Today is May 20th. It may seem like a normal day for you, but for others, especially in China, today is a very special day! It’s a day of love, like Valentine’s day. On this lovely day, couples go on a date or spend time together. And for those who are single, well, it’s a perfect time for them to be brave and show their love to their crush!

Talking about this special event, you may wonder why it occurs on this day and not another one in Chinese. It’s all about the sounds. When you write May 20th in numbers, it’s written 5.20. When you pronounce the numbers 5. 2. 0 in Chinese, they sound very close to the words “wo ai ni” (I love you). See? They don’t sound the same, but they sound quite similar, and that’s enough! The Chinese love plays on homophonic (同音异义的) words and numbers with hidden meanings.

The Chinese people sure love this romantic day, as they have strong beliefs regarding numbers. Some numbers are considered lucky and some unfortunate in Chinese. Certain number combinations also have secret meanings. For example, did you hear of the wedding record set in China on 2012.12.12? In China, tons of couples got married on that special day because it was said to be a lucky day for lovers. See, in Chinese, the sound of “12” is close to the sound of “yao ai”, which means “to want love”. So 2012.12.12 stands for “to want love, to want love, to want love.” What a lovely day to get married!

As for 520, it is a great Chinese love word to say today to your loved one. When you do, make sure you pronounce each word individually, because saying “5” and “20” doesn’t work the same! Also, be careful not to mix it up with “250”, another number with a special meaning, but that means something totally different! “250” means “stupid”. Trust me, your lover won’t appreciate it if, instead of sending a cute 520 text or saying it to them, you write 250. 

Happy 520 love day!

1.What makes May 20th special?

A Its Chinese pronunciation.

B Its English meaning.

C Its long history.

D Its written form.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第二段中的“It’s all about the sounds.”“pronounce the numbers”“They don’t sound the same, but they sound quite similar”可知，5月20日之所以特别，是因为520的汉语发音和“我爱你”相近。故选A。

2.How does the author develop the third paragraph?

A By using repetition.

B By raising questions.

C By making comparisons.

D By giving examples.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第三段中的“For example, did you hear of the wedding record set in China on 2012.12.12?”可知，第三段主要通过举例的方式来展开。故选D。

3.What does the author try to do in the fourth paragraph?

A Share more about numbers.

B Appeal to express love.

C Give a gentle reminder.

D Promote Chinese culture.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第四段中的“make sure you pronounce each word individually”“be careful not to mix it up with...”可知，作者在第四段主要讲的是在运用520时需要注意什么，即温馨提示。故选C。

4.Why does the author write the passage?

A To stress the importance of numbers in China.

B To introduce a cultural phenomenon in China.

C To give advice to foreigners about Chinese life.

D To show the benefits of knowing Chinese culture.

解析：选B。B 写作意图题。结合全文内容可知，本文主要介绍了一种文化现象：在中国，因520与“我爱你”谐音，5月20日成了一个如同情人节一样的表达爱意的日子。故选B。