Theocracy is the rule by a religious leader.

Wedding Ceremonies

A wedding is celebrated with some kind of ceremony almost everywhere in the world. The ceremonies vary greatly among different nations and different religions. But whatever the form. of a marriage ceremony, it serves the important purpose of announcing to the community that a male and a female have been joined in matrimony(婚姻).

The wedding ceremony may be a religious one performed by a churchman. In Western societies it may be a civil ceremony performed by a civil official, such as a mayor or a judge. Or it may be only a couple's declaration, before witnesses, of their intention to marry. In some places a transfer of property makes a marriage binding. In other places blood is drawn from the hands of the bride and groom. The blood is mixed, sealing the union. Among some people the marriage rite consists only of the bride and groom's sharing the same food.

Marriage is one of the seven important religious ceremonies of the Catholic Church. The marriage is held in a church with the service conducted by the priest in the language of the country. The couple stand at the altar(圣坛). The priest asks each in turn, "Do you take

[name of partner] here present for your lawful wife/husband, according to the rite of our Holy Mother, the Church?" in turn, each answers, "I do." They then repeat the marriage vows after the priest. The priest blesses the union: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The priest sprinkles the couple with holy water and blesses the ring or rings.

Many traditional customs are observed at Jewish weddings, although they are not requiredby Jewish law. Usually the Jewish priest, the bride and groom, and their attendants stand under a decorated cover called a chupah (犹太教举行婚礼上用的彩棚). The present use of the chupah began during the Middle Ages among the Eastern European Jews. The Jewish priest conducts the service. During the ceremony the bride and groom make appropriate vows and take part in the ring ceremony. The Jewish priest blesses a cup of wine, from which the bride and groom both drink. The Jewish priest talks to the couple about the sacredness of marriage and responsibilities of the bride and groom. After the Jewish priest has pronounced them man and wife, a wine glass is often placed on the floor. The groom steps on the glass and breaks it. Scholars disagree about the symbolism of the custom, but many believe that the breaking of the glass recalls the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, reminding the couple that even at the moment of greatest joy, there may be sorrow.

The Muslim marriage is a civil and religious contract between the bride and groom. The religious ceremonies and celebrations vary with the customs of the country in which the marriage is held. People of wealth begin the celebrations two or three days before the wedding and continue for two or three days after. The bride is elaborately dressed in bright colors and wears her finest jewelry. The wedding takes place at the home of the bride. The service is performed by Muslim priest, before at least two male witnesses or one male and two female witnesses and then the vows are exchanged.

Wedding Customs

Many of the customs associated with wedding ceremonies are based on neither church nor civil law. They developed from wedding customs of earliest times and come from many lands.

The wearing of a bridal veil dates back to early Greek and Roman times. The veil was thought to conceal the bride from evil spirits. The veil is also believed to have been worn as an indication of the bride's innocence and purity.

The wedding ring is the most widely used symbol of marriage today, as it has been for centuries. The word "wedding" comes from the old English word "wed", which means "promise" or "pledge". During Anglo-Saxon times a

A．A civil official.

B．A judge.

C．The bride's father.

D．A priest.

Bimbo perhaps is the most popular local brand in bakery in Mexico. Every day, its products including sliced bread. cakes, and snacks are delivered nationwide by trucks. Executives at the Mexico City company estimate that its army of deliverymen makes the equivalent of dozens of trips around the earth each day.

But Bimbo's reach extends well beyond Mexico's borders. On Jan. 22nd, it plunked down $610 million for the Western U. S. division of Canada's George Weston Ltd. The deal gives Bimbo five bakeries and the rights to the Oroweat, Entenmann's, Thomas' English Muffins, and Boboli brands everywhere except in Canada and east of the Mississippi River. The share of Bimbo's sales that comes from the U.S. will rise to 30% from 17% "This is a perfect fit for us." says Grupo Bimbo Chief Financial officer Guillermo Quiroz. It also builds on a $1.1 billion 12-year international expansion drive that has taken Bimbo into 16 countries from Chile to the Czech Republic, elevating it to the rank of No.3 baker worldwide. (8)

With a virtual monopoly at home. Bimbo has little choice but to look abroad for new avenues of growth. Yet even admirers of this Mexican blue chip wonder whether it has what it takes to succeed north of the Rio Grande. With the notable exception of cement maker Cemex, few Mexican companies have managed to turn a profit in the ultracompetitive U. S.

Vitro tried to crack the American glass-container market with its purchase of Anchor Hocking in 1989, but it threw in the towel seven years later. Grupo Carso, a leading conglomerate. is struggling to turn around troubled computer retailer CompUSA Inc., which it bought in 2000. (9) Mrs. Baird's Bakeries, the Texas-based operation it acquired in 1998 for $300 million, is still in the red, and its collection of bakeries in California are just starting to break even. "The company doesn't have a good track record of enhancing shareholder value through overseas acquisitions." says Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown Inc. food analyst Joaquín López-Dóriga. Indeed, while overall sales have climbed as a result of such purchases, profit margins are being squeezed.

So why aren't Bimbo's shareholders howling? (10) Bimbo spent $500 million last year on a share-buyback programme that left just 15% of shares actively traded. The company, which is controlled and run by the Servitje family, didn't even have an investor-relations department until Quiroz came on board three years ago after a career in Mexico's airline and banking businesses. Quiroz says Chief Executive Daniel Servitje Montull is committed to making Bimbo a more open company, paving the way for a possible New York Stock Exchange listing within two or three years.

Bimbo's executives claim they've learned their lessons from past acquisitions. (11) They've also hired consulting firm Bain & Co. to convert the George Weston operation to the Bimbo way of doing business in just 100 days. That's in stark contrast with the slow pace of integration of Mrs. Baird's, where management dragged its feet in introducing Bimbo's manufacturing and purchasing schemes.

With the Weston deal, Bimbo now boasts a roster of well-known American brands and a ready-built distribution network. Entenmann's, for example, is No.1 in its market segment nationwide, but it still has plenty of room to grow in the western half of the country, where it is not as well-known. (12) "The Hispanic market is definitely an opportunity, and they're in a better position to exploit it today than before," says López-Dóriga. But can Bimbo peddle Entenmann's cookies as well as its jelly-filled Gansitos sweets? U. S. shoppers are about to find out.

A．Bimbo has had a spotty record with its prior U. S. investments, too.

B．Bimbo had an estimated profit of $188 million in 2001 on sales of $3.8 billion.

C．This means that Bimbo cannot accomplish its takeover.

D．They're spending $50 million on a companywide information-management system from Oracle Corp.

E．It also gives the company access to a market estimated at 120 million consumers, 20% of whom are Hispanic, allowing the company to expand the reach of its existing bread and tortilla manufacturing facilities in Texas and California.

F．Because there aren't that many of them.

(8)

A 15-year-old girl has been arrested__accusations of using Instagram to anonymously theaten her high school.

Aover

Bwith

Con

Dfor

A. persist

B. insist

C. assist

D. consist