In a world where comparisons happen non-stop, it is difficult to look outside yourself and to ever be content with who you are. There's always someone who's a bit better. The only solution is to reach inside and measure against what Warren Buffett calls your own inner yardstick. There is no more accurate measure for comparison than who you were yesterday, last week or last decade, when you were at your best.

Nothing useful ever comes from comparison to others. Either you see yourself as better than someone and you get lazy, or you see someone else as better than you and you feel like all your hard work is for nothing. It is a fool's game. None of us are inherently above or below the person next to us. We are who we are. Not one of us is exactly alike. The only direct and honest comparison is within yourself. Everything else is apples to oranges.

My opinion is that you are only allowed to compare yourself to someone else if their life situation is the same as your own. Good luck finding that match. And one thing is for sure. No matter how hard you work and how dedicated you are, there will always be someone who can run a little faster, jump a little higher, score a little better or look a little nicer in a swimsuit. And if there's not, you can bet someone is coming up fast behind you. So how can you always win in life? Become your best competitor.

The following are the reasons why you are your own best competitor.

1. You will always be motivated.

Having an image of your most recent past limits is the perfect thing to push you to the next level. If you ran 7 flights of stairs yesterday, then do 8 today. Who cares if the guy next to you did 15? It doesn't make a bit of difference. You are a more fit person today than you were yesterday. Your own progress is all you need.

2. You will continuously be your personal best.

If you commit to a slightly higher standard of yourself every day, you will always be at the top of your game. And that game will only get better. But if for some reason you fall off your mark, you will always have the past image of your best performance to show you what you're capable of. Once you've done it, you know what's possible and then it's just a matter of doing it again.

Through the passage the writer advises the readers to ________.

A. avoid comparison with others                 B. work much harder

C. pay attention to others’ progress                  D. make full use of motivation

If you want to be content with yourself, according to the author, you should ________.

A. see yourself better than others                B. measure accurately  

C. compare with yourself                           D. be honest with yourself

Which of the following is certain to happen according to the author?

A. Finding someone else who is in the same life situation as you are.

B. Finding someone who runs faster and jumps higher than you.

C. Finding someone who is hiding right behind you.

D. Finding someone who almost always wins in their life.

What can help you up to higher level in your life according to the passage?

A. Comparing yourself with the guy next to you.

B. Thinking about your own progress.

C. Promising to play a game every day.

D. Thinking of your most recent past limits.

In a world where comparisons happen non-stop, it is difficult to look outside yourself and to ever be content with who you are. There's always someone who's a bit better. The only solution is to reach inside and measure against what Warren Buffett calls your own inner yardstick. There is no more accurate measure for comparison than who you were yesterday, last week or last decade, when you were at your best.

Nothing useful ever comes from comparison to others. Either you see yourself as better than someone and you get lazy, or you see someone else as better than you and you feel like all your hard work is for nothing. It is a fool's game. None of us are inherently above or below the person next to us. We are who we are. Not one of us is exactly alike. The only direct and honest comparison is within yourself. Everything else is apples to oranges.

My opinion is that you are only allowed to compare yourself to someone else if their life situation is the same as your own. Good luck finding that match. And one thing is for sure. No matter how hard you work and how dedicated you are, there will always be someone who can run a little faster, jump a little higher, score a little better or look a little nicer in a swimsuit. And if there's not, you can bet someone is coming up fast behind you. So how can you always win in life? Become your best competitor.

The following are the reasons why you are your own best competitor.

1. You will always be motivated. Having an image of your most recent past limits is the perfect thing to push you to the next level. If you ran 7 flights of stairs yesterday, then do 8 today. Who cares if the guy next to you did 15? It doesn't make a bit of difference. You are a more fit person today than you were yesterday. Your own progress is all you need.

2. You will continuously be your personal best. If you commit to a slightly higher standard of yourself every day, you will always be at the top of your game. And that game will only get better. But if for some reason you fall off your mark, you will always have the past image of your best performance to show you what you're capable of. Once you've done it, you know what's possible and then it's just a matter of doing it again.

47. Through the passage the writer advises the readers to ________.

A. avoid comparison with others                 B. work much harder

C. pay attention to others’ progress                 D. make full use of motivation

48. If you want to be content with yourself, according to the author, you should ________.

A. see yourself better than others                B. measure accurately  

C. compare with yourself                           D. be honest with yourself

49. Which of the following is certain to happen according to the author?

A. Finding someone else who is in the same life situation as you are.

B. Finding someone who runs faster and jumps higher than you.

C. Finding someone who is hiding right behind you.

D. Finding someone who almost always wins in their life.

50. What can help you up to higher level in your life according to the passage?

A. Comparing yourself with the guy next to you.

B. Thinking about your own progress.

C. Promising to play a game every day.

D. Thinking of your most recent past limits.

The care given to pupils at an infants school has been rated （评定）as outstanding in a recent Ofsted report. Inspectors （视察员）visited Avondale Infants School in Kettering in June and were pleased with what they found.

    Schools are graded between one and four, with one being outstanding, and staffs（全体职员）at Avondale were delighted to be to be given an overall（总的）grade of two.

    The reports states that the school, which has an above average number of children who are entitled to free school meals, is improving.

    It also focuses on the good progress made by children who enter the school with below or well below average standards – the standards at the end of Year 2 are now the best since 2004.

    The report states: "Pupils' behavior and personal development are good, being enhanced（增强）considerably by the vibrant（活跃的）atmosphere within the school."

    Headteacher Jean Wilkins is also praised as "the driving force behind developments and the vision of the future. Under her exceptional guidance, a conscientious team is intent（专注）upon raising standards."

    Mrs. Wilkins said that staff at the school, which has 163 children aged from four to seven, pride themselves on the support and guidance they offer the children.

    She said: "We're extremely pleased with these results. We put a lot of emphasis（强调）on the well-being of the pupils to raise their self esteem（尊重）and make sure they enjoy being at school.

    "We have focused carefully on where we needed to make improvements."

    Inspectors said that the school could improve further through closer working with the parents of some pupils who do not attend regularly.                        

1. The main idea of the text is that _________.

  A. The pupils at an infants school.            B. Happy school wins inspector’s praise.

  C. The pupils have made much progress.       D. The Avondale Infants School is improving.

2. What else will the school need to do with?

  A. Make the meals better                    B. Focus on the pupils

  C. Hire a great many staffs                   D. Work with the parents.

3. From the passage, we can learn that what “ infant school” is ?

  A. Children attend school with little intelligence.

  B. Children attend school with good understanding.

  C. Children attend school in the first few years of their life.

  D. Children attend school with outstanding performance.

4. The writer wants to tell us the following EXCEPT that _______.

  A. Inspectors paid a visit to Avondale Infants School in June, 2004.

  B. More than 50% of the children in the school have meals for free.

  C. The staffs at the school provide the pupils with much guidance.

  D. The infant school has made large quantities of improvement.