Question

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

During the first half of the nineteenth century in the United States, Christmas was a very different kind of holiday than it is today. There was no set of way of celebrating the day,which was not yet an official holiday.  71  Some observed Christmas as an important Christian religious day honoring the birth of Jesus.Others celebrated the day with parties,music,drinking and eating.   72    73  .Calvinist Christians banned the celebration of Christmas.But groups such as Episcopalians

and Moravians honored the day with religious services and seasonal decorations.

By mid-century,Christian groups began to ignore their religious diffrences over the meaning of Christmas and honored the day in special ways.

Christmas became an important time for families to celebrate at home. More and more Christians Americans also began to follow the European traditions of Christmas trees and giving gifts.Christians believed that the tree represented Jesus and was also a sign of new beginnings. German immigrants brought their tradion of putting lights,sweets and toys on the branches of evergreen trees placed in their homes.

This tradition of setting up a Christmas tree soon spread to many American homes.   74   As these traditions increased in popularity,the modern trade and business linked to Christmas also grew.

As Christmas became more popular,some states declared the day a state holiday.Louisiana was the first state to make the move in eighteen thirty-seven.  75   .It was not until eighteen seventy that President Ulysses Grant made Christmas a federal holiday.

A．So did the practice of giving people presents.

B. By eighteen sixty,fourteen other states had followed.

C. And,some communities did not celebrate the day at all.

D. Americans seldom gave each other presents on Christmas Day.

E. But many new American Christmas songs started to become popular.

F. Religion played a big role in how an American might celebrate the holiday.

G. Communities around the country honored the day in different ways.

Answer 1

71. G

72. C

73. F

74. A

75. B

解析:

该类试题的阶梯策略：首先浏览文章的大意做到对文章大体了解：圣诞节的兴起历史。

 而且所给答案也应该做到心中有数，尤其是所有答案的译文心中明了。

A.赠送礼物的习惯也开始流行。 B.1860年，其它四十多个州也开始拍摄电影。 C.并且有些人根本不庆祝圣诞节。 D.圣诞节时美国人很少相互赠送礼物。 E.但是许多新的美国圣诞曲子开始流行。 F.美国人庆祝圣诞节时，宗教信仰起着重要的作用。 G.全国人民以不同的方式庆祝圣诞节。

然后回归文章逐一排除，选出答案。

71.由以上的译文及结合文章的整体行文，从文章第一段的倒数第二、三句话可以得出答案。

72.根据文章的行文以及刚刚选出的71题，即可选出答案。

73.根据文章第二段中“But groups such as Episcopalians and Moravians honored the day with religious services and seasonal decorations”结合所给选项可以推测出答案。

74.根据文章中第四、五段的意思以及行文，尤其是第五段中：“This tradition of setting up a Christmas tree soon spread to many American homes”的意思，可以选出答案。

75.从文章的最后一段的句子“Louisiana was the first state to make the move in eighteen thirty-seven”以及“It was not until eighteen seventy that President Ulysses Grant made Christmas a federal holiday”可知，此时主要是时间的对比性，同时也正好迎合了上下文的语言环境。