OnNovember19,1863,AbrahamLincolnwenttoGettysburginPennsylvaniato

OnNovember19,1863,AbrahamLincolnwenttoGettysburginPennsylvaniatospeakattheNationalSoldiersCemetery.TheCivilWarwasstillgoingon.TherewasmuchcriticismofPresidentLincolnatthetime.Hewasnotatallpopular.HehadbeeninvitedtospeakatGettysburgonlyoutofpoliteness.TheprincipalspeakerwastobeEdwardEverett,afamousstatesmanandspeakeroftheday.Everettwasahandsomemanandverypopulareverywhere. ItissaidthatLincolnpreparedhisspeechonthetrainwhilegoingtoGettysburg.Latethatnight,aloneinhishotelroomandtiredout,heagainworkedbrieflyonthespeech.ThenextdayEverettspokefirst.Hespokeforanhourand57minutes.Hisspeechwasaperfectexampleoftherichoratoryoftheday.ThenLincolnrose.Thecrowdof15,000peopleatfirstpaidlittleattentiontohim.Hespokeforonlynineminutes.Attheendtherewaslittleapplause.Lincolnturnedtoafriendandremarked,"Ihavefailedagain."OnthetrainbacktoWashington,hesaidsadly,"Thatspeechwasaflatfailure,andthepeoplearedisappointed." Somenewspapersatfirstcriticizedthespeech.Butlittlebylittleaspeoplereadthespeechtheybegantounderstandbetter.Theybegantoappreciateitssimplicityanditsdeepmeaning.ItwasaspeechwhichonlyAbrahamLincolncouldhavemade. Today,everyAmericanschoolchildlearnsLincoln′sGettysburgAddressbyheart.NoweveryonethinksofitasoneofthegreatestspeechesevergiveninAmericanhistory. ItwasafactthatLincoln′sspeechwas___________.

A.an immediate success

B.warmly applauded

C.a total failure

D.not well-received at first

正确答案是D