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 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 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 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 .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. |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
| A．It builds up a sense of duty. | B．It pushes society forward. |
| C．It improves personal abilities. | D．It encourages individual efforts. |
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 |
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. |
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. |
Governments and health officials around the world continued to take steps Tuesday against the outbreak of swine flu that has killed scores of people in Mexico and spread to the U.S., Europe and possibly Asia.
By early Tuesday, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico had caused in 152 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses. So far, at least 113 cases have been proved worldwide, including 64 in the United States; six in Canada; 11 in New Zealand and two each in Spain the United Kingdom and Israel. None has yet resulted in death.
The World Health Organization on Monday raised its alert level from three to four on its six-level scale. The move means the U.N. agency has determined that the virus can transmit from human to human.
"In this age of global travel, where people move around in airplanes so quickly, there is no region to which this virus could not spread," said Fukuda, assistant director-general of the WHO.
Governments around the world struggled to prevent further outbreak. Some, like China and Russia, banned pork imports from the United States and Mexico. U.S. President Barack Obama said the outbreak was a cause for concern, not for alarm. The government urged travelers to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.
The latest WHO report listed only seven proved swine flu deaths in Mexico but it was not clear why there was the discrepency.
Mexico City has closed all schools until at least May 6 to help curb(control) the spread of swine flu and ordered 35,00 public venues to close or serve only takeaway meals. In addition, bars, clubs, movie theaters, pool halls, gyms, sport centers and convention halls have been told to close until May 5. Armed police officers are also guarding hospitals in Mexico City while roads and schools in the city of 20 million people are deserted. Officials also have talked about shutting down the bus and subway systems.
57.How many people were found catching swine flu in Spain?
A. 2. B. 11. C. 6. D. 64.
58.When learning the outbreak of swine flu, the WHO was ____.
A. calm B. nervous C. shocked D. careful
59. Fukuda’s words suggest that _____.
A. he likes travel by air
B. global travel hasn’t been affected
C.this virus can spread quickly because of global travel
D. planes must be forbidden to take to prevent swine flu
60.The last paragraph mainly tells us _____.
A. Mexico has taken measures to control swine flu
B. Mexico City is too dangerous to live in
C. the normal life in Mexico has been changed
D. people in Mexico are badly in need of help
Four people in England back in 1953, stared at Photo 51,It wasn’t much—a picture showing a black X. But three of these people won the Nobel Prize for figuring out what the photo really showed –the shape of DNA The discovery brought fame and fortune to scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. The fourth, the one who actually made the picture, was left out.
Her name was Rosalind Franklin.”She should have been up there,” says historian Mary Bowden.” If her photos hadn’t been there, the others couldn’t have come up with the structure.” One reason Franklin was missing was that she had died of cancer four years before the Nobel decision. But now scholars doubt that Franklin was not only robbed of her life by disease but robbed of credit by her competitors
At Cambridge University in the 1950s, Watson and Click tried to make models by cutting up shapes of DNA’s parts and then putting them together. In the meantime, at King’s College in London, Franklin and Wilkins shone X-rays at the molecule(分子). The rays produced patterns reflection the shape.
But Wilkins and Franklin’s relationship was a lot rockier than the celebrated teamwork of Watson and Crick, Wilkins thought Franklin was hired to be his assistant .But the college actually employed her to take over the DNA project.
What she did was produce X-ray pictures that told Watson and Crick that one of their early models was inside out. And she was not shy about saying so. That angered Watson, who attacked her in return, “Mere inspection suggested that she would not easily bend. Clearly she had to to go or be put in her place.”
As Franklin’s competitors, Wilkins, Watson and Crick had much to gain by cutting her out of the little group of researchers, says historian Pnina Abir-Am. In 1962 at the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony, Wilkins thanked 13 colleagues by name before he mentioned Franklin, Watson wrote his book laughing at her. Crick wrote in 1974 that “Franklin was only two steps away from the solution.”
No, Franklin was the solution. “She contributed more than any other player to solving the structure of DNA . She must be considered a co-discoverer,” Abir-Am says. This was backed up by Aaron Klug, who worked with Franklin and later won a Nobel Prize himself. Once described as the “Dark Lady of DNA”, Franklin is finally coming into the light.What is the text mainly about?
A. The disagreements among DNA researchers.
B. The unfair treatment of Franklin.
C. The process of discovering DNA.
D. The race between two teams of scientists.Watson was angry with Franklin because she .
| A．took the lead in the competition | B．kept her results from him |
| C．proved some of his findings wrong | D．shared her data with other scientists |
Why is Franklin described as “Dark Lady of DNA”?
A. She developed pictures in dark labs.
B. She discovered the black X-the shape of DNA.
C. Her name was forgotten after her death.
D. Her contribution was unknown to the public.What is the writer’s attitude toward Wilkins, Watson and Crick?
| A．Disapproving. | B．Respectful. | C． Admiring. | D．Doubtful. |
In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh(法老)treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace, if he brought good news. However, if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news, his head was cut off.
Shades of that spirit spread over today's conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door, picnic basket in hand, a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said, "Oh boy, bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it's going to rain."I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report, for his while
Several months ago I was racing to catch a him As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Grey hound counter, the sales agent said with a broad smile ,"Oh that bus left five minutes ago."Dreams of head-cutting!
It's not the news that makes someone angry. It's the unsympathetic attitude with which it's the unsympathetic attitude with which it's delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time, and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn't get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know, when delivering any bad news, they should share the feeling of the receiver.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this. When you're tired from a long flight, has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn't ready yet? When you had your heart set on the toast beef, has your waiter mainly told you that he just served the last piece? It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.
Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy, I would have appreciated his warming .Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left, I probably would have said, " Oh, that's all right I'll catch the next one." Big winners, when they bear bad news ,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的)person is sure to have.
| 1． |
In Paragraph 1,the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to.
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| 2． |
In the writer's opinion, his neighbor was.
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| 3． |
From "Dreams of head-cutting!"(Paragraph3),we learn that the writer.
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| 4． |
What is the main idea of the text?
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Plants can’t communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants Produce volatile compounds, chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower’s sweet smell, for example, comes from volatile compounds that the plant produces to attract insects such as Bugs and bees.
Plants can also detect volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by Hungry insets, for instance, may give off volatile compounds that let other trees know about the Attack. In response, the other trees may send off chemicals to keep the bugs away ——or even Chemicals that attract the bugs’ natural enemies.
Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical Sensor（传感器）called an electronic nose. The “e-nose” can tell compounds that crop plants make When they’re attacked Scientists say the e-nose could help quickly detect whether plants are being Eaten by insects. But today the only way to detect such insects is to visually inspect individual Plants. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, enclosed gardens than can house Thousands of plants.
The research team worked with an e-nose than recognizes volatile compounds. Inside the device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds Based on these interactions, the e-nose gives off electronic signals that the scientists analyze using computer software.
To test the nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato plants, all common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of air around damaged leaves from each type of crop, These plants had been damaged by insects, or by scientists who made holes in the leaves with a hole punch（打孔器）. The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on The volatile compounds they produce, It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage ---- by insects or with a hole Punch ---- had been done to the tomato leaves.
With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by____.
| A．making some sounds | B．waving their leaves |
| C．producing some chemicals | D．sending out electronic signals |
What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?
| A．They presented it with all common crops. |
| B．They fixed 13 sensors inside the device. |
| C．They collected different damaged leaves. |
| D．They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves. |
According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can___.
| A．pick out ripe fruits |
| B．spot the insects quickly |
| C．distinguish different damages to the leaves |
| D．recognize unhealthy tomato leaves |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the e-nose_____.
| A．is unable to tell the smell of flowers |
| B．is not yet used in greenhouses |
| C．is designed by scientists at Purdue |
| D．is helpful in killing harmful insects |
Below are same classified ads from an English newspaper.
| Classified ads FOR DORECT CLASSIFIED SERVICE CALL 800-0557 10 A.M.-4P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY |
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| FOR SALE ——————————— COME to our moving sale- Plants, pottery, books, clothes, etc.Sat,Dec.14th---9a.m.-5p.m. 1612 Femdale,Apt.1,800-4696 USED FUR COATS and JACKETS ,Good condition $30-$50.Call 800-0436 after 12 noon. MOVING; Must sell.TV21”, $50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, $15; cassette tape recorder, $10.Call Jon or Pat, 800-0739 after 5p.m. or Weekends. SHEEPSKIN COAT: man’s size 42, 1year old. $85 after 6 p.m., 800-5224. LOST AND FOUND ——————————— FOUND; Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings. Found near Linden and South U. Steve.800-4661. LOST; Gold wire rim glasses In brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call Gregg 800-9662, FOUND: Nov.8th-----A black and white puppy in Packard-Jewett area 800-5770. |
PERSONAL ———————————— OVERSEAS JOBS—Australia, Europe, S. America, Africa. Students all professions and occupation, $700 to $3000 monthly. Expenses paid, overtime sightseeing. Free information at STUDENTS’ UNION. THE INTERNATIONAL ———————————— CENTER plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures . If you’d like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting, call us (800-9310) and ask for Mike or Janet. UNSURE WHAT TO DO? Life-Planning Workshop. Dec. 13th-15th. Bob and Margaret Atwood, 800-0046. ROOMMATES ———————————— FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED: Own room near- campus. Available December 1# . Rent $300 per month until March 1#. $450 thereafter. Call Jill for details, 800-7839. NEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. near campus, $380/mo.starting Jan. 1# Call 800-6157 after 5 p.m. |
DOMESTIC SERVICE ———————————— EARLY HOUR WAKE-UP SERVICE: For prompt, courteous wake-up service, call 800-0760. HELP WANTED ———————————— BABYSITTER—MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evening to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore, days 800-1111, evening and weekends 800-4964. PERSONS WANTED for Delivery work Own Transportation Good pay Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9a.m. TELEPHONE RECEPTION- IST WANTED. NO experience Necessary Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. office 101, after 9a.m. WAITRESS WANTED: 10a.m.-2p.m.or 10:30 a.m.- 5p.m. Apply inperson,2075 Main. Curtis Restaurant. HELP WANTED for house Cleaning 1/2 day on weekends When—to be discussed for mutual convenience. Good wages. Sylvan Street. Call 800-2817. |
Where will you post a notice if you need someone to look after your children?
A. PERSONAL. B. HELP WANTED.
C. DOMMESTIC SERVICE. D. ROOMMATES.A second-hand jacket will probably cost you________.
| A．$60 | B．$40 | C．$20 | D．$10 |
To have your travel notes published, you may contact_________.
| A．Students’ Union | B．Gayle Moore |
| C．The International Center | D．Life-Planning Workshop |
If you want to have someone wake you up in the morning, you may call_________.
| A．800-5224 | B．800-5770 |
| C．800-7839 | D．800-0760 |