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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 theirsingle-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 mistake 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 text mainly talk about?
A Competition helps to set up self-respect.
B. People hold different opinions about competition.
C. Competition is harmful to personal quality development.
D. Failures are necessary experience in competition.
Some people favor competition because they think it __.

A． pushes society forward

B． builds up a sense of pride

C． improves social abilities

D． develops people's relationship

The underlined phrase "the most vocal”in Paragraph 3 refers to those who

A． try their best to win

B． highly value competition

C． are strongly against competition

D． mostly rely on others for success

Which viewpoint does the author agree to?
A Self-worth relys on winning.
B. Competition leads to unfriendly relationship.
C. Winning should be a life-and-death matter.
D. Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

The Asuncion zoo is looking for a mate for Coco, an endangered hyacinth macaw （蓝紫金刚鹦鹉），and it is the last known male of his species left in Paraguay.
Coco was sent to the zoo eight years ago. A recent DNA test showed that he is male. Zoo worker Celia said To avoid mixing species, the zoo has had to keep him apart from the other macaws, which has left him lonely and bored. "He is quite sociable, although he has only learned to say 'Hello', but when he hears music, he dances" Celia said
He has a yellow circle around his eyes that set off the rest of his blue feathers. He is more or less a cousin to Blu , he macaw that starts in the movie, Rio.That species, cyanopsitta-spixii（小蓝金刚鹦鹉），is all blue and even more endangered than the hyacinth macaw.
Like the bird in the movie, scientists hope to find Coco a mate to- rebuild the species. Because international laws against animal training are now so strict, nobody is willing to lend the zoo a female. "The best solution is to find a female hyacinth macaw in our country. " Celia said, "there are at least two other known hyacinth-macaws but without DNA test, it is impossible to know if they are female, and the owners are not willing to help,because the mating process can take some time and be a little hard on females.“
From the text we know that Coco____

A． is the last known hyacinth macaw

B． lives apart from the other macaws

C． has adapted to being left alone

D． can say "Hello" when he hears music

Why is it difficult to find a mate for Coco?
A. Because there is no known female macaw in Paraguay.
B. Because the international laws are against Coco mating.
C, Because the DNA test on female Coco takes time.
D. Because nobody is willing to hunt for a female.
It can be inferred from the text that______.

A． Coco stars Rio in a movie

B． Coco has only blue feathers on his body

C． Coco is the most endangered macaw

D． rebuilding the Coco's species will take time

Which of the following would be the best title?

A． Coco, a Rare Macaw-in Asuncion Zoo

B． Asuncion Zoo Is Seeking a Mate for Coco

C． Hyacinth Macaws Are Endangered in Paraguay

D． Coco, the Only Known Male Macaw in Paraguay

Welcome to the 2015 Winter Camp
The 2015 Winter Camp opens between 9: 30 a m and 11:30 a. m .from Feb.5^th to Feb. 15th. A11 children aged 8-14 are welcome. Each child can take part in only one of the following activities and needs to pay,￥150 for it
1. Sports (basketball, football, table tennis, etc )
2. Internet Groups (painting online, piano-learning, computer study, etc. )
3. English World (English songs/games/plays, English speaking contest etc.)
Some American children are coming to the camp. If you really want to spend an interesting winter holiday, please join us for learning with fun. Act now! Book your seat as soon as possible either by phone or by e-mail Pay before Jan. 25th, then you can have a Mickey T-shirt as a member of the camp,
Beijing Children's Palace
No. 23, Fu Xing Road, Beijing City
Tel: 010-888093445
E-mail: Children's Palace@163. com
This Winter Camp is intended for

A．parents

B．teachers

C．students

D．English learners

The participants can do the following things except _____;

A． making friends with American children

B． playing computer games

C． learning English songs

D． having basketball matches

What should you do if you want to get a T-shirt?

A． Book the seats as soon as possible.

B． Phone the Palace in advance.

