Everybody cheats. Whether it’s the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes them the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn’t give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe (贿赂) – everybody’s at it. Cheats in the nest include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show petitors who worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds, and the doctor who made up his qualifications and wasn’t really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody’s playing the game.
Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successful? Or is it something that should be frowned on, and young people discouraged from doing? If it’s the latter how can we explain to children why so many bend the rules?
Take sport for example. The Word Cup was filled with cheating. Whether diving, pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free – kick or a penalty shot. France striker Henry denied cheating to win the free – kick which led to his side’s second goal in their 3 – 1 victory over Spain. Many footballers, however, are often putting it on. Whatever the nationality there’s one mon ploy: the player rolls over holding their leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card and / or free – kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened ! The ref (裁判) may be taken in by it but youngsters watching the game aren’t. they also see their heroes getting away with it.
Of course it’s not just football. In 1998 the Tour de France, the world’s greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug – taking scandal (丑闻). The 40 bottles of forbidden drugs found with the Fustian team caused a massive investigation that almost caused the Tour to be abandoned. One rider, Veronique, was banned for 9 months. He claimed: “You have cheats in sport, just as you do in business – there will always be people trying to take a short cut. At least we’re not turning a blind eye to the problem, which other sports are.”
Is it all unavoidable? There’s huge pressure on all athletes to perform for their fans and for their sponsors. It’s success, money and power that rule professional sport rather than an honest at tempt to do the best one can.
Meanwhile panies around the world are losing billions of dollars to fake products. From cut price CDs and DVDs to sportswear, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has bee socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case missing exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive tested answers. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn’t help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can’t plain when we’re setting such a bad example.
【小题1】According to the passage, in which way can a game show player cheat?A．By taking an indirect way.B．By gaining aid from a friend.C．By taking forbidden drugs.D．By selling fake products.【小题2】The phrase “be frowned on”(Paragraph 2) most probably means .A．to be disapproved ofB．to be pushed forwardC．to be taken the place ofD．to be stuck with【小题3】The writer’s suppose for writing this passage is to .A．explain why people in almost every field cheatB．plain about cheats in school educationC．persuade young people not to cheat in examsD．blame the society for tolerating cheats【小题4】The writer mentions the example of the World Cup in Paragraph 3 in order to .A．show cheating is a mon phenomenon nowadaysB．discuss the relationship between sport and cheatingC．explore the nature of cheating in important eventsD．warn coaches and athletes of the danger of cheating【小题5】Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?A．Exams are not a good way of testing children.B．Children are natural cheats.C．If adults cheat, children will cheat too.D．Everyone including children cheats.B
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(答案→)B
解析：本文作者批判了社会上作弊普遍的社会现象。作者列举了世界杯足球赛的假装受伤而罚对方的例子，也举了世界环法自行车比赛，抄近路的作弊案例，还有学生考试通过手机发短信作弊。作者指责人人在作弊。并且提到我们作弊为孩子树立了坏的榜样。
【小题1】细节理解题。第一段的the game show petitors who worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds游戏节目的选手与一个在观众中的朋友合作或赢得一百万英镑。故选B。
【小题2】词义猜测题。第二段的and young people discouraged from doing?阻止年轻人这样做，and前后意思相近。阻止也就是不赞成。故选A。
【小题3】作者意图题。第一段的Everybody cheats; nobody’s playing the game每个人都作弊，没有人真正的比赛。说社会上作弊的事太多了，作者有列举了世界杯足球比赛，环法自行车比赛，揭露了里面作弊的内幕，及在责备世人对作弊过于忍受。故选D。
【小题4】推理判断题。第三段的Many footballers, however, are often putting it on.说明足球比赛经常有作弊的，作弊是很常见的。故选A。
【小题5】主旨大意题。最后一段的Surely we can’t plain when we’re setting such a bad example.
当然当我们设置这样一个坏榜样时，我们不能抱怨。故选C。