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. 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 (依赖)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 sonic seem to be lost in die desire to succeed，others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only die 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 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 dissolve(缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.

1. What does this passage mainly talk about? ?

A. Competition helps to set up self-respect.?

B. Opinions about competition are different among people.?

C. Competition is harmful to personal quality development.?

D. Failures are necessary experiences in competition.?

2. Why do some people favor competition according to the passage? ?

A. It pushes society forward.

B. It builds up a sense of duty.?

C. It improves personal abilities.

D. It encourages individual efforts.?

3. The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means 　　　　.

A. those who try their best to win ?

B. those who value competition most highly ?

C. those who are against competition most strongly ?

D. those who rely on others most for success?

4. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?

A. One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.?

B. One’s success in competition needs great efforts.?

C. One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.?

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

5. Which point of view may the author agree to? ?

A. Every effort should be paid back.?

B. Competition should be encouraged.?

C. Winning should be a life-and-death matter.?

D. Fear of failure should be removed in competition.?

第二节：完形填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36～45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Years ago, I lived in a building in a large city. The building next door was   36  a few feet away from mine. There was a woman who lived there, whom I had never met, yet I could see her seated by her  37  each afternoon, sewing or reading.

　 　38 several months had gone by, I began to notice that her window was dirty. Everything was  39  through the dirty window. I would say to myself, "I wonder why that woman doesn't wash her window. It really looks terrible."

　　One bright morning I  40  to clean my house, including washing the window on the inside.

　　Late in the afternoon when I finished the cleaning, I sat down by the window with a cup of coffee for a rest. What a  41  ! Across the way, the woman sitting by her window was clearly seen. Her window was clean!

　　Then I understood . I had been  42  her dirty window, but all the time I was watching hers through my own dirty window.

　　That was quite an important  43__ for me. How often had I looked at and criticized(批评) others through the dirty window of my heart,  through my own shortcomings (缺点)?

　　Since then, whenever I wanted to  44  someone, I asked myself first, "Am I looking at him _45__   my own dirty window?"

　　Then I try to clean the window of my own world so that I may see the world about me more clearly.

36. A. ever                B. only                      C. even                     D. still

37. A. window            B. door                     C. house                    D. table

38. A. Before              B. Because                 C. While                    D. After

39. A. clean               B. unclear                  C. clear                    D. funny

40. A. wanted             B. managed               C. decided                  D. promised

41. A. surprise            B. joy                       C. trouble                D. problem

42. A. watching                 B. criticizing         C. looking                 D. observing

43. A. lesson              B. thing                     C. day                      D. story 

44. A. help                        B. trouble                         C. judge                     D. dislike

45. A. across              B. in                             C. through                 D. by

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Motherhood is a career to respect

　　A WOMAN renewing her driver’s license at the CountyClerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

　　“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a...”

　　“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”

　　“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation... ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.

　　One day I found myself in the same situation. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.

　　The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate (研究员) in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

　　The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.

　　I repeated the title slowly, then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement (声明) was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

　　“Might I ask,” said the clerk with interest, “just what you do in your field?”

　　Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”

　　There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.

　　As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (激励) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3.

　　Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6-month-old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

　　I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”

　　Motherhood... What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.

1. How did the female clerk feel at first when the writer told her occupation?

　　A. Cold-hearted.　　　　B. Open-minded.

　　C. Puzzled. 　　　　　　D. Interested.

2. How many children does the writer have?

　　A. 3　　　 B. 4 　　　C. 7　　　 D. 13

3.Why did the woman clerk show more respect to the writer?

　　A. Because she thought the writer did admirable work.

　　B. Because the writer cared little about rewards.

　　C. Because the writer did something that she had little knowledge of.

　　D. Because she admired the writer's research work.

4. What is the point of the article?

　　A. To show that how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

　　B. To show that the writer had a grander job than Emily.

　　C. To argue that motherhood is a worthy career.

　　D. To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
When Wilson got to the airport, 36 flight was already being called 37 the loudspeakers. The day before he had given up his 38 for a morning flight and had booked（预定）an afternoon 39 instead. He had to go to the reservations（预定）desk to collect his 40ticket.
　　He apologized for being 41.The reservations clerk（预订票的职员）smiled and began to look through the reservations in front of her. Then her 42 disappeared and 43 began to look 44 .
　　“Your ticket doesn’t seem to be here, ” she said. “Let me check it with the computer. ”The　45 clicked（滴答声）and whirred（飕飕声）and 46 began to flash 47 , his flight was called a second time. Wilson became very 48 .  49 the girl looked 50 .
　　“There’s been a mistake. Your new ticket was sent to you by post. That’s why it isn’t here”, she said. 51 took her only a 52 time to write 53 a new one. Wilson managed to catch the plane just before it took 54 . “What a way to start a 55 !” he thought.

---Hi, Tom! Could you spare me a minute? I want to have a word with you.

　　---Sure, Jean. _________.

　　A. You must be worried.                   B. What’s up?

C. It doesn’t matter.                       D. Why me?