请你结合事例，写一篇短文，谈谈你对 “competition” 的理解。

Competition is common in our daily life. To a certain extent, competition stimulates people’s motive and creation in study and work and therefore accelerates the society to develop.

注意：

1.         无需写标题。                    2.除诗歌外文体不限。

文中不得透露个人信息和学校名称。4. 字数为120左右，若引用提示语不计入总词数。

阅读下列各小题，根据汉语提示，用句末括号内的英语单词完成句子，并将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。

71. What my father often tells me is ________________________ a girl shine is not her looks but her personality. (make)

我父亲经常告诉我：让一个女孩耀眼的不是她的外表而是她的个性。

72. -Will you be able to receive the guests from Germany?

   -I am afraid not. I ____________________________________ an important meeting then.   (attend)

-你能够接待德国的客人吗？  

-恐怕不行。那时我正在开一个重要的会议。

73. Such __________________________________ that all the students present laughed.   (tell)

他讲的故事如此滑稽以至于所有在场的学生都被逗笑了。

74. Those always ___________________________ happiness may never feel happy, for they are never content. (associate)

那些总是把金钱和幸福联系起来的人也许永远不会感到幸福，因为他们永不知足。

75. After graduation from high school, I will write a letter of thanks to __________________.  (assist)

我高中毕业以后会写信给帮助过我的人。

76. My aunt, __________________ yesterday, will come to guide me on how to apply for the job I want. (show)

我的姑姑，昨天我给你们看过她的照片的，将会来知道我如何申请我想要的那份工作。

77. If it hadn’t been for your timely help, we ________________ in a dilemma now. （trap）

要不是因为你及时的帮助，我们现在还困在进退两难的境地中。

78. You can never imagine ____________________ you have told us!   (news)

你绝对想象不到你告诉我们的是多么令人兴奋的消息啊！

79. He received a message telling him his father had passed away ___________an arrangement. (make)

他还没有来得及做安排就收到信息说他的父亲已经去世。

80. His understanding of the new skill is ________________ of his old companions.   (superior)

他对于这种新技术的理解好于他的年长的同事们的理解。

BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.    

Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.   

The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.

In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.    

The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.

Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.

China's Central Meteorological(气象）Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.

State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered walked along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.

A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.

67. The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from      .

A. Xinjiang          B. Hangzhou             C. Beijing                D. Inner Mongolia

68. The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means         .

A. breathing                 B. digesting               C. hearing                D. walking

69. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. It is not so common for South Korea to issue a nationwide dust advisory.

B. Taiwan is 1,600 kilometers from Inner Mongolia, where the pollution originated.

C. It is not the first time that Beijing has been hit by a sandstorm in history.

D. In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms.

70. We can infer from the text that       .

A. the sandstorms were purposely made by China

B. China was to blame for the pollution

C. the sandstorms badly affected the air quality in US

D. China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed

Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.

If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls—Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually—earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.

Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.

Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.

“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.

Children are more vulnerable(易受伤的) to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid(易吸收的液体). No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.

Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.

Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen(腹部).

63. According to Ms Davis, brain cancer increase ____.

A. among children           B. among old people      C. in the twenties          D. among pregnant women

64. Why do children easily be affected by radiation?

A. Because they haven’t grown up.

B. Because they are too young to protect themselves.

C. Because they use cell phones more often than adults.

D. Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt.

65. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A. Pregnant women should keep cell phones away.

B. People should use cell phones in the correct way.

C. If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls.

D. When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker.

66. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. Be careful when using cell phones.

B. Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear.

C. Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains.

D. Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer.

Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.

According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

59. It can be learned from the passage that stars today_______.

A. are often misunderstood by the public          B. can no longer have their privacy protected

C. spend too much on their public appearance     D. care little about how they have come into fame

60. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A. Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

B. The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C. Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D. Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

61. What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A. Availability of modern media.                           B. Inadequate social recognition.

C. Lack of favorable chances.                             D. Huge population of fans.

62. What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?

A. Sincere.                       B. Skeptical.             C. Disapproving.        D. Sympathetic.

High-quality customer service is preached（宣扬）by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.

Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store(零售店), but instead will warn their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints. “Storytelling hurts retailers(零售商) and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”

The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered（塞满了的）shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude sales people.

During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting part-time local police to work as parking attendants to direct customers to empty parking spaces. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store display, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, sales people should be skillful and polite with angry customers.

“Retailers who’re enthusiastic and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”

Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filling complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.

55. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?

A. Most shoppers won’t complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.

B. It is difficult for customers to have easy access to store mangers.

C. Few customers believe the service will be improved after their complaints.

D. Shoppers would rather tell their unhappy experiences to people around them.

56. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A. The same products can be bought in other retail stores.

B. It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores.

C. There is a great chance that new customers are to replace old ones.

D. Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too.

57. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?

A. Hiring of efficient employees.                                 B. Manners of the salespeople.

C. Huge supply of goods for sale.                               D. Design of the store display.

58. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to ______.

A. voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly

B. settle their disagreements with stores in a friendly way

C. put pressure on stores to improve their service

D. shop around and make comparisons between stores

On a number of drives throughout my childhood, my mother would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.

Though Mother’s Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mom has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift (节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.

Mom creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders(给食器) out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons (浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.

I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions (蒲公英) to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct for protection.

I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.

Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with a sweetness I immediately wanted to share with my mom.

51. Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?

A. Because Mother’s Day always falls shortly after Earth Day.

B. To stress that all the women in her family are environmentalists.

C. To stress how much her mother cares about the environment.

D. Because her mother shows her concern to nature on Mother’s Day.

52. Which of the following is NOT related to Mom’s “green life”?

A. Rescuing a beetle from a certain tragedy.      B. Saving glass jars, empty cheese containers.

C. Setting a caught spider free in the garden      D. Picking dandelions on busy streets.

53. We can infer from the article that ______.

A. the author realizes that she should teach her children by example as well

B. the author’s mother knows how to get rid of the wildlife in her yard   

C. the author believes that only by learning to slow down can we enjoy life

D. the author’s mother used to lecture her to protect the environment.

54. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A. Tomatoes make the author think of her mother.

B. The author likes eating tomatoes planted by herself.

C. Planting tomatoes is a way of protecting environment.

D. The author really appreciates her mother’s teaching.

I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family tried to 31 an ant farm at home. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we brought some ants from the backyard and placed them into the 32 home.

Shortly after the new 33 were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew 34 what to do. After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had particular given jobs. With my mom’s help, I kept a journal of what happened each day and 　35 the ants. My favorite was the biggest, Cinderella. I drew a picture of her in my journal, which I still have.

On day five a disaster 36 the ant farm. While I was 37 the ants, I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally tipped it over, 　38 in all the tunnels. Although the ants 39 their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was 40 as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were dying of “frustration”—feeling annoyed and impatient as they couldn’t control the situation. They simply could not 41 the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed. Cinderella was the last to die; she did so while carrying a dead ant on her back.

Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, 　42 it taught me much more. 43 the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of 44 . Working together, they were able to create a(n) 45 world for themselves. I also learned that they should be 46 for their hard work. Day in and day out, each labored at their task. The ant farm demonstrated that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key 47 to success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not 48 until recently: Disaster is a natural part of life, and must be 49 . Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face 50 . Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in, we just have to build another.

31. A. create　 　　　　　　 B. purchase　 　　　　　　 C. maintain　　 　　　　　　 D. abandon

32. A. empty　 　　　　　　 B. new　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. strange　　　 　　　　　　 D. distant

33. A. guests　 　　　　　　 B. settlers　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. friends　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. members

34. A. probably　　 　　　 B. roughly　　 　　　　　　 C. exactly　　　 　　　　　　 D. normally

35. A. named 　　　　　　 B. trained　　　 　　　 　　　 C. compared 　　　　　　 D. measured

36. A. affected　　　 　　　　　　 B. struck 　　　　　　　　　　 C. kicked 　　　　　　　　　　 D. beat

37. A. removing　　 　　　 B. teaching　　 　　　　　　 C. observing　 　　　　　　 D. collecting

38. A. turning 　　　　　　 B. rushing　　　 　　　　　　 C. filling　　　　 　　　 　　　 D. caving

39. A. experienced 　　　 B. predicted　 　　　　　　 C. faced 　　　　　　　　　　 D. survived

40. A. annoyed　　　 　　　 B. horrified　　 　　　　　　 C. moved　　　　　　 　　　 　　　 D. thrilled

41. A. reflect　 　　　　　　 B. ignore 　　　　　　　　　　 C. confirm 　 　　　　　　 D. stand

42. A. and　　　 　　　　　　 B. but　　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. so　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. or

43. A. In 　　　　　　　　　　 B. For　　 　　　　　　　　　　 C. From 　　　　　　　　　　 D. Over

44. A. teamwork 　 　　　 B. devotion　　 　　　　　　 C. responsibility　　 　　　 D. organization

45. A. relaxing 　　　　　　 B. amusing　　 　　　　　　 C. moving 　 　　　　　　 D. amazing

46. A. supported　　 　　　 B. inspired　　 　　　　　　 C. admired　　 　　　　　　 D. admitted

47. A. certificates　 　　　 B. approaches 　　　　　　 C. ingredients 　　　 　　　 D. circumstances　

48. A. give　　 　　　　　　 B. realize 　　　　　　　　　　 C. take　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. adopt

49. A. accepted　　 　　　 B. suffered　　 　　　　　　 C. achieved 　 　　　　　　 D. managed

50. A. anxiety 　　　　　　 B. confusion　 　　　　　　 C. pressure　　 　　　　　　 D. disappointment

 According to the agreement, _____ you shall get preferred shares accounting for 8% of the whole income for your investment.

A. in return                     B. in turn                             C. after all                    D. above all

 The virus came without people’s being aware of it and it was ______ assumed to be a common one. But with more cases reported, it proved wrong.

A. precisely                    B. relatively                          C. initially                     D. purely