8．On February 14，people look forward to getting cards from friends-cards that say，"Will you be my Valentine？"Did you ever wonder why？And what does that even mean？
As it turns out，people have been celebrating Valentine's Day for centuries，in one form or another．In fact，historians say it may begin with a Roman holiday that goes back more than 2，000years．They say Valentine's Day has its roots in an agricultural festival called the Feast of Lupercalia-a festival that was celebrated every year on February 14，just as Valentine's Day is today．
Around 500A．D．，a Roman Catholic Pope named Gelasius decided to replace the Feast of Lupercalia with a Christian festival．So February 14became a day to honor Saint Valentine．Why？
According to legend，Saint Valentine had been thrown in prison several centuries earlier for disobeying a Roman emperor．The legend says that while Saint Valentine was in prison，he fell in love with the jailor's daughter and sent her a note he signed，"From your valentine．"
That's supposedly where the tradition of sending Valentines began．The Saint Valentine's Day celebration eventually spread to France，England and other countries．
At first，people used to exchange hand-written notes with their Valentines．But in the 1840s，a woman named Esther Howland created the first commercially produced Valentine's Day greeting cards in the United States．Nowadays，according to one report，more people send cards to friends around Valentine's Day than on any other holiday except Christmas．Today，Valentine's Day is no longer a religious holiday．It's just a day to show your friends you appreciate them．Chocolate and flowers are among the most common ways people show that appreciation．In fact，the people who keep track of chocolate sales say that more than 1 billion worth is sold around Valentine's Day．And according to the National Retail Federation，people will spend 2.1 billion this year on flowers．But you don't have to buy anything for your Valentine．A home-made card is just fine．After all，it's the thought that counts．
25．The writer uses several questions in the first paragraph in order toB．
A．highlight the importance of festivals
B．lead to the topic of Valentine's Day
C．criticize the customs of celebrating festivals
D．tell people how to celebrate Valentine's Day
26．What does the second paragraph tell us？C
A．The Feast of Lupercalia was celebrated every year before February 14．
B．Valentine's Day begins with an American holiday over 2，000years ago．
C．According to historians，Valentine's Day is rooted in an agricultural festival．
D．Around 500A．D，a Christian festival was replaced with the Feast of Lupercalia．
27．The underlined word"legend"in Paragraph 4probably meansB．
A．a famous person admired for being extremely good
B．an old，well-known story about magical events
C．an interesting note written by a famous person
D．a computer produced a long time ago．
分析 本文主要写了情人节的由来以及情人节的风俗习惯．
解答 25．B 细节理解题．根据下文As it turns out，people have been celebrating Valentine's Day for centuries，in one form or another事实证明，人们已经庆祝情人节几个世纪了，以一种或另一种形式，可以判断出几个问句是为了引向情人节的话题．所以答案选B．
26．C 细节理解题．根据句子They say Valentine's Day has its roots in an agricultural festival called the Feast of Lupercalia-a festival 他们说情人节起源于一个农业的节日，所以答案选C．
27．B 词义猜测题．大约500A．D的故事只是一代人一代人的传说故事，情人节的由来就是这个故事发展来的，According to legend可以理解为根据这个故事，所以B选项符合题意．
点评 阅读理解题测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
