Directions: Read the following passages carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).
Personality is to a large extent inherent—a type parents usually bring about a type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major fact or in the lives of their children.
One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the win at all costs moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying: “Rejoice, we conquer!”
By far the worst form of competition in schools is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.
Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into B’s. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child’s personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.
If the preoccupation of schools with academic work was lessened, more time might be spent teaching children surer values. Perhaps selection for the caring professions, especially medicine, could be made less by good grades in chemistry and more by such considerations as sensitivity and sympathy. It is surely a mistake to choose our doctors exclusively from A type stock. B’s are important and should be encouraged.
Questions:
1. Beside inherence, personality is also deeply effected by ______________________.
2. Person who has A characteristics is ______________________________________.
3. What was disagreed to in schools by the author? ______________________________.
4. Why is top management of school to fit a child’s personality_____________________.
5. According to the 5th Para., B’s characteristic is suggested to be ________________.
短文大意
这篇文章主要谈论的是人的性格的培养。作者指出，个性虽然在很大程度上是与生俱来的，但环境的作用也很重要。作者指出，因为学校崇尚“不惜一切代价取胜”的道德标准，而使学校成为培养A型性格的主要场所。作者批评了这种以考试作竞争的手段，因为这并不是学校的最高的办学宗旨。
1.
【参考答案】 environment
【答题技巧】 “顺藤摸瓜”，沿着与题相关的内容深入下去。
【详细解答】 问题是“除了遗传，性格还深受什么的影响”。文中第一段的第一句话讲得明白：Personality is to a large extent inherent.(个性在很大程度上是与生俱来的)，这是一个与题相关的句子，沿着这个句子继续走，可以得到“But the environment must also have a profound effect, “profound”意思是“deep”，也就是说，环境对人的性格也有很深的影响。因此，答案不得而知。
2.
【参考答案】 keen to win / competitive
【答题技巧】 综合考虑，归纳总结是本题的方法。
【详细解答】 这个问题问的是A型人的性格。这样一个问题，在原文中想一下子的找出答案是不容易的。必须先总的考虑一下第二段的文字。第二段有三个地方涉及到这个问题：one place where children soak up A characteristics is school……(孩子形成A型性格的一个地方是学校，学校就其本质而言是高度竞争的场所);in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B type fellows(富有竟争性的A型人看来就比B型人强。);Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences;(学生过分热衷于获胜可能要产生危险的后果)。这样，经过综合考虑后，得出competitive与be keen to win.
3.
【参考答案】 the disproportionate emphasis on examinations
【答题技巧】 由“肯定”走向“否定”的解决本题的捷径。
【详细解答】 本题问的是作者否定的是学校里的什么。只要理解了第三段的第一句话，问题就可以解决。By far the worst form of competition in schools is disproportion ate emphasis on examinations.学校里最最糟糕的竞争方式是不恰当地强调考试。根据这句话可知，disproportionate emphasis on examinations 恰恰是作者所否定的东西。
4.
【参考答案】 The world needs types
【答题技巧】 根据“结果”推向“原因”是解决本题的出路。
【详细解答】 本题问为什么学校的宗旨应当是培养的孩子的性格。这是个典型的因果关系的句子。根据已知的果(第四段未尾)It’s top management,一步一步往前推，我们发现了：The world needs(世界上需要各种类型的人)，与top management实际存在着一种逻辑上的因果关系。因此，答案为：The world needs types.
5.
【参考答案】 sensitive and sympathetic
【答题技巧】 利用已知的信息进行推理并利用原文得出结论。
【详细解答】 问题是 ，根据第5段可知，B型人的性格是什么。第五段中有这样一个例子，“Perhaps selection for caring professions, especially medicine, could be made less by good grades in Chemistry and more by such considerations as sensitivity and sympathy.”(也许在挑选护理人员，尤其是医务人员时，不要太看重化学考分，而应多考虑对人的敏感性和同情心。)“sensitivity and sympathy”一词，应引起注意，因为这是与A型性格(前面已知)不同的。那么，继续看，It is surely a mistake to choose our doctors exclusively from A type stock. B’s are important and should be encouraged。看到儿，我们几乎可以肯定，sensitivity与sympathy是属于B型的了。但为了与问题相合，应该把名词改为形容词即可。