Nobody wants to cheat

　　I've cheated in school when I thought that I could get away with1 it. I'm not proud of it and I don't usually feel very good about myself afterward¹, but sometimes it's the only way possible to survive in a pressure cooker2. My parents are really set on3 my getting good grades. They study my report card the same way they scrutinize4 the newspaper's stock² market page. And they make me feel that I've got to live up to5 their expectations6.

　　I can't remember my mother or father ever asking me about what I actually learned³ in school or if I enjoyed a particular subject. Instead, it's always been, “ How are you doing in geometry7?” or “ How'd your English teacher like your paper?”

　　It's hard to disappoint them. When my grades even begin to drop at all, I feel as though I've failed. It's an awful feeling.

　　Some teachers are really rough. They'll give tests containing at least one or two questions on materials we've never even covered8 in class. It's not always possible to come out ahead.

　　I don't think that most teachers understand how much we're expected to produce. Or even what good grades and our class rank can mean to us. If you want to get into a really good college, you've got to have a top academic record. Without that, all the extracurricular9 activities you may have engaged in can mean nothing.

　　But often it's like each teacher acts as if his is the only subject we have. They think nothing of piling on10 our homework or giving surprise quizzes11. Sometimes we have to take two or three tests in different subjects on the same day. I'd like to see a lot of adults I know preparing for that.

　　When the work load becomes too difficult, some kids may resort⁴ to12 cheating. If you have three or four subjects to study for, you're not going to be able to devote enough time to each subject in order to be well prepared for each class.

　　Nevertheless,you're still expected to ace13 everything.And you'll usually end up cheating in the classes you are least prepared for.Those usually turn out to be the subjects you don't like or tend to do poorly in.It may be the only way left to live up to your parents' expectations and compete with the top students in the class.

　　Everybody knows that if you cheat, it's crucial14 not to get caught. Few things can cause more of an uproar15. Once my older brother got caught cheating on a math final. My parents acted as though he'd committed a federal⁵ offense16. The assistant principal⁶ called them to school, but although the incident sparked17 several conferences, I don't think that anybody ever really understood what my brother was going through18. We're just supposed to perform exceptionally⁷ as well as always act honestly, but how many adults can actually live up to the standards they set for us?

　　My father has gotten countless⁸ traffic tickets19 for parking in no? parking zones or for not coming to a full stop at stop signs. And you're always hearing about people who don't file their income tax honestly. Sometimes they're even admired for their cunning⁹ in cheating the IRS20. How about all the corruption¹⁰ in government? Successful adults often accept dishonesty in order to achieve their business goals. Are kids the only ones who are supposed to be perfect?

　　Most of my friends have cheated on tests in school at one time or another.The kids who never cheat are usually either afraid of getting caught or just don't know how to do it safely. Nobody wants to cheat. But if it's a choice of being honest or of getting a grade, most kids will try for the A.That may sound wrong, but we didn't make the rules, we're just trying to get by.

1 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 stock   

n.存货，储备；树干；血统；股份；家畜；adj.存货的；平凡的，惯用的；股票的；畜牧的；vt.进货，采购；储存；供给；vi.出新芽；进货

参考例句：

• The shop takes stock every week on Friday mornings.这家商店每星期五早晨盘点存货。
• Experts have forecast an upturn in the stock market.专家已预测股票市场价格有上升趋势。

3 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

4 resort   

n.凭借，手段，常去之地，胜地；vi.求助，诉诸，采取（某种手段等），常去

参考例句：

• He couldn't have passed the exam without resort to cheating.他要不是靠作弊是通不过这次考试的。
• Beidaihe is noted for its summer resort.北戴河以避暑胜地而著称。

5 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

6 principal   

adj.主要的；n.负责人，校长，资本

参考例句：

• When he saw the principal,he raised his hand in salutation.他看到校长时举手敬礼。
• Their school gave a reception to their new principal.他们学校为新校长举办了一个招待会。

7 exceptionally   

ad.异常地

参考例句：

• The weather, even for January, was exceptionally cold. 这种天气即使在一月份也算得上非常寒冷。
• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night. 昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。

8 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

9 cunning   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；n.狡猾，奸诈

参考例句：

• A spy used cunning means to find out secrets.间谍使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• The fox is known for its cleverness and cunning.狐狸的机敏和狡猾是人所共知的。

10 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。