The cowboy is the hero of many movies. He is， even today， a symbol of courage and adventure. But what was the life of the cowboy really like?

　　The cowboy‘s job is clear from the word “cowboy”。 Cowboys were men who took care of cows and other cattle. The cattle were in the West and in Texas. People in the cities of the East wanted beef from these cattle. Trains could take the cattle east. But first the cattle had to get to the trains. Part of the cowboy’s job was to take the cattle hundreds of miles to the railroad towns.

　　The trips were called cattle drives. A cattle drive usually took several months. Cowboys rode for sixteen hours a day. Because they rode so much， each cowboy brought along about eight horses. A cowboy changed horses several times each day.

　　The cowboys had to make sure that the cattle arrived safely. Before starting on a drive， the cowboys branded the cattle. They burned a make on the cattle to show who they belonged to. But these marks didn‘t stop rustlers， or cattle thieves. Cowboys had to protect the cattle from rustlers. Rustlers made the dangerous trip even more dangerous.

　　Even though their work was very difficult and dangerous， cowboys did not earn much money. They were paid bally. Yet cowboys liked their way of life. They lived in a wild and open country. They lived a life of adventure and freedom.

　　( )55. The cowboy‘s job was ________.

　　A. to be a hero B. to take care of cattle

　　C. to be a rustler D. to be a driver

　　( )56. Cowboys ________.

　　A. made a lot of money B. had a difficult job

　　C. did not like their way of life D. were rich

　　( )57. When you do something new exciting， you have ________.

　　A. a symbol B. an adventure C. a job D. a trip

　　( )58. The cowboy was the most important person in the movie. He was the ________.

　　A. chief B. rustler C. hero D. president

　　C

　　Uncle Sam is a tall， thin man. He‘s an older man with white hair and a white beard. He often wears a tall hat， a bow tie， and the stars and stripes of the American flag.

　　Who is this strange， looking man? Would you believe that Uncle Sam is the US government? But why do you call the US government Uncle Sam?

　　During the War of 1812， the US government hired meat packers to provide meat to the army. One of these meat packers was a man named Samuel Wilson. Samuel was a friendly and fair man. Everyone liked him and called him Uncle Sam.

　　Sam Wilson stamped the boxes of meat for the army with a large US for United States. Some government inspectors came to look over Sam‘s company. They asked a worker what the US on the boxes stood for. As a joke， the worker answered that these letters stood for the name of his boss， Uncle Sam.

　　The joke spread， and soldiers began saying that their food came from Uncle Sam. Before long， people called all things that came from the government “Uncle Sam‘s”， “Uncle Sam” became a nickname for the US government.

　　Soon there were drawings and cartoons of Uncle Sam in newspapers. In these early pictures， Uncle Sam was a young man. He wore stars and stripes， but his hair was dark and he had not a beard. The beard was added when Abraham Lincoln was President. President Lincoln had a beard.

　　The most famous picture of Uncle Sam is on a poster from World War I. The government needed men to fight in the war. In the poster， a very serious Uncle Sam points his finger and says “I want YOU for the US Army.”

　　( )59. “Uncle Sam” became a ________ for the US government.

　　A. boss B. nickname C. picture D. businessmen

　　( )60. Uncle Sam often wears tall hat， ________ and the stars and stripes of the American flag.

　　A. dark hair B. a bow tie C. a box D. a shirt

　　( )61. Government inspectors came to ________ Sam‘s meat-packing company.

　　A. ask B. stand for C. look over D. see

　　( )62. In the drawing and cartoons of Uncle Sam ________.

　　A. he wore the stars and stripes B. the never had a beard

　　C. he had no hair D. he wore a bow tie

　　D

　　The Red Cross is an international organization which cares for people who are in need of help. A man in Paris hospital who needs blood， a woman in Mexico who was injured in an earthquake， and a family in India that lost their home in a storm may all be aided by the Red Cross.

　　The Red Cross exists in almost every country around the globe. The world Red Cross organizations are sometimes called the Red Crescent， the Red Mogen David， the Sun， and the Red Lion. All of these agencies share a common goal of trying to help people in need.

　　The idea of forming an organization to help the sick and wounded during a war started with Jean Henri Dunant. In 1859， he observed how people were suffering on a battle field in Italy. He wanted to help all the wounded people regardless of which side they were fighting for. The most important result of his work was an international treaty called the Geneva Convention. It protects prisoners of way the sick and wounded， and other citizens during a war.

　　The American Red Cross was set up by Clara Barton in 1881. Today the Red Cross in the United States provides a number of services for the public， such as helping people in need， teaching first aid and providing blood.

　　( )63. A good title for this selection is _______.

　　A. People in Need of Help B. Safety and Protection

　　C. The International Red Cross D. Forming an Organization to Help People

　　( )64. The word “aided” in the first paragraph means ________.

　　A. needed B. helped C. caught D. protected

　　( )65. We may draw a conclusion that _______ during a war.

　　A. the Red Cross only protects the wounded

　　B. the Red Cross only helps prisoners of war

　　C. the Red Cross only helps citizens

　　D. the Red Cross helps all the people in need no matter which side they are fighting for

　　五、补全对话(共5句;每句满分为3分，共15分。)

　　根据中文提示，将对话中缺少的内容写在线上。这些句子必须符合英语表达习惯。打句号的地方，用陈述句;打问号的地方，用疑问句。

　　提示：一个中国人正在和一个刚刚到达中国的美国人聊在，中国人询问他这次旅行的情况，如：到达的时间、怎么来的、旅行是否愉快、累不累、现住何处，并在分手时祝他睡个好觉。

　　Chinese ：________66__________?

　　American：Yes， this morning. At about 9 o‘clock.

　　Chinese ：________67__________?

　　American：By plane first and then by train. It took me more than 30 hours altogether.

　　Chinese ：________68__________?

　　American：Yes， very much. It‘s pleasant， especially the part on the train.

　　Chinese ：________69__________?

　　American：Yes， a little， but not very much. And now I‘m feeling better after a nap.

　　Chinese ：________70__________?

　　American：At the Grand Hotel， in the center of the city.

　　Chinese ：Oh， that‘s a nice hotel. Have a good sleep tonight. I’ll come and see you tomorrow.

　　六、书面表达(共30分)

　　提示：假设你是丽娜，光明中学的学生，你给你的好友小华写信讲述你的美国之行。内容包括：先去了纽约，看到许多摩天大楼，但看不到世贸大厦了;两天后去了洛杉矶(Los Angeles)，参观了好莱坞，游了迪斯尼乐园;还去了内华达(Nevada)的里诺(Reno)，游了风景优美的大沪(Dahu)湖;

　　注意：(1)不要逐字翻译，叙述要连贯;

　　(2)写信人的地址可自编;

　　(3)词数为100左右。