题目内容

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

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

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

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

A. correct B. interesting

C. impossible D. good

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“How’s it going? ” I ask the barista(服务生). “How’s your day been?”

“Ah, not too busy. What are you up to?”

“Not much. Just readin. ”

This,small talk, is one of the key rituals(规矩)of American life. It has taken me only a decade to master.

I immigrated to the United States in 2001, for college. I brought only my Indian experience in dealing with shopkeepers and tea sellers. In Delhi, where I grew up, when doing business, people don't ask each other how the other's day has been. They might not even smile. The customer doesn't tremble before complaining about how cold his food is. Each side believes the other will cheat him.

“God, Mahajan, you’re so rude to waiters!” Tom, an American friend, said, laughing, after he watched me ordering food at a restaurant, in the West Village, years ago. Considering myself a mild and friendly person, I was surprised. Tom always asked servers how they were doing or praised their shirts or made jokes about the menu. At that time, this seemed dishonest to me. Did he really like what they were wearing?

American life is based on a principle that we like one another but won’t violate one another’s privacies. This makes it a land of small talk. Two people greet each other happily, with friendliness, but might know each other for years before asking basic questions about each other’s backgrounds. The opposite is true of Indians. At least three people I’ve sat next to on planes to and from India have asked me, within minutes, how much I earn as a writer (only to turn away in disappointment when I tell them).

Living in Brooklyn and then in Austin, Texas. I made coffee shops the places of my movements. Meeting the same baristas day after day produced context, and I got practice. I was beginning to fit in. It felt good and didn’t seem fake anymore.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The author takes pride in everything of his homeland.

B. The author still thinks the American way of treating strangers is not sincere.

C. The author finally got used to small talk after a lot of practice in America.

D. It only took the author a short time to learn the real ritual of American life.

2.What do people in the US tend to do in a restaurant?

A. They have friendly small talk with the servers.

B. They ask if the servers are satisfied with their pay.

C. They complain about the food and service straightforwardly.

D. They make objective comments on the servers’ clothing.

3.What do we know about Indians according to Paragraph 7?

A. Indians don’t like each other.

B. Indians live in a land of small talk.

C. Indians show little respect for others; privacy.

D. Indians know little about their friends’ backgrounds.

4.What might be the best title of this passage?

A. A Rude Indian in America

B. Small Talk and Great Friendship

C. My Struggle with American Small Talk

D. Cultural Differences between Countries

My friend Tim came from a big family. His father was an alcoholic and died very young and his mother was unable to ____ the family. Unfortunately, the children were ____ and placed in different foster homes.

Tim dropped out of school and did nothing to ____ himself. He eventually went through a divorce. Tim’s brother, ____ experiencing the same childhood, ____ himself for a degree and got a well – paid job. He possessed a(n) ____ home.

Both brothers gave a ____ answer when asked why their lives ____ the way they did. They said. “You’d live this way too if you had a ____ like mine. ” Neither of the brothers could ____ his past, but one of them adjusted his ____.

It doesn’t take much to find an ____ whether that is the family background, the ____ of education, or that we live in the wrong city, or do not know the right people. Actually, each of these problems has a ____.However, if you believe that there is nothing you can do to turn your life around, then you won’t be able to change your life for ____.

If you really ____ to turn your life to a new course, to set your sail to a different port, it is a matter of ____. If you choose to move ____, the easiest way is to find a solution to your today’s situation. Solutions are there if you want to ____ them. Sure, it may take some hard work. But if you do not, then you will never have a different or happy life. Do not ____ yourself by finding an excuse, but restrict your self by refusing to have an excuse.

1.A. encourage B. support C. satisfy D. expand

2.A. selected B. grouped C. separated D. gathered

3.A. further B. express C. mistake D. pardon

4.A. as B. since C. before D. although

5.A. treated B. educated C. controlled D. behaved

6.A. ordinary B. temporary C. wonderful D. special

7.A. strange B. precise C. firm D. similar

8.A. turned out B. broke out C. turned up D. broke up

9.A. divorce B. childhood C. school D. job

10.A. ignore B. describe C. recall D. change

11.A. sail B. post C. pace D. taste

12.A. expression B. example C. error D. excuse

13.A. future B. lack C. focus D. need

14.A. price B. reason C. solution D. reward

15.A. the most B. the better C. the least D. the worse

16.A. desire B. refuse C. forget D. regret

17.A. time B. money C. choice D. fact

18.A. off B. in C. backward D. forward

19.A. wait for B. go after C. ask for D. look after

20.A. limit B. push C. enjoy D. calm[

A Toronto man is offering a free round-the-world air to the right woman. But __41_ apply. You must be named Elizabeth Gallahgher and have a Candian ___42___ .

