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 (系列) 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. According to the writer, it is _________ to keep up with the Joneses.
A. correct B. interesting C. impossible D. good
It is bad to have food stuck between your teeth for long periods of time. This is because food attracts germs(细菌), germs produce acid, and acid hurts your teeth and gums. Flossing(使用牙线) helps to remove the food that gets stuck between your teeth. This explains why flossing helps to keep your mouth healthy, but some doctors say that flossing can be also good for your heart.
It may seem strange that something your do for your teeth can have any effect on your heart. Doctors have come up with a few ideas about how flossing works to keep your heart healthy. One idea is that the germs that hurt your teeth can leave the mouth and travel into your blood. Germs that get into the blood can then attack your heart. Another idea is based on the fact that when there are too many germs in your mouth, the body tries to fight against these germs. For some reason, the way the body fight these mouth germs may end up weakening the heart over time.
Not every doctor agrees about these ideas. Some doctors think that the link between good flossing habits and good heart health is only a coincidence. The incidence(发生率) of two or more events is completely random, as they do not admit of any reliable cause and effect relationship between them. For example, every time I wash my car, it rains. This does not mean that when I wash my car, I somehow change the weather. This is only a coincidence. Similarly, some doctors think that people who have bad flossing habits just happen to also have heart problems, and people who have good flossing habits just happen to have healthy hearts.
The theory that flossing your teeth helps to keep your heart healthy might not be true. But every doctor agrees that flossing is a great way to keep your teeth healthy. So even if flossing does not help your heart, it is sure to help your teeth. This is enough of a reason for everyone to floss their teeth every day. From the passage, we know that_____
| A．food stuck between your teeth may hurt your teeth |
| B．all of the doctors agree that flossing is good for your heart |
| C．doctors’ judgment about flossing is based on medical research |
| D．not every doctor thinks flossing helps to keep your teeth healthy |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 is to____.
| A．Provide an example |
| B．Make a comparison |
| C．Introduce a new topic |
| D．Develop a previous statement |
Which of the following best states the main idea of the last paragraph?_______.
| A．It is a fact that flossing can help your heart as well as your teeth. |
| B．There is no good reason to believe that flossing will help your heart. |
| C．Because doctors find flossing won’t help your heart, it is useless to floss. |
| D．Even if flossing is only good for your teeth, you should still do it every day. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Flossing by Coincidence |
| B．How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy |
| C．Flossing Habits and Healthy Hearts |
| D．Why Doctors Disagree about Flossing |
Wild
I was 16 when my father finally decided he would send me to wilderness camp for several months. He had threatened to do it many times before, but my mother had always managed to prevent him from doing so. This time he insisted on doing it.
The latest incident was the last straw. Impulsively(冲动地), I hade pushed Mr. Ford, my math teacher, down a flight of steps at school. He broke his arm in two places. Anyway, he had agreed not to accuse me as a favour to my dad, who was in the middle of a tight race for sheriff(执法官) in our town. But my reckless behaviour had my dad’s closest advisor talking.
“John, he’s your son and he’s a kid, but he is dragging you down,” I heard Jake Hutch tell my dad through his closed office door the night after I pushed Mr. Ford. “If you can’t make your son obey the rules, how can you make the law obeyed in this town?”
So, off to Pisgah National Forest I went. I imagined hours of untold abuse at the hands of some strong sergeants(警官). I was determined no to be broken. I was who I was.
Nearly every day for six months, a small group of other troubled teens and I carried our 30-pound backpacks on a difficult journey covering about 10 miles. We hiked in a rough wilderness that seemed untouched by civilization.
Our sergeants were firm but kind, not frightening as I had imagined. We learned how to make a fire without matches and create a shelter with branches and grass. We learned which plants were safe to eat out in the wild. I felt myself change. I was calm and often reflective. My old, impulsive self was gone.
One morning, six months later, my dad came to pick me up. I ran to hug him and saw relief and love in his eyes.
“So what’s it like being sheriff?” I asked on the ride home.
“I lost the race, Danny,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” I knew my behaviour probably had a lot to do with hid defeat.
Dad squeezed my shoulder and brought me close. “As long as I don’t ever lose you, I’m okay.”The author was finally sent to wilderness because _____.
| A．he could learn how to survive in the wild |
| B．his teacher insisted on giving him a lesson |
| C．he pushed his math teacher down the stairs |
| D．his mother feared that he would be accused |
The underlined word “reckless” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．selfish | B．careless | C．rude | D．reasonable |
What can we learn about the author from the passage?
| A．He changed a lot after the camp. |
| B．He was not satisfied with his life in the camp. |
| C．He was still what he used to be after the camp. |
| D．He made enemies with other troubled teen at the camp. |
How did the author’s father feel at the end of the story?
| A．Grateful. | B．Annoyed. |
| C．Disappointed | D．Relieved |
Applying to Stellinga College
Why Stellinga?
