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 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 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.

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.The underlined word neighbourhood in the second paragraph means ________.

A．a person who lives near another	B．people living in an area
C．an area near the place referred to	D．an area in another town or city

4. 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

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

A．correct

B．interesting

C．impossible

D．good

 

A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin (顽童)was walking around the shining car. "Is this your car, Paul?" he asked.
Paul answered, "Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything. Boy, I wish..."He hesitated (犹豫).
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." Paul looked at the boy in surprise, then he said again; "Would you like to take a ride in my car?" "Oh, yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?"
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled ( 残疾 ) brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
"There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm going to give you one just like it. Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
【小题1】The street urchin was very surprised when______________ . 

A．Paul received an expensive car	B．Paul told him about the car
C．he saw the shining car	D．he was walking around the car

【小题2】The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house______________ .

A．to show his neighbours the big car	B．to show he had a rich friend
C．to let his brother ride in the car	D．to tell his brother about his wish

【小题3】We can infer from the story that______________.

A．Paul couldn't understand the urchin

B．the urchin had a deep love for his brother

C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother

D．the urchin's wish came true in the end

【小题4】The best title of the story is__________ .

A．A Christmas Present	B．A Street Urchin
C．A Brother Like That	D．An Unforgettable Holiday Ride

John and Booby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted（提升）Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee（雇员）. John could not take it any more, so he sent his resignation(辞职信) and complained that the boss did not value（重视）hard working workers but only promoted those who said good words of him.

The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, “Thank you for telling me, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your mind and take back your resignation.”

John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelons in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelons. The boss asked how much per kg, John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss $1.2 per kg.

The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelons in the market. Bobby went, returned and said only one person sold watermelons. $1.2 for a kg, $10 for 10kg and his watermelons added up to 340. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the south two days ago and they were fresh, red and good quality.

John was surprised and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to go away but to learn from Bobby.

The story tells us that a more successful person is more concerned and thinks more. Chances are there in the daily details. For the same thing, a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?

1.John wanted to stop his job in his company because_________.

A．Bobby was promoted but he was not

B．he didn’t want to say good words of his boss

C．he thought the boss didn’t take his hard work seriously

D．he didn’t want to be an ordinary employee

2.The boss asked John to find out where watermelons were sold in order to _________.

A．persuade him to stay in the company

B．prove he was a hardworking worker

C．buy some watermelons for the company

D．prove his abilities at work for himself

3.From what Bobby did, we can see that he was promoted only because _________.

A．he was a more concerned businessman

B．he knew how to do business

C．he was more experienced at work

D．he knew details about the watermelon market

4.We can conclude from the story that _________.

A．one should stop his job if the boss doesn’t think much of his work

B．it’s necessary to know the market when you buy a watermelon

C．detail plays a very important part in one’s success

D．one should get along well with his boss if he wants to be promoted

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

A．More Concerned, More Successful          B．How to Buy Watermelons

C．Who Is More Successful                  D．Proud John

 

 

 “It’s the best…uhh…What? You don’t want it?...,”the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed.

“Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don’t put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology,” Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father’s criticism.

“You’ve been in this shop for six months and you haven’t succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll give you another three more weeks. If you still can’t make one sale, I’ll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I’ll just give you one last chance to prove yourself,” said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin.

Andrew’s heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father.

It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him,“ Sort it out yourself. It’s gotta come from yourself.” he said.

The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:‘ How to increase your confidence,’‘ The art of communication,’‘How to sell well’amongst others.

The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising.

1.

We learn from the story that at the beginning Andrew’s father_________.

  A.holds the view that Andrew is hopeless

  B.has lost his patience with Andrew

  C.has given the shop to Andrew

  D.still hopes Andrew will improve

2.

We learn from the story that Andrew_________.

  A.has turned himself into an experienced sales manager

  B.has tried in vain to get his job done in six months

  C.has let his father down in the end

  D.has done well with the help of Mike

3.

What’s the most significant change of character in Andrew?

  A.He’s more convincing.                   B.He’s more hard-working.

  C.He is more confident.                   D.He is more intelligence.

4.

What conclusion can we draw from the story?

  A.Success depends on hard work,talent,and willingnesss to make changes.

  B.However hard you try, you won’t achieve success without others’ help

  C.It takes time to succeed, you have to try again and again and never give up

  D.It’s good communication skills and some tricks that result in big business.

 

“You'll have to take care of the baby today,” a woman told her husband . “ I'm not feeling well.”
“Then you must stay in bed and rest, dear. “ her husband said. “I'll be pleased to look after our baby. “
“Thank you. I'll have a quiet day and I'll soon get better. “ his wife told him.
“Shall I do the shopping for you as well?” her husband asked.
She was very pleased and said, “That will help me very much. I'll give you a list of things to buy. “
She wrote out the list and gave it to him.
“You can get all these things at the supermarket,” she said.
“You can put the baby in the shopping cart, then you won't have to leave him outside.”
The man took the baby to the supermarket and put him in the shopping cart. Then he pushed the shopping cart along the rows of things to buy and looked for those that were on his list.
At first all was well, but then the baby began to cry.
Then he started to scream.
And scream!
And SCREAM!
“Keep calm ,George, ” the man said. “Don't get excited. Don't shout, George. Don't lose your temper, George.”
A woman in the supermarket heard him saying these things. She walked up to him.
“I think you are wonderful ,”she said. “You are so patient with your little George. ”
　　“Madam, ”" the man said, “I'm George. He's Edward.”
【小题1】 Why did the man take care of the baby?

A．it was his turn.	B．His wife was not well.
C．His wife was not at home.	D．He always looked after it.

【小题2】Why did the man take the baby to the supermarket?

A．He had to go shopping.

B．He wanted to show the baby to his friend.

C．He wanted to give the baby a ride in a shopping cart.

D．The baby liked going to the supermarket.

【小题3】What did the baby do in the supermarket?

A．pushed the shopping cart	B．lost its temper
C．made a lot of noise	D．helped his father

【小题4】Finally we can infer from the story that_____ .

A．the man was very calm when the baby was crying

B．the woman was very pleased to see the man

C．the woman mistook George for the baby, while in fact the man was named George

D．the man was very busy in shopping, but he couldn't find all the goods on the list