Jordan Axani, 28, said he and his then girlfriend, Elizabeth Gallagher, booked heavily discounted round-the-world air tickets in May, but their 43 ended and he did not want her ticket to 44 . The ticket had a strict no-transfer(不可转让) 45 , but since passport information was not required when 46 , any Canadian Elizabeth Gallagher can

47 it.

“I just want to see the ticket go to good use and for someone to 48 a lot of joy,” said Axani. He posted his 49 on a social networking website, and received thousands of e-mails, including thirty from actual Elizabeth Gallagbers with the 50 passports, “More 51 , there are hundreds of Canadians who are interested in 52 their name to Elizabeth Gallagher,” Axani said. “It was absolutely out of 53 , thousands of e-mails, people around the world 54 their stories of travel.”

Axani wrote in his post that he is not 55 anything in return and that the woman who uses the 56 ticket can choose to either travel with him or 57 the ticket and travel on her own.

The 58 is scheduled to start on December 21 in New York City and continue on to Milan, Prague, Paris, Bangkok and New Delhi before 59 in Toronto on January 8. He said the 60 woman will be announced on the website and the trip will be shared online.

1.A.benefits B.deposits C.retrictions D.examinations

2.A.orgin B.passport C.accent D.firend

3.A.holiday B.marriage C.dream D.relationship

4.A.go to waste B.come to mind C. go no sale D.come into effect

5.A.policy B.order C.parment D.schedule

6.A.applying B.booking C.checking D.bargaining

7.A.use B.borrow C.choose D.buy

8.A.sacrifice B.express C.experience D.provide

9.A.answer B.advice C.offer D.comment

10.A.same B.right C.now D.real

11.A. interesting B. annoying C. satisfying D. convincing

12.A. writing B. giving C. lending D. changing

13.A. touch B. question C. date D. control

14.A. admiring B. advertising C. sharing D. doubting

15.A. leaving B. looking for C. losing D. dealing with

16.A. leaving B. looking for C. losing D. dealing with

17.A. return B. take C. reserve D. hide

18.A. interview B. program C. trip D. meeting

19. A. ending B. calling C. repeating D. staying

20.A.honored B. lovely C. intelligent D. lucky

The World Health Organization says the widespread use of sugar in food products and drinks is a major concern in many areas. So WHO officials are calling on governments to require taxes on sugary drinks in an effort to limit their usage and popularity. The officials believe the taxes also would reduce the risk of health problems resulting from obesity.

Obesity is a condition in which the body stores large, unhealthy amounts of fat. Obese individuals are considered overweight. A new report says that in 2014 more than one-third of the adults in the world were overweight, and 500 million were considered obese. The United Nations agency estimates that in 2015, 42 million children under age 5 were either overweight or obese. It says that number represents an increase of about 11 million during the past 15 years. Almost half of these boys and girls live in Asia and one-fourth in Africa.

The U.N. agency blames unhealthy diets for a rise in diabetes cases. There are 422 million cases of the disease worldwide. WHO says 1.5 million people die from it every year. It says the use of sugar in food products, like sugary drinks, is a major reason for the increase in rates of obesity and diabetes.

Temo Waqanivalu is with the agency’s Department for the Prevention on Non-Communicable Diseases. He told VOA hat taxing sugary drinks would reduce consumption and save lives. Waganivalu noted that Mexico enacted a 10 percent tax on sugary drinks in 2014. He said by the end of the year, there was a 6 percent drop in the consumption of such drinks. Among poor people, the number of people who consumed sugary drinks dropped by 17 percent.

The WHO says people should limit the amount of sugar they consume. It says they should keep their sugar intake to below 10 percent of their total energy needs, and reduce it to less than 5 percent for improved health.

1.Why are taxes on sugary drinks required?

A. To limit their use and popularity.

B. To readjust the economic structure.

C. To warn people to change their life style.

D. To ensure the market’s diverse development.

2.What do the figures in the second paragraph suggest?

A. Adult obesity is ignored at present.

B. Obesity is a severe worldwide problem.

C. Obesity can block economic development.

D. Obesity is most serious in developed countries.

3.What does the underlined word “enacted” mean in the passage?

A. Abolish B. Pass

C. Promise D. Reduce

4.What does the example of Mexico prove?

A. Tax policies are unfair to the poor.

B. Sugary drinks are a threat to health.

C. The poor consume more sugary drinks.

D. Taxing sugary drinks makes a difference.

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