A
Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbours whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.
Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbours, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.
Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.
21. Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?
A. Visiting sick people in the hospital.
B. Visiting children who have lost their parents.
C. Giving friends small gifts.
D. Giving flowers to sweethearts.
22. What do most people usually do to show their care to others according to the passage?
A. They give money. B. They give gifts.
C. They send regards. D. They offer help.
23. The underlined word “neglected” in the second paragraph means “________”.
A. remembered B. hated
C. paid little or no attention to D. disappointed
【答案】21. D 22. B 23. C
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了Sweetest Day的由来、意义、变化和庆祝方式。
【21题详解】
细节理解题。由第一段中的“It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick，the aged，and children who have lost their parents，but also friends，workmates，relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.(这是一个让我们所有人都有机会缅怀病人、老人和失去父母的儿童，还有朋友、同事、亲戚和邻居们，他们的帮助和仁慈让我们感到欣慰。)”可知，此节日和送鲜花给情人没有关系。故选D。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。由第二段中的“Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift.（随着时间的推移，向穷人、病人和失去父母的儿童传播欢乐的最甜蜜的一天的想法被扩大到包括所有人，并成为一个用善意的行为或小礼物纪念他人的机会。）”可知，人们会通过给礼物表达对别人的关心。故选B。
【23题详解】
词义猜测题。由第二段的“Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered.”可知，60多年前，那时一个Cleveland人注意到一些人，如失去父母的孩子和躺在床上的父母，常常感觉被忘记和neglected，因此他脑海里有了一个让他们觉得自己依然被记得的想法。根据句意，尤其是forgotten可推测划线部分的意思“忽略，不关注”。C. paid little or no attention to(很少或几乎不关注)符合以上猜测，故选C项。
