Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

It was a terribly cold Christmas Eve with heavy snow outside. I stayed in bed, feeling upset because there wasn’t enough money to buy me the that I’d wanted that year.

Mum came back with some snow in her hair. “Come on, Matt!” she said. “Dress ! It’s freezing cold out tonight.”

, I went out in the cold with Mum and climbed up the sled beside her. She pulled it around the house and then stopped in front of the woodshed(柴房). She went in and with an armload of wood.

“I rode by Jensen’s today,” said Mum, “Little Jakey was out digging around in the snow. They’re out of wood, Matt.”

Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband died 3 months ago, three children, Jakey being only 8 years old.

We loaded the sled high with . Then we went to the store and my mother took down some meat, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of shoes.

We rode the two miles to Jensen’s in . All the way I wondered why Mum bought them some shoes and candy as we didn’t have much money. Jensen had closer neighbors than us. It shouldn’t have been our .

We got to Jensen’s house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible. Then we took the meat, flour and shoes to the door.

We . Jensen opened the door and let us in. “We brought you a few things, Jensen,” Mum said, the sack of flour and the meat on the table. Then Mum handed her the sack of shoes. Jensen bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, tears welling out and down her cheeks.

“We also a load of wood, Jensen,” Mum added. She turned to me and said: “Matt, go and bring some in.”

I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to get the wood. Just then the scarf didn’t seem . The look on Jensen’s face and the smiles of her three children was the best Christmas gift of my life.

1.A. scarf B. overcoat C. shoes D. handbag

2.A. fashionably B. casually C. comfortably D. warmly

3.A. Unsteadily B. Unhurriedly C. Unwillingly D. Uncomplainingly

4.A. stepped away B. came out C. broke down D. fell over

5.A. adopting B. taking C. overlooking D. leaving

6.A. wood B. meat C. flour D. grass

7.A. surprise B. danger C. silence D. harmony

8.A. custom B. concern C. comment D. courage

9.A. signed B. chased C. knocked D. hesitated

10.A. taking away B. getting back C. giving out D. putting down

11.A. prepared B. bought C. borrowed D. required

12.A. expensive B. important C. ordinary D. available

Do you know how Uncle Sam became the popular symbol of the United States?

Some historians believe that he is based on a real person,Samuel Wilson.During the War of 1812,Wilson sold meat to American troops. Wilson labeled

the meat barrels(桶)US.This meant that it was for the army.At that time,US was not used to mean“United States”.An officer asked what the US on the barrels meant.A soldier replied,“United States”,meaning Samuel Wilson.

The Uncle Sam image(形象)today shows a man with a beard,a stars and stripes(星条旗)top hat,and a suit.Thomas Nast created this image in about 1838.It represented the government in Nast's political cartoons.Some people believe that Nast based his image on Dan Rice,a popular entertainer.Rice performed while wearing a top hat and suit.

Others think it was James M.Flagg that drew the most famous image of Uncle Sam in 1917, during World War I.It shows a serious man pointing a finger at the viewer and says“United States”.Flagg drew this enduring image to encourage Americans to join the U.S.Army.It has been used for this purpose ever since.

Today, Uncle Sam is a symbol of the United States that is recognized around the world.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A.Uncle Sam was a character created by the government of the United States.

B.Samuel Wilson,a businessman,sold meat to American troops during the War of 1812.

C.Uncle Sam was based on an entertainer to show Americans were popular people.

D.The image of Uncle Sam has been used to urge Americans to join the army since 1838.

2.The underlined word“enduring”in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to“________”.

A.long-lasting B.short-lived

C.painful D.scary

3.It can be inferred from the passage that___________.

A.Uncle Sam is an officer from the American army

B.Uncle Sam’s top hat and suit reflect the American flag

C.Tile Uncle Sam symbol is the best of all American symbols

D.Opinions differ about how Uncle Sam became a national symbol

4.Which of the following can best sum up the passage?

A.The name Uncle Sam was invented during the War of 1821.

B.There are many symbols of the United States,including Uncle Sam.

C.Over time,the image of Uncle Sam came to represent the United States.

D.Uncle Sam is a national symbol that is recognized around the United States.

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