C． Pay money before Jan. 25th

D． Ask some others to join in,

A third of 15 to 18-year-olds in the UK have met someone in person they originally met through social media.
The figure comes from an exclusive online Newsbeat poll（投票） of 1,015 British teenagers, put together by Comres. The survey also indicates that a quarter feel happier online than they do in real life.
But overall, real-life relationships are still considered far more important than online ones, according to the findings. Sixty-six per cent polled last month said the number of friends they knew in person was more important to them, compared to 28% who said the same of the number of friends and followers they had online.
The survey also suggests what lots of people know already, that social media is now an integral part of teenagers’ lives. Only one per cent of respondents said they never checked in online for social reasons. Facebook is the most popular social network (89% have an account), followed by Twitter (62%) and Snapchat (58%).
Dr Emma Short, a psychologist at the University of Bedfordshire, said, “The number of teenagers meeting up with people they first befriended online is worrying. Even very sophisticated security experts find it very hard to verify the identity of accounts. When you’re 15 and you’re very effective at identifying friends and risk, it’s easy to assume you can do that online. It’s not safe in that they may not be who they say they are and you know nothing about them apart from the conversation you’ve had online – which is a very small part of their lives and the person they may be.”
The survey also indicated:
• 25% of teenagers admitted they were addicted to social media.
• 25% wished they could give up social media.
“I can’t do without my phone.” says 17-year-old Aisha from Clapton, north London. “I can’t do without checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat.”
When we ask Aisha about the prospect of taking her social networks away, the consequences, genuinely, are too hard to bear.
Jealousy, loneliness, happiness and stress are all emotions felt by teenagers.
From the first two paragraphs we get to know that __________.

A．the majority of the teenagers polled met their net friends

B．more and more British adolescents feel happier online

C．a third of 15 to 18-year-olds in the UK make net friends online

D．a little more than 300 adolescents surveyed met net friends

According to the survey, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Sixty-six per cent polled think it important to meet net friends in person.

B．More British adolescents consider friends in real life are more important.

C．28% polled said they had the same number of online friends as other 66%.

D．28% polled have the same number of real life friends and net friends.

What does the underlined word “respondents” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．researchers	B．people
C．reporters	D．teenagers

Which of the following best conveys Dr Emma Short’s view ?

A．The online friends teenagers meet in person are worrying.

B．It’s easy for 15-year-olds to make online friends.

C．It’s difficult for adolescents to identify online friends and risk.

D．The conversation with your virtual friends is helpful.

What is the writer’s attitude towards teenagers meeting up with online friends?

A．Negative.

B．Positive.

C．Neutral.

D．Tolerant.

People with mentally taxing jobs, including lawyers and graphic designers, may end up having better memory in old age, research suggests.
A study of more than 1,000 Scottish 70-year-olds found that those who had had complex jobs scored better on memory and thinking tests.
One theory is that a more stimulating environment helps build up a “cognitive reserve” to help buffer the brain against age-related decline. The research was reported in Neurology.
The team, from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, is now planning more work to look at how lifestyle and work interact to affect memory loss. Those taking part in the study took tests designed to assess memory, processing speed and general thinking ability, as well as filling in a questionnaire about their working life.
The analysis showed that those whose jobs had required complex skills in dealing with data or people, such as management and teaching, had better scores on memory and thinking tests than those who had done less mentally intense jobs such as factory workers, bookbinders, or carpet layers.
While the study did not look at biological reasons for the protective effect of certain jobs, potential explanations include that structural changes within the brain mean less damage is accumulated over time.
Study leader Dr Alan Gow said: “Our findings have helped to identify the kinds of job demands that preserve memory and thinking later on.” “However,” He added, “while it is true that people who have higher cognitive abilities are more likely to get more complex jobs, there still seems to be a small advantage gained from these complex jobs for later thinking skills.”
Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the study added to the growing evidence about factors that affected brain health as we aged.
“Keeping the brain active throughout life could be helpful and different types of work may play a role. However, it’s important to note that this study points to a small and subtle association between occupation and later-life cognition rather than offering proof that people’s occupation has a direct influence.”
According to the research, who may have the best memory in old age?

A．Taxi drivers.	B．Computer programmers.
C．Supermarket cashiers.	D．Motor mechanics.

Which of the following about the research work is TRUE?

A．The research team studied both environmental and biological factors.

B．The researchers filled in a questionnaire about their working life.

C．The research objects included people from various jobs and of different ages.

D．The research is helpful to the study of brain health and is still under way.

What Dr Alan Gow said implies that __________.

A．their findings are helpful to identifying the kinds of job demands

B．people who do more complex jobs may benefit later thinking skills greatly

C．there exist links between job demands and preservation of memory

D．he didn’t confirm the links between complex jobs and later thinking skills

We can learn from Dr Simon Ridley that __________.

A．different occupations may make a difference in keeping the brain active

B．people’s occupation has a direct influence on later-life cognition

C．the study added more evidence about the factors affecting aging

D．the study denied the association between jobs and later-life memory

What is the best title of the passage？

A．Aging affects brain health

B．Complex jobs may protect memory

C．Occupations influence aging

D．Complex jobs demand complex skills