5、who has understood the sense of individuality?

　　A. The youngster who designed his own spaceship.

　　B. The youngster who painted worthy pictures.

　　C. The youngster who was interested in wearing strange clothes.

　　D. Both A and B.

　　答案：D C C A D

　　Anne Whitney, a sophomore (大學二年級學生) 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 (heir anxiety is high, the students can take short courses to help them deal with (heir 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. "

　　26. 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

　　27. Poor grades are usually the result of______.

　　A. poor sleeping habit B. laziness

　　C. lack of sleep D. inability to form good study habits

　　28. 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

　　29. 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

　　30. 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

　　26. C 27. D 28. C 29. A 30. B