同学们，期末考试就快到了，你们能在考试中取得好的成绩是我们共同的愿望。希望这篇文章能给大家提供实用有效的方法并对大家的考试有所帮助。

　　Here is some advice that should help you prepare for your final examination. If you follow the suggestions below, you will have the best chance to show your teachers what you know and understand of the subjects you are learning.

　　Keep on top of the work in progress

　　This means that you do the work as it is set (and make up what you missed if you were away). You should also make sure that you understand what you are doing, or ask for help if you don't.

　　Find out what you will be tested on

　　Most teachers will give you a review sheet so that you can be pretty sure what to study for the tests. You could also find out which part of the test carries most marks.

　　Work out a review schedule(时间表)

　　Make sure you know the test schedule, and make a plan listing the subjects you are going to review in the evenings leading up to the tests.

　　Make study notes

　　There are different kinds of study notes. For example, if you have to learn the important vocabulary of a topic, you could write the word on one side of a small card. On the other side you could give a definition(定义) or examples of the word. The cards are now your study notes.

　　If you have to review a large and complicated(复杂的) topic, your study note could be an outline of the main events or a mind map of the important causes.

　　When you have finished your notes, you can ask someone to test you on them. You can also review them again at the last minute before exams.

　　Relax and get enough sleep

　　A little anxiety before an important test is a good thing, but some students get so nervous that they don't perform(完成) as well as they could. Of course, one way to avoid being nervous is to be well-prepared, for example by following the advice above. Another good thing to do is to make sure you get enough sleep. And don't spend all your time just working; you will study more effectively(有效地) if you take time off to be with your friends or do some sports.

　　Use effective test strategies (策略)

　　There are things you can do in tests to help you get the best possible score. For example, you can ensure(保证) that you manage your time carefully. Don't rush into the first question. Look over the whole test paper and decide on the order in which to give your answers. Perhaps you can answer the easier questions first.

　　Another good strategy is to make sure that you read the questions carefully to understand what you need to do. For many questions, it's helpful to spend some time thinking about how to answer them well or make an outline.

　　(文/刘耀辉; 英语辅导报冀教高一版 04~05学年度第19期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)