номер 2, страница 83 - гдз по английскому языку 9 класс рабочая тетрадь Комарова, Ларионова

Unit Eight. Reading. Exercise Three.

Saint Valentine's Day.

When people think about Valentine's Day, they immediately think of red roses, chocolates, love and romance. But have you ever wondered about the origins of this special day? Who was this mysterious Valentine? And why is this name connected to a day dedicated to love?

In the third century AD, it was essential that the Roman army was as strong as possible in order to defend the borders of the vast Roman Empire, which were under attack in many places.

The Roman Emperor Claudius believed that single men made better soldiers than married men, as they would not be distracted by wives and children, and would instead devote themselves to fighting. As a result, he outlawed marriage and threatened to execute anyone who disobeyed his orders.

In spite of this, many couples still wanted to get married, and so a Catholic priest called Valentine took pity on them, and agreed to perform marriages in secret.

When the emperor found out about the secret weddings, Valentine was imprisoned and finally executed on the fourteenth of February, two hundred and seventy AD.

So, that's the story behind the name. But what is the origin of the one billion cards that are sent every year on Valentine's Day?

According to some versions of the story, while Valentine was in prison, he cured his jailer's daughter of blindness, and on the eve of his execution, he wrote his last letter to her and signed it, from your Valentine.

We may never know the true origins of Valentine's Day, but what is certain is that it has become an extremely popular day with florists, jewelers, chocolate makers, and of course, anyone who is in love.