Well before the 15th century, an Anglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective

Well before the 15th century, anAnglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective bridegroom break some highlyvalued personal belonging. Half of the broken token was held by the father ofthe bride and the other half by the groom. A wealthy man was expected to splita piece of gold or silver.

The earliest engagement rings were alsoused as wedding rings, serving to seal an act of sale which transformedownership of a daughter from father to husband. Such rings were usually ofsolid gold to prove the groom’s worth.

For Roman Catholics, the engagement ringbecame a required statement of Nuptial intent（结婚意向）, as decreed by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. The engagement ring was to be of valued metal, preferably gold, which for the husband-to-be represented a financial sacrifice.

Signifying enduring love, and chosen forits durability, the diamond was chosen for the engagement ring. The diamond’sfire is also associated with “love’s clear flame,” given by Medieval Italiansbecause of their belief that the diamond was created from the flames of love.

The Venetians were the first to discoverthat the diamond is one of the hardest, most enduring substances in nature, andfine cutting and polishing releases the brilliance. Rarity and cost limitedtheir rapid proliferation（急增） throughout Europe but their intrinsic（内在的） appeal guaranteed them a future. By the 17thcentury, the diamond ring had become the most sought after statement ofEuropean engagement.

1. Who kept the two halves of theengagement rings before marriage?

   A. The bride’s father and thebridegroom’s mother.

   B. The bride’s mother and thebridegroom.

   C. The bride and thebridegroom.

   D. The bridegroom and thebride’s father,

2. What’s TRUE about the early Anglo-Saxoncustom before the 15th century ?

   A. A will-be bridegroom shouldbeat all his valuable belongings.

   B. Every will-be bride shouldsplit a piece of gold.

   C. The engagement rings werealso used to prove the groom’s worth.

D. A rich brideshould break one of her most valuable personal belongs.

3. Pope Nicholas made the engagement ring arequired statement of nuptial intent ______.

A. in the 15thcentury           B. over1,000 years ago

   C .in the1860s               D. by the 17th century

4. What kind of engagement ring has beenthe most popular one in Europe ?

   A. Rings made ofgold          B. Rings made ofsilver

C. Rings madeof diamond       D. Rings made of an unknownsubstance in nature.

试题答案

【答案】

 D

 C

 B

 C

【解析】