Engagement, wedding, and birth of a baby are the three steps of a new family. The Danes’ special ways of doing these things inform their native culture.
People in other places of the world usually give their lovers a finger ring or a bundle of flowers as a gift of engagement. 36 in some areas of Denmark, it is still considered 37
for a young man to 38 his fiancée with the wooden clappers once used to 39 clothes
40 in a stream. These clappers were engraved with love-poems, and 41 tradition, they ensured good fortune and happiness.
And their country weddings also show a tint of local convention(传统). Until recently, a Danish country wedding was an event which 42 all who lived in the surrounding 43 . Everyone was tacitly(不言而喻地) invited to celebrate with the young couple. Preparations for the wedding lasted for many days but were made 44 , because to show happiness openly 45
arouse the anger and jealousy of evil spirits.
46 the wedding morning the couple met in the courtyard of the bride’s house. The relatives and friend presented themselves to the couple, bowed and placed gifts at their feet. Every gift was 47 by good wishes recited in prose(散文) or in verse; 48 modest the gift the more elaborate(精致的) the wishes had to be. 49 who had neither the means to give 50
the imagination to make a speech were, as a sign of their goodwill, placed 51 guard over the presents and, in the evening, over the couple’s bed.
52 the conclusion of the ceremony a large jar of beer was taken to the courtyard. The hands of the betrothed(已订婚的) were joined over the jar and it was 53 into fragments(碎片). These pieces were picked 54 by the girls of marriageable age who were present, the girl with the largest 55 being destined to marry first.
36．A．However B．But C．Therefore D．So
37．A．a luck B．luck C．lucky D．lucks
38．A．send B．present C．bring D．give
39．A．strike B．beat C．hit D．blow
40．A．to wash B．washed C．to be washed D．washing
41．A．according to B．with a view to C．so far as D．in addition to
42．A．stated B．related C．concerned D．considered
43．A．area B．district C．zone D．region
44．A．publicly B．silently C．unknowingly D．secretly
45．A．would B．should C．must D．may
46．A．At B．In C．On D．To
47．A．completed B．accompanied C．accomplished D．matched
48．A．much more B．the more C．any more D．more
49．A．These B．Those C．People D．They
50．A．or B．and C．nor D．then
51．A．in B．on C．at D．against
52．A．At B．In C．To D．For
53．A．smashed(弄碎) B．ruined C．crashed D．cracked
54．A．out B．up C．on D．at
55．A．part B．fragment C．section D．block
