Question

February 14th, Valentine’s Day(情人节), is a complicated but interesting day. First of all, Valentine’s Day is not a holiday from work. No one gets a day off. In many countries it is observed by sending cards to your friends and candy or flowers to your husband or wife if you’re married, or to your boyfriend or girlfriend if you’re not married. In Japan, some girls even give their fathers chocolates.

Why is this holiday for people in love called Valentine’s Day?

One explanation comes from a Christian man whose name was something like “Valentine”. He lived at a time when the Roman Emperor refused to allow any Roman soldiers to get married for any reason. Many couples came to Valentine to be married. So he would secretly marry them in a Christian ceremony. He was discovered and put in prison by the Emperor. One tradition says that he wrote notes to his friends by marking on leaves and then throwing them out of the window of his prison. The leaves were shaped like a heart. Valentine was killed on February 14th and Valentine’s Day recalls his tragic death.

On Valentine’s Day, American elementary school children make or buy Valentine cards, write the name of a classmate on them, and take them to school and put them in a special Valentine’s Day box. And then on that day the box is opened, the cards are taken out and given out.

1.Which of the following is true about Valentine’s Day?

A. It is observed by sending flowers to one’s husband or wife.

B. Children in Japan give their fathers chocolates.

C. It is a legal holiday in many countries.

D. People send candy to each other.

2.The man called Valentine was put in prison because ________.

A. He secretly got married in a Christian ceremony

B. He helped people get married when love was not allowed

C. He helped Roman soldiers get married

D. He wanted to kill the Roman Emperor

3.So he would secretly marry them in a Christian ceremony. “marry” is closest in meaning to ________.

A. Which priest is going to marry them? B. She has married off all her daughters.

C. I’m glad Hubert married a girl of spirit. D. At present she doesn’t intend to marry.

4.People celebrate Valentine’s Day _________.

A. to take a day off B. in memory of Valentine

C. to show their love D. both B and C

5.American school children don’t _______ on Valentine’s Day.

A. buy Valentine cards B. make cards for their teachers

C. give each other Valentine cards D. put their cards in a Valentine’s Day box

Answer 1