Question

In modern society(社會) there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, for they believe that it is helpful for social progress and richness. Others say that competition is bad, and that it sets one person against another and leads to unfriendliness between people. I have trained many children who held the belief(看法) that their self worth came from how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life and death matters. Sadly, they forget to develop many other human qualities. However, while some seem to be lost in the strong wish to succeed, others think quite the opposite. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary(普通) players, they strongly blame competition, especially youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures(壓力) from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often find that they even choose to fail. They seem to choose 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.” In fact, they are worried that if they had really tried and failed, the failure would mean that they were worth nothing. 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 worth comes from how well one performs in comparison(比較) with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. We can only discover a new meaning in competition as such worries and fear begin to disappear.

Title: Opinions about competition

Main argument Some believe that competition can push society 1., while others think competition 2.unfriendliness between people. Children’s performances Some children 3.care about performing well and winning.

Some children give up trying to prevent themselves from 4..Reason behind They think one can prove his self worth only by performing better than others in competition. Writer’s 5.to children Understand the new meaning of competition.

 

Answer 1

1.forward

2.causes

3.only/just

4.failing

5.suggestions/advice

【解析】

試題分析：這篇短文中講述了關(guān)于競爭人們的不同觀點(diǎn)。有些人支持競爭，他們覺得這樣可以使社會進(jìn)步；有些人反對競爭，他們覺得競爭給人與人之間帶來不友好。作者建議我們正確理解競爭的意義。

1.根據(jù)短文中they believe that it is helpful for social progress可知，一些支持競爭的人認(rèn)為，競爭對社會進(jìn)步是有幫助的，這里的意思即是推進(jìn)社會的向前發(fā)展，push society forward。

2.根據(jù)短文中Others say that competition is bad, and that it sets one person against another and leads to unfriendliness between people.可知，反對競爭的人覺得，它會挑起人們之間的斗爭，給人們之間帶來不友好。這句話中的lead to 意為：導(dǎo)致，即引起某種結(jié)果。它的同義詞是cause，故這里填causes。

3.根據(jù)短文中For them, playing well and winning are often life and death matters.可知，一些孩子覺得表現(xiàn)好，贏經(jīng)常是事關(guān)生死的大事。因此這樣的孩子只知道爭強(qiáng)好勝，只關(guān)心輸贏。only 或just都是只，僅僅的意思。

4.根據(jù)短文中They seem to choose failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse,可知，有些孩子選擇不去嘗試，是因?yàn)樗麄兒ε螺�，害怕失敗。如果他們不嘗試，他們就可以為自己找到一個借口。這句話中prevent sb. from doing sth.，意思是阻止某人做某事。故這里填failing。

5.根據(jù)短文中最后一句話We can only discover a new meaning in competition as such worries and fear begin to disappear.可知，作者覺得我們能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)競爭的新意義，這是作者給我們的建議，故這里應(yīng)該填suggestions 或advice。

考點(diǎn)：任務(wù)型閱讀。