【英文阅读题Valentine’sDayprobablyhasitsoriginintheancientRomancelebrationcalledLupercalia(牧神节).ItwascelebratedonFebruary15.IntheRomancalendarFebruarywasinthespring.ThecelebrationhonoredthegodsLupercusandFa】

　　英文阅读题

　　Valentine’sDayprobablyhasitsoriginintheancientRomancelebrationcalledLupercalia(牧神节).ItwascelebratedonFebruary15.IntheRomancalendarFebruarywasinthespring.ThecelebrationhonoredthegodsLupercusandFaunusaswellasthetwinbrothersRomulusandRemus,thelegendaryfoundersofRome.Aspartoftheceremonythepriestspairedupyoungmanandwomen.Thegirlsnameswereplacedinaboxandeachboydrewagirl’sname.ThecouplewaspairedthenuntilthenextLupercalia.

　　In260ADtheemperorClaudiusII,calledClaudiustheCruel,decidedthatyoungsoldierswouldonlybedistractedbymarriageandsoorderedthatyoungmenmaynotmarry.Valentinus(Valentine),aChristianpriest,defiedtheemperorandgotmarriedinsecret.Hewascaughtexecuted(处死),onFebruary14,theeveofLupercalia.Hisnamebecameassociatedwithyoungloveforeverafter.In496,PopeGelasiussetasideFebruary14tohonorhimasSaintValentineandithasbeenSt.Valentine’sDayeversince.

　　IntheMiddleAges,someofthecustomsoftheLupercaliastillpersistedinspiteoftheattemptsoftheChurchtoputanendtothesenon-ChristiancustomsandChristianizetheholiday.Bothmenandwomendrewnamesfromabowltoseewhotheirvalentineswouldbe.Theywouldwearthenamesontheirsleevesforaweek.Todaywestillsometimes“wearourheartsonoursleeves”whenwecannotconcealourfeelings.

　　　Inthe1600s,itbecamecommontogiveflowers,particularlytherose,asasignofloveasthe“languageofflowers”.ThiscametoEuropefromTurkey.Thecolorandplacementofroseheldaspecialsignificance---aredrose,forexample,meantbeauty.FlowershavebeenpartofValentine’sDayeversince.

　　71.Themainpurposeofthispassageis.

　　　A.totellusthestoryofValentines,aChristianpriest

　　　B.totracebacktheoriginofValentine’sDay

　　　C.tointroducethecustomofValentine’sDay

　　　D.toexplaintherelationshipbetweenmarriageandreligion

　　72.Youngsoldierswerenotallowedtomarrybecausetheemperorwasafraidthat

　　.

　　A.theyweretooyoungtomarry

　　B.theywouldassociatewithSt.Valentine

　　C.theywouldn’tconcentrateontheirjob

　　D.theywoulddefytheempero