Question

February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
【小题1】Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

A．Because there were few women in his country at that time.

B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

【小题2】Valentine was put into prison because _____.

A．he killed one of the soldiers	B．he stole a lot of food
C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order	D．he didn’t want to be a soldier

【小题3】The last paragraph mainly tells us _____.

A．students in China send cards to their teachers

B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

【小题4】The best title for this passage should be _____.

A．Valentine’s Day	B．A Brave Priest
C．Valentine’s Day in China	D．A Romantic Man

Answer 1

【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】A

解析试题分析：本文叙述了情人节的来历。情人节又名瓦伦丁节，是以公元三世纪一名罗马牧师的名字命名的。当时的罗马皇帝认为单身男人比有老婆的男人更适合当兵打仗，于是他下令禁止结婚。 但是瓦伦丁继续秘密地为年轻的爱人们举行结婚仪式。当他的行为被发现后，皇帝判处瓦伦丁死刑。 瓦伦丁为他的信仰而牺牲，因而被奉为圣徒，并且成为历史上最浪漫的人物之一。 
【小题1】细节理解题。根据When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.皇帝认为没有妻子是一个号战士，故选B。
【小题2】细节理解题。根据But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret.因为他不遵守皇帝的命令，故选C。
【小题3】段落大意题。根据Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people.故选D。
【小题4】标题归纳题。纵观全文这是叙述的情人节的来历，故选A。
考点：文化类短文阅读。
点评：段落大意题极为关键的一点是它可以为我们解细节题提供一个综合的定位基础，从而全面节省我们的解题时间。而了解段落大意题的过程其实就是变相做快速跳跃式阅读的步骤，通过解题掌握了文章结构和段落大意，之后再做其他细节题。