Section A
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
This weekend many families in America will celebrate Mother’s Day. The event dates back to May 9, 1914, (21) _____ America’s President Wilson established the official holiday. Some people had begun campaigning for the holiday a few years (22) _____ (early). Finally in 1914, the president made it official. He declared that each second Sunday in May (23) _____ (dedicate) to thanking the nation’s mothers. He also ordered all government buildings (24) _____ (display) the national flag on that day. According to President Wilson, this was done “as a public expression of... love ... for the mothers of our country”.
Before long, people in other countries (25) _____ (begin) asking for a similar holiday to celebrate their mothers. Mexico celebrated its first official Mother’s Day on May 10, 1922. May 10th became their annual holiday because the country preferred a fixed date to (26) _____ that changed.
Other countries are happy to share the day with the United States. Some on the list include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan and Turkey.
Oddly enough, the U.S. Congress rejected a Mother’s Day resolution at first. Today, though, Mother’s Day is a highly popular holiday. It’s also very successful commercially. Along with giving cards, candy and flowers, (27) _____ (take) moms out for brunch is a very popular gesture. America’s National Restaurant Association says Mother’s Day is the year’s most popular day for eating out.
But why do we honor our mothers? Many moms lovingly dedicate their lives to their children. Moms sacrifice time, sleep and often their own dreams. Moms try to provide a strong foundation (28) _____ _____ children can build their lives. With (29) _____ (love) care, mothers guide their children toward adulthood.
When we consider everything our mothers have done for us, how can we not honor them? There’s no need to wait for a national holiday, though. Every day is a great opportunity to tell our mothers (30) _____ they mean to us.
