III 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
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?
He didn’t join the army.
He helped people escape from being sent to the battle field.
He married couples despite the prohibition from the ruler.
He openly defied the ruler’s order to end his marriage.
44. Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
Feb. 14 and 15 were originally a time for keeping wolves.
People used to believe that birds chose mates on Valentine’s Day.
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
