Question

The history of Mother’s Day is pretty interesting. An early form of the idea may have originated in the 17th century England as “Mothering Sunday”, on which the servants, who generally lived with their employers, were encouraged to return home and honor their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

Mother’s Day, first suggested in 1872, is linked to the anti-war efforts of Julia Ward Howe. She hoped a day set aside to honour mothers would be a way to promote peace. In 1907 a woman by the name of Anna Jarvis took Howe’s idea a step further and began a campaign for a nationally recognized Mother’s Day.

After considerable effort, Anna Jarvis finally saw her dream realized. On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official proclamation(宣布) that Mother’s Day would be an annual holiday on the second Sunday in May. And so it is to this day.

For those of us whose lives have been shaped and nurtured by loving moms, the day is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you. Unfortunately not everyone’s experience of family life evokes （唤起）gratitude. In the complicated maze of human existence, not all mother/child relationships are positive. Evoking the image of Mom for some can be an invitation down a painful memory lane.

There is also the reality that not all mothering figures are actually mothers. Hundreds of thousands of children have been raised by foster moms （养母）who never had children of their own, but who gave maternal （母亲般的）love to children that needed them. Aunts and older sisters have filled this role as well.

All I am saying is that it is complicated. We might wish that every family had an ideal balance of motherly and fatherly love, but that is simply not the case. There are many different ways that mothering happens. We may as well celebrate the ups and downs of our common life. For those whose childhood evokes praise and thanksgiving, let us give thanks. But for those whose childhood was marked by fear and loss, then let us offer healing.

In our world, there’s no reason why all experiences of family life, good and bad, can’t be included.

Title:  ._____________

Answer

1.Mother’s Day

2.History/Origin/Development

3.Mothering Sunday

4.Purposes/Aims/Goals

5.The president’s /official proclamation

6.Shaping and nurturing

7.Bad/ Unkind/Unloving mothers

8.Maternal love

9.Giving thanks

10.Conclusion

【解析】

试题分析：

1.Mother’s Day 主旨大意题。根据文章内容可知本文主要介绍的介绍母亲节的来源。所以本文的标题就是Mother’s Day。

2.History/Origin/Development 归纳总结题。这两部分介绍的是母亲节的历史以及发展过程。

3.Mothering Sunday 原词再现。根据第一段第二句An early form of the idea may have originated in the 17th century England as “Mothering Sunday”,可知母亲节最初的形式就是“Mothering Sunday”。

4.Purposes/Aims/Goals 总结归纳题。根据第二段第二句She hoped a day set aside to honour mothers would be a way to promote peace.可知她希望把设立母亲节作为促进和平的一种方法。所以下面介绍的都是设立母亲节的目的。

5.The president’s /official proclamation 推理题。根据文章第三段On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the official proclamation(宣布) that Mother’s Day would be an annual holiday on the second Sunday in May.可知总统宣布成立母亲节这一节日。

6.Shaping and nurturing 词形转换。根据文章第四段第一句For those of us whose lives have been shaped and nurtured by loving moms可知很多人的生活都是由母亲塑造和养育的。表格里和下面的leaving一样，都要使用动名词形式。

7.Bad/ Unkind/Unloving mothers 根据not all mother/child relationships are positive可知并不是很多母子关系都是很好的。也有很多不好的母亲。

8.Maternal love 原词再现。根据文章第五段倒数第二句who gave maternal （母亲般的）love to children that needed them可知这些养母也给孩子母亲般的爱。

9.Giving thanks 归纳推理。根据倒数第二段倒数第二句For those whose childhood evokes praise and thanksgiving, let us give thanks.可知设立母亲节也是为了向母亲表示感谢。

10.Conclusion 归纳总结题。虽然有各种母子关系，但是母亲节的设立是为了所有的家庭的孩子向母亲表示感激之情。

考点：任务型阅读