Exercise 2. Say whether you agree with the following statements
1. Sitting for an exam means to be shut up in your room for some days desperately trying to remember things that are useless.
2. Trying to interest yourself in subjects, which are not your thing, is really difficult.
3. Exams can affect the rest of your life.
4. Everyone has to do exams; there is no way of avoiding them.
5. Exams serve as a means of sorting our society into groups.
Exercise 3. Say which of the following types of assessment you would prefer and why:
subjective or objective exam
oral or written exam
traditional or take-home exam
end-of-term (year) exam or continuous assessment.
Read the guidelines below on how to beat exam stress. With
your partner, decide on the appropriate heading for each section. Make up a summary of the text using the list of the headings as a plan.
A Students’ Guide to Exam Stress
As exam fever hots up, keep your cool with tips from our health correspondent Dr. Barry Lynch.
a. Stress is difficult to define but most of us know it when we experience it. We may have mental symptoms: panic, feeling trapped or overwhelmed. Or there may be physical symptoms: sweating palms, butterflies, headaches, breathlessness or sleeplessness.
b. Stress can cause us to feel overwhelmed and powerless to tackle the very things that are causing the stress in the first place. So make a carefully written plan and the problems will seem less overwhelming. Ticking off each thing as you do it will help you feel there is light at the end of the tunnel.
c. When you’re writing your revision plan, make sure you include some time off exactly an hour for whatever – before you go back to work. Look forward to your time off and do something pleasant in it. Work out little treats and rewards for yourself as you tick off each thing on your plan. The treats can be simple: an ice cream, half an hour listening to your personal stereo, or walking the dog.
d. Easier said than done, I know, but exercise is one of the best ways of relaxing: it’s the natural way to deal with adrenaline and similar hormones that are rushing around your body. A walk will help; a quick swim or half an hour of tennis or another game is even better.
e. Don’t drink endless cups of tea or coffee: although caffeine is a stimulant it will eventually only make you more tense and nervy.
Don’t try to go without sleep – sleep is a natural way of relieving stress. Don’t be tempted to use alcohol or other drugs to relieve stress. They create more problems than they solve.
· TIME OFF
· ACTION KILLS WORRY
· RECOGNISE THE SYMPTOMS
· THINGS TO AVOID
· LEARN HOW TO RELAX
□ WRITING
Write a set of guidelines similar to the ‘Students’ Guide to Exam Stress’ article for your University magazine on the following topic:
1) Preparing for an exam.
2) Learning a foreign language.
♦ LISTENING
After the Exams
I. Pre-listening task
Study the following vocabulary to clear up any difficulties of understanding:
to reckon – считать, полагать
dead – полностью, совершенно
most likely – наиболее вероятно
it’s all over though – все закончилось, однако
to come out – появляться (об информации)
to deserve a break – заслужить перерыв
to get down to smth. – приступить к чему-либо
II. Listening and comprehension tasks
Listen to the conversation between Malcolm and Pete for the first time and answer the questions.
1. Were the exams dead easy for Malcolm or for Pete?
2. What subjects has Pete failed in?
3. Have the results of their exams come out yet?
4. Who does everything at the last minute?
Say how the boys did at their exams.
III. Follow up activity
Talk on the boys’ plans for the future.
Ø SPEAKING
1. Do you remember your first big examination trial? Were you nervous? Describe it.
2. You are a school-leaver and your friend is a first-year student. Ask him for advice how to be well-prepared for your entrance exams and to beat your exam stress.