2. 外语
  3. December 25 is celebrated as the birthday of Christ. No one is certain why this day was chosen. It was chosen probably because,

December 25 is celebrated as the birthday of Christ. No one is certain why this day was chosen. It was chosen probably because,

admin2009-04-23  72
问题     December 25 is celebrated as the birthday of Christ. No one is certain why this day was chosen. It was chosen probably because, according to the calendar then in use, December 25 was the time of the year when winter days begin to grow longer in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun-worshippers had celebrated this day as the promise of spring.
    Over the years, a number of special customs associated with Christmas have grown up. Many of these have been introduced from Europe, while others have their origin in America.
    Christmas music is loved by all who hear and sing it every year. Christmas songs, bells, and merry music have been a part of Christmas for centuries. The Christmas tree is the symbol of the spirit of Christmas in many homes. Trees were not used in English homes until a German prince married Queen Victoria. The prince had the first decorated Christmas tree set up at Windsor Castle in 1841. The first Christmas trees in the New World were introduced by Hessian soldiers in 1776, during the Revolutionary War. Later German immigrants brought the tradition into wider use in the United States.
    The custom of decorating a community tree for outdoor display began in the early 1900’s and is a favorite custom all over America today. Since 1933, Rockerfeller Plaza, in New York City, has put up a giant tree, beautifully decorated with lights. The trees are about 30 meters tall. Some 7,000 colored lights have been used to light them. Each year at Washington, D.C., there is a national tree lighting ceremony. The President of the United States pulls the switch that lights the brightly decorated new community Christmas tree on the White House lawn.
    Some families open their presents on Christmas Eve; others wait for the next morning. Some boys’ and girls’ presents are placed in stockings and hung at the foot of their beds; others find their gifts under the Christmas tree.
    Greeting cards began in England. One of the first artists to design and send a Christmas card in 1843 was John C. Horsley. The cards were printed in black and white and colored by hand. About 1000 of them were sold in London that year. At about the same time, another English artist, William Egley, designed a card and had it printed. He sent it to his friend with the now familiar message "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year".
     A German immigrant, Louis Prang, designed and sold colored Christmas cards in 1874. In less than 10 years his shop was turning out 5,000,000 cards a year.
    Today greeting cards have become a big industry and billions of cards are sent all over the world every Christmas. Whatever language the greetings are written in, the message is the same—a wish for peace and goodwill among all people.
选项 A、from Germany
B、from Europe
C、from America
D、from both Europe and America
答案D
解析 细节题。由第二段第二句可知一些有关圣诞节的特别的习俗由欧洲传人的，而另外的一些始于美洲。故选D。
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