For most of recorded human history, marriage was an arrangement designed to maximize financial stability. Elizabeth Abbott, the author of A History of Marriage, explains that in ancient times, marriage was intended to unite various parts of a community, establishing beneficial economic relationships.
"Because it was a financial arrangement, it was thought of and operated as such. It was a contract between families. For example, let's say I am a printer and you make paper, we might want a marriage between our children because that will improve our businesses." Even the honeymoon, often called the "bridal tour", was a communal affair, with parents, brothers and sisters, and other close relatives traveling together to reinforce their new familial relationships.
By the Middle Ages, gender inequality was not only honored in social customs, but also common law. In most European countries, married women were forced to give up control over any personal wealth and property rights to their husbands. Eventually, the system became known as "coverture", whereby married couples became a single legal entity in which the husband had all power. By the 19th century, the conflict between love and money had come to a head. As the Western world advanced towards a more modem, industrialized society built on wage labor, emotional bonds became more private, focused more on immediate family and friends than communal celebrations. Simultaneously, mass media helped make sentimental inclinations a larger part of popular culture, with the flourishing of holidays like Valentine' s Day and various hobbies.
Culturally speaking, love was in the air, and the union of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 only served to seal the deal. Though Victoria and Albert's marriage was sanctioned by their royal families, it was also hailed as a true "love match", strengthening the new ideal of romantic partnership. Their wedding also coincided with the surge of early print media, making the event visible to readers all across Europe and North America.
What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?（ ）
推断题。文章第二段的前两句话就指明了本段的主要内容 “Because it was a financial arrangement, it was thought of and operated as such . It was a contract between families. ” 即婚姻是一种经济契约和家庭条约，后几句话是举例说明，故选 C 。
According to the passage, we can get that Elizabeth Abbott' s attitude towards marriage is（ ）.
态度题。从全文来看， Elizabeth Abbott 关于婚姻的发展历史的讲述是公正客观的，列举的是客观事实，不带个人感情色彩，故选 A 。
The underlined word "coverture" in Paragraph 3 most probably means（ ）.
词义题。根据第三段最后一句 “Eventually, the system became known as ‘coverture’ ， whereby married couples became a single legal entity in which the husband had all power.”可知， D 项正确。
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?（ ）
细节题。文中第四段提到 Valentine's Day 是在 19 世纪， A 项错误；文章在第三段主要讲的是性别不平等现象，并没有提到女权运动， B 项错误；根据最后一段中 “Though Victoria and Albert's marriage was sanctioned by theft royal families ， it was also hailed as a true‘love match’ ， strengthening the new ideal of romantic partnership. ” 可知， C 项正确。 D 项与第三段第一句话 “By the Middle Ages ， gender inequality was not only honored in social customs 。 but also common law.”意思相反。故本题选 C 。
How does the author organize the passage?（ ）
推断题。文章按时间顺序从古代到中世纪再到 19 世纪，讲述了婚姻的发展变化。故选 C 。