Five Ways to Rock the Rest of the Semester With exams around the corner, how can you possibly pack in one more English word, let alone the causes of the Cold War? Don't worry. Here is our handy guide to help you Power Down So you stayed up too late last night reading Mockingjay for the fifth time. Oops! When you're that fired, your schoolwork suffers. Instead of studying inefficiently while you are sleepy, allow yourself a 15-minute afterschool power nap. Studies show that even a few minutes of shut-eye can improve memory and concentration. Take Notes Not quite grasping that super complicated concept in your chemistry class? You may need to change the way you take notes. Instead of recording every word your teacher says, try using visual hints like pictures, symbols and word bubbles. You can even switch computer fonts or pen color for the important stuff. Dream On Your bed's not just for zzz's. Experts say it may be good to study in bed, too. Why? We're able to absorb more right before bed because we're less distracted and the new information stays in our minds as we sleep. So, slide into bed with a textbook or notes, read for 15 minutes, and then turn off the lights for some sweet and smart dreams. Brain Food You're in the middle of a biology exam when your mind goes blank. You knew this stuff cold at home, but now you can't tell a ribosome from a chloroplast. What's going on? Your brain's in need of some refueling. Have some snacks like apple slices or cheese before class, and have plenty of water, too. If your teacher doesn't mind, pop in a piece of gum during an exam. Some scientists think the chewing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. Smart Move Ugh! You're taking an English test and you cannot remember the past participle of "understand". What to do? Skip it. Test taking is all about timing, so don't waste it on tricky questions. Move ahead and answer everything you know before returning to the ones you don't. Chances are, once you get back to the toughies, you'll recall the answer or at the... You have been working on your essay for two hours and your eyes feel tired, you'd better A) Power down B) dream on C) eat brain food D) make a smart move
A
"It was all his own idea, " says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school . Bob had just drawn up a "motherhood contract" ----- a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple's four children, plus all household chores . Although he didn't even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.) After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. "I was beaten down, completely humbled, " admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press (also part of the bargain), stating, "Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being." Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto's Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. "I had been around children so much," she sighs , "I couldn't talk to a grown-up." She continued to run the household, however----- until Bob signed the contract, whereupon she decided to relax and enjoy it. Although Peters had consulted with his school's home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria , his meals were sometimes a disaster. "I tried to slip the butter I'd forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, " he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot--sometimes having Macdonald's hamburgers for lunch and dinner. As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. "I found an easier way-----I shut the doors, " he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. "I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean." Now that Bob has publicly admitted he... It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _ . A) pay a certain amount of money B) do all the housework for years C) say sorry to his wife D) admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood
D
Q: How would you like to teach yourself, rather than have teachers? According to the UK's Department of Education and Skills, students will teach themselves in the schools of the future. This means that there will be no more problems such as finding enough teachers. Estelle Morris, the UK Education Secretary, opened the 2002 Education Technology Conference in London recently. To start the conference, she presented a video showing a computer--generated model of the school of tomorrow. Greater use of computer technology and classroom assistants will help students develop their own way of learning, Morris said. She added that this is a more exciting as well as a more interesting way of learning. At the same time, teachers will be "freed from their traditional role as the source of all knowledge". Children of all abilities will "form the curriculum around their individual needs." They will "learn in their own time, at their own speed and in their own environment". At home or at school, they will follow their learning programmes by looking at online libraries and watching lessons by world-class teachers and subject experts. Instead of going on field trips, students will use virtual reality. If they don't understand something, they can ask other students--"take part in virtual communities with learners with similar needs"--or e-mail their teachers. They will hand in their work electronically to be "auto-marked". The classroom of the future is fast becoming a reality. And the Department of Education will soon produce a guide to help schools adapt buildings for new technology, Morris said. These ideas are based on the UK government's plan to create an education system that provides students with a strong grounding of knowledge and skills at primary school level. And provides the chance for students to develop their individual skills at secondary school level. Estelle Morris thinks that computer technology does good to teachers in _ . A) helping students develop their own way of learning B) enabling students to experience interesting and exciting ways of learning C) providing students with knowledge of all sorts D) not being considered the source of various knowledge
A: D