Everybody cheats. Whether it’s the taxi driver who
tricks a visitor and takes them the long way round, or the shop assistant who
doesn’t give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe (贿赂) – everybody’s at it. Cheats in the nest include the
scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show competitors who
worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds, and the doctor
who made up his qualifications and wasn’t really a doctor at all. Everybody
cheats; nobody’s playing the game.
Is cheating acceptable, a natural
way of surviving and being successful? Or is it something that should be
frowned on, and young people discouraged from doing? If it’s the latter how
can we explain to children why so many bend the rules?
Take sport for example. The Word Cup was filled with cheating.
Whether diving, pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will
do anything for a free – kick or a penalty shot. France striker Henry denied
cheating to win the free – kick which led to his side’s second goal in their 3 –
1 victory over Spain. Many footballers, however, are often putting it on. Whatever
the nationality there’s one common ploy: the player rolls over holding their
leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card and /
or free – kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player
is up and about as if nothing had happened ! The ref (裁判) may be taken in by it but youngsters watching the
game aren’t. they also see their heroes getting away with it.
Of course it’s not just football. In 1998 the Tour de
France, the world’s greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug – taking scandal
(丑闻). The 40 bottles of forbidden drugs found
with the Fustian team caused a massive investigation that almost caused the
Tour to be abandoned. One rider, Veronique, was banned for 9 months. He
claimed: “You have cheats in sport, just as you do in business – there will
always be people trying to take a short cut. At least we’re not turning a blind
eye to the problem, which other sports are.”
Is it all unavoidable? There’s huge pressure on all
athletes to perform for their fans and for their sponsors. It’s success, money
and power that rule professional sport rather than an honest at tempt to do the
best one can.
Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions
of dollars to fake products. From cut price CDs and DVDs to sportswear, cheap
fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake
Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their
children will follow.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that around the world
more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case missing
exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread
cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive tested
answers. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn’t
help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can’t complain when we’re
setting such a bad example.
1.According to the passage, in which way can a game
show player cheat?
A.By taking an indirect
way. B.By gaining aid from a friend.
C.By taking forbidden
drugs. D.By selling fake products.
2.The phrase “be frowned on”(Paragraph 2) most
probably means .
A.to be disapproved of B.to be pushed forward
C.to be taken the place of D.to be stuck with
3.The writer’s suppose for writing this passage is to .
A.explain why people in
almost every field cheat
B.complain about cheats in
school education
C.persuade young people not
to cheat in exams
D.blame the society for
tolerating cheats
4.The writer mentions the example of the World Cup in
Paragraph 3 in order to .
A.show cheating is a common
phenomenon nowadays
B.discuss the relationship
between sport and cheating
C.explore the nature of
cheating in important events
D.warn coaches and athletes
of the danger of cheating
5.Which of the following is the main idea of the
passage?
A.Exams are not a good way
of testing children.
B.Children are natural
cheats.
C.If adults cheat, children
will cheat too.
D.Everyone including
children cheats.