单选题
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项([A]、[B]、[C]和[D])中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the Celts --the {{U}}(36) {{/U}} of parts of France and the British Isles-- {{U}}(37) {{/U}} a festival at the beginning of every winter for the Lord of the Dead. The Celts believed that this god {{U}}(38) {{/U}} the world in Winter {{U}}(39) {{/U}} he called together the ghosts of dead people. On October {{U}}(31) {{/U}} , people believed these {{U}}(40) {{/U}} of the dead came back to earth in the {{U}}(41) {{/U}} of animals. They thought that very bad. ghosts came back {{U}}(42) {{/U}} black cats. {{U}}(43) {{/U}} their festival on this day, the Celts {{U}}(44) {{/U}} to make big fires to frighten the ghosts and chase them {{U}}(45) {{/U}}. This celebration was the {{U}}(46) {{/U}} of the holiday of Halloween.
The Romans, who ruled the British Isles {{U}}(47) {{/U}}, also held a {{U}}(48) {{/U}} at the beginning of winter. Because this was harvest time, the Romans {{U}}(49) {{/U}} apples and nuts for the Goddess of the garden. {{U}}(50) {{/U}} the Christians added their customs {{U}}(51) {{/U}} those of the Celts and the Romans. They had a {{U}}(52) {{/U}} holiday on November 1 for the saints, {{U}}(53) {{/U}} they called All Hallows' or All Saints Day. The evening {{U}}(54) {{/U}} this day was All Hallows' Even ("holy evening"); {{U}}(55) {{/U}} the name became Halloween.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[名师精解] 这篇短文介绍西方万圣节的来历。最早是法国的一些地区和不列颠岛上的居民(inhabitants，即凯尔特人)在每年冬天开始前为死者之王举行(held)的一种节日。凯尔特人相信，这个神统治(ruled)冬天的世界，此时(when)它把所有的死者都召集起来。注意when的用法，这里的when不是“当……时候”的意思，而是at this moment的意思。人们相信，每年的10月31日，这些死者的灵魂(spirits)以动物的形状(in the forms of)回到地球，最恶的鬼魂以黑猫的模样回来(as black cats)。在他们的节日里(at their festival)，凯尔特人常常升起大火(used to make big fire)把鬼魂赶走(chase them away)。这一仪式成了万圣节的发端(beginning)。第二段讲曾经(once)统治过不列颠岛的罗马人每年冬天开始前也举行仪式held a celebration)。罗马人为田园女神奉上(brought)苹果和坚果。后来(later)，基督教徒把他们的习俗加进凯尔特人和罗马人的习俗中(add. ..to...)。他们在11月1日有一个为所有圣人举行的宗教节日 (religious holiday)，这个节日叫“诸圣节”。这是个非限定性定语从句，应由which 引导。这一日的前夜(evening before this day)叫“诸圣节之夜”，后来(later)叫又叫万圣节。 [解题秘籍] 考生在做完形填空题时，可采用排除法，即把四个选项逐一带进空格，看这个选项放进句子中后1)是否符合语法规则；2)是否属于固定词组或搭配；3)句子意思是否与上下文吻合。判断语法是否正确可作为第一排除法，不符合语法规则的选项可首先排除。其次再看固定搭配，不符合搭配规则的作第二排除。然后再看句子意思，判断出正确选项。