__________ the story is short and there are few new words in it, it is difficult to understand.

A．Though

B．When

C．For

D．If

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.
【小题1】Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ________.

A．want to be as rich as their neighbours

B．want others to know or to think that they are rich

C．don’t want others to know they are rich

D．want to be happy

【小题2】It can be inferred (推断) from the story that rich people like to ________.

A．live outside New York City	B．live in New York City
C．live in apartments	D．have many neighbours

【小题3】Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is ________.

A．an important name	B．a popular name in the United States
C．his neighbour’s name	D．not a good name

【小题4】If a person who keeps up with the Joneses, he would _________.

A．do as the poor persons around him do

B．do everything he likes to do

C．do as his neighbours do

D．do as the rich people around him do

The story was a true one and still moved me deeply. Thirty years ago, I got to know a ____ lady named Rose, she had no kids and lived alone. ____ I went to visit her, I always took Rose some coffee and food. One day she said she wanted to____ me to have lunch.

We walked ____ my workplace to a little restaurant on David Street. On the way, I began to worry: I knew that she had no money, but if I offered to ____ the lunch, I was afraid I would hurt her.

There were many people in the ____, and all of them were happy. Rose told me to sit and drink coffee by the window. Then she went to ____ in the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, she came out and sat with me. She just paid for one meal and we started to ____ the delicious food together. She told ____ that the restaurant let people work for a meal if they had no money, or would give them a free meal if they were not able to work. To my surprise, she also explained that the workers ____ were working there were all volunteers.

I ____ remember the beautiful afternoon I shared with Rose. ____ we had a meal together only once, it was paid by Rose’s work. The weather was ____ and bright, and everyone’s smile was warm and bright too.

I’m still thinking that life cannot be easy to us, but we can still do ____ for our friends and neighbors. The world will be ____ if everybody would like to share happiness with others.

It will never be dark if there is a light in everyone’s heart.

1.A.poor        B. rich         C. outgoing           D. crazy

2.A. Unless      B. After        C. Unitl              D. When

3.A. invite       B. help        C. borrow             D. give

4.A. By         B. In          C. from               D. into

5.A. pay for      B. ask for      C. look for            D. care for

6.A. park        B. restaurant    C. hotel              D. bar

7.A. sit          B. rest         C. sleep              D. work

8.A. buy         B. cook        C. enjoy              D. drink

9.A. her         B. him         C. me                D. you

10.A. who       B. where        C. which             D. whose

11.A. never      B. still          C. hardly              D. already

12.A. So        B. But          C. Though             D. Because

13.A. hotter      B. cold          C. cool               D. warm

14.A. something  B. anything       C. nothing            D. everything

15.A. colder     B. nicer           C. harder             D. worse

 

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.

The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours.

It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.

Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Joneses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ________.

A．want to be as rich as their neighbours

B．want others to know or to think that they are rich

C．don’t want others to know they are rich

D．want to be happy

2.It can be inferred (推断) from the story that rich people like to ________.

A．live outside New York City                 B．live in New York City

C．live in apartments                       D．have many neighbours

3.Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is ________.

A．an important name                      B．a popular name in the United States

C．his neighbour’s name                   D．not a good name

4.If a person who keeps up with the Joneses, he would _________.

A．do as the poor persons around him do

B．do everything he likes to do

C．do as his neighbours do

D．do as the rich people around him do

 

There is one word you must learn before you visit the USA. That is “Freeze”. Remember it has a special meaning besides the usual one. It means “stand still and don’t move”. Often policemen use it when they are ready to use their guns. If one doesn’t obey the order and moves, he or she will be shot to death.

One evening in Los Angeles, someone rang the bell of a house. It was a dangerous area at night, so the owner of the house took his gun with him when he answered the door. He opened the door and saw a strange man. But the man turned round and started walking away from the house. The owner cried: “Freeze”, but the young man went on walking without obeying the owner’s order. The owner thought he was trying to run away, so he shot at the young man and he was killed.

Later, police found that the dead man was a Japanese student who was studying in Los Angeles University. He went to visit a friend, but unluckily could not remember the number of the house. When he realized he went to the wrong house he turned round and left. He didn’t know much English and so didn’t understand the word “Freeze”. What a lesson we should get for this!

1.According to the article, what does the word “Freeze” mean?

A．It means “be covered with ice”.          B．It means “very cold”.

C．It means “dangerous”.                 D．It means “Stand still, or I will shoot you”.

2.The meaning of the word “owner” here means _________.

A．a policeman                           B．a man with a gun

C．a person who possesses something          D．a dog of a house

3.Which of the following is right?

A．When you hear the police or someone say “Freeze” in the USA, you must stop moving.

B．Don’t ring the bell of anyone’s house in the USA at night.

C．At last, the police found the dead man was a thief.

D．The owner of the house was put into prison.

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?

A．Police say “Freeze” when they are going to use their guns.

B．The story happened in Los Angeles in the morning.

C．The dead man was a Japanese student.

D．The dead man couldn’t understand the meaning of “Freeze”.

5.What’s the best title of the article?

A．A Japanese Student                      B．American Police

C．Freeze                               D．The Owner of a House