As is known to us, the year 2016 has one extra day in it — February 29th. This is because it's {#blank#}1{#/blank#} we call “a leap year”. Every four years, the year has 366 days in {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  instead of 365.

    It is called a leap year because hundreds of years ago in England, the extra day wasn't{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (legal) recognized. There is a well-known tradition in the UK{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (associate) with February 29th, introduced many centuries ago. Women are allowed to break with tradition and propose(求婚) to their boyfriends on this day. This all started back in the{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (five) century, when a famous Irish saint made a{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (complain) that women had to wait too long for men to propose. According to the legend, Saint Patrick said any female dreaming of a proposal could ask her boyfriend to marry her on this additional day in February. This so-called tradition{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (write) in law in the thirteenth century. Scotland passed a law allowing women to propose to men in a leap year. It was said that if the men refused, they had to pay a fine!

    Now in 2016, there are calls{#blank#}8{#/blank#} February 29th to become a public holiday. Some people believe that it should be an{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (office) day off, because no one gets{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (many) payments for working an extra day in a leap year. For the moment though, the British still have to go to work on this day.

    Gabi Rizea only discovered his talent for woodcarving three years ago, and has since put{#blank#}1{#/blank#} to good use, saving dozens of old tree stumps (树桩) from {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (remove) by turning them into impressive works of art.

    Rizea became a woodcarver{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (complete) by accident. Three years ago, after buying himself a new chainsaw (链锯), he{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (start) “playing” with it on a block of wood. He tried carving a human face into the wood, and to his surprise, it turned out pretty good. Today, he is so good at woodcarving that his home city allows him to work his magic on old tree stumps and so far about 40 works of art{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(create) in the local parks.

    “In 99% of the cases, the wood just doesn't match my ideas,” he said in an interview. “I first have to remove all the rotten parts, and sometimes{#blank#}6{#/blank#} is left isn't enough for my designs.”

    Following his recent rise to fame, Rizea has been asked by many{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (city), including the capital of Romania to transform their old tree trunks {#blank#}8{#/blank#} works of art. He promised to honor their requests, but he will never repeat any of the artworks{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (find) in his home city.

    In spite of his obvious talent, the Romanian {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (art) recently got into art school in order to fully master woodcarving.

    Zhang Lanping has been teaching for 33 years now, but {#blank#}1{#/blank#} makes her special is her pair of crutches(拐杖). The courageous teacher from Gansu province {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (suffer) from poliomyelitis, an infectious disease, when she was only one year old.

    Zhang is not able to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (full) recover and therefore has to use crutches for the rest of her life. This condition, however, has not weakened Zhang's spirit. As a student, Zhang devoted {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (she) to acquiring knowledge, which she believed would make her a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (success) teacher.

    After graduation, Zhang applied as a college teacher but she was turned down because of her physical {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (disable). Zhang did not give up and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (accept) as a primary school teacher in her hometown in Gansu province, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} then experienced a shortage of teachers. For able­bodied people, it takes only six minutes {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (reach) school, but Zhang has to spend one hour from home to her work place {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(use) crutches. Zhang's efforts have not been in vain. The academic performance of her students is among the best in the district.