The name “cowboy” conjures up many different images from movies, songs and TV. These imagined cowboys range from white-hat-wearing heroes to gun-shooting hooligans(流氓).But, cowboys are actually real people from US history.?

When the US Civil War ended, many soldiers had no place to call home. So, they began to drift to the country's rural West. Ranchers(农场主) hired these men to take care of the cattle and work around the ranch. When the ranch owner wanted to sell the cattle, the cowboys would round up the herd from the open prairie(牧场) and drive the cattle miles to the market.?

With the invention of barbed wire(铁丝网),the cowboy era(1865-1890) began to come to an end. But people in the East had always been curious about their lifestyle. Many country/western songs during this time tried to capture the true cowboy spirit. Newspapers published cowboy tales in serial form and adventure novels followed. The bigger the fiction, the better the sales. These novels often portrayed cowboys as cruel and violent men. Cowboys carried the bad reputation for many years afterwards.

When movies began to be popular in the 1920s,the cowboy image changed again. Now, a cowboy became the great white knight(骑士) that loved his horse more than the beautiful ladies he rescued. As the cowboy of the “Old West” spent more time with his horse than the ladies, this era's image was not entirely false.

Then, in the 50s,Hollywood began producing so-called “spaghetti westerns(意大利西部片)”.They earned the nickname because Italian companies financed the films and TV shows. This started the decade's “Cowboy Craze”.While this didn't last long, it made modern country/western music, fashion and dance extremely popular.?

In recent years, with the help of musicians, radio stations and bars, cowboy nostalgia(怀旧情绪) has returned. Even though his image is still changing—somewhere between ballad singing country boy and bar?room fighter—there's one thing for sure, you can't keep the cowboy down.?

The purpose of this story is to _______.

A. introduce cowboy movies and novels?

B. introduce various productions associated with cowboys?

C. show the cowboy's everlasting charm ?

D. inform us about the cowboy's spirit?

Before they became cowboys, they _______.

A. served in the army    B. worked as bar-room fighters?

C. owned ranches      D. were adventurous explorers?

During “the cowboy era” mentioned in the story, _______.?

A. the cowboy often came to the rescue of ladies in newspaper tales?

B. the distant Wild West appealed to people in the East?

C. cowboys were shown as cruel and violent men on the silver screen?

D. country music started the cowboy craze which swept the whole country

By saying “you can't keep the cowboy down”,the writer means that _______.

A. cowboys are real people in history   B. cowboys still fascinate people?

C. you can't make cowboys unhappy     D. you can't grasp the cowboy spirit?

Of all living creatures on earth, insects are the most plentiful. Some  36  are very useful to man, for example, bees,  37  we get honey and wax, and silkworms, which  38  us with silk. Other varieties,  39  , are extremely harmful, and do a great  40  of damage, especially to crops. Locusts (蝗虫) are perhaps the most dangerous of all,  41  they will eat almost any green  42  , and when millions of them  43  on cultivated land(耕地)they soon leave it  44  . In some countries they are the farmer’s  45  enemy. Another nuisance is the common  46  , not only because it  47  us indoors and out - of- doors, but because it spreads diseases.

  Scientists have given much time and  48  to the study of insects. It needs the most careful and  49  observation. Thanks  50  their discoveries we now know almost all  51  is to be known about the habits of these hardworking insects, bees and ants, which live in  52  better planned in some ways than our  53  . But the most valuable work has been done in trying to give  54  to men, animals and crops from the  55  which insects cause.

  36.A. members  B. forms  C. qualities  D. varieties

  37.A. by which  B. from which  C. of which  D. in which

  38.A. give  B. produce  C. offer  D. supply

  39.A. however  B. meanwhile C. therefore  D. what's more

  40.A. majority  B. number  C. amount  D. quantity

  41.A. and  B. for  C. if  D. when

  42.A. grass  B. field  C. fruit  D. plant

  43.A. settle  B. attack  C. pass  D. cross

  44.A. bare  B. nothing  C. empty  D. untouched

  45.A. hardest  B. greatest  C. serious  D. wildest

  46.A. insect  B. creature  C. fly  D. enemy

  47.A. dislikes  B. bites  C. worries  D. hates

  48.A. understanding  B. ideas  C. comprehension  D. thought

  49.A. serious  B. patient  C. curious  D. long

  50.A. for  B. of  C. to  D. with

  51.A. that  B. which  C. there  D. what

  52.A. societies  B. crowds C. teams  D. organizations

  53.A. world  B. nation  C. selves  D. own

  54.A. help  B. protection  C. living  D. defense

  55.A. injury  B. wound  C. sickness  D. ruin

阅读理解

(A)

Every object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(独特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?

Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.

The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.

1. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______. 

