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 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 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．live with many neighbors
3.What's the author's attitude to keeping up with the Joneses?
A．Negative. B．Positive. C．Supportive. D．Objective.
I was nineteen years old the first time I saw my own true character.
My trip to and from work each day included a ten-minute walk through the heart of downtown, where the 36 often gathered. Like most busy citizens, I learned to 37 those nameless faces. When it came to homeless beggars, my 38 life experience had led me to one 39 that they are on the street because they choose to be, probably due to alcohol or drugs.
It was an extremely cold day. When I passed the groups of beggars as usual, I heard a shaky voice target me.
“Spare some change?” he asked.
I didn’t even 40 looking up at his nameless face. I briefly 41 him walking into a liquor store and buying whiskey with the money we spared him. Like most teenagers, it took me only moments to 42 him.
“I have no money on me,” I said quickly.
Looking back now, I feel as if God had set out that day to teach me a lesson. And God 43 . Just a few feet past him, I managed to find the only ice patch on the sidewalk. I 44 and landed heavily on my right knee. The 45 was almost killing me as I tried to get up. Then I heard a shaky voice only inches above me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I knew immediately this was the man I had just rushed past. Even in pain, I 46 took a quick moment to sniff for the smell of alcohol on his breath. There was none. He wasn’t 47 . I saw the 48 in his eyes.
I 49 to get to my feet. He held my arm as I walked difficultly to the nearby bus stop.
“My name is Mike,” he said. “That’s quite a fall you took, and you really need to get it checked by a doctor,” he said with deep 50 .
“This bus goes past the hospital,” I said.
Mike paused, and a look of sudden 51 crossed his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cup. He took out all the change and held it out toward me.
“I think there’s just enough here for you to take the bus,” he said.
I was highly embarrassed as I remembered my 52 . I reached for my purse and took out my change. At least ten dollars. I offered Mike all my change.
“Thank you and take care of yourself,” I said. Both of us knew that few minutes earlier I couldn’t have 53 what happened to him.
Mike held his cup tightly, 54 it as if it were the first gift he had ever received.
A half cup of change seemed too small a gift for the man who gave a 55 to every nameless face I’ve ever seen.
1. A．doctors B．beggars C．citizens D．sellers
2. A．pity B．observe C．forgive D．ignore
3. A．limited B．painful C．meaningful D．rich
4. A．fact B．rule C．assumption D．suggestion
5. A．mind B．bother C．avoid D．bear
6. A．imagined B．followed C．noticed D．heard
7. A．judge B．stop C．tease D．blame
8. A．signed B．succeeded C．responded D．approached
9. A．skipped B．dashed C．slipped D．hesitated
10. A．regret B．scare C．cold D．pain
11. A．still B．ever C．yet D．also
12. A．honest B．reliable C．drunk D．shabby
13. A．greed B．surprise C．sorrow D．sympathy
14. A．failed B．struggled C．hurried D．chose
15. A．relief B．satisfaction C．understanding D．concern
16. A．confusion B．realization C．excitement D．sadness
17. A．lie B．injury C．promise D．experience
18. A．known B．predicted C．cared D．accepted
19. A．treasuring B．protecting C．making D．showing
20. A．lesson B．name C．chance D．fortune
— Have you been wasting time on computer games again?
— _______. I’ve been studying a lot and I need a break.
A．No way B．Not really C．I don’t agree D．I couldn’t agree more
—Which city do you expect to live in?
—I don’t mind where I live _____ there is my favorite job.
A．sothat B．incase C．asfaras D．solongas
I thought there would be many students in the hall, but when I got in, I found ______.
A．none B．no one C．nobody D．nothing
— I find it astonishing that John ______ be so rude to me.
— Not astonishing at all. He is always rude to others.
A．should B．must C．might D．would
