In modem 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 and 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 affair. 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 _ 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 can we discover a new meaning in competition. 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.
A
(Question)
A mother has lost parts of both of her legs after she saved the lives of her two children by lying on top of them as a deadly tornado swept through their home. Stephanie Decker, 36, lost one leg above the knee and the other above the ankle, yet her son and daughter escaped without a single scratch after the tornado destroyed their Henryville, Indiana home. Henryville was nearly entirely destroyed by a series of tornadoes that hit the South and Midwest, killing 39 and leaving thousands homeless. But while the Decker family lost their dream home to the severe weather, they are celebrating their safety. Mrs. Decker is now in a stable condition; her husband said, "What I told her was, 'you are alive and you get to see your kids grow up.' " Joe Decker told the reporters. Mr. Decker said that he had sent a text message to his wife from his workplace to tell her a tornado was heading for their three-story home. She rushed their eight-year-old son Dominic and five-year-old daughter Reese into the basement, where she tried her best to protect them from the storm. Mrs. Decker typed out what had happened by using an iPad in the hospital. She saw part of the house collapse on her and pulled her daughter out of the way. She doesn't remember anything after that. The home, which was partly built by Mr. Decker and his wife's father, is now completely destroyed, with a bathtub 200 feet away in a filed, the Courier Journal reported. The house took about nine mouths to build and four seconds to fall, Mr. Decker added. CEO Carl J. Tyler praised the Deckers who lost everything and said that the company has set up a trust fund to help pay their medical bills and the losses they suffered. He added, "They are some of the hardest working, giving people you could ever want to meet." The Deckers' attitude towards their suffering from the tornado is _ . A) pessimistic B) optimistic C) angry D) unsure
(Answer)
B
Ques: Welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery--the definitive reference for information about the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh. As a post impressionist painter and one of the most famous artists of all time, Vincent Van Gogh has become an icon . From growing up in Holland and pursuing a life as a pastor, to moving to France and creating an incredible collection of artwork, this site takes an in-depth look at Van Gogh's life, his work and the impact he has had on our culture. Van Gogh had many influences on his life including his family and friends, as well as other artists such as Paul Gauguin and Edgar Degas. In addition, Van Gogh's health also had a major influence on his life. To see how each of these affected his life please visit the Important Figures, Artistic Influences and Health sections. For information about how Van Gogh's has impacted our society today view the Impact on Art, Cultural References, or News section. If you are interested in adding more Van Gogh to your life, the Van Gogh Gallery has plenty to offer. Download Van Gogh images of some of his most famous paintings as wallpaper for your computer, shop for Van Gogh posters or prints, or check out some of the additional resources available including links to Van Gogh museums and shows. There are even lesson plans from multidiscipline areas for those interested in educating others about Van Gogh's art and life. Van Gogh has influenced generations of young artists worldwide since his time. Today we can see his impact in painting, in poetry and in video. We are happy to display new examples of art that were influenced by Van Gogh in our Van Gogh Community Art section. Tragically , Van Gogh died not knowing the acclaim his art would receive. Today his legacy is immortal and he will be forever known as one of the greatest artists of the modern era. Through this website The Van Gogh Gallery aims to share his life and legacy with the world. How many exact artists are mentioned in the passage in all? A) One. B) Two. C) Three. D) Four.
Ans: C
Ques: (2014 ) I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court. After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I'd have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him. But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215. My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770. Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time... and I left without getting a cent. A good doctor is essential for the author to _ . A) be properly treated B) talk with the person responsible for the accident C) recover before he leaves America D) eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury
Ans:
D