A
Valentine’s Day has its
origins in the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia, a
yearly festival held on Feb. 15 to help keep dangerous wolves away from
townspeople and their crops. On the eve of the festival, Feb. 14, the young
women of the town would write their names on small pieces of paper, put them in
a jar, and every young man would pick out a name at random. The pair would then
be partners for the rest of the festival.
It was 270 B.C. when St.
Valentine stood up for love, after Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade Roman
soldiers to get engaged or married, believing that married men would rather
stay at home than go to war. The priest named Valentine, in defiance(对抗) of Claudius’ orders,
secretly married young couples, and on Feb. 14, was punished for his “crime”,
thereby becoming the patron saint(守护神) of lovers.
Besides this story, there
are some old beliefs about this day:
During the Middle Ages,
Europeans believed that birds chose their mates each year on Feb. 14.
Some people used to believe
that if a woman saw a robin fly overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would
marry a sailor; if she saw a sparrow, she’d marry a millionaire.
If you cut an apple in half
and count how many seeds are inside, you will know how many children you will
have.
And some charming
Valentine’s Day Customs.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were
carved and given as gifts on Feb. 14.
Heart, keys and keyholes
were favorite decorations, which meant “you unlock my heart!”
In the Middle Ages, young
men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be.
They’d wear these names on their sleeves for one week-hence the term “to wear your
heart on your sleeve”.
41. 
According to the story, Valentine was
originally the name of a ________.
A. lover B. priest C. ruler D. feast
42. The Roman emperor forbade soldiers to get married because he
thought .
A. married soldiers are not
loyal to the country
B. married soldiers are less willing to fight
C. there was no time for
soldiers to get married
D. marriage is a crime
43. Why was the priest punished?
A. He didn’t join
the army.
B. He helped people
escape from being sent to the battle field.
C. He married
couples despite the prohibition from the ruler.
D. He openly defied
the ruler’s order to end his marriage.
44. Which of the following
statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Feb. 14 and 15
were originally a time for keeping wolves.
B. People used to
believe that birds chose mates on Valentine’s Day.
C. People believed
that the birds they saw on Valentine’s Day predicted what kind
of person they would marry.
D. The Welsh used to give out wooden spoons on Feb.14.
45. If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you
_________________.
A. openly express your feelings or emotions to
others.
B. hardly take your feelings or emotions very
seriously.
C. officially announce that you have been married
D. proudly show your choice of sleeve pattern