In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity (繁荣). Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.

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(追求)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 only values the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among those who are against competition are young people 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 them 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 true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken 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 disappear can we discover a new meaning in competition.

1.What is the best title of this passage?

A. Competition! Why Friends Turn into Enemies

B. Competition! What Self-respect Depends on

C. New Meaning Found in Competition

D. Two Mistaken Beliefs about Competition

2.Why do some young people suffering from competitive pressures seek failure?

A. Because they are aware that they will not succeed in competition.

B. Because they don’t think it worthwhile to compete with others.

C. Because they are afraid that they would not be valued if they lost.

D. Because they are fed up with the great efforts needed to compete with others.

3.Which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A. One should treat competition as a life-and-death affair.

B. One should make every effort to avoid competition.

C. One should get rid of the fear of failure in competition.

D. One should be given rewards after competing with others.

4.The true competitors and those with a desire to fail both believe ________.

A. one’s self-worth comes from how well he performs in comparison with others

B. one’s dream can be achieved if he has mastered good communication skills

C. one’s failure happens when he is suffering from emotional problems

D. one’s success is based on how hard he has tried

Section B (10 marks)

Directions: Read the following passage, answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

Generosity and kindness does not mean that you give only when you have a lot or after fulfilling all your needs, but in fact you can still give when you yourself are struggling. Generosity literally means willingness and liberty in giving away one’s own money, time, talent, etc. sincerely without any personal gain as shown in the following story.

Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh. During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old lady got up. She was gone with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in rags. The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Mahatma Gandhi was sitting.

“I must see him,” she insisted. She went up to Mahatma Gandhi and touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari(卷布), she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet. Mahatma Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj. He asked Mahatma Gandhi for the coin but Mahatma Gandhi refused.

“I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees (卢比) for the Charkha Sangh,” Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly, “yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin.” “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands,” Mahatma Gandhi said. “If a man has one hundred thousand rupees and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much.” “But this coin was perhaps all that the poor lady possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than ten millions of rupees.”

1.What does generosity really mean according to the passage? (No more than 14 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

2. What did Gandhi make a speech in Orissa for? (No more than 12 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

3.Why did the old lady insist seeing Gandhi? (No more than 10 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

4.Why did Gandhi refuse to give the copper coin to Jamnalal Bajaj? (No more than 10 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

太珍贵了:Because Gandhi thought it was very valuable.

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