I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: "I may have lost, but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try." What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistake belief that-one's self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What does this text mainly talk about?
A.Competition helps to set up self-respect. |
B.Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
C.People hold different opinions about competition. |
D.Failures are necessary experience in competition. |
A.builds up a sense of pride |
B.pushes society forward |
C.improves social abilities |
D.develops people's relationship |
A.are strongly against competition |
B.highly value competition |
C.try their best to win |
D.mostly rely on others for success |
A.Self-worth relies on winning. |
B.Competition leads to unfriendly relationship. |
C.Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
D.Winning should be a life-and-death matter. |
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.
The boy recognized his footsteps and asked :“Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said: “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”
What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind.
The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story.
The first is: Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can.
The second is:Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way!
1. What was the boy doing on the street?
A.He was selling his old hat. |
B.He was busy counting coins. |
C.He was begging for money. |
D.He was showing his handwriting. |
A.He took the boy's sign away. |
B.He only gave the boy some money. |
C.He changed the words on the sign. |
D.He asked others to help the blind boy. |
A.words | B.smell | C.voice | D.Footsteps |
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged Mother to do something about the ________ lunches that were served at school. But she ________ because she could not believe the lunches were so bad. When I turned to Father for help, he would not ________. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a(n) ________.
At school the next day, I secretly ________ my lunch soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I talked the cook into serving it to Mother at dinner. The plan worked ________. She swallowed one spoonful, “The cook must have gone mad!” Having known what I had done, Mother stated firmly that she would ________ the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed I often remembered what Father told me. And on the way to my first small success I found the road ________. As a fashion-design lover, I was busy getting ready to ________ my winter fashions. Then just 13 days before the presentation the sewing girls were called out on ________. I felt so depressed that I was ________ that we would have to cancel the presentation ________ show the clothes unfinished. Then it ________ on me. Why not show the clothes unfinished?
We worked hurriedly and the showing took place as ________. Some coats had no sleeves; others had only one. Many of our clothes were only ________ made of heavy cotton cloth. But on these we pinned sketches and pieces of material. In this way we were able to show what colors and textures (结构) the clothes would have when they were finished. It was our ________ showing that caught the attention of the public, and ________ for the clothes poured in.
Father’s wise words had guided me again. There is always more than one way to the square.1.
A.strength | B.breath | C.courage | D.concentration |
A.linking | B.appealing | C.taking | D.leading |
A.each | B.another | C.none | D.the other |
A.awful | B.special | C.fascinating | D.delicious |
A.regretted | B.agreed | C.complained | D.refused |
A.respond | B.admit | C.oppose | D.handle |
A.conclusion | B.plan | C.rest | D.image |
A.drank | B.spat | C.poured | D.flowed |
A.terribly | B.naturally | C.perfectly | D.shortly |
A.get through | B.take up | C.look into | D.make up |
A.occupied | B.smoothed | C.blocked | D.widened |
A.show | B.provide | C.follow | D.lead |
A.business | B.trip | C.chance | D.strike |
A.curious | B.skeptical | C.determined | D.sure |
A.apart from | B.or else | C.rather than | D.or rather |
A.realized | B.lighted | C.dawned | D.cleared |
A.usual | B.supposed | C.scheduled | D.unexpected |
A.patterns | B.dresses | C.rags | D.scarves |
A.meaningful | B.prepared | C.ordinary | D.unusual |
A.criticisms | B.orders | C.designs | D.budgets |
4 . Have you complained
An ass (驴),
We can see that people with dissatisfaction in a place are not
Can you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? And can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa.
Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals(仪式),
In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical. The wedding guests pin money to the bride's dress while she is dancing. Th e money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life. In Bermuda, the young couple plants a tree in the yard of their new home. Once they move in, they take good care of the tree , making it grow and blossom. The planting of the tree is a good metaphor(隐喻) for marriage.
A.Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple. |
B.A truly good marriage is something that grows with care. |
C.In the United States, parents do not arrange marriages for their children. |
D.And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband. |
E.Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own. |
F.In many countries, marriage is a practical matter. |
G.Different countries have different cultures. |
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how may of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?
