Paragraph Nine 　Gay marriage is to become legal in England and W

Paragraph Nine 　Gay marriage is to become legal in England and Wales after the lower house of the British parliament approved the final changes to a law that had Prime Minister David Cameron’s backing. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for gay rights by forcing the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages. 44. Gay marriage gaining legal s______.
【正确答案】：shield
【题目解析】：该段描写了同性婚姻在英格兰和威尔士已经合法化，即题干所表达的意思是“同性婚姻获得法律的保护”，缺少shield，“保护”一词。