专题强化练十四　组合练(一) <br />Ⅰ.阅读理解 <br />A <br />The wedding tradition of &ldquo; something old ， something new ， <br />something borrowed and something blue &rdquo; has been around for <br />hundreds of years.The tradition of carrying or wearing one of each <br />item is said to bring luck and fortune to the newly married <br />couple.Have you ever stopped to think what the saying really means? <br />What is its origin and what does each item represent? <br />The original saying dates back to the Victoria times and states， <br />&ldquo;something old，something new，something borrowed，something <br />blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe.&rdquo; <br />Something old 　 A bride may wear or carry something old to <br />represent her continued ties to her family and her old life.Many <br />brides wear a piece of family jewelry as their old item.Some brides <br />wear the wedding dress worn by their mother or grandmother.In <br />many cases，something old may also be something borrowed. <br />Something new 　 Wearing something new is supposed to <br />represent success and hope in the bride&#039;s new life and in her <br />marriage.If the bride purchases her wedding dress，it may represent <br />her new item ， but any item that is new may be <br />used.Something&ldquo;new&rdquo;is usually the easiest kind to fill. <br />Something borrowed　The borrowed item should be something <br />borrowed from a friend that is happily married.It is said that their <br />happiness will rub off on you and bring lasting happiness to your <br />marriage.Some brides borrow an item of clothing，a piece of jewelry， <br />a handkerchief or perhaps a beaded(饰以珠子的) purse. <br />Something blue　Wearing something blue dates back to ancient <br />times when a blue wedding dress was worn to represent purity ， <br />fidelity and love. <br />A silver sixpence 　 Placing a silver sixpence in the bride&#039;s left <br />shoe is said to be a symbol of wealth.This not only refers to financial <br />wealth ， but also a wealth of happiness and joy throughout her <br />married life.Since most brides probably don&#039;t even know what a <br />sixpence is，this part of the tradition is not used very often in modern <br />times.However，if a bride would like to include it in her wedding，she <br />can purchase a silver sixpence from many companies that sell bridal <br />supplies such as garters(袜带) and invitations. <br />【语篇解读】　本文是一篇总分结构的说明文，介绍了西方一种 <br />传统的婚礼习俗的起源和含义。 <br />1．Why does the first paragraph end with two questions? <br />A．To invite readers to answer them at once. <br />B．To show the importance of this tradition. <br />C．To have readers&#039; interest and attention. <br />D．To test readers&#039; knowledge about wedding. <br />解析：推理判断题。根据文章内容可知，这两个问句承上启下， <br />引起读者的阅读兴趣和注意力。 <br />答案：C <br />2．Which of the following statements is TRUE? <br />A．Something old might also be somet...