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 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 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 (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
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
4.According to the writer, it is ________ to keep up with the Joneses.
A.correct B.interesting C.impossible D.good
The other day, I happened to meet someone I hadn’t seen for many years. I couldn’t believe the change in him. In fact, he didn’t even seem like the 36 person.
When I first knew Bill , back in 37 , he was one of the most carefree(无忧无虑)people I had ever 38 . He was always ready to have a party. He thought 39 of going out for beer at three o’clock in the morning or driving 15 miles to see an old 40 he really liked. Bill and I were in the same class in college, and 41 was never dull when he was 42 . With him there was one wild 43 after another. Sometimes I wonder how we 44 to study for our exams.
Last week I was in Houston on business and I ran into Bill in the bar at the hotel. 45 , I wasn’t even sure it was 46 . Was this short-haired businessman really the same person? I wasn’t really sure until I came near him but it indeed was Bill. Now he works for a bank. He 47 most of the evening about his job, his new car and his house. How he had changed! Back when we were in college, the 48 thing Bill cared about were possessions(财富). Now they seemed to be his main 49 . Although I have changed quite a bit myself, somehow I never 50 Bill changing so much. My image of him 51 the one I had formed 52 the time when we were college students together.
I suppose it’s 53 to expect people to remain the same, especially 54 I have changed so much myself. But I must say that I enjoyed the old Bill much more than the new Bill. Maybe he 55 the same way about me.
1. A.proper B.usual C.same D.right
2. A.childhood B.the army C.his thirties D.college
3. A.considered B.met C.supposed D.expected
4. A.most B.much C.nothing D.none
5. A.movie B.hospital C.man D.country
6. A.learning B.life C.work D.fun
7. A.in B.out C.around D.away
8. A.joke B.mistake C.chance D.adventure
9. A.managed B.continued C.decided D.hoped
10. A.First of all B.At first C.Now and then D.All the time
11. A.that B.he C.there D.us
12. A.thought B.spent C.argued D.talked
13. A.first B.next C.last D.only
14. A.interest B.event C.subject D.problem
15. A.forgot B.minded C.imagined D.liked
16. A.remained B.reminded C.suggested D.became
17. A.since B.from C.at D.till
18. A.unnecessary B.foolish C.common D.unusually
19. A.because B.that C.how D.when
20. A.discovered B.acted C.looked D.felt
It was a pity that the great writer died ______ his work unfinished.
A.for B.with C.from D.of
At first he refused to admit his guilt but when he was shown the evidence he ______ and confessed (坦白).
A.broke down B.lay down C.got down D.put down
________with the help you gave the blind man, mine is not worthy of being mentioned at all.
A.Compare B.To compare C.Comparing D.Compared
It is usually warm in my hometown in March, but it ______ be rather cold sometimes.
A.must B.can C.should D.would