Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way
for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of
this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers
fondled their children, much as mothers do today.
Much later,
in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between
adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first
accepted kissing in courtship (求愛(ài)). There, figure dancing
was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.
The custom
of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility
loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into
marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony.
The custom
of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay homage to
another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to
greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor
even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He
allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his
hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.
In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the
Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes
pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.
1.What’s mainly talked about in the passage?
A. The way to express love and respect. B.
The expression of affection.
C. The custom of kissing. D.
The function of kissing.
2.Which of the following can best explain the
underlined word “homage” in the 4th paragraph？
A. recognition B.
respect C.
importance D.
loyalty
3.It can be learned from the passage that ___________.
A. kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and
affection
B. kissing used to be a proper way to show love on the
wedding ceremony
C. kissing is a widely accepted way of greeting in the
world
D. kissing from the Tsar is only sign of being
accepted from the Crown
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the
passage?
A. It was France that made the custom of kissing go to
the whole world.
B. Early Africans kissed each other on the mouth or on
the eyes to greet one another.
C. One Roman emperor allowed important nobles to kiss
his nose.
D. Russian nobility followed the custom of kissing
from the French.
5. We can infer from the passage that __________.
A. mothers created the custom of kissing
B. kissing means differently on different occasions
C. figure dancing was usually sealed with a kiss in
Russia
D. society found it hard to accept kissing in public in
the sixth century
