American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.

     Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.

     This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.

     Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.

What does the author think of cities all over the world?

    A. They are alive.                      B. They are hopeless.  

C. They are similar.                    D. They are different.

Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Two?

   A. Because older American cities were dying.

   B. Because they were richer and needed more space.

   C. Because cities contained the worst parts of society.

   D. Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities             .

   A. are faced with housing problems   B. are forced to move to the suburbs

   C. want to sell their buildings        D. need more money for daily expenses

We can conclude from the text that            .

   A. American cities are changing for the worse

   B. people have different views on American cities

   C. many people are now moving from American cities

   D. the population is decreasing in older American cities 

When my father died, one of the tasks that fell to me was to sort through and decide which objects to save and which to throw away. Now I look at the   51   of my life as if I were dead,   52   what my children will do with the human skull(骷髅) that   53   on the bookcase next to my desk. I couldn’t   54   them if they threw it out. They’ve been wanting to do that for some years,   55   will they know how much can be learned from   56   with a skull? And what about my books?   57   they can find some place in their   58   for ten thousand books. However, I know they will look at the white, plastic head of a horse on my desk and   59   it into a Glad trash bag without any   60  , never knowing that it is the only place   61   from the first chess set (棋子)I owned.

How many boxes of mine will my children   62  ? Can I trust my children with my   63   ? Every object of our lives is a   64   , and emotion swirls(旋动) around it like fog, hiding and   65   a tiny truth of the heart.

I look at these objects that are mine and know, too, that they are   66   of how alone I am, how alone each of us is,   67   no one knows what any object means except he or she who   68    it. I have the memory of taking it home   69   one of my newly-born children from the hospital; only I have the memory of what it looked like when I lived in that apartment and where it sat in that house. I look at the objects that are mine, and the memories are   70   and permeated(渗透着)with love. I look at the objects that are mine and know that I’m going to miss me very much.

A. tasks                 B. objects                  C. books            D. pictures

A. wondering         B. designing       C. concluding        D. weaving

A. cries                B. sleeps             C. sits             D. smiles

A. educate              B. understand         C. blame           D. strike

A. and               B. so               C. or              D. but

A. helping       B. living             C. playing          D. speaking

A. Honestly           B. Luckily         C. Naturally       D. Surely

A. desks                B. bags            C. apartments        D. hearts

A. drag              B. take            C. move                   D. throw

A. hesitation          B. love            C. care              D. worry

A. casting           B. expanding      C. remaining        D. shining

A. enjoy            B. reserve           C. find           D. prepare

A. life             B. passion           C. respect          D. heart

A. mark              B. pleasure         C. belief                   D. memory

A. preventing        B. spreading       C. protecting        D. encouraging

A. symbols         B. phenomena        C. measures        D. tracks

A. when            B. once           C. unless            D. as

A. prefers           B. repairs                  C. owns            D. remembers

A. like             B. for              C. with           D. to

A. strange          B. warm          C. new           D. bitter

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 this 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(公寓房间) in New York City.

    Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich life--style of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series (系列) 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 ‘Jonses’ 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 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. The underlined word neighbourhood in the second paragraph means ________.

   A. a person who lives near another      B. people living in an area

   C. an area near the place referred to     D. an area in another town or city

4.According to the writer, it is ________to keep up with the Joneses.

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

 

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 this 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 life--style 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 ‘Jonses’ 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 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.The underlined word neighbourhood in the second paragraph means ________.

A.a person who lives near another

B.people living in an area

C.an area near the place referred to

D.an area in another town or city

4. 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

5.According to the writer, it is       to keep up with the Joneses.

A.correct

B.interesting

C.impossible

D.good

 

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