Valentine’s Day is a popular festival of love and romance. There are legends associated with the festival along with the belief that birds began to mate from this day. Historians trace (追踪)its to an ancient Roman festival. It is said that in ancient Rome, people a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno—the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. On the following day, February 15th，the festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to honor the Roman God of Agriculture.
An interesting was followed on the festival of Lupercalia to bring together young boys and girls who otherwise were strictly . On the eve of the festival, names of young Roman girls were written on a slip of paper and placed into jars. Each young man a girl's name from the jar and was paired with the girl during the festival. Sometimes the lasted for a year until next year's celebration. Quite often，the couple would fall in love with each other and marry. The custom lasted for a long time until people felt that it was un-Christian and that mates should be chosen by sight, not .
The pairing of young boys and girls set the mood of the Valentine's Day Festival as we know today. But it was due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its and clearer meaning. The story goes that Emperor Claudius II of Rome found it to get soldiers and felt the reason why men did not join the was that they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. St Valentine challenged Claudius's order and secretly married couples. When his disobedience was ，Valentine was put to death on February 14, around 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a saint.
【小题1】A．acceptableB．familiarC．variousD．unrelated【小题2】A．possibilityB．developmentC．eventD．origin【小题3】A．studiedB．observedC．handledD．discussed【小题4】A．movementB．celebrationC．petitionD．custom【小题5】A．respectedB．educatedC．separatedD．organized【小题6】A．spoke outB．brought outC．pulled outD．drew out【小题7】A．pairingB．datingC．playingD．celebrating【小题8】A．fortunatelyB．occasionallyC．finallyD．surprisingly【小题9】A．orderB．riskC．nameD．luck【小题10】A．usuallyB．actuallyC．reallyD．factually【小题11】A．historyB．storyC．fameD．name【小题12】A．strangeB．slowC．awfulD．tough【小题13】A．warB．partyC．armyD．game【小题14】A．unfinishedB．unjustifiedC．unrecognizedD．unconcerned【小题15】A．discoveredB．attackedC．memorizedD．promisedC
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(答案→)C
解析：情人节是一个受欢迎的爱情和浪漫的节日。关于情人节有各种各样的传说与之相关。据说,来自古罗马人在2月15日的罗马牧神节一个有趣的习俗，节日前夕,年轻女孩的名字被写在一张纸上,放入罐中。每一位男孩取出罐里的一个女孩的名字，节日期间就和女孩配对。有时配对持续一年,直到明年的庆祝活动。通常,这对夫妇会爱上彼此,最终结婚。 还有一种说法是：罗马皇帝克劳迪亚斯二世发现很难征兵，觉得男人不加入军队的原因是,他们不愿离开自己的妻子和家庭。因此,克劳迪斯在罗马取消了所有婚姻活动。圣瓦伦丁挑战克劳迪斯这种不公正的命令，秘密地为情侣们证婚。当他的反抗被发现时,在约公元270年的2月14日被处死，在他死后圣瓦伦丁被命名为圣人，也就有今日的情人节。
【小题1】考查形容词辨析和对语境的理解。A. acceptable可接受的；B. familiar熟悉的；C. various各种各样的；D. unrelated无关，根据下文可知，关于情人节的传说各种各样，故选C。
【小题2】考查名词辨析。A. possibility可能性；B. development发展；C. event事件；D. origin起源。这里应该是说情人节的起源。选D
【小题3】考查动词辨析和对语境的理解。据说,在古罗马人们在2月14日庆祝一个节日假是为了表达对罗马诸神的女王Juno的纪念。A. Studied研究、学习；B. observed观察、庆祝；C. handled处理；D. discussed讨论。故选B
【小题4】考查名词辨析和对语境的理解。在牧神节上一个有趣的习俗一直被延续着。A. movement运动；B. celebration庆祝；C. petition比赛；D. custom习俗。下面也有custom出现，故选D。
【小题5】考查动词辨析和对语境的理解。从下文可知是：把被严格分离的年轻的男孩和女孩汇聚到一起。A. respected尊重；B. educated教育；C. separated分离；D. organized组织。故选C
【小题6】考查动词短语辨析和对语境的理解。节日前夕,年轻女孩的名字被写在一张纸上,放入罐中。所以后面应该是：每一位男孩从罐里抽出一个女孩的名字，节日期间就和女孩配对。A. spoke out说出；B. brought out拿出；C. pulled out拉出；D. drew out抽出。故选D。
【小题7】考查动词-ing形式辨析和对语境的理解。结合前文可知意思是：有时配对持续一年,直到明年的庆祝活动。A. Pairing配对；B. dating约会；C. playing玩；D. celebrating庆祝。故选A。
【小题8】考查副词辨析和对语境的理解。通常这对会爱上彼此, 最终结婚。A. fortunately幸运地；B. occasionally偶尔；C. finally最后；D. surprisingly令人惊奇地。把四个选项带入本句分析语境可知，选C。
【小题9】考查名词辨析和对语境的理解。这种习俗持续了很长时间,直到人们觉得这不是基督教教义的，伴侣应该通过眼睛选，而不是靠运气。A. order顺序、命令；B. risk冒险；C. name名字；D. luck运气。故选D。
【小题10】考查副词辨析和对语境的理解。。但事实上是这样的。A. usually通常；B. actually实际上；C. really真的；D. factually事实上。really一般是对前面对方说的话表示疑问，惊讶的语气。而在表示确实的，真实地意思时，通常是和表语连接的，而actually 实际上，很多时候用于居首作状语，还可以修饰形容词，动词，或者其他副词，或者一个句子，factually 意思是“真实地，确实地”类似于：really。故选B。
【小题11】考查名词辨析和对语境的理解。由于牧师圣瓦伦丁的努力和勇敢才使得这个节日有了这个名字和更清晰的意义。本文讲的是情人节即是圣瓦伦丁节的来历。A. history历史；B. story故事；C. fame名声；D. name名字。本文讲的是情人节即是圣瓦伦丁节的来历。故选D。
【小题12】考查形容词辨析和对语境的理解。A. strange奇怪的；B. slow慢慢地；C. awful可怕的；D. tough艰难地。从文章后面可以看出：罗马皇帝Claudius二世发现很难征兵。故选D。
【小题13】考查名词辨析和对语境的理解。皇帝Claudius二世觉得男人不加入军队的原因是,他们不愿离开自己的妻子和家庭。A. war战争；B. party聚会；C. army军队；D. game游戏。join the army是固定搭配，参军。故选C。
【小题14】考查形容词辨析和对语境的理解。圣瓦伦丁挑战Claudius的不公平的命令，然后偷偷地为情侣们证婚。A. unfinished未完成的；B. unjustified不公平的；C. unrecognized没认出的；D. unconcerned不关心的。故选B。
【小题15】考查动词辨析和对语境的理解。根据语境理解为：当他的反抗被发现时,在大约公元270年的2月14日被处死。他死后圣瓦伦丁被尊为圣人。A. discovered发现；B. attacked袭击；C. memorized记住；D. promised答应。故选A。