阅读理解

TheAmericancowboywasagreatnationalherothroughfactsandstories.Inhistorytherealcowboywasasimplefarmworkeronthehorseback.Hespenttwelvetofourteenhoursadayoutdoorsworkingwithcows.Theworkwasdirtytiresomeandnotverywellpaid.Inwintermostcowboyshadtofindotherjobs.Theywereseldomalone.

Mostofthemworkedinteamsofeighttoten.Peoplecouldraisebeefcattleatlowcostinthewesternstatesandsendthembytraintotheeasternmarkets.Butsomeonehadtolookafterthecattleontheopenlandandgetthemtothenearestrailroad.Thiswasthejobofacowboy.Sometimestherailroadwasmorethanathousandkilometersawayanditcouldtakeaslongassixmonthstomovethecattle.Thecowboymovedthecattleslowlysothatthecattlewouldnotloseweight.

Mostcowboyswereyoungunmarriedmen.Acowboy'shorsewashismostimportanttool.Agoodhorsemadethejobofmovingcattlemucheasier.Agoodcowboyunderstoodcowsandknewhowtocontrolthem.Atnighthesangtothecowstokeepthemcalm.

Thecowboyquicklyreceivedpopularpraise.HistorianssaythatwasbecausethecowboyappearedduringatimeofchangeinAmericanlife.Inthelate1800'sAmericawaschangingfromanationoffarmstooneoffactoriesandcities.ThecowboyseemedfreeandmoreindependentthanotherAmericans.

Todaythelifeofrealcowboyshaschangedgreatly.Onechangehasbeentheuseoftrucks.Thereisnoneedforthemodemcowboytosleepontheground.Moderncowboysarebetterpaid.Theyarelikelytobemarried.TodaycowboysarefoundinalmosteverystateoftheUnitedStates.Someofthemarefarmersorteachersortruckdrivers.Someworkforbigcompanies.Butatnightandonweekendstheybecamecowboys.Mosthavelessthanathousandcowsandsomehaveonlytwoorthreethosepart-rimecowboysincreasethetotalproductionofmeatkeepingbeefpricelow.Mostmodemcowboysdonotmakemuchmoneyfromraisingcattle.Manydoitbecausetheylovethecowboylife.

1．Inthepastthecowboy’swork________.

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A．wascoveredwithdirt

B．costmuchlabor

C．waslesspaid

D．alloftheabove

2．Sometimesittookthecowboys________tomovethebeefcattlefromthewesternstatestotheeasternmarkets.