63. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 show?

A. It suggests that they were too frightened to speak.

B. It shows that they were a bit curious.

C. It means they were ready to do some research work.

D. It explains how interested they were in the flame.

62. What is strange about Silver Cliff?

A. It used to be a place where people went to make their fortune.

B. People have been seeing strange lights from the graveyard.

C. It was a rich mining town.

D. It is no longer a town of silver.

61. The passage is mainly about ____________.

A. dinning manners　　 B. an expensive restaurant　 C. what to wear　　 D. what to eat

答案：59-61 BBA

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D

Today, the town of Silver Cliff, Colorado, has a population of only 100 people. Once, however, it was a rich mining(矿业) town where thousands came with dreams of finding silver and making their fortune.

Late one night in 1880, a group of miners headed back to their camp after a good time in town. They were still laughing and joking as they approached the graveyard (墓地) on a hill outside Silver Cliff. Then one of the men screamed and pointed toward the graveyard. The others looked and fell suddenly silent. On top of each grave, they saw flame-like blue lights. These strange and frightening lights seemed to be dancing on the graves, disappearing and then appearing again.

This was the first time that people had seen the blue lights of Silver Cliff. There have been many other sightings over the years. In 1969, Edward Lineham from National Geographical Magazine visited the graveyard. Lineham’s article tells of his experience: “I saw them… Weak, round spots of blue-white light among the graves. I…stepped forward for a better look. They disappeared. I aimed my flashlight at one and turned it on. It showed only a tombstone(墓碑).” Lineham and others have suggested various explanations for the blue lights of Silver Cliff: The lights might have been images of lights from the town, but Silver Cliff’s lights seemed too weak to have this effect. They could have been caused by the burning of gases from things that have gone bad, but this usually happens in swamps (沼泽), and the area around Silver Cliff is dry. Or, perhaps, the lights are lights used by dead miners wandering the hills in search of the fortune they had come for.

60. Good eating manners do NOT include ____________.

A. eating at a proper pace　　　　 B. making sounds to show how much you enjoy food

C. placing a napkin on your lap　　 D. showing some interest in your friend when dining

59. If you want to eat in a popular restaurant, the author of the passage suggests that ____________.

A. you book a table beforehand　　 B. you book a table beforehand and check to be properly dressed

C. you go with a friend　　　　　 D. you just show up any time you want

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

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

答案：55-58 BABC

C

Be sure to book a table if the restaurant you choose is an expensive or a popular one. You will feel embarrassed to show up without booking and having to wait for a table, leaving very bad impression on your friend, especially your girl friend. Also, be sure to check to see if you need to be properly dressed and tell your friend ahead of time what to wear.

　　 When your food arrives, proper dining manners make you eat at a right pace so that you have time to talk. A good measure of how fast you should eat is to count 10 seconds between each mouthful and it’s bad manners if you eat too fast and then spend the rest of the time watching your friend eat.

　　 Don’t make noise when having soup and chewing, or chew with your mouth open. Your napkin should be placed on your lap at all times. Don’t put it in any other place. If you have to get up, place it neatly on your seat.

　　 When eating, put your fork straight in your mouth. Don’t place your fork in the side of your mouth as it increases the chances of dropping your food, which could be very embarrassing. If you get food stuck in your mouth, don’t pick it out with your fingers or fork at the table. Excuse yourself and go to restroom and get it out with a toothpick.

When dining, keep your eyes on your friend at all times and try to smile between mouthfuls. Sometimes, you should make an effort to show some interest and ask questions like, “How do you like the beef?” if she needs, you are the one who is supposed to flag down the waiter by a gentle wave of the hand until someone notices you.

57. 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

56. 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

55. 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

54. The best title for the passage would be ____________.

A. The Night Before the Examination　　　　　 B. Working Far into the Night

C. A Slow Student　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Going Over My Lessons

答案：51-54 CDCA

B

　　 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 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 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.