In the 19th century, Charles Dickens, the English novelist, wrote excitedly of a carriage（马车）, pulled along by a team of horses, that could （1） more than twenty miles of road (2) sixty minutes. To us in the twenty-first century, in which man is able to move and communicate so rapidly, the (3) of the carriage seems nothing at all. Planes fly many hundreds of miles in an hour. And even without (4) , we can, by wireless or telephone, communicate within (5) with people on the other side of the (6) The benefits（益处）of these increased（增长的）speeds are countless （无数的）.

　　Businessmen’s travelling from Europe to America can (7) much time, for the journey that would once have takes weeks (8) now, by air, only twenty-four hours. Members of one family separated from each other by long (9) can have talks with each other by telephone as (10) as if they were sitting in the same room. Not all the effects（影响）of speed, (11) , are beneficial. People who are in the (12) of using a motor car (13) they want to move half a mile become lazy and (14) the power of enjoying an active (15) .Those who travel through a country at eighty miles an hour do not (16) much of the life to that country as they (17) .They become (18) anxious about moving quickly from one (19) to another that they are (20) able to relax and enjoy a happy journey.

　　Why is 2004 a special year? Because it is a Leap Year（闰年）! What's so special about that? Well, Leap Year happens only once every four years. And it has 366 days instead of the usual 365. In a Leap Year, we have 29 days in February, while in a usual year we have only 28 days.

　　Why do we have a Leap Year? We have a Leap Year so we can keep the calendar（日历）in step with the seasons. The calendar is a kind of clock for the whole year. But how long is a year? A calendar year is 365 days. However, a true year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long. That's the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun. So every four years we have one more day, and we put it at the end of February, the shortest month of a year. Then we have a Leap Year.

[　　]

[　　]

[　　]

[　　]

[　　]

A．There were 29 days in February. 1992.

B．Usually we have 365 days ill a year.

C．People who were born on February 29th are very lucky because they can have more birthdays than others.

D．The next Leap Year will be the year 2008.

Why 2008 is a special year? Because it is a Leap Year(闰年).

     What is so special about that? Well, we have a Leap Year every four years. And it has 366 days, not the usual 365. In a Leap Year, we have 29 days in February, while in a usual year we have only 28 days.

     Why do we have a Leap Year? We have a Leap Year so we can keep the calendar in step                                                                                        

(一致)with the seasons. The calendar is a kind of clock for the year. But how long is a year? A calendar year is 365 days. But a true year is 365 days,5 hours,48 minutes and 46 seconds long. That's the time it takes the earth (地球) to go around the sun. So every four years we have one more day, and we put it at the end of February, the shortest month of a year. Then we have a Leap Year.

1. How often can we have a Leap Year? 

  A. Every year.       B. Every February.       C. Every four years.     D. Every 366 days.

2. The calendar is a kind of clock      

  A. for the year         B. for Leap Year         C. for the usual year   D. for February     3. It takes the earth           to go around the sun.         

A. a day                             B.366 days

C.365 days                            D. a little longer than 365 days

4. We put one more day at the end of           in 2008.

  A. February.                          B. March.

C. May.                             D. The writer doesn't tell us.

5. Mary was born on February 29,1972. Now she is 35. How many birthday parties may she have?

  A.35.                 B.34.                   C.8.                      D.10

阅读理解

　　Why is 2004 a special year? Because it is a Leap Year(闰年)! What's so special about that? Well, Leap Year happens only once every four years. And it has 366 days instead of the usual 365. In a Leap Year, we have 29 days in February, while in a usual year we have only 28 days.

　　Why do we have a Leap Year? We have a Leap Year so we can keep the calendar(日历) in step with the seasons. The calendar is a kind of clock for the whole year. But how long is a year? A calendar year is 365 days. However, a true year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long. That's the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun. So every four years we have one more day, and we put it at the end of February, the shortest month of a year. Then we have a Leap Year.

1．How often can we have a Leap Year?

[　　]

2．What is a calendar? It is a kind of clock ________.

[　　]

3．How long does it take the earth to travel around the sun? It takes the earth ________ to travel around the sun.

[　　]

A．a day

B．a little longer than 365 days

C．a year

D．a month

4．Mrs Green was born on February 29, 1972. Now she is 32. How many birthdays has she had?

[　　]

5．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[　　]

A．People who were born on February 29th are very lucky because they can have more birthdays than others.

B．Usually we have 365 days in a year.

C．There were 29 days in February, 1992.

D．The next Leap Year will be the year 2008.