On Sunday, April 22, people all over the world take time out to appreciate the earth that we all share. It’s Earth Day, a special day to learn about our planet and how to take care of it.

On Earth Day, some people listen to speeches about the environment. Others help clean up their offices or save water and electricity at home. Your parents may even decide to take a day off from driving their cars.

The idea for Earth Day came from a U.S. Senator, who was worried about the pollution and the health of plants and animals. And the idea quickly caught on. In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. More than 20 million people in cities all over the U.S. took part in. Since then, Earth Day has been used to educate people about their role in taking care of our planet.

Now, Earth Day has become a global celebration. In 1990, 200 million people from 140 countries took part in clean-ups, tree planting and other environmental events on Earth Day.

4月22日，星期天，世界各地的人们都抽出时间来欣赏我们共同拥有的地球。 今天是地球日，一个了解我们的星球和如何照顾它的特殊日子。  

在地球日，一些人听关于环境的演讲。 其他人帮助打扫办公室或在家节约水电。 你的父母甚至可能决定不开车一天。  

地球日的想法来自一位美国参议员，他担心污染和动植物的健康。 这个想法很快就流行起来了。 1970年，人们庆祝了第一个地球日。 在美国各地的城市中，有超过2000万人参加了这次活动。 从那时起，地球日就被用来教育人们在保护我们的星球上所扮演的角色。  

现在，地球日已经成为一个全球性的节日。 1990年，来自140个国家的2亿人在地球日参加了清理、植树和其他环境活动。