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.

    Mohandas Gandhi is called the national father of India.That's because he fought for India to get freedom in a{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(peace) way.

    He {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(educated) in law at University College London in 1891. After graduation, he became a {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(law). Two years later,he went to South Africa{#blank#}4{#/blank#}he worked for an Indian company and offered some guidance to the company for its legal problems.While in South Africa, he found himself treated{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(fair).

    During the twenty years in South Africa, Gandhi was sentenced{#blank#}6{#/blank#}prison for many times. In 1896, after he was attacked by white South Africans, Gandhi began to teach the Indians a way of non-cooperation with the South African government.

    In the following years Gandhi became a leader in many fights. He played{#blank#}7{#/blank#}active part in starting his movement of non-violence against Great Britain.In order to get economic independence, all of the Indians refused{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(buy) British goods.It was Gandhi{#blank#}9{#/blank#}helped the Indians to develop native Indian industries. He devoted himself to{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(fight ) for equal rights for Indians.

    We all know that the Friday after Thanksgiving means a mad dash to the shopping centre for ridiculous sales. But how did this bargain shopping get {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(it) start?

    In fact, the first Black Friday had nothing {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (do) with Thanksgiving or shopping. The origin of Black Friday as we know it today started in Philadelphia during the 1950s and 1960s. Crowds of people would come to town the day after Thanksgiving for the annual Army­Navy football game to be held the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (follow) Saturday. Streets and {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (store) were always crowded, which was great for business but made easy­pickings for shoplifters (行窃者). Local police called this “Black Friday”. Not only did they have to deal with extra traffic {#blank#}5{#/blank#} shoplifting, but they had to work extra hours and couldn't request the day off.

    The term didn't go national {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the late 1980s, but the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (explain) changed. While shopkeepers {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (general) suffered financial losses most of the year, the increase of holiday shoppers marked the first day of real profit. In traditional accounting (会计) practices a few years ago, losses {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (record) in red ink, and profits in black ink. So the day after Thanksgiving, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} companies go “into the black” and make a profit, became Black Friday.

    From the first day I arrived in Kunming, I had my understanding of China {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(change). Far from being narrow-minded and hostile to {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(foreign), people came up to talk to me the first time I went out on the street. It happened to be all in Chinese, so I didn't understand much, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}it did cause me to rethink my assumptions.

    As my Chinese improved, this continued throughout my stay, from my landlord introducing me to people who could help us learn Chinese to {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(get) to know the couple who ran a noodle restaurant nearby.

    If you're interested in other people, their culture, and their language, they'll be{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(friend) to you. China isn't {#blank#}6{#/blank#}exception.

    Don't judge a country by its media coverage, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(especial) some Western media, which have much prejudice.

    I saw a very different kind of China with my own eyes. Kunming, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} I lived for most of my stay, wasn't much polluted. I had frank conversations with Chinese people about almost everything.

    Still China {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(develop), but the economic growth means that most people {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(see) their living standards improve rapidly in the last 20 years. People I spoke with were generally optimistic about the future.

    All through history, people from many different countries and cultures have lived together in Britain. The English language {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (consist) of the grammar and vocabulary these people brought to Britain. That is {#blank#}2{#/blank#} English has so many difficult rules that confuse people.

    The development of English experienced three periods—Old English, Middle English and Modern English. From the 5th to the 9th centuries, Britain was occupied by different groups from other countries, which led to Old English {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (replace) Celtic. Old English, a {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (mix) of different languages, differs {#blank#}5{#/blank#} today's English. Middle English is the name {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) to the English used from approximately the 12th to the 15th centuries. During this period, French, though it didn't replace English, still made many {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (contribution) to Middle English. Modern English appeared in the 16th century, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} went through many changes during this period. The question of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} English will keep on changing in the future is easy to answer. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} is certain that this process will continue.