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 neighbors.

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 neighborhood 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(仆人) and gave big parties for their new neighbors.

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 neighbors. 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 neighbors

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 make themselves 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 neighbors

3.According to the writer, it is_______ to keep up with the Joneses.

A. correct B. interesting C. impossible D. good

4.Which of the following activities probably does not belong to the rich people?

A. holding a race B. riding horses

C. holding parties D. hiring a servant

Here is a story told an American general (将军) who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the Untied States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.

Soon after the war, the general returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist (牙医) and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops at $5 each. On each of the teeth there was a label (标签) with the name of the general and words, “Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home.” The general got angry. He rushed to his office and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.

The officers went out and visited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth.

( ) 1. The general’s teeth were sold in ____.

A. the museum

B. the special shops selling some rare and interesting things

C. the department store

D. the hospital

( ) 2. In the evening, the officers went back with all the teeth which cost _____.

A. $785 B. $1, 050 C. $157 D. $875

( ) 3. The general felt ____ when he heard his teeth were sold.

A. happy B. excited C. sad D. angry

( ) 4. There was the general’s name on the label of each tooth. This shows that _____.

A. the general’s name was known by most of the people in Washington

B. the shop-keeper wanted to have more customers buy the teeth

C. the shop-keeper tried to make the general more popular

D. Both A and C

( ) 5. The general ordered his men to____.

A. look for his teeth and buy all of them

B. arrest the dentist at once

C. make all the shops stop selling teeth

D. buy all the teeth in all the shops

Here is a story told an American general (将军) who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the Untied States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.

Soon after the war, the general returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist (牙医) and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops at $5 each. On each of the teeth there was a label (标签) with the name of the general and words, “Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home.” The general got angry. He rushed to his office and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.

The officers went out and visited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth.

46. The general’s teeth were sold in ____.

A. the museum

B. the special shops selling some rare and interesting things

C. the department store   D. the hospital

 47. In the evening, the officers went back with all the teeth which cost _____.

A. $785   B. $1, 050   C. $157   D. $875

48. The general felt ____ when he heard his teeth were sold.

A. happy   B. excited   C. sad    D. angry

49. There was the general’s name on the label of each tooth. This shows that _____.

A. the general’s name was known by most of the people in Washington

B. the shop-keeper wanted to have more customers buy the teeth

C. the shop-keeper tried to make the general more popular

D. Both A and C

50. The general ordered his men to____.

A. look for his teeth and buy all of them

B. arrest the dentist at once

C. make all the shops stop selling teeth

D. buy all the teeth in all the shops