Question

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 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 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.
【小题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
【小题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

【小题3】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 neighbor’s name

D．not a good name

【小题4】If a person who keeps up with the Joneses, he would _________. 

A．do as the poor persons around him do

B．do everything he likes to do

C．do as his neighbors do

D．do as the rich people around him do

【小题5】 According to the writer, it is ___________ to keep up with the Jonese.

A．Good

B．correct

C．interesting

D．impossible

Answer 1

【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】B
【小题4】D
【小题5】D

解析试题分析： ‘keeping up with the Joneses’这个短语说的是一个人总想象有钱人那样生活。这句话是因为一个叫做Arthur Momand的人而产生的。Arthur Momand工资比较高，结婚后和妻子搬到有钱人居住的地方，一心模仿有钱人的生活，但最终因为支付不起高额的消费而搬离了富人区。
【小题1】细节理解题。根据第一段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,在美国，当一个人有钱了，他想让别人知道。即使他没有变富，他也希望别人认为他有钱那就是‘keeping up with the Joneses’的意思。故选B。
【小题2】推理判断题。根据第二段He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City.他结婚后和妻子搬到纽约城外一个非常富裕的地区。说明有钱人爱住在纽约城外。故选C。
【小题3】细节理解题。根据第四段because ‘Jones’ is a very common name in the United States.因为Jones在美国是个非常普通的名字。故选B。
【小题4】细节理解题。根据第四段’ Keeping up with the Joneses’ came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. “ Keeping up with the Joneses”意思为与周围的有钱人的生活保持一致。故选D。
【小题5】细节理解题。根据最后一段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.人们要跟上Mr. Jones肯定会很疲惫的，因为无论你做什么，, Mr. Jones总是在你的前面。故选D。
考点：考查习惯用语来历及意思的阅读。