February 29th comes up on the calendar only every four years. A year with a February 29th might be good news if you are paid by the day or the week. But it might be bad news if you were born on a February 29th. You have to wait three years in between birthdays!
American English has an expression for the unusual situation. February 29th is called a leap day (闰日) . And the year with a February 29th in it is called a leap year. This year, 2020, is such a year.
As a verb, the word “leap” means to jump, or to move quickly. “Leap” can also be a noun, meaning a jump, or a sudden move.
In a leap year, the dates jump over one day of the week. Let me explain. In 2017, the last day of the year, December 31st, fell on a Sunday. In 2018, it fell on a Monday. In 2019, it fell on a Tuesday. But in 2020, December 31st will fall on a Thursday. It jumps right over Wednesday.
The reason for a leap day or a leap year is because our calendar does not follow the Earth’s orbit (轨道) around the sun exactly. Each year, we have a little time left over. So every four years, we put all that time together into an extra (额外的) day.
Some people choose to marry on February 29th because it is an unusual date. But some ancient peoples would likely tell couples not to do it. Leap years were believed to be difficult, and leap days were unlucky. To be honest, these have no scientific basis (依据).
1. A 20-year-old person has ________ birthdays if he/she was born on a February 29th.| A．20 | B．15 | C．10 | D．5 |
| A．month | B．year | C．day | D．week |
| A．Saturday | B．Friday | C．Sunday | D．Monday |
| A．Scientists tell couples not to marry on a leap day. |
| B．The leap year or leap day comes once every four years. |
| C．Some ancient peoples believed that leap days were unlucky. |
| D．We have a little time left each year before a leap year comes. |
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【推荐1】Some people believe that colors can influence our moods.
Energetic colors
When you feel tired or weak, you should wear energetic colors like green. Green can give you energy,
Strong colors
If you require strength in either body or mind, red may be of some help to you. Red is the color of heat. It represents power and strong feelings. Wearing red can also make it easier to take action.
Calm colors
Have you ever walked into a room and felt relaxed? It could be because the walls were painted blue. Blue is a calm color. It brings peace to our mind and body. Blue can also represent sadness.
Warm colors
Some colors, such as orange and yellow, can make you feel warm. People in cold areas prefer warm colors in their homes to create a warm and comfortable feeling. Orange represents joy.
| A．You may wonder whether it is true. |
| B．It can cheer you up when you are feeling sad. |
| C．as it is a symbol of peace and makes you relaxed. |
| D．as it is the color of nature and represents new life. |
| E．Others think that colors can change people’s moods. |
| F．so you may say “I’m feeling blue” when you are feeling sad. |
| G．This may help when you are having difficulty making a decision. |
【推荐2】
| The opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup was held on November 20, 2022. Support from China also has also come in more concrete way with most of the tournament’s stadiums (比赛球场). The 80,000-seat Lusai Stadium, which is scheduled to host the eye-catching final game was designed and built by China Railway International Group. More than 1,500 buses from China’s leading bus maker Yutong are plying the streets of Qatar. From national flags to ornaments and pillows emblazoned with images of the World Cup trophy (奖杯), products made in Yiwu, China, have enjoyed nearly 70% the market share of World Cup merchandise. Chinese elements (中国元素) are seen all over the place at Qatar World Cup 2022. |
| On November 7, 2022, the 25th anniversary (周年纪念日) of International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and the second World Bamboo and Rattan Congress (世界竹藤大会) opened in Beijing, At the meeting, the initiative (倡议) of replacing plastic with bamboo received attention. Currently, more than 70 percent of single-use plastics produced globally (全球的) are thrown directly into the soil, air and oceans. Using bamboo as a green, low-carbon, degradable biomass (可降解生物质) material is an effective way to reduce pollution. “Bamboo Instead of Plastic” promotes (促进) scientific and technological innovation (革新), encourages scientific research and create conditions for the use of technologies and development of new products. |
| Famous for carrying his tennis rackets in a bamboo basket, Wang Fa, a 14-year-old dark horse who won the U14 boys’ singles title (单打冠军) in the Guangzhou stop of the 2022 ASICS Tennis Junior Tour, has become an internet sensation (网红). Wany, a Chinese Wa ethnic (佤族) boy, started to learn tennis in 2016. “If it weren’t for tennis. I’d still be helping out my family with farm work back at home,” Wang said. “We always carried bamboo baskets when we worked in the field. This is a symbolic farming tool of the Wa ethnic group. I carried my rackets in this basket to honor my hometown.” |
——中国新闻网
1. How will you feel when you see “Chinese elements” at Qatar World Cup 2022?| A．Proud. | B．Interested. | C．Useful. |
| A．Protecting the environment. |
| B．Encouraging scientific research. |
| C．Reducing the number of bamboo forest. |
| A．Because he expected to become an internet sensation |
| B．Because he wanted to honor his hometown |
| C．Because he won the U14 boys’ singles title and praised himself. |
【推荐3】Rainforests (热带雨林) cover six percent of the earth’s surface. There are rain forests in many parts of theworld, but the biggest forests are in South America, Africa and South East Asia. There aren’t any rain forests in Europe or North America.
