新编六级听力练习 第405期

Passage Three
[32]In the United States many have been told that anyone can become rich and successful if he works hard and has some good luck. When one becomes rich he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he still wants people to think that he is. That's what "Keeping up with the Joneses" is about. The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American named Arthur Momand. Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors; [33]they try to look as rich and as successful as their neighbors. [34]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. [33]"Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with people around you. [34]Momand's series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 32 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the "right" books, go to the "right" universities and eat at the "right" restaurants.
Every city has an area where people want to live because others will think better of them if they do. And there are "Joneses" in every city of the world. [35]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.

Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
32. According to the speaker, what impression do many Americans want to leave on others?
正确答案：B
解析：短文说，当人们富有了他们希望别人知道，甚至并不很富有时也希望别人知道。所以B正确。选项为某些人的状况描述。答案中的well-off对应开头重复了3遍的rich，achieve a lot对应文中的successful，同义替换是答案。
33. What does the expression "Keeping up with the Joneses" mean?
正确答案：D
解析：短文说，这个习语的意思是“和左邻右舍比排场比阔气”。所以D正确。选项为努力达到某种目的，听到文中try to时要注意后面的动词。选项中的“try”就是最好的提示语，原文try后面就是答案所在。
34. How did the expression "Keeping up with the Joneses" get popular?
正确答案：A
解析：短文说，Momand的系列短篇小说在全美各家报纸上连载，长达32年之久。可见这个习语就是这样广为流传的。所以A正确。根据选项可预测题目问某事是如何广泛传播的。只有A中的关键词short stories in newspapers是文中提到的，听到什么选什么。
35. What does the speaker think of the practice of "Keeping up with the Joneses"?
正确答案：C
解析：短文说，但是人们一定会对和邻居比阔气感到厌烦的。所以C正确。根据选项可预测题目问某事的影响。三个选项表达的是正面影响，只有C是负面的，而文章最后一句中的tired与C中的exhaust同义。