【内容提示】
你曾参加过多次英语竞赛。从这些比赛中你懂得了一条道理，那就是：知识和信心是通向成功的道路。写一篇文章说明这一道理，内容要点如下：
①你第一次参加比赛时，前面几项答的都挺好，可是最后一项抢答，虽然你知道的很多，但由于紧张而失败。
②第二次参赛时，笔试顺利通过了，但口试时又是因紧张而失利。
③通过参加比赛你还认识到，不仅要懂得基本的英语语言知识，而且还应扩大知识面才能取得成功。
【作文示范】
Knowledge and Confidence Lead to Success
“Three, Two, One, Start”, with the light on, the final test in the Shanghai area of the English Contest in East China began.
I＇m the contestant①“F”. Fortunately, during the first three items, my scores were lower only than the first one. But in the last item----quick response②, things changed. I knew that if only I could answer one question correctly, I would have the chance to go to Nanjing for the final contest. So no sooner had Miss Zhang, the hostess, given the question “name three of the novels written by Charles Dickens”, than I pressed the button. Though I know many of the novels written by him very well, such as Hard Times, Oliver Twist③, A Tale of Two Cities, Old Curiosity shop④, David Copperfield⑤, I was so nervous at that time that I could only remember two of them. So ten points were taken away.At last I only got the third prize. But from taking part in the contest, I have learned a lot.
When I learned of the holding of the English Contest on“English Pictorial”⑥ in April, I was so confident that I entered my name for it immediately. And I managed to pass the“written test”and the“oral test”,which were held in the middle of July. But my nervousness resulted in my failure in the following test.
|Also I found that success in an English Contest depends on not only knowledge of English itself but also knowledge at large. For example, in the last item there was such a question:“Tell the full name of GREat Britain and what do people call her flag.”Though I know the answer of the first part of the question, I did not know the name of the flag. Now I know it＇s called Union Jack⑦.
So, you see, confidence and knowledge are two very important things which lead to success. Do you think so?
（选自1987年9月22日《上海学生英文报》）
【词语解释】
①contestant[k+n＇test+nt] n．竞争者；参加比赛者
②response [ris＇p&ns] n．作答，回答；轮流应答
③Oliver Twist《奥立弗·推斯特》
④ Old Curiosity Shop 《老古玩店》
⑤ David Copperfield《大卫·科波菲尔》
⑥English Pictorial《英语画刊》
⑦Union Jack [＇ju:nj+n ＇j$k] 英国国旗
【写法指要】
1）本文是例证法说明文。例证法和列举法同属于举例法（exemplification）。与举例法不同的是，例证法在一篇短文中只举一两个例子，但必须详细剖析。而列举法只把例子举出来，最多再解释一两句。
2）本文用例证法说明了文章的主题：“Confidence and knowledge are two very important things which lead to success.”三个详例是作者两次参加英语比赛所出的错误：1）由于紧张而没说出狄更斯一部小说的书名；2）由于紧张未通过复试；3）只知其一，不知其二，即说不上来英国国旗的别名。
