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Some people argue that the pressure on international sportsmen and sportswom-en kills the essence of sport-the pursuit of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competi-tive but they still enjoy playing. The individual representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, and he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation’s hopes, dreams and reputation.
A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the summit of international sporting success. Mention “Argentina“ to someone, and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup “put Argentina on the map.“
Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in Eng-land felt that their country was somehow important after they won in 1966. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money travel-ing to Argentina, where the finals were played.
So, am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sport? Certainly not!(77) Do the Argentinian really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skilful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others? Not really. But it’s nice to know that you won and that in one way at least your country is the best.
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If you smoke-particularly cigarettes-you are far more likely than a non-smoker to suffer or die from several major diseases-notably lung cancer.
One smoker in four dies prematurely (过早的) because of his smoking. The risk of dy-ing for a heavy smoker (between the ages of 35 and 55) is roughly equal to the risk run by a non-smoker 10 years older.
Cigarette smoking-and to a lesser degree pipe and cigar smoking--may aggravate (使恶化) or be partly responsible for the development of a wide variety of other diseases, which include cancers of the mouth and throat, peptic ulcers (胃溃疡), and loss of teeth.
Women who smoke during pregnancy produce babies on average about 5 to 8 ounces lighter than those who don’t.
Take lung cancer for example.Britain’s lung cancer figures are the highest in the world, and still rising. Ninety peo-ple die every day, 33,000 in 1969. Almost all these deaths can be attributed directly to to-bacco smoking. The prospects of a cure for lung cancer are, at present, remote, and it is impossible to estimate when, if ever, someone will find one. You would be foolish to rely on someone finding a cure before you needed it.
One man in eight who die between the ages of 35 and 64 is killed by lung cancer. The figures for women in this age group are lower, about 1 in 20. This is partly because women smoke less, and have not smoked as long. But the figures are still very high.
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Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved everyone has a daily energy cycle.
During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you’re “hot. “That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body tem-perature is at its peak (顶峰). For some people, the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语) as: “Get up, John. You’ll be late for work again. “ The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-an-ener-gy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives real-ize what these energy cycles mean and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Dr. Kleitman believes that habit can help. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract (对抗) your cycle to some extent by habitually stay-ing up later than you want. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam (振作精神) and work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn (打哈欠) and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. When-ever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.
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He thought the painting was of little ______, so he let me have it for only ten dollars. price cost value expenses
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When they had finished playing, the children were made to ______ all the toys they had taken out. put out put off put up put away
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The fireman acted quickly because lives were______. out of danger in despair in danger out of condition
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The team ______ of scientists and experts in different lines of work. insisted consisted persisted composed
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He asked Tom whether these islands ______ to that country. belonged belong are belonged have belonged
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The servant ______ all day and all night. made to work was made to work was made work was made working
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______ a wrong address, she could not find her friend’s house. Giving To be given Having given Having been given
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During the first half of the twentieth century, the average American household was ______ by the introduction of a group of machines that profoundly altered the daily lives of housewives. transformed transferred transmitted transported
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We have not decided which hotel______. to stay at to stay staying at for staying
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He won the scholarship. He ______ hard these terms. should have worked must have worked must have been working could have worked
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I don’t doubt ______ he’ll come. that if what whether
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The man, ______ is parked in front of our house, is a famous artist. the red car of which who’s red car of whom the red car whose red car
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The storm was ______ I never saw before. such as such which as such so much
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I will spend more time on English, ______ it is possible. so that provided just as for fear that
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Although we hadn’t met for 20 years, I recognized him ______ I saw him. the moment that moment by the moment for the moment
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My parents bought me some books, but ______ was interesting. neither of which none of them none of which either
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No one except Tom and Mary ______ late for the class. are is were was
