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 values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary player, 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.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两处为多余选项。

If you are hungry, what do you do? Have your favorite meal and stay quiet after that? __1__ But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your friends or favorite stars. So it silently serves your needs and never lets itself grow. When mind loses its freedom to grow, creativity（创造力） gets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think “ What happens next?”, “Why can’t I think?”

__2__ Why reading but not watching TV? It is because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from childhood．Since it develops other aspects of our life, we have to take help from reading.

Once you read a book, you run your eyes through the lines and your mind tries to explain something to you. __3__ Now this seed（果实） is unknowingly used by you to develop new ideas. If it is used many times, the same seed can give you great help to relate（联系） a lot of things, which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams!

This is nothing but creativity. __4__ Within no time you can start talking with your friends in English or any other language and never run out of the right words.

So guys, do give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading. __5__ Go and get a book!

A．The interesting part of the book is stored（存储） in your mind as a seed.

B．Why not do some reading while you are hungry?

C．Just like your stomach, your mind is also hungry.

D．Now what are you waiting for?

E．Hunger of the mind can be actually solved through wide reading.

F．Reading can help you make more friends, too.

G．Also this makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary.

写一篇100字左右的游记，写给你留下印象的你所去过的地方。可以用一下的词汇和句式：the most impressive place, it’s…kilometers from…to…, …is close to…,

We have been prepared to do        it takes to save her life．

A．no matter what           B．however           C．whatever         D．whoever

— It’s such a pity．I didn’t get the first place in the exam．

— Come on． __________

A．Nobody is perfect.                              B．Congratulations!     

C．Bad luck!                                          D．You really did badly

I’ve already forgotten ___________ you put the dictionary．

A．that it was where                               B．where it was that   

C．where was it that                                      D．that was it that

It is _____that he has been addicted to the drugs and has difficulty quitting it．

A．obviously           B．apparently          C．possibly           D．likely

He _________ in American for five years, and now he works in Shanghai．

A．have worked                                   B．worked        

C．had worked                                      D．have been working

---- Why are they taking all the equipment away?

----____________ , they are packing up to leave．

A．The job was done                               B．The job has been done

C．With the job done                               D．With the job doing

The police looked into the case carefully and found the thief had entered the house ______ a ladder．

A．by the means        B．by all means             C．by ways of           D．by means of