2025版高考英语一轮复习提能练十四Unit4Astronomy：thescienceofthest.doc

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Unit4Astronomy：thescienceofthestars

Ⅰ.阅读理解

A

(2024·济南市4月模拟)

Likeclockwork，nearlyeveryfourthFebruaryincludesoneextraday.February29th，otherwiseknownasLeapDay，isntexactlyaholiday.Instead，itstheretokeepyourcalendarconsistentwiththeearthsrotation(旋转)aroundthesun.

AccordingtoHistory，RomanemperorJuliusCaesaristhe“father”ofleapYear.Untilhecamealong，peoplehaduseda355daycalendar，whichwas10.25daysshorterthanthesolaryear.Romanofficialsweresupposedtoaddanextramontheverynowandthentokeeptheseasonsexactlywheretheyshouldbe.Butthatdidntworkoutallthatwell.Whenspecialoccasionsstartedshiftingintodifferentseasonsaround45BCE，Caesarconsultedwithastronomersanddecreed(下令)thattheempireshouldusea12month，365daycalendar，whichhenamedafterhimself.CaesarsJuliancalendarincludedaLeapDayeveryfouryears.

ThoughLeapDaykeepsyourcalendarinlinewiththeearthsrotationaroundthesun，itcausesadifferentkindofproblemforleapsters.WhenshouldtheseFebruary29thbabiescelebratetheirbirthdaysduringtheotherthreequartersoftheirlives?SomepartyonFebruary28th，whileotherspreferatwodaycelebrationthatspansthelastdayofFebruaryandthefirstdayofMarch.

LeapDaycanbeanuisanceinthelegalsystem.In2006，acourtinMassachusettswasdecidingwhethercriminalJohnMelocouldbereleasedadayearlysincehis10yearsentenceincludedaLeapDay.Inthecase，thejudgedecidedthatsincethemanwassentencedtoprisonforyears，notdays，LeapDaydidntmakeabitofdifference.

ThoughafewtimekeepershavepushedforcalendarsthatdontincludeLeapDay，almostallastronomersandsocietiesagreethatLeapDayisthebestmethodtokeepthecalendarontrack.

语篇解读文章属于记叙性说明文，介绍了闰日的来历以及所带来的一些生活中的趣事。

1．WhywasLeapDaycreated?

A．Tocelebratespecialoccasions.

B．TohonorEmperorJuliusCaesar.

C．Tokeeppacewiththesolary