A. it was an important clue to life in the past B. it was found on a famous trail

C. it at one time belonged to a VIP             D. it was a fashionable shoe at that time

2. According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______. 

A. eventually became millionaires              B. brought with them many shoes

C. had conflicts with the Eskimos               D. were not properly equipped

3. The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that _______.

A. they would not die of hunger and cold

B. the army would have enough food for fighting a war

C. they would change these goods with the Eskimos

D. the supplies would make Alaska rich

4. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______. 

A. she must have lived a happy life

B. she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose

C. her adventurous spirit is definitely admired

D. her other shoes were equally fashionable

(B)

Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!

It’s “no”.

What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.

Sweet and simple “no”.

Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.

“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.

“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”

Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.

Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”

Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.

“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.

“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.

But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”

5. The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.

A. you can have more time to play with others

B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy

C. you are selfish and treat others rudely

D. you can deal with your business as you have planned

6. When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.

A. secret way   B. polite way

C. proud way     D. guilty way

7. In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.

A. they say “no” at a suitable time

B. they say “no” as much as possible

C. they are afraid of saying “no”    

D. they make others angry at them

8. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.

A. enjoys a wonderful life     B. makes a lot of money

C. faces difficulty in life  D. forgets to say “yes” in the end

(C)

A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man — the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.

    This attitude toward manual(体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.   

9. From paragraph 1, we can know that in America _________.

A. people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man

B. people can always rise to the top through their won efforts

C. college professors win great respect from common workers

D. people feel painful to mention their fathers as labors.

10. According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _________.

A. servants in American are hard to get

B. she takes pride in what she can do herself

C. she can hardly afford servants

D. It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food

11. The expression “ wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_________”.

A. work in a furniture shop         B. keep accounts for a bar

C. wait to lay the table                D. serve customers in a restaurant

12. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?

A. A Respectable Self-made Family       B. American Attitude toward Manual Labor

C. Characteristics of American Culture      D. The Development of Manual Labor

(D)

TODAY, Friday, November 12

JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.

SATURDAY, November 13

JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.

MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.

FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.

JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.

THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536

SUNDAY, November 14

DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.

FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.

HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.

THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.

13. Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?

A. At the Derby Arms on Friday.

B. At the Black Horse on Friday.

C. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.

D. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.

14. You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?

A. 789—6749.             B. 789—4536.            C. 682—1158.  D. 688—4626.

15. You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?

A. Disco at The Lord Napier.

B. The sing-along at The Black Horse.

C. The electric accordion at The Derby Arms.

D. Jazz at The Bull’s Head.

16. You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?

A. The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head.

B. The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms.

C. Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull.

D. Musical Hal lat The Star &Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier.

(E)

With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone(克隆) the animal and save the endangered species(物种). That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”.

Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.

This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.

The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.

“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used) panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.

“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed.”

17. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.

A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B. save endangered animals from dying out

C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another

18. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.

A. available panda eggs         B. host animals

C. qualified researchers            D. enough money

19. The best title for the passage may be _______.

A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning                                 

B. The First Cloned Panda in the World

C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever

20. From the passage we know that _______.

A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog

B. scientists try to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century

Work your brain!

Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder,it controls everything we say,do or think,who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.

The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein,fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells,it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.

Its intricacies(复杂性)are stunning,far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished(有光泽的) as possible we need to eat right,exercise and keep mentally stimulated(刺激).

Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone(荷尔蒙)in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.

“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active,” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.

“People cannot stop aging,but you're able to reduce the damage;you're able to keep the function up.”

Following are Dr.Stewart's advice for improving brain health:

Nutrition

Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言,谚语):For breakfast,eat like a king;for lunch,like a queen;for supper,like a beggar.

Exercise

Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle­strengthening every day.

Mental games

Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.

1.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A. inform us how the brain works

B. give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C. tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D. show how special the brain is to us

2.The word “stunning” in Paragraph 5 means ______.

A. interesting         B. strange              C. significant         D. amazing

3. According to the text,more exercise ______.

A. keeps our mind sharp    

B. helps improve our memory

C. gives our brain a rest    

D. is good for brain cells communicating with each other

4. In order to keep brain healthy,we should avoid ______.

A. eating a good lunch                      B. doing puzzles

C. eating a large supper                    D. taking aerobic exercise

 

Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.

The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.

Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, especially at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.

Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings(人行道)and do not take any chances when crossing the road.

My next point is about rubbish. It isn't lawful to drop rubbish in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a dustbin.

Finally, as regards(至于)smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.

I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance(帮助), you should contact the police, who will be pleased to help you. You can call, write or directly go to ask any policeman.                 

1.Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?

A. A guide(向导)   B. A person who makes laws

C. A teacher       D. An English officer

2.How many laws are there discussed in the speech?

A. Four   B. Three   C. Six   D. Five

3. The main purpose of this speech is to __________.

A. tell people that those above 18 can drink and smoke there

B. declare the different laws of England

C. give advice to travelers to the country

D. warn people against going to the country

4. The underlined word "contact" in the last paragraph means to __________.

A. keep in touch with(联系)   B. turn to C. make a call to  D. write to

 

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