I never saw my father home from work late or ill, nor did I ever see my father take a” night out with the boys.” He had no hobbies but just take care of his family.

For 22 years, since I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday at 9:00am. He was interested in my life--how my family was doing. The calls even came when he and my mother in Australia, England or Florida.

Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours for three days, painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked was a glass of iced tea, and that I hold a paintbrush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy, and I could not take the time to hold the paintbrush, or talk to my father.

Five years ago, my 71-year-old father spent five hours putting together a swing set(秋千) for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea, and talk to him. But again, I had laundry(要洗的衣服)to do, and the house to clean. The morning on Sunday, January 16, 1996, my father telephoned me as usual, this time he had seemed to have forgotten something we had discussed the week before .I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short.

The call came at 4:40 a.m. That day my father was sent to hospital in Florida. I got on a plane immediately, and I vowed (发誓)that when I arrived , I would make up for the lost time ,and have a nice long talk with him and really get to know him. I arrived in Florida at 1:00 a.m., but my father had passed away at 9:12 p.m. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.

In the years since his death I have learnt much about my father and even more about myself. As a father, he never asked me for anything but my time. Now he has all my attention, every single day.

1.We know from the reading that the father__________________.

A. liked to paint houses

B. had no friends around him

C. was not healthy in his youth

D. thought of his family as his all

2.When her father painted her first house, the daughter____________.

A. could only afford a glass of iced tea

B. was too busy to talk to her father

C. could do nothing but hold a paintbrush

D. spent eight hours a day working with his father

3.In the reading the underlined phrase “get to know him” most probably means_____________.

A. get him to know her B. know more about him

C. get him to know himself D. make him well-known

4. Which is the best title of the reading?

A. Painting Houses B. Daughter’s Family

C. Father and I D. Father’s phone calls

In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible(负责任) for social progress. 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 depended on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs(事件). The development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire(渴望)to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the common players, they are strongly against competition. Most of them are young people who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these youngsters, I often observe(观察) in them a desire to fail. They seem to find 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 accepted 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(估量) 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-worth depends on how well one performs in the competition. Both are afraid of not being valued. We can discover a new meaning in competition only as this kind of fear begins to disappear.

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 experience in competition.

2.Why do some people favor(赞同) 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 efforts.

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

A. One's worth lies in his performance in the competition.

B. One's success in competition needs great efforts.

C. One's achievement is decided by his special skills.

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

4.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.

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