In this age of Internet chat, videogames reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied.Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories.
　　There is no shortage of这个是一个双重否定结构，基本就是新概念第三册第9课的原句重现"New York is the ideal place for such an interesting study, because there is no shortage of tall buildings."

　　在这个句子中应该理解成"现在很多不需要用脑的活动充斥着小孩的生活"再由后面根据competition这个词可以知道这些活动是一种竞争关系。由此57题"A lot of distractions compete for children's time nowadays."答案是正确的。

　　As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories.

　　Win contests 在新概念第二册第8课里出现过这样的用法。表达"赢得比赛"。
　　该句中涉及到only to do...表示遗憾的结果，这个的语法结构在新概念第三册30课涉及到。Live up to a reputation这样的结构在新概念第二册58课出现过表达"做到之前创造的好口碑"。该句表达"作为一个作家，我体验过成功和失败。我知道在努力付出后被出版商拒绝的滋味，我也有高处不胜寒的压力"由此可以知道58题选择"Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations"。

　　完型填空

　　68题中be tied to是新概念第三册中的重点短语表示"和....有关系，和....相连"。
　　70题的选项中的related和associated也是新概念第三册35课中的重点单词，它们都表达"和....有关联"。relate 和to搭配使用，但是associate却和with搭配使用。
　　74、75题的答案是并列连词but，和negative只要能判断前后两句话表达的是一种转折关系就很容易得出答案了，前后两句是"when our friends are happy and "up", that trends to influence us positively, __74__ when they are "down", that can have a __75__ impact on us."并列连词在新概念第二册的第25课详细的讲到了。前后一个"up"一个"down"是一个鲜明的转折。所以74题的答案是but,75题的答案是negative。
　　77题的答案consistent 应该是四级考试的老朋友了，该单词在新概念第二册38课老师讲到continual的时候一定会很大家比较continuous continual consistent单词的区别。Consistent表达"一贯的"而且往往是这样的搭配"be consistent with"。
　　79题根据前后的逻辑关系可以看出来在这里一定是填一个正面评价的单词，很明显答案应该是选择favorable表达"有利的，起促进作用的"，这个单词在新概念第三册28课出现过。
　　80题 前后两句都是陈述"mood state"对消费者的影响,前后是递进关系。很显然选择moreover。关于递进关系的结构在新概念第二册52课详细的讲到，除了moreover 还有what's more, furthermore。
　　86题考的是in turn这个词组，表达"相应的"，完全和去年湖北省高考的高考题完全一样，这个考点在新概念第二册的11课，老师就一定是反复强调了。