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. 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 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 had to move 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 others to know or to think that they are rich

B．want to be as rich as their neighbours

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 in New York City                     B．live outside New York City

C．live in apartments                       D．live with many neighbours

3.What’s the author’s attitude to keeping up with the Joneses?

A．Supportive.        B．Objective.         C．Negative.          D．Positive.

Water is very important to living things. Without water there can be no life on the earth. All animals and plants need water. Man also needs water. We need water to drink, to cook our food and to clean ourselves. Water is needed in offices, factories and schools. Water is needed everywhere.

There is water in seas, rivers and lakes. Water is found almost everywhere. Even in the desert part of the world, there is some water in the air. You can not see or feel it when it is a part of the air. The water in the seas, rivers and lakes is a liquid, the water in the air is a gas, and we call it water vapour (蒸气).

Clouds are made of water. They may be made of very small drops of water. They may also be made of snow crystals(结晶体). Snow crystals are very very small crystals of ice. Ice is frozen water. It is a solid. There can be snow and ice everywhere in winter.

Water may be a solid or a liquid or a gas. When it is a solid, it may be as hard as a stone. When it is a liquid, you can drink it. When it is a gas, you can not see or feel it.

1.Where can we find water?

A．Water can be found almost everywhere

B．We can find water when it turns into vapour.

C．Water is only in seas and rivers.

D．We can see water in deserts here and there.

2.We can drink water when it is     .

A．a solid            B．in the air          C．aliquid            D．turned into ice

3.Clouds are made of     .

A．seas, rivers and lakes                    B．solid, liquid and gas

C．very small drops of water or snow crystals     D．blocks of ice

4.Water has three states(状态). They are        .

A．solid, liquid and gas

B．solid, vapour, snow

C．drops of water, blocks of ice and crystals of water

D．ice,snow and air

A newspaper reporter’s job can be very interesting. He meets all types of people and lives quite a busy life. He is on the rush for news all the time, then after several years he may get a desk job, and life becomes a bit more settled. Let’s look at his work a little more closely. In a day he may have to interview the prime minister of a foreign country, and the next day he may be writing about a football match. Sometimes he may be so busy that he has hardly any time to sleep. And at other times he may go on for days looking out for news materials yet return empty-handed.

　　In the beginning, a reporter has to cover a very wide field. After the early years he becomes more specialized in his work. For example, he may finally be asked to write only on court cases or politics or sports. Some reporters may become so specialized that they are asked only to write on a special thing: horse racing, for example. In most newspaper houses there is at least one special racing correspondent. Some newspapers have book reviews. Their job is delightful. They read the latest book and then write reviews on the ones they like. Then there are those who write on films, so they get to see them even before they are shown in the cinema. How lucky, you would say!

　　A reporter’s job can also be very dangerous. A number of them have died rushing from one assignment to another, and if there is a flood or a riot(暴乱) they may get hurt or even be killed. Three years ago there was a reporter whose camera was smashed by a group of men, because they were angry with him for taking their picture. Dangerous or not, one thing is certain, and that is, their job is never dull!

1.What does the underlined phrase “on the rush” mean in the passage?

A．on the beach       B．on the spot        C．in a hurry         D．in no time

2.Reporters who write on films are said to be lucky because they _____.

A．can see more film stars

B．can see the films before most people see them in the cinema

C．can pay less than other people

D．can write anything they like

3.A reporter’s work becomes dangerous when _____.

A．there is an interview with the prime minister  B．there is a football match

C．he is seeing a horror film                  D．there is a flood or a riot

4.From the passage we can infer that, to be a good reporter, he must be all of the following except _____.

A．brave            B．quick in mind       C．strong            D．well-informed

A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

　　Be involved (介入，参与). Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work. 　1.　What they look for is your patience—to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express her worries and fears, but don’t let them focus on those fears.

　　Help them get organized. 　2.　Together, you and your teen can work out a timetable in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.

　　Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect her privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. 　3.　If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches.

　　　4.　Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

　　Show a positive attitude. 　5.　Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.

A．Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.

B．Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly.

C．They will only make the situation worse.

D．Encourage your teen to relax

E. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

F. A parent’s attitude will affect their teen’s emotions.

G. The best thing is simply to be there.

短文改错

Dear Brown,

Last summer I take a part-time job in the International Camp for children. I have been told one more worker will be needed in this year and I think you are fit to it. How about join us? The camp is at the foot of a small hill close to a river. It is so a beautiful place! We can hear birds singing happy all around. Everybody sleeps in tents, that is very exciting. We usually work only five hours a day, so we will have plenty of spare time visit the area and have a fun. I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. If you are interesting in it, reply to me soon．

Yours,

Li Hua

假如你是李明，你的班里来了一位英国交换生Paul。他在和你的交谈中表示在中国学习压力很大。请你给他写封信，给他提一些建议。主要包括以下内容：

1．请求老师和同学的帮助。

2．不要总想着考试成绩，要多想自己的进步。

3．多进行体育运动。

4．……。

注意：1. 词数：120字左右；

2. 可适当加入细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 信的开头已为你写好（不计入总词数）。

Dear Paul,

I quite sympathize with you and understand the great trouble you are suffering from.  ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely                                                                              Li Ming

Most students think this book is useful as it ____ all the basic grammar rules they        need to know.  

A．deals             B．covers            C．says              D．teaches

____ I can see, there is only one possible way to keep away from danger.

A．As long as         B．As far as           C．Just as            D．Even if

The girl cycled round the corner so quickly that she lost her ____ , fell off and hurt her legs seriously.

A．patience          B．control           C．balance           D．touch

Since Jerry is absent today, let’s get someone else to ____ the work where it was left off yesterday.

A．take in            B．take down         C．take up           D．take off