中科院2011年考博英语完形原文.pdfVIP

2011 年中科院考博英语——完型原文 Tomorrow Japan and South Korea will celebrate White Day, an annual event when men are expected to buy a gift for the adored women in their lives. It is a relatively new concept that was commercially created as payback for Valentines Day. Thats because in both countries, 14 February is all about the man. On Valentines Day, women are expected to buy all the important male figures in their lives a token gift: not just their partners, but their bosses or older relatives too. If the present is a romantic one, it is known as honmei-choco (chocolate of love). If it is a mark of respect, it is known as giri-choco (chocolate of obligation). This seems fair enough. Surely its reasonable for men to be indulged on one day of the year, given the number of times theyre expected to produce bouquets of flowers on spec and surprise their woman with perfume or pearls? But the idea of a woman spoiling a man didnt sit easily with people. In 1978, the National Confectionery Industry Association came up with an idea to solve this anomaly. They started to market white chocolate that men could give to women on 14 March, as compensation for the male-oriented Valentines Day. It started with a handful of sweetmakers churning out candy as a simple gift idea. The day captured the public imagination, and is now a fully-fledged, nationally recognized date in the diary - and one where men are obliged to whip out their credit cards. In fact, men are now expected to give gifts worth triple the value of those they received. What a complication: not only do men have to remember who bought them what, they have to estimate the value and multiply it by three. The temptation for women in Japan must be to buy every man they know some cheap chocolates on Valentines Day as an investment. A month lat