A.She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields. |
B.She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination. |
C.She is not good at telling stories of the kind. |
D.She finds space research more important. |
A.the very fact that she is a woman |
B.her involvement in gender politics |
C.her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist |
D.the burden she bears in a male-dominated society |
A.Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science. |
B.Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle. |
C.People’s stereotyped attitude toward female scientists. |
D.Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured. |
A.Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues. |
B.Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence. |
C.Her female students can do just as well as male students. |
D.More female students are pursuing science than before. |
A.Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation. |
B.Women have more barriers on their way to academic success. |
C.Women can balance a career in science and having a family. |
D.Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career. |
When he was still young, everything was
One morning, God came to him, “What
“
God slowly shook his head, “There’re too many beautiful things in the world, but life is limited, so no one can possess all. Once you make a
God said, “Who knows. Choose love and you will have to
He thought and thought, all desires
God said, “ But you
Since then, his life was filled with the constant
Day after day, year after year, he was no longer
“What?” he exclaimed. “Over the years, I haven’t enjoyed the joy of love. I haven’t accumulated
Five minutes later, no matter how
Life is like this: everywhere is alive with choices. Since it is impossible to have everything, you should learn to make a choice; if you’re
A.young | B.alive | C.impossible | D.possible |
A.wish | B.choice | C.idea | D.pet |
A.some | B.it | C.one | D.many |
A.Though | B.However | C.Also | D.Still |
A.choice | B.difference | C.noise | D.mistake |
A.wishes | B.mistakes | C.pains | D.regrets |
A.Annoyed | B.Surprised | C.Excited | D.Moved |
A.come up with | B.catch up with | C.put up with | D.mix up with |
A.who | B.which | C.it | D.what |
A.after | B.before | C.that | D.where |
A.planting in | B.taking in | C.bringing in | D.crowding in |
A.can | B.may | C.would | D.should |
A.wishes | B.comparisons | C.regrets | D.desires |
A.work out | B.leave out | C.take out | D.make out |
A.old | B.possible | C.young | D.painful |
A.left | B.to leave | C.leave | D.leaving |
A.wealth | B.health | C.desires | D.regrets |
A.happily | B.hopefully | C.painfully | D.curiously |
A.ready for | B.eager for | C.greedy for | D.hungry for |
A.everything | B.nothing | C.something | D.anything |
My job is slightly different compared to that of a typical pilot. Most pilots have their routes they fly. They then familiarize(使…熟悉)themselves with the routes. However, in my case,I participate in any job where a pilot is immediately required. It is true that some days I might have a workday from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. In fact,some days,I might even begin my work at three in the morning when I am needed to fly. Sometimes, as for the typical day,I do not have one.
Having been on the job for over two decades,I have learned some important life lessons. As I greet passengers boarding the airplane,I realize I,along with other airline pilots, have enhanced(提高)the lives of those who we are serving. In fact, there is one particular experience that I will never forget. A family was walking in from the gate, explaining that their beloved one was ill and had to be taken to a big hospital in another city immediately. It was at this point that I realized just how important my job was.
Therefore, my life as an airline pilot is definitely not for everyone. However,my job is something I enjoy thoroughly and will continue to do till I am old enough. As a pilot, I have been able to experience so many different types of situations in different places throughout the world. For anyone interested in piloting, I would recommend going for it.
1. The author dreamed of being a pilot when _______.
A.he was travelling in India |
B.it was about 30 years ago. |
C.he was flying to India as a kid |
D.he was a kid living in India |
A.The author’s working time is not regular. |
B.The author has his regular route he flies. |
C.The author has to get up very early every day. |
D.The daily working time of the author is longer. |
A.could serve everyone as he does his daily work |
B.could make his guests’ life more convenient |
C.could take the ill patient to hospital in short time |
D.had been to many advanced countries in the world |
A.My pleasure in serving people |
B.Difference in my job as a pilot |
C.My interest in being a pilot as a boy |
D.My job as an American airline’s pilot |
9 . It was pouring outside. We all stood there
“Mom, let’s run through the rain,” a girl’s voice
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it
The young girl waited about another minute and
“We’ll get wet if we do,” Mom said.
“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she
“This morning?
“Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer (癌症), you said, ‘If God can get us through this, he can get us through
The entire crowd turned
We all stood
A.talking | B.waiting | C.complaining | D.expecting |
A.as if | B.even if | C.because | D.that |
A.taking | B.putting | C.driving | D.washing |
A.caught | B.broke | C.impressed | D.called |
A.keeps | B.comes | C.pushes | D.slows |
A.asked | B.repeated | C.required | D.added |
A.pulled | B.touched | C.waved | D.felt |
A.Why | B.How | C.When | D.Where |
A.rain | B.disease | C.anything | D.something |
A.still | B.angry | C.serious | D.silent |
A.what | B.how | C.whether | D.if |
A.Thus | B.But | C.After | D.Though |
A.stupid | B.wrong | C.right | D.clever |
A.off | B.along | C.on | D.over |
A.sighing | B.joking | C.discussing | D.watching |
A.followed | B.guided | C.respected | D.praised |
A.time | B.way | C.same | D.best |
A.house | B.money | C.health | D.time |
A.children | B.experience | C.courage | D.memories |
A.possibilities | B.chances | C.risk | D.challenge |
注意:开头已给出,不计词数。
In life people make many important decisions.