The History of Valentines Day

Read the sentence from the section "The legend of St. Valentine."
Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, so he outlawed marriage for young men.

Which of the following words or phrases, if it replaced the word "outlawed" in the sentence above, would MOST change the meaning of the sentence?

• made illegal
  
• stopped
  
• allowed
• restricted
  

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Read the sentence from the section  "The legend of St. Valentine."
Valentine saw the injustice of this rule.

Why does the author use the word "injustice" in this sentence?

• to show that Valentine thought Claudius made an illegal decision
  
• to show that Valentine thought single men needed to follow the law
  
• to show that Valentine thought soldiers should not create families
  
• to show that Valentine thought young men were being treated unfairly

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Why does the author include the section "Typical Valentine's Day greetings"?

• to summarize the various reasons people enjoy celebrating Valentine's Day
• to explain how Valentine's Day is celebrated in different countries
• to describe how the valentines people exchange have changed over time
  
• to continue explaining how Lupercalia shaped Valentine's Day celebrations
  

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Which of the following MOST accurately explains how the purpose of the section "The legend of St. Valentine" is different from the purpose of the section "Origins of Valentine's Day"?

• "The legend of St. Valentine" explores who Valentine might have been, while "Origins of Valentine's Day" discusses why Valentine's Day is celebrated in February.
• "The legend of St. Valentine" explains why Valentine's Day is linked to romance, while "Origins of Valentine's Day" describes how Valentine's Day is still a Roman celebration.
• "The legend of St. Valentine" describes the Catholic Church's role in Valentine's Day, while "Origins of Valentine's Day" describes the Pope's role in Valentine's Day celebrations.
• "The legend of St. Valentine" tells the legends of three different St. Valentines, while "Origins of Valentine's Day" explains that all Catholic celebrations evolved out of earlier Roman holidays.

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Where was this article originally published?

• The Battalion.com, adapted by the Newsela staff
• The Houston Chronicle.com, adapted by the Newsela
• The San Antonio Express News, adapted by the Newsela
• History.com, adapted by the Newsela staff

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What is the date of publication of the article?

• Valentine's Day
• 2/14/18
• February 12, 2017
• March 5, 2019

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In paragraph 11, it says Esther A. Howland is the "Mother of the ____________?

• Cupid
• Turkey
• Easter Bunny
• Valentine

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In paragraph 12, it is reported that 1 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year.  Which holiday beats Valentine's Day as the biggest card sending holiday?

• New Year's Eve
• President's Day
• Christmas
• First Day of School

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According to information found in paragraph 8, which pope declared Valentine's Day to be February 14?

• Pope Jello
• Pope Gelasius
• Pope Frances
• Pope Benedict

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In the section "Origins of Valentine's Day", who is Faunus? 

• A baby deer
• A giant  bear
• Roman god of agriculture
• Greek God of Love

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