A yoga master made a shocking statement that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life．Lincoln delivered a proclamation setting up Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863．Research throws light on a possible Hindu （印度的）origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving．
"The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation （转世）of Abraham Lincoln entitled Soul Journey ： From Lincoln to Lindbergh which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda， who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life, and that he was reborn as the famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh．
“During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice,” SaIva said, “I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays as national days of prayer, fasting （禁食），and thanksgiving．This was interesting, because Thursday is considered a holy day — a day for prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection — among Hindus, who call it‘guru day’．”
“ Lincoln also set aside time on Thursdays to grieve for his son，Willie, who died in Washington．Clearly, Thursdays had a spiritual significance in Lincoln's mind．”
In his book, Richard Salva presents more than 500 connections between Lincoln, Lindergh, and the ancient spiritual science of yoga．The connections run through every aspect of the human condition and provide convincing evidence that Lincoln had had a Hindu past life.
More than one out of every five Americans today believes in reincarnation—yet few are aware of how past-life patterns affect them．Soul Journey tries to fill this gap, by offering a substitute experience of reincarnation．Through clear and persuasive similarities between the lives of Lincoln and Lindbergh, the book discovers how the hidden laws of fate and reincarnation impact the events of his or her daily life．It addresses other issues, such as the secret spiritual history of America's greatest president, including his past life as a Himalayan yogi; the hidden clues that reveal past lives； the greatness he achieved； and the spiritual principles behind the yoga postures that millions now practice．
54. Based on Richard Salva’s view, ______.
A. Hindus started the holiday of Thanksgiving
B. the Americans copied Thanksgiving from Hindus
C. Thanksgiving had Hindus roots
D. Charles Lindbergh had been a Himalayan yogi
55. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ______.
A. in India Thursday is a religious day
B. in India all the prayers are done on Thursday
C. Abraham Lincoln was once a famous pilot
D. Paramhamsa Yogananda once taught Lincoln yoga
56. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.
A. the book discovers the laws of fate and reincarnation
B. yoga is closely connected with religion
C. the book gives a scientific description of Lincoln’s spiritual life
D. Lincoln and Lindbergh must have influenced each other a lot
57.When it came to the comparison between Lincoln and Lindbergh, the author held a ______ attitude.
A. neutral B. doubtful C. negative D. positive