The expression "keeping up with the Joneses" was first used in 1913 by a young American 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. Young Momand was very proud of his riches. He got married and moved with his wife to Long Island, outside New York City. But just moving there was not enough. For when Momand and his wife saw that their neighbors belonged to a country club they too joined a club. And when he saw that rich people were expected to ride horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave grand parties for their new neighbors. It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. Momand and his wife could not do that. The race ended for them when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an inexpensive New York City apartment. Momand later said that his experience had been a cruel awakening for him. However, he was able to see the funny side of it. He looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with their neighbors. He decided that this would make good stories for many papers across the country. He called it "Keeping up with the Joneses", because "Jones" is a very common American name. "Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with the people around you. Momand's stories appeared in different newspapers for over 28 years. People never seem to tire of keeping up with the Joneses. That is one reason why they read the "right" books, go to the "right" universities and eat in the "right" restaurants. But no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead. The funny side Momand saw in his experience was _ . A) he moved back to a cheap place B) he was not alone in keeping up with his neighbors C) he made a mistake in following other people's examples D) he cared too much about what others thought of him
B
(Question)
If parents had job descriptions, mine would read: organize bills, playmates, laundry(washing clothes), meals, snacks, outings and shopping. The only thing on my husband's description would be the word "fun" written in big red letters along the top. Although he is a selfless provider, our children think of him more as a combination of a jungle gym and a clown . Our parenting styles complement each other. His style is a nonstop adventure where no one has to worry about washing their hands or eating vegetables. I'm too busy worrying to be fun. Even if I try, I know I will be outdone by my husband. I bought my children bubble gum flavored toothpaste to teach them how to brush their teeth. They thought it was perfect until my husband taught them how to spit out water between their two front teeth like a fountain. I took the children on a walk in the woods and caught a ladybug (small insect). I was "cool" until their father caught a giant beetle in the backyard. I can make sure my children are safe. But I can't wire the TV so they can watch their favorite DVD. I can carry my children in my arms when they are tired and kiss them goodnight. But I can't flip them upside down so they can walk on the ceiling or put them on my shoulders so they can see the moths flying around the ceiling light. I can take them to doctor's appointments, scout meetings, or to the aquarium . But I'll never go into the wilderness, stick a worm onto a hook, catch a fish, and cook it over an open flame. I'll sit in the first row of every sports game and cheer until my throat is painful. But I'll never teach my son how to hit a home run or slide into first base. As a mother I can do a lot of things for my children. But no matter how hard I try, I can never be their father. Which of the following is true about the author's husband? A) He is as cool as the author in the children's eyes. B) He loves adventure even if it is dangerous for the children. C) He doesn't spend as much time as the author does with the children. D) He does more exciting activities with the children.
(Answer)
D
Ques: How to avoid common life mistakes? 1. Don't do things you don't like Whenever you do things you don't like, you will start to hate yourself a bit more. You will hate yourself for not being consistent. For doing things you know that you don't want to do, another stress is right there. 2. Do less This is one of the hardest things, especially for me. I'm doing too many things at the same time. In itself, doing many different things to figure out what works and what doesn't isn't that had. It's actually quite good. But at some point you need to let go of the things that don't work and focus on the things that work. And that's the hardest part, at least for me. I always try to make everything work. And if you always try to make everything work, you'll usually end up with nothing working at all. 3. Get rid of complicated things There are many complicated things in life. Complicated relationships, complicated jobs, complicated whatever. What all of these things do is that they steal our focus. They add an additional stress layer to our lives and take over some of our brain's bandwidth(;). We desperately need to navigate bandwidth in this crazy and complex world. 4. Read books, not blogs Blogs consist of too much information for our brains to process. Blogs usually leave out the story our brains need. Our brains need a story to remember things. Don't believe me? Try it. What parts of this blog post do you remember? Probably none. All that blogs do is that they clutter our brains with useless information we forget immediately after we read them. A waste of time. There are a number of personal traits which all of us should develop in our earlier life. The writer thinks reading blogs _ . A) is not a waste of time B) prevents us from getting stories we need C) is a great way to access useful information D) does not fill our brain in a messy way
Ans: B
Even before they start school, many young girls worry that they are fat. But a new study suggests watching a movie starring astereotypically thin and beautiful princess may not increase children's anxieties. Nearly half of the 3 to 6 year old girls in a study by Professor Stacey Tantleff-Dunn and doctoral student Sharon Hayes said they worry about being fat. About one-third would change a physical feature, such as their weight or hair color. The number of girls worried about being fat at such a young age concerns Tantleff-Dunn because of the potential effects later in life. Studies have shown young girls worried about their body image are more likely to suffer from eating disorders when they are older. The encouraging news for parents is that taking their young daughters to see the new Disney film "The Princess and the Frog" isn't likely to influence how they see their bodies. "The media have a great effect on how young girls see their bodies. That's why it's important for parents to use movies such as 'The Princess and the Frog,' to start conversations with their children about weight, skin color and their views of beauty. They can explain that princesses' tiny waists are not realistic for girls and that children don't need Cinderella's golden hair or Snow White'sporcelain skin to look good," Tantleff-Dunn said. "We need to help our children challenge the images of beauty, particularly thinness, that they see and idolize, and encourage them to question how much appearance should be part of their self-worth," said Tantleff-Dunn. "We should help them build a positive self-image with an appreciation for many different types of body features." And as their children's most important role models, parents also should avoid criticizing their own bodies. The writer writes the passage mainly to _ A) explain the meaning of beauty B) introduce a new research finding C) stress the influence of media on girls D) teach girls how to become a princess
B