A widespread concern in early eighteenth-century Britain that the institution of marriage was deteriorating into a mere business

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问题     A widespread concern in early eighteenth-century Britain that the institution of marriage was deteriorating into a mere business agreement, a cynical means of increasing wealth, was reflected in the media of the time. In the theater, for example, the Restoration comedy of manners, with its celebration of libertinism and portrayal of marriage as a social, and therefore artificial, institution, gave way to sentimental comedies like The Conscious Lovers, which celebrated the pure, instinctive love of its central characters while downplaying matters of wealth and status. New periodicals, such as the wildly popular Spectator, devoted many issues to the evils of mercenary marriages and to the glories of choosing love over money.
    However, the very popularity of such works calls into question the existence of any real trend toward mercenary marriage. Admittedly, the growing use and complexity of marriage settlements (the transfer of family property from one generation to the next upon a daughter’s marriage) during this period meant that among the elite, at least, marriage contracts looked increasingly like business contracts. However, it should be noted that marriage had long been used by the elite to cement political or social bonds and to enhance family wealth.
The author of the passage states that which of the following casts doubt on the validity of the “widespread concern”?

选项 A、The popularity of the Restoration comedy of manners
B、The growing complexity of marriage settlements
C、Increasing similarities between marriage and business contracts
D、A rising tendency among the elite classes to marry for love rather than money
E、The success of works in different media celebrating love over money

答案E

解析 对应第二段第一句。该句子中such works指第一段里那些宣扬纯爱胜过金钱的作品,very popularity对应选项E的success。作者认为这些作品的流行恰恰说明婚姻变为商业行为这种趋势本身没有发生。A项表述相反。风尚喜剧让位于伤感喜剧,也就是说伤感喜剧的流行恰好说明婚姻没有变得商业化。B、C项表述相反。对应第二段第二句让步部分,这恰好在承认婚姻的商业化现象。D项文中未提及。
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