Question

【題目】In modern society 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 unfriendly relationship between people.

I have taught 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, performing well and winning are often life-and-death matters. Sadly, they forget to develop many other human qualities.

However, while some seem to wish to succeed very much, others think quite the opposite. They, especially young people have suffered from competitive stress from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often find that they 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 lost, that would mean they were worth nothing.

Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove their self – worth. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self – worth come from how well one performs in comparison(比較) with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. I suggest that they can discover a new meaning in competition only when such worries and fear begin to disappear.

Opinions about competition

Main argument	Some believe that competition 【1】 social progress and richness, while others think competition 【2】 to unfriendly relationship between people.
Children’s performances	Some children only care about 【3】 well and winning It is 【4】that they forget to develop many other human qualities.
	Some children don’t try to win or 【5】 success but choose failure. They are 【6】 that if they had really tried and failed, it would mean they weren’t worth 【7】.
Reason behind	They think one can 【8】 his self-worth only by performing better than others in competition. Both are 【9】 of not being valued.
Writer’s 【10】 to children	Find the new meaning of competition as such worries and fear begin to disappear.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】helps

【2】leads

【3】performing

【4】sad

【5】get/achieve

【6】worried

【7】anything

【8】prove

【9】afraid

【10】suggestion/advice

【解析】本篇文章簡述了作者對于競爭的態(tài)度，先是介紹了兩種對于競爭的觀點(diǎn)態(tài)度，其次通過介紹兒童在活動中表現(xiàn)討論了其背關(guān)于個人價值的相關(guān)問題，最后給出了建議。

【1】句意：有人認(rèn)為競爭幫助社會進(jìn)步。原文“Some value it highly, for they believe that it is helpful for social progress and richness,”（有些人高度重視，因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為這對社會進(jìn)步和豐富有幫助，）所以一些人認(rèn)為“競爭”會“幫助”（help）社會進(jìn)步。

【2】句意：另一些人則認(rèn)為競爭會導(dǎo)致人與人之間不友好的關(guān)系。原文“others say that competition is bad; and that it sets one person against another and leads to unfriendly relationship between people.”（其他人則認(rèn)為競爭很糟糕；而且它將一個人置于與另一個人對抗，導(dǎo)致人與人之間不友好的關(guān)系。），所以另一些人認(rèn)為競爭會對“導(dǎo)致”（lead）不友好的關(guān)系。

【3】句意：有些孩子只關(guān)心表現(xiàn)良好，并贏得勝利。原文“performing well and winning are often life-and-death matters.”（表現(xiàn)良好，獲勝常常是生死攸關(guān)的事情。），說明對于孩子“表現(xiàn)”（performing）好是很重要的事。

【4】句意：他們忘記發(fā)展許多其他的人性品質(zhì)是很可悲的。原文“Sadly, they forget to develop many other human qualities.”（可悲的是，他們忘記發(fā)展許多其他人性的素質(zhì)。），這里表達(dá)作者態(tài)度，認(rèn)為這樣的情況是“可悲”（sad）的。

【5】句意：有些孩子不會試圖勝利或取得成功，而是選擇失敗。原文“while some seem to wish to succeed very much, others think quite the opposite.”（有些人似乎希望非常成功，但其他人則認(rèn)為恰恰相反。），說明一些人是想“獲得”（get/achieve）成功的。

【6】句意：他們擔(dān)心認(rèn)為如果他們真的盡力了而且失敗了，那就意味著他們一文不值。原文“they are worried that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean they were worth nothing. ”（他們擔(dān)心認(rèn)為如果他們真的盡力了而且失敗了，那就意味著他們一文不值。），說明兒童是很“擔(dān)心”（worried）的。

【7】句意：他們擔(dān)心認(rèn)為如果他們真的盡力了而且失敗了，那就意味著他們一文不值。“they are worried that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean they were worth nothing. ”（他們擔(dān)心認(rèn)為如果他們真的盡力了而且失敗了，那就意味著他們一文不值。），“they were worth nothing”即為“they weren’t worth anything”，意味著一文不值。故填“anything”。

【8】句意：他們認(rèn)為只有在競爭中比其他人表現(xiàn)得更好才能證明自己的自我價值。原文“this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove their self – worth.”（這種信念與試圖證明自我價值的真正競爭者的信念是一樣的。）這里說的是一個人是可以通過在競爭中表現(xiàn)更好來“證明”（prove）自己的價值的。

【9】句意：兩者（情況）都是害怕不被重視。原文“Both are afraid of not being valued.”（兩者（情況）都是害怕不被重視。），原文原句，這里填“afraid”，表示“害怕”。

【10】句意：給兒童的建議是什么。原文“I suggest that they can discover a new meaning in competition only when such worries and fear begin to disappear.”（我建議他們只有在這種擔(dān)憂和恐懼開始消失時才能在競爭中發(fā)現(xiàn)新的含義。），從這里可以看出這是作者的建議，也就是給兒童的建議。故這里填“suggestion”。