Question

    Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day each year on February 14th. So do candy companies, jewelry stores and people selling flowers. Valentine’s Day is for lovers. It is a good day to ask your boyfriend or girlfriend to marry you. It is also a popular day for marriage. But other couples might celebrate with a dinner at a nice restaurant.

The holiday is named for Saint Valentine. He was an early Christian churchman who was said to have helped young lovers. Valentine was executed for his Christian beliefs on February 14th, more than one thousand seven hundred years ago. But the day is even older than that.

The ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers more than two thousand years ago. As part of the celebration, each girl wrote her name on a piece of paper and put it in a large box. Each boy reached into the box and pulled out the name of a girl. That girl became his girlfriend for a year.

Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper on Valentine’s Day. They send each other cards that express their love. Sometimes they send other gifts, too, like jewelry, flowers, candy, or all three!

It was reported that the average American spent about $134 for Valentine’s Day in 2014. That was up about three dollars from 2013. Men spent about twice as much on their partners as women did. And it is said the total spending for Valentine’s Day in the United States reached about $17.3 billion.

1.Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine mainly because Valentine_____.

A.came up with the idea for Valentine’s Day

B.lost his life because of his Christian beliefs

C.once helped young lovers as a churchman

2.At the ceremony for lovers in ancient Rome, _______.

A.a boy got his girlfriend quite by luck

B.boys and girls exchanged cards to show love

C.a girl had the freedom to choose her boyfriend

3.Which of the following traditions on Valentine’s Day is kept alive from ancient days?

A.Writing lovers’ names on pieces of paper.

B.Sending gifts like candies, flowers and jewelry.

C.Asking your boyfriend or girlfriend to marry you.

4.When was the passage probably written?

A.After Valentine’s Day in 2013.

B.Before Valentine’s Day in 2013.

C.After Valentine’s Day in 2014.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.A

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了情人节的由来、庆祝方式等。

1.

细节理解题。根据文章第二段“He was an early Christian churchman who was said to have helped young lovers.”可知，Valentine是一个帮助过很多年轻爱人的基督教教士，所以情人节以他命名。故选C项。

2.

细节理解题。根据文章第三段“As part of the celebration, each girl wrote her name on a piece of paper and put it in a large box. Each boy reached into the box and pulled out the name of a girl. That girl became his girlfriend for a year. ”可知，在古罗马的情人节，女孩在一张纸上写下她的名字然后放在一个大盒子里。男孩到盒子里抽出一个女孩的名字，这个女孩就成为他的女朋友，持续一年之久。所以在古罗马，男孩很幸运的就能找到女朋友。故选A项。

3.

细节理解题。根据文章第四段“Lovers still put their names on pieces of paper on Valentine’s Day.”可知，在情人节爱人们仍然将他们的名字写在纸条上，所以这个传统是一直流传下来的。故选A项。

4.

推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“It was reported that the average American spent about $134 for Valentine’s Day in 2014.”可知据报道在2014，美国情人节的平均花费为134美元，所以这篇文章是在2014年的情人节之后写的。故选C项。