Thank you for your interest in Stellinga International College. As an international student, we are sure you will find our college an exciting place to study, with like-minded and ambitious people.
Preparing and submitting your application
We have tried to make the application process as easy as possible for you, but there are a number of procedures you must follow.
All our courses are taught in English, so first of all you will probably need to submit evidence of your English language ability. We require an IELTS score of 6.5. You will also have to send us your secondary school diploma, so that we can evaluated it.
We will also require a personal statement. This is a text of up to 1,000 words in which you introduce yourself, explain your interest in our college, and why you want to study your chosen course.
If you are from outside the European Union(EU), it is important that you have an entrance visa before you come to study in the Netherlands, but we will apply for this for you.
We now only accept online applications, so please ensure that you have all your documents ready to upload before you begin. Any documents that are not in English originally will also need to be translated and the translation also uploaded.
You will need a passport photograph; a copy of your passport; copies of all your certificates and diplomas; your proof of language ability; and your personal statement in English.
What happens next?
Your application will then be considered. If your initial application is successful, you will be invited for an interview. This will be conducted in English via skype, over the phone or on site. You will talk to two or three members of staff for up to 30 minutes. We aim to inform you of our decision in writing, within 4 weeks. There are several possible outcomes: you may not have been successful; you may be offered a place on the waiting list. You will need to reply to any offers within two weeks, otherwise your place may be offered to somebody else.
Good luck with your application.Which is unnecessary for people inside the EU when submitting applications?
| A．A personal statement. |
| B．An entrance visa. |
| C．Evidence of English ability. |
| D．A secondary school diploma |
If your first application is accepted, what is the next process?
| A．You will have an interview in English. |
| B．You will get the reply over the phone. |
| C．You should make a decision within 4 weeks. |
| D．You should reply to the offer the moment you get it. |
Where can we find the passage?
| A．In an educational magazine. |
| B．On a notice board. |
| C．In an English teaching book. |
| D．On a university’s website. |
Last week，all the teachers and students of our school watched a special performance by some disabled people．The first program was a dance named “The light of life”．To my surprise，all the dancers had lost one of their legs．As they were performing，I could see how they had to face so many difficulties．However，they showed us many wonderful programs．From these programs，I could see how lively their minds were．
The two persons who came out next shocked us all．The first one was a singer．He was very young but unfortunately he had lost both of his hands in a big fire．The song he brought us was “Late Autumn” and he sang it in such a low and sweet voice．Though it was warm spring， I felt a little cold when I heard the song as if it was really late autumn．“How much love and feeling is hidden in my heart? I wish to hold your hands again．” Hearing this，I couldn’t keep back my tears．
The other one was also a young man．He lost both of his arms when he was six．From then on，his feet became his “hands”．However，he could manage a number of things with his feet．What moved us most was his feet writing．The two words “Flying High” expressed his wishes．
“If your wings are gone，your heart can still fly，” said Zhang Haidi，a disabled writer．
In the world，there are many disabled people，yet most of them don't give in．They have strong wishes and beautiful dreams．Just as Zhang Haidi said they could fly．
Disability doesn't mean complete failure．Once you try hard，miracles（奇迹）will happen sooner or later．I believe where there is a will，there is a way．The teachers and studentslast week．
| A．saw a film |
| B．held a party |
| C．watched a football match |
| D．watched a performance |
Why did the writer feel cold when he heard the song “Late Autumn”?
| A．Because it was cold at that moment. |
| B．Because he had a bad cold． |
| C．Because it was late autumn and the weather was cool． |
| D．Because the song was moving． |
The underlined word “shocked” probably means．
A．surprised B．crashed
C．warned D．sounded
36．“Flying High” expressed the wish of．
A．a blind person
B．a person with no arms
C．a person without feet
D．a person with neither hands nor feetWhat do you think is the best title for this passage?
| A．An unforgettable Day |
| B．Some Disabled people |
| C．A Special Performance |
| D．A Strange Writer |
One of the most difficult problems a young person faces is deciding what to do．Some people，however, from the time they are six years old“know”that they want to be doctors or teachers or firefighters．but most of us do not get around to making a decision about a job until someone or something forces us to face the problem．
Choosing a job takes time，and there are a lot of things you have to think about as you try to decide what you would like to do．You may find that you will have to take special courses for a particular kind of work，or you may find out that you will need to get enough knowledge for a particular job．
Fortunately，there are a lot of people you can turn to for advice and help in making your decision．At most schools，there are teachers to give you information about jobs．And you can talk over your ideas with family members and friends who are always ready to listen and to offer suggestions．In the first paragraph“get round to”means ________．
| A．consider | B．go all the way |
| C．arrive at | D．remain he same |
The passage tells you that ________ for a particular job．
| A．you should have ideas when you are a child |
| B．it’s impossible for you to get enough knowledge |
| C．you have to face the problem |
| D．you may enter a class to study |
Making a decision about your job ________．
| A．needs friends | B．needs time |
| C．cost money | D．cost your ability |