Question

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; 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 affaire. In their single-minded pursuit (追求) 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 wound 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 arc afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (化解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.

1.What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Competition helps to set up one’s self-respect.

B. People hold different opinions on competition.

C. Failures are necessary experience in competition.

D. Competition is harmful to one’s development.

2.Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?

A. It pushes society forward.    B. It builds up a sense of duty.

C. It encourages individual efforts.    D. It improves personal abilities.

3.What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with “a desire to fail”？

A. One’s success in competition calls for great efforts.

B. One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.

C. One’s success relies largely on his firm belief of winning.

D. One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.

4.Which point of view may t)ie author agree with?

A. Competition- damages friendship among people.

B. Performance in competition determines one’s value.

C. Fear of failure should l>c removed in competition.

D. Winning should be a mailer of life and death.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】本文是议论文，谈论了现代社会人们对竞争的看法，褒贬不一，各执一词。作者所教的学生中，有的唯恐失败，一心追求成功而背弃其他优秀品质，有的害怕失败而不敢参与竞争。他们共同点在于他们都害怕失败所带来的挫败的体验，只有化解这种恐惧，竞争才会有新的意义。

1.主旨大意题。这篇文章主要是关于人们对竞争的不同看法的。选B。

2.细节理解题。从第一段第二句得知，赞成竞争的人认为，竞争能带来社会的进步和繁荣。选A。

3.细节理解题。由第三段，Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others得知，一个人的价值在于他跟别人竞争时的表现，选D。

4.细节理解题。第三段最后一句Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (化解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.阐明作者的观点，在竞争中应该消除对失败的恐惧。选C。

【名师点睛】

主旨大意题的解题技巧

主旨大意题一般包括：短文标题、主题大意或段落大意等。此题型要求考生在理解文章后归纳文章要点，概括中心思想。考生需要分析文章的篇章结构，抓住文章的开头或结尾，从而找出能概括文章的主题句。主题句的特点：（1）语言特点：归纳性、概括性、抽象性；（2）位置特点：主题句常出现在“总结性”语言的“信号词”后，如：in summary, in a word, as a result, finally, in short, in conclusion和in brief等；主题句常出现在“转移话题式”语言的“信号词”后，如：but, however, nevertheless等。标题的语言特点：独特新颖 、概括性强、短小精炼。

主旨大意主要的解题策略有：

（1）标题类。文章标题可以是单词，短语，也可以是句子，它的特点是：短小精悍，多为一短语；涵盖性强，一般要求能覆盖全文，其确定的范围要恰当，既不能太大，也不能太小；精确性强，不能随意改变语言表意的程度及色彩。

（2）主旨类。概括主旨的方法是：先看首尾或各段开头再看全文找主题句，若无明显主题句，就通过关键词句来概括(如议论文中寻找表达作者观点态度的词句，记叙文寻找概括情节和中心的动词或反映人物特点的形容词)。文中出现两种或两种以上的不同观点时，务必牢记作者的观点才是体现全文中心的。此时，要注意一些转折词，如but, yet, however, although, in spite of, by contrast, on the contrary等。当文章中表示相反的观点时，往往用到这些词。答题时要弄清哪个是作者的观点，排除迷惑性信息，准确归纳主旨大意。例如，本文的第1小题。

1. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Competition helps to set up one’s self-respect.

B. People hold different opinions on competition.

C. Failures are necessary experience in competition.

D. Competition is harmful to one’s development.

这个题就是典型的主旨类。本文一开篇就讲述人们对竞争正反两方面的不同看法，后面的段落围绕双方不同观点展开论述，因此B选项符合文意，覆盖全文内容。