Like clockwork, nearly every fourth February includes one extra day. February 29th, otherwise known as Leap Day, isn’t exactly a holiday. Instead, it’s there to keep your calendar consistent with the earth’s rotation (旋转) around the sun.
According to History, com, Roman emperor Julius Caesar is the “father” of Leap Year. Until he came along, people used a 355-day calendar, which was 10.25 days shorter than the solar year. Roman officials were supposed add an extra month every now and then to keep the seasons exactly where they should be. But that didn’t work out all that well. When special occasions started shifting into different seasons around 45 BCE, Caesar consulted with astronomers and decreed (下令) that the empire should use a 12-month, 365-day calendar, which he named after himself, Caesar’s Julian calendar included a Leap Day every four years.
Though Leap Day keeps your calendar in line with the earth’s rotation around the sun, it causes a different kind of problem for leapsters. When should these February 29th babies celebrate their birthdays during the other three-quarters of their lives? Some party on February 28th, while others prefer a two-day celebration that spans the last day of February and the first day of March.
Leap Day can be a nuisance in the legal system. In 2006, a court in Massachusetts was deciding whether criminal John Melo could be released a day early since his 10-year sentence included a Leap Day. In the case, the judge decided that since the man was sentenced to prison for years, not days. Leap Day didn’t make a bit of difference.
Though a few timekeepers have pushed for calendars that don’t include Leap Day, almost all astronomers and societies agree that Leap Day is the best method to keep the calendar on track.
1.Why was Leap Day created?
A.To celebrate special occasions. B.To honor Emperor Julius Caesar.
C.To keep pace with the solar year. D.To keep track of all the seasons.
2.What is the problem with the birthday celebration of February 29th babies?
A.It is sometimes delayed. B.It lasts at least two days.
C.It has to be held every other year. D.It may take place on different dates.
3.What does the underlined word “nuisance” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Joke. B.Topic.
C.Trouble. D.Mistake.
4.what is the attitude of most astronomers towards Leap Day?
A.Critical. B.Supportive.
C.Doubtful. D.Cautious.
It was just a normal day for Ruth Miller, a 63-year-old woman until everything went horribly wrong. She was walking to her car after shopping when the unthinkable happened.
Right as she was unlocking her car, a man quickly came up behind her and tried to wrestle her purse away. She was in shock. Luckily she remembered she had her Safe Personal Alarm (SPA) on her purse, and since she was too scared to scream for help, she quickly reached for the alarm and pulled the pin (保险栓). Immediately her SPA started just screaming. The man didn't know what to do! He froze for a second, and then ran away like a bat out of hell!
SPA is a safety device capable of creating a 125db sound that attracts attention and scares away potential attackers. To compare, it's the same volume as a military jet during takeoff.
Paul Davidson, the inventor of SPA, knows all too well the type of situation that Ruth found herself in. But that's not the only type of situation that SPA helps protect against. Parents can give it to their kids as an extra means of protection. Teenagers can use it so they can feel safe walking home. Women can know it's there when they have to use the parking lot at night. “My mother, who is 76 years old, carries it around in case she falls and needs to ask people for help. I only wish I'd have thought of it earlier,” said Paul.
The police have been recommending SPA since it first hit the market. In fact, since its launch, SPA has been in a state, shifting between in stock to sold out nearly every other week, and it's also got tons of loyal followers worldwide.
1.What does the underlined part “the unthinkable” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.An attempted robbery. B.A wrestling match.
C.An angry argument. D.A car accident.
2.How did Ruth react to the unexpected situation?
A.She fought violently. B.She froze in great fear.
C.She cried desperately for help. D.She sounded her safety device.
3.Why does Paul mention his mother?
A.To imply the elderly need more care. B.To suggest he cares about his mother.
C.To show SPA can be widely used. D.To make an advertisement for SPA.
4.What can be learned from the text?
A.SPA is well received in the market. B.People hesitate to pay for security.
C.SPA was sold out in the first two weeks. D.SPA is not important in life.
If you want to learn why everything is usually cheaper, and what items are the best deals at your local or chain dollar or discount store, store employees have a lot of useful information. They tend to know what shoppers want — even before shoppers know themselves.
Everyone buys unnecessary things
Whether you shop at a chain dollar store such as Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or your local 99 cents store, not everything that’s on sale is necessarily worth purchasing. Bryan Waring, a former Dollar Tree employee, says that you’re not alone in buying more than necessary from these stores. “It seems basic, but everyone falls for this trap,” he says. “You go into a store where everything is cheap, and you walk out with things you don't need.” He suggests going into a store — yes, even the dollar store — with a checklist of things you truly need.
Everything is cheaper after the holiday season
Patricia, a seasonal worker at a Dollar Tree, says that the post-Christmas season means even more deals on everything from decorations to sweets. “After Christmas, all the gift wrap paper went to 50 cents, and all Christmas items were half price,” she says. “Even candy bars are 89 cents versus $ 1.”
Products are less expensive because of their size
In order for dollar stores to keep their prices low, product sizes are usually smaller than normal, according to Cheapism. Dollar stores area t the only ones guilty of this trick. Cheapism also reports Walmart is guilty of doing the same thing to attract customers.
1.What is Bryan’s advice against buying unnecessary things?
A.Making a purchase alone.
B.Writing a to-buy list ahead.
C.Shopping at your local store.
D.Buying basic things separately.
2.Which of the following is a better time for shopping according to Patricia?
A.In the Christmas sales.
B.At a particular discount.
C.After the Christmas season.
D.During some holiday seasons.
3.How do stores make their products cheaper?
A.By reducing product sizes.
B.By lowering product costs.
C.By adopting discount strategies.
D.By attracting more customers.
假定你是李华，正在英国的一所中学做交换生。你校的中国书法俱乐部正在招募成员，请 你给该俱乐部的负责人John写一封邮件申请加入。内容包括：
1.表明意图；
2.给出理由；
3.期待回复。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：中国书法俱乐部Chinese Calligraphy Club;招募recruit
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last month, our school organized a knowledge contest what called “Motherland in My Heart”. After our teacher announced the news, everyone was eager to participating. Then we spent the following days make preparations for it. We surfed the Internet about the changes in different aspect, including economy, technology, etc. We also invite an expert to deliver a lecture on the development of our country during the past 70 years. having learnt about these achievements, we felt so proud our country. Finally came a big day. My classmates and I tried my best and answered every question confident. After a few rounds, our team finally won the top prize. What happy we were!
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Yueyang Tower is 1. ancient Chinese tower on the shore of Lake Dongting. It is one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan. Yueyang Tower became famous for Memorial to Yueyang Tower (《岳阳楼记》) 2. (write) by Fan Zhongyan, who was an excellent minister of the northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)in China.
3. (lie) on the city wall of the west gate of the ancient city in Yueyang City, Hunan province, China, Yueyang Tower faces Junshan Island and overlooks Dongting Lake, being extremely beautiful and 4. (impress). Since ancient times, it 5. (enjoy) the good reputation that Dongting Lake is the 6. (good)among lakes, and Yueyang Tower is incomparable among towers. Yueyang Tower’s roof covered with yellow glazed tiles (黄色琉璃瓦)looks like a general’s helmet in ancient China. It is the only ancient 7. (build) with a helmet roof structure (构造) in China.
Before the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Yueyang Tower was mainly used 8. the military purpose. After the Tang Dynasty, it 9. (gradual) became a famous scenic spot in 10. men of letters chanted poetry and wrote fu.
