ManypeopletakeforgrantedthefacttheJanuary1,2000marksthebeginningofanewcenturyforallmankind.However,thisdaydoesn’thavethesamemeaningleadingreligiousmansuggestedthatallChristiansshouldstartcountingthedatefromthe

　　ManypeopletakeforgrantedthefacttheJanuary1,2000marksthebeginningofanewcenturyforallmankind.However,thisdaydoesn’thavethesamemeaningleadingreligiousmansuggestedthatallChristiansshouldstartcountingthedatefromthebirthofChrist.Aftercarefulcalculations,theyear1A.D.(Christ’sbirth)wassaidtobethe28thyearafterAugustusbecametheemperorofRome.Today,thiscalculationseemstobeincorrect.HistoriansbelievethatChristwasactuallybornfouryearsbeforethisdate,butchangingthecalendarnowwouldonlycauseconfusionaroundtheworldbecausemostpeopleareusedtothecurrentcalendar.

　　Thereareseveralothermajorcalendarsusedforcalculatingthedate.TheJewishcalendarcalculatesthedatefromthedaytheearthwascreated.In1000B.C.,Jewishscholarssettheatetheearthbegan,andaccordingtothiscalendar,theyear2000A.D.wouldactuallybe5760.TheBuddhistcalendarbeginsfromthedeathofBuddha,sotheyear2000A.D.forChristianswillbe2544forBuddhists.MuslimsstarttheircalendarfrothetimewhentheProphetMuhammadescapedfromMeccaandwenttoMedina.TheMuslimcalendaralsofollowsthemooninsteadofthesun,sotheMuslimyearis10or11daysshortthantheChristianyear.Theyear2000A.D.isreally1420forMuslims.TheofficialHinducalendar,whichwasputintouseinthe1950’s,beginsfromthefirstyearthatKingKaniskatookpowerinIndia.WhenChristianscelebratetheyear2000A.Ditwillbeonlybetheyear1922forHindus.

　　Notallcalendarssetthedatebyhistoricalorreligiousevents.OneothersystemusedforcalculatingthedatewascreatedbytheastronomerJosephScaligerinthe1500s.Forastronomers,oneyearisaveryshorttimewhenlookingatthemovementofplanetsandstars.Therefore,Mr.Scaligersuggestedusingatimeperiodforhiscalendarthatwouldequal7,980years.Thedatesofthecalendararecalculatedintosmallperiods.Theseperiodsaremoreconvenientforfollowingthemovementsofthesunandthemoon.MrScaligerpickedoutthestartingpointofoneofthesecyclesasJanuary14,713B.C.In2000A.D.thiscalendarwillsetthedateas2,451,545.

　　1.HistoriansnowbelievethatChristwasborn____.

　　A.beforeAugustusbecameemperorB.24yearsafterAugustusbecameemperor