Fading beauty
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (状态).
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.
During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?
| A．The painted woman is not so beautiful any more. |
| B．Ageing is something that affects us all. |
| C．The painting needs repairing. |
| D．At such an old age, she is no longer popular. |
What makes the repair work difficult?
| A．The wooden panel is thin and old. |
| B．No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting and how it might respond to treatment. |
| C．The health of the painting is suffering |
| D．Experts can’t agree on how to carry out repairs. |
What makes her smile so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?
| A．The materials the Italian artist used. | B．The way she smiles. |
| C．The way Da Vinci painted the smile. | D．It plays a trick upon the human mind. |
I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job, credit, success．I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing．
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart．I found myself homeless and alone．I had my truck and $56．I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount．I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley．I hadn't been alone for 25 years．I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me．
I found the owner and rented the place for $50 a month．The locals knew nothing about me．But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor．They dropped off blankets, tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat．They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing．They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness．Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream, truck parts to see if I was up for courting．I wasn't, but they were civil anyway．The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met．They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe．I learned to keep enough for an extra plate for company．
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non-existent in this place．Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors．
After four years in that valley, I moved back into town．I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes．With the help of a real estate broker （房地产经纪人） I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people．It's four of us now, but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here．We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together．
The American dream I believe in now is a shared one．It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together．Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer ____．
| A．had a well-paid job |
| B．worked hard for his American dream |
| C．worked hard and liked to share |
| D．felt hopeless about his American dream |
What does the underlined sentence "I learned to．．．" in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
| A．The writer learned to run a company． |
| B．The writer learned to share with others． |
| C．The writer learned to keep enough plates． |
| D．The writer learned to save money for his company． |
Why did the writer rent a big house?
| A．To make some money． | B．To show off his wealth． |
| C．To share with those people in need． | D．To make friends with his neighbors． |
The writer mainly tells us about ____．
| A．his unhappy experiences | B．the friendly people in the valley |
| C．the change of his living conditions | D．his new idea of the American dream |
阅读下列短文并按要求回答问题（共3小题，满分7分）
In China, more and more middle school students are getting shorter sleeping time than before. Most students sleep less than nine hours every night, because they have much homework to do. Some homework is given by their teachers, and some by their parents. Also, some students don’t know how to save time. They are not careful enough while they do their homework, so it takes them a lot of time. Some students spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games. They stay up(熬夜) very late. Some students have to get up early every morning on weekdays to get to school on time by bus or by bike. It can be a long way from home to school. It will probably make them sleepy(困的) during school hours.
Schools and parents should cut down some of the homework so that our children can enjoy more than nine hours of sleep every night for their health. For children, they should make the most (best use ) of their time. When they have enough time for sleeping , they will find it much better for both their study and health.According to the passage, who else gives children some homework to do besides their teachers? (no more than 2 words)
________________________________________________________________How many hours of sleep is good for students’ health? (no more than 4 words)
_____________________________________________________________What is most likely to happen to a student who often goes to bed late and gets up early? （no more than 7 words）
______________________________________________________________
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
| A．twenty-three hundred |
| B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand |
| D．less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agree that__________.
| A．America food tasted better than German food |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that________.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
| B．there are a lot of after-school activities |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
Hi, dear boys and girls! Do you know how to be a healthy kid? Here are some rules you should follow.
First, eat different foods, especially fruit and vegetables. You may have a favorite food, but you'd better eat something different, if you eat different foods, you will probably get more nutrients (营养物质) your body needs.
Then, drink water and milk as often as possible. When you're really thirsty, cold water is the No. l choice. Milk is a great drink that can give you more calcium (钙) your body needs to grow strong bones .
Next, listen to your body. How do you feel when you are full? When you are eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Eating too much will not make you feel comfortable and make you fat.
Afterwards, limit (限制) screen time. Screen time is the time you watch TV, DVDs and videos, or using computers. It is good to take more exercise such as basketball, bike riding and swimming. You can't watch TV for more than two hours a day.
Finally, be active. One thing you'd like to do as a kid is to find out which activity you like best. Find ways to be active every day.
Follow these rules and you can be a healthy kid. You have to eat different kinds of foods especially _________.
| A．meat | B．hamburgers | C．sweets | D．fruit and vegetables |
Which kind of drinks can give you more calcium?
| A．Juice. | B．Milk. | C．Cold water. | D．Tea. |
According to the passage, how many rules should you follow if you want to be healthy?
| A．Five. | B．Nine. | C．Fifteen. | D．Thirteen. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．When you're eating, you don't have to pay attention to how your body feels. |
| B．You can eat your favorite food as much as you can . |
| C．You can watch TV whenever you like to get more information. |
| D．We should try to live in an active way in our life. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．How to make yourself popular | B．How to be a healthy kid |
| C．How to be a popular kid | D．How to make your parents healthy |
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
A
Part-time Waitress
Busy café needs honest and good-looking waitress for weekends. Must enjoy working with a team and dealing with customers. Call Li Ling at 0732-8536724 after 6 pm.
Delivery (投递) Person
Young, healthy person able to deliver heavy boxes of books. Must have a driver’s license and can carry heavy boxes. We’re looking for a person for this position. Call Liu Fang at 0732-7887766 at any time.
Nanny Wanted
Kind, hard-working nanny wanted to look after three friendly children. Must be experienced and have childcare quail fications(资格). Please call Chen Yiping at 0732-6774538 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m These are _______ in the newspaper.
| A．notices | B．ads | C．stories | D．news |
If you can get the job in the café, you must be a _______.
| A．pretty young woman | B．good-looking boy |
| C．cool young man | D．hard-working student |
Who can do the delivery job?
| A．A beautiful woman who is good at selling books. |
| B．A person who has been a taxi driver for more than 40 years. |
| C．A beautiful and hard-working girl. |
| D．A strong young man who can drive. |
Which of the four statements is true?
| A．You can call Chen Yiping in the evening. |
| B．If you want to call Li Ling, do it in the morning. |
| C．You can call Liu Fang at any time. |
| D．If you want to call Li Ling, you can do it in the afternoon. |
What’s the Chinese for the underlined word “nanny”?
| A．奶奶 | B．阿姨 | C．保姆 | D．护士 |
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