【推荐1】Note-taking is a skill that can help you do well in all your schoolwork—everything from taking tests to researching a paper. But unfortunately, most schools don’t have classes that teach you how to take notes. So here are some tips.

Write down key facts. If you have a teacher who writes notes on the board, that’s good: You can copy them down. If not, write down the most important points from class. Does your history teacher mention the date of a key Civil War battle? Does your English teacher give examples of Shakespeare’s use of irony (讽刺)? Write it down!

Different teachers do things differently. For example, some teachers may mention lots of dates and facts in class but only write the key ones on the board. Other teachers may not write anything down, but they may repeat a certain date or piece of information. After a while, you’ll get to know a teacher’s style.

Don’t overdo it. Don’t be crazy about taking notes. You’ll be frantic (慌乱的) if you try to write down every word that’s said in class. And if you focus too much on getting your notes right, you might miss important points. Some people actually learn better by listening, writing down a few key points, and then going over the material after class.

Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher to repeat something you miss. If you don’t want to ask in class, see your teacher afterwards. It’s much easier than wondering if you got the notes right as you study.

Compare. Keep your notes handy when you’re doing your reading homework.

1. What’s an advantage of note-taking according to the writer?

A．It helps you to get good marks in tests.

B．It’s a basic skill of researching a paper.

C．It helps fix your mind on what the teacher says.

D．It gives you a better understanding of key facts.

2. Why is Shakespeare mentioned in the passage?

A．To introduce the topic on note-taking.

B．To compare writing styles in different times.

C．To give an example of forming good habits.

D．To explain what a key fact is in a teacher’s class.

3. It’s suggested in the third paragraph that ________.

A．teachers encourage their students to be active in class

B．it’s helpful for teachers to learn from each other in styles

C．it’s not always possible to note down all information in class

D．a teacher’s style be taken into consideration when taking notes

4. The writer has the opinion that students ________.

A．must try to take correct and detailed notes in class

B．should put down only key points while listening carefully

C．must not interrupt the teacher by asking questions in class

D．should put down as much information as possible in class

【推荐1】阅读表达

Some students at the Open University left school 20 years ago. Others are younger but all must be at least 21 years old. This is one example of how the Open University is different from all other universities. Its students must either work full-time or be at home all day, for instance, mothers of families. They do not have to pass any examinations before they are accepted as students. This is why the university is called “open”. The university was started in order to help a known group of people who missed having a university education when they were young.

The first name for the Open University was “the University of the Air”. The idea was to teach “on the air”, in other words, on radio and television. Most of the teaching is done like this. Radio and television have brought the classroom into people’s homes. But this, on its own, is not enough for a university education. The Open University student also receives advice at one of the 283 study centers in the country. In 36 weeks of the year he has to send written work to a “tutor”, the person who guides his students. He must also spend weeks every summer as a full-time student. Tutors and students meet and study together, as in other universities. At the end of the Open University’s first year, the results were good. 3 out of 4 students passed their examinations. If they do this every year, they will finish their studies in 4 or 5 years.

1. What is the best title of this passage?
2. Why is the university called “open”?
3. What does the “University of the Air” in paragraph 2 mean?
4. Who does the known group refer to ?
5. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.

【推荐2】Science can help you improve your study methods. For more than 100 years, psychologists have done research on which study habits work best. Here are 4 tips to improve your study habits.

Space out your studying

Nate Kornell, a psychologist at Williams College, thinks it’s a good idea to study the day before a big test.     1     . Instead, space out those study sessions. Kornell compares our memory to water in a cup. Try to refill the cup while it’s still full, and you can’t add much more water. Allow time between study sessions, and some of the material may drip out of your memory. But then you’ll be able to relearn it and learn more in your next study session.

Practice, practice, practice!

Musicians practice their instruments. Athletes practice sports skills.     2     “If you want to be able to remember information, the best thing you can do is practice,” says Katherine Rawson.

Test yourself

Scientist Nebel suggests. “     3     Put questions on one side and the answers on the other side of the card and try to quiz yourself the way the teacher asks questions.” she adds. “It will be of great help.”

    4    

It’s hard to remember a string of facts and figures if you don’t push further. Ask why things are a certain way. How did they come about? Why do they matter? Psychologists call this elaboration. It’s taking class material and asking a lot of how and why questions about it. This helps you combine new information with other things you know. And it creates a bigger network in your brain of things that relate to one another.     5     .

A．Dig deeper

B．Try your best

C．Of course, nothing can replace studying with your mother

D．The same should go for learning

E．That larger network makes it easier to learn more and deeper

F．Create a pack of cards every time you learn new information

G．But research shows it’s a bad idea to force all your studying into that day

【推荐3】During the holidays or festivals, most of us get time away from work or university and we all intend to put this time off to good use, but it's not always easy. To help, we've had come up with a few ways to keep up with your courses, as well as the festive activities and celebrations.

    1     When you're in holiday mode, it's easy to lose track of the hours and days. To avoid this, try to plan your schedule beforehand. Mark certain days, or hours, as learning hours and set reminders on your phone or. in your diary so that you can stick to them.     2     This is very important when you want to combine work and pleasure during the holidays.

Think of a goal. What do you want to achieve at the end of the holiday period?     3     You can write your goal out nice and big on a note or a piece of paper and stick it. somewhere you can see it, so you're reminded of what you're working towards.

Take it step by step. A key thing to remember over the holidays is that you can learn something in a few short bursts.     4     If sitting down for a solid hour of learning isn't working for you, just try 10 minutes at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Don't forget to reward yourself. If you're still struggling to keep going with your learning, try making sure you have rewards for when you complete some learning. For instance, if you finish one third of today's lesson, you can have a cup of hot chocolate.     5    

A．Try setting yourself a goal.

B．Create a schedule and follow it.

C．Arrange your plan randomly during the holiday.

D．Learning doesn't have to take over your whole day.

E．Remember to try to get recognition and reward from others.

F．Little rewards can help keep you active if you are struggling.

G．By doing this you can easily balance learning with festive activities.