About 75% of all the types of animals come from rainforests.
The rain forests are very important for us. We need them! The trees and other plants in the forest help to make the air that we breathe.
| A．It is also very dark there. |
| B．They also help to control the weather. |
| C．Thousands and thousands of animals live in rainforests. |
| D．Unluckily, in many places, the rainforests are in danger. |
| E．The same thing is happening now in many other parts of the world. |
The earth will perhaps be warmed by about 7℃ at the South Pole(极) and the North Pole. The ice will be melt(融化). The sea level(平面) will rise by about 7 meters. As a result, water will cover cities like London, Tokyo and New York. Some ports(港口) and towns along the coasts will disappear under water.
Some other scientists think that the dust, smoke and pollution from coal, wood and oil fires will block out(封闭) the ultraviolet rays(紫外线). Then the earth will become colder and great sheets of ice will cover Europe and North America.
When chemicals in the air mix with rain, we have acid(酸) rain. Acid rain can bring us great harm. It destroys(破坏) forests and kills life in lakes and rivers.
People are beginning to see how serious the problem is. They find it important to work with nature instead of against it. They are trying to save the earth in many different ways. But one of the most important things to do is to make people understand that saving the earth is saving ourselves.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内。
1. Some scientists believe that.
| A．the earth is growing warmer |
| B．we have to burn down the forests every year |
| C．we can find oil in our forests |
| D．we need coal in our forests |
| A．become thicker by seven meters |
| B．cover cities like London and Tokyo |
| C．raise the sea level by 7 degrees |
| D．become water and make the sea rise |
| A．bring great changes in our weather |
| B．kill pests(害虫) in lakes and forests |
| C．kill the fish in rivers and lakes |
| D．cover Europe and North America |
| A．The dust together with pollution from coal, wood and oil fires will bring us more heat from the sun. |
| B．The ultraviolet rays will come more because of the dust and pollution from fires. |
| C．According to the scientists, the change in weather hardly has anything to do with the pollution. |
| D．As a result of the dust and pollution from coal, wood and oil fires, the earth will become colder. |
| A．The weather is changing just because of the acid rain. |
| B．People have come to know the importance of working with nature. |
| C．All the scientists agree that our earth is sure to become warmer and warmer. |
| D．The sea level will rise if the earth gets colder. |
Imagine you walk into a store. Strangely enough, you see no staff (店员) inside. You pick up things and prepare to wait in line and pay. But even more oddly, there is no cashier at all. So what has happened to this store?
Well, you may have entered Tao Café, a cashless store created by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. In July, the public got to see the store for the first time at Alibaba’s Taobao Maker Festival in Hangzhou.
The 200-square-meter store sells drinks, fast food and snacks. It can hold up to 50 shoppers at a time. To enter and shop, people only need a smartphone with a Taobao app and an Alipay account (账户).
By scanning their Taobao QR code (二维码), shoppers are followed with cameras for facial recognition. The store has also digitalized (数字化) all goods and their placement on the shelves. So when shoppers pick up goods, the system will be able to “watch” and “remember” their selection.
When shoppers are ready to leave, they don’t wait in line to pay. Instead, they go through two checkout doors. Then the bills will be paid with a Taobao account connected to Alipay.
According to Alibaba, the checkout machines can recognize goods even when shoppers put them in pockets or bags. So it is almost impossible to steal things from the store.
Tao Café is not the only cashless store in China. A 24-hour convenience store with no staff called BingoBox opened in Shanghai in June. To enter the store, shoppers scan a QR code on WeChat or Alipay. But unlike the Tao Café, they have to scan another QR code to leave the BingoBox.
1. The underlined word “oddly” means “_____”.| A．strangely | B．surprisingly | C．importantly | D．helpfully |
| A．a coffee shop | B．a cashless store | C．an online store | D．a shopping app |
| A．a smartphone | B．a Taobao app | C．an Alipay account | D．two QR codes |
| A．How to check out in Tao Café. | B．Why Tao Café needs cameras. |
| C．How the system in Tao Café works. | D．When the bills are paid in the store. |
| A．The elders would enjoy shopping in Tao Café. |
| B．Lots of things will be lost in the cashless store. |
| C．Shopping at BingoBox is the most convenient. |
| D．It saves people much time to shop at Tao Café. |
The exam comes in July. When the exam finishes, the summer vacation begins. Boys and girls have two months to rest. The summer vacation is the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually good. They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their parents.
We all know that the beaches are good places to relax. Some children are lucky to live near the sea. They can enjoy the sea at any time. But for the children who live far from the sea, they only go to the beaches for one or two weeks with their parents.
Why do children like spending their summer vacation on the beaches? It is because they like the sand, the sun, the cool wind and the saltwater. There are a lot of new things to see, nice things to eat and exciting things to do.
1. School children usually have exams ________.| A．in July | B．before July | C．after July | D．by July |
| A．For two weeks. | B．For two months. |
| C．For three months. | D．For one or two weeks. |
| A．Because the weather is good. |
| B．Because it is long. |
| C．Because they have lots of activities and the weather is good. |
| D．Because they can go to the beaches. |
| A．at anytime they want | B．for one or two weeks |
| C．two months | D．one month |
