Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't 1 it to be blue - the name has nothing to 2 the color of our closest celestial（天体） neighbor.
A full moon 3 on December 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the 4 moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be 5 in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up 6 New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse（月蚀） on New Year's Eve when 7 of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The 8 will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs 9 29.5 days, and most years have 12. 10 , an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The 11 time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't 12 again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical 13 , said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
"`Blue moon' is just a 14 in the same sense as a `hunter's moon' or a `harvest moon,'" Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon 15 after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misunderstood the Maine Farmer's Calendar and marked a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the calendar 16 a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the 17 decades later, the definition caught on. For purists（语言纯正癖者）, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a 18 moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
In a tongue-in-cheek essay 19 on the magazine's Web site this week, senior contributing editor Kelly Beatty wrote: "If skies are clear when I'm 20 celebrating, I'll take a peek（眯着眼睛看） at that brilliant orb（天体） as it rises over the Boston skyline to see if it's an icy shade of blue. Or maybe I'll just howl."
( ) 1. A. wish B. wait C. hope D. expect
( ) 2. A. deal with B. do with C. develop with D. form into
( ) 3. A. occurred B. came C. ran D. went
( ) 4. A. full B. half C. bright D. part
( ) 5. A. out of sight B. visible C. big D. clear
( ) 6. A. until B. when C. before D. since
( ) 7. A. part B. all C. any D. none
( ) 8. A. moon B. eclipse C. sun D. shadow
( ) 9. A. each B. every C. either D. all
( ) 10. A. On the whole B. Generally speaking C. On average D. In addition
( ) 11. A. last B. next C. other D. another
( ) 12. A. go B. see C. come D. look
( ) 13. A. point B. evident C. theory D. significance
( ) 14. A. name B. object C. phenomenon D. tradition
( ) 15. A. created B. came about C. made D. copied
( ) 16. A. named B. called C. introduced D. defined
( ) 17. A. error B. name C. reality D. number
( ) 18. A. blue B. red C. yellow D. grey
( ) 19. A. published B. posted C. printed D. written
( ) 20. A. in B. out C. away D. on
My husband, Tom, has always been good with animals, but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse (松鸡). It's for a grouse to have any contact (接触) with people. In fact, they're hard to spot, they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching.
This grouse came into our lives in Tom was working out in the field when he her walking around at the edge of the field. She was unafraid and seemed to be about what he was doing.
Tom saw the bird several times, and she got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.
One day, as Tom was working, Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch. Tom he didn't see her and kept working to see what she would do next.
Apparently, she didn't like to be . She'd run up and peck (啄) at Tom's hands, then off to see what he would do. This went on for about 20 minutes, until Mildred became tired of the and left.
As spring went and summer came, Mildred started to more and more often. Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom's leg and stay long enough for me to get a of the two of them together. This friendly grouse soon felt not just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.
When hunting season opened, we put a at the end of our driveway asking not to shoot our pet grouse. My father, who lived down the road, warned people not to shoot her. . hunters would stop and take pictures, because they had never seen anything like her.
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The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class often about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.
All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this_ girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.
But how could I help her in with us? There had to be a .
One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n) copy.
I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had . “why, it’s wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don’t have enough . Could you help me, Suzy?”
On the day of the talent show, Suzy’s were everywhere ---- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.
“And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) _______award. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students them.”
I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw well?”
Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student ---- Suzy Khan!”
Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist’s set. “Thank you,” she cried.
I , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she’d probably never anything in her whole life.
Everyone started to their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.
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My tire was flat. And I was on a country road. When I with the tire, a car pulled off the road behind me. I saw a male and said, “Hey, do you need any help?”
I literally was . This young guy was dressed in black. Nearly everything imaginable was tattooed(纹身). When he asked to give me a , I someone sitting in his car. That me. Thoughts of robberies flashed through my mind.
Then, it began to . It hit like a waterfall and made it to finish the tire change. With the car jacked(千斤顶托起) up, I was to get in my car. “Get in my car” he insisted, “We’ll wait with you until the rain stops.” “No. I don’t need your help.” I said. “Come on. Get in.” he said as he _____my arm and pulled me toward his car. “Oh, God, protect me!” I to myself.
As I settled into the back seat, suddenly a delicate came from the front seat of the car. “Are you all right?” “Yes, I am,” I replied with much_____ seeing an old woman there. “My name is Beatrice and this is my neighbor John. John takes me to visit my husband in a nursing home every day. He is a really nice guy.”
“John, I had thought you were, well, ah, you know I…” Embarrassment my words. John laughed, “I often experienced reaction. I actually thought about changing the way I look. then I saw it as an opportunity to see others.”
He was right. What he wore outside was just a of the world as he saw it, but what he wore was the spirit of giving and caring the world he wanted to see. I never believed that I should people by the way they dressed. I was with myself for what I did.
The rain stopped and John and I changed the tire. As we shook hands I apologized for my stupidity.
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When our restaurant business failed，we headed north in a camping truck to Texas，hoping to have a “fresh start”.
At the of Palo Duro Canyon (峡谷）State Park，I a job advertisement hiring park hosts. The position offered a ，permanent campsite in the park, and , the hosts served as a link between the park’s guests and the rangers (护林人). It was the perfect solution: a rent-free place to reorganize our lives. We entered the park and I made an for the following day.
The park was , so it took us some time to find an available site. That evening, as we finished our dinner, my wife saw two large skunks (臭鼠由）walking toward our table. We climbed onto the table and, for the next four hours, waited for them to our camp.
Having survived that night, we were that everything else would be all right. The next day we met with the people who ran the park. They explained our and gave us a beautiful campsite.
That evening, , we learned about the canyon . They were strong and cold, rocking our little camping truck violently，and we lay in the dark until the winds died away.
the weeks that followed, we learned to survive in our truck and the little money my wife by substitute teaching. Building a successful business and then losing it had left very little time for building a successful
For a time after our business I thought I might lose my family as well.
Living in the tiny with no television, we sat close together reading and talking. One evening, standing under a jeweled sky，I found myself for all the hardships. We had walked the trails and climbed the canyon walls. We had become a family!
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If you want to learn a new language, the very first thing to think about is why. Do you need it for a ______reason, such as your job or your studies?_______ perhaps you’re interested in the ______ , films or music of a different country and you know how much it will help to have a _______ of the language.
Most people learn best using a variety of _______, but traditional classes are an ideal（理想的）start for many people. They_____an environment where you can practice under the _____ of someone who’s good at the language. We all lead ______ lives and learning a language takes _____. You will have more success if you study regularly, so try to develop a ______. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got long. Becoming fluent in a language will take years, but learning to get by takes ____.
Many people start learning a language and soon give up. “I’m too _____, ” they say. Yes, children do learn languages more _____ than adults, but research has shown that you can learn a language at any ______. And learning is good for the health of your brain, too. I’ve also heard people _____ about the mistakes they make when ______. Well, relax and laugh about your mistakes ______ you’re much less likely to make them again.
Learning a new language is never ______. But with some work and devotion, you’ll make progress. And you’ll be _____ by the positive reaction of some people when you say just a few words in ______ own language. Good luck!
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