Watercolor（水彩画） is the oldest paints known. It dates back to the early cave men. They discovered that they could mix the natural colors found in the earth with water. In this way they could add lifelike qualities to drawings of animals and other figures on the wall of caves.
Fresco（壁画）, one of the greatest art forms, is done with watercolor, it is created by mixing paints
and water and applying these to wet plaster（灰泥）. Of the thousands of people who stand under Michelangelos’ works in the Sistine Chapel, very few know they are looking at perhaps the greatest watercolor painting in the world.
The invention of oil painting by the Glemish masters in the fifteenth century made fresco painting go downhill, and for the next several centuries watercolor was used mainly for doing sketches（素描） or as tool for study. It was not until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that English painters put back watercolor as a serious art form. The English have widely-known love for the outdoors and also for small, private pictures. The softness o
f watercolor had a strong attraction for them.
The popularity of watercolor continued to grow until the twentieth century. The United States took the place of England and became the cen
ter of watercolor. It produced such well-known watercolor artists as Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth. The first watercolor users were___________
| A．the early cave men |
| B．Italian fresco artists |
| C．Flemish masters |
| D．the English artists in the 18th century |
In the 16th and 17th centuries the artists thought__________.
| A．watercolor was more costly, but better |
| B．oil painting lasted less long, but clearer and brighter |
| C．watercolor was not suitable for serious works |
D．oil painting was difficult to use |
According to the passage, watercolor painting was put back in England because ______
| A．it was easy to use outdoors |
| B．it was a strong tool |
| C．it was extremely bright in color |
| D．it was well suited to popular tastes |
What is the passage mainly about?________
| A．the gradual weakness of fresco painting. |
| B．Oils having more power of influence over watercolor. |
| C．The rediscovery of watercolor in England. |
| D．The start and development of watercolor. |
The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes (前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.People use iPlayer to __________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at __________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers |
| C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
| A．popular | B．uncertain |
| C．definite | D．unique |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
| A．portable | B．environmentally friendly |
| C．advanced | D．recyclable |
The writer suggests that __________.
| A．“i” products are often of high quality |
| B．iTeddy is alive bear |
| C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
| D．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |
Different countries have different customs. When you travel to another countries, please follow their customs, just as the saying goes, “ .”
Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip. It is usual to tip porters who help carry your bags, taxi drivers and waiters. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same amount.
In England, make sure to stand in line even if there are only two of you. It’s important to respect lines there. It’s a good idea to talk about the weather. It’s a favorite subject of conversation with the British.
In Spain, it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not generally open until after 9 pm.
In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite for you to do the same.
In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don’t put it into your pocket right away. The person expects you to read it.
Don’t forget to be careful of your body language to express something in conversation. A kind of body language that is acceptable in one culture may be impolite in another.
When you travel to the USA, you don’t need to tip .
| A．porters | B．waiters |
| C．teachers | D．taxi drivers |
The missing sentence in the first paragraph should be“ .”
| A．Love me, love my dog |
| B．He who laughs last laughs best |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do |
| D．Where there is a will, there is a way |
The underline word “porters” in the passage means .
| A．搬运工 | B．清洁工 |
| C．接线员 | D．售票员 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In Spain, People usually have dinner very early. |
| B．In England, It’s a not polite to talk about the weather. |
| C．In Arab countries, men kiss one another on the cheek. |
| D．In Japan you should not read the business card as soon as you get it. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．How to Tip |
| B．Body Language |
| C．When to Have Dinne |
| D．Advice to International Travelers |
In recent years, there has been a steady attack on salt from the doctors: salt is bad for you—regardless of your health. Politicians also got aboard. “There is a direct relationship,” US Congressman Neal Smith said, “between the amount of sodium(钠) a person consumes and heart disease, circulatory(循环的) disorders, stroke and even early death.”
Frightening, if true! But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. “All these remarks and cry about salt is unnecessary,” Dr. Dustan insists. “For most of us it probably does not make much difference how much salt we eat.” Dustan’s most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet, or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive(高血压的) patients, however, half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to previous level when salt was reintroduced.
“An adequate to somewhat excessive(过度的) salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population,” said Dr. John H Laragh. “So an opinion that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense.”
Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable “moderation”(节制) in salt consumption. For the average person, a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day, or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons. One to two grams of salt would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing, preparation or at the table.
“Na is not your enemy,” says Comek’s Dr. Laragh. “Salt is the No.1 natural component of all human tissue, and the idea that you do not need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem, there is no reason to give it up.”Why is salt attacked by doctors and politicians?
| A．It’s unnecessary. |
| B．It does no good to human health. |
| C．It is hated by most people. |
| D．It will always lead to heart disease and circulatory disorders. |
From Dr. Dustan’s study in Paragraph 2 we can infer that _____.
| A．a low-salt diet may be good to some patients |
| B．the amount of salt intake has nothing to do with one’s blood pressure |
| C．the reduction of salt intake can completely cure a hypertensive patient |
| D．an extremely low-salt diet makes no difference to anyone |
In the 3rd paragraph, Dr. Laragh implied that _____.
| A．people should not be afraid of taking much excessive salt |
| B．doctors should not advise people to avoid salt |
| C．an adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake is suggested to ill people |
| D．excessive salt intake has killed some patients in the general population |
What is the experts’ advice for average people on salt consumption?
| A．They should increase salt intake through sodium pills. |
| B．They should avoid salt as often as possible. |
| C．They should consume 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons of salt a day. |
| D．They needn’t care about how much salt they consume. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The salt scare is not reasonable. |
| B．The cause of hypertension is disclosed. |
| C．The moderate use of salt is recommended. |
| D．Salt consumption is to be avoided. |
I am beginning to wonder whether my grandmother isn’t right when she complains, as she frequently does, that children nowadays aren’t as well-behaved as they used to be. Whenever she gets the opportunity, she recounts in detail how she used to be told to respect the elders and betters. She was taught to speak only when she was spoken to, and when she went out on her own, she was reminded to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children in her day, she continues, were expected to be seen and not heard, but these days you are lucky if you ever hear parents telling their children to mind their p’s and q’s.
If you give her the chance, she then takes out of her drawer the old photograph album which she keeps there, and which she never tires of displaying. Of course when you look at pictures of her parents, you feel sure that, with a father as stern-looking as that, you too would have been "seen and not heard". He had a lot of neatly cut hair, long side-whiskers and a big moustache. In the photographs, he is always clutching (抓住) his coat with one hand, while in the other he holds a thin walking stick. Beside him sits his wife, with their children around her: Granny and her elder brothers. It always occurs to me that perhaps those long, stiff, black clothes were so clumsy to a little girl, that she hadn’t enough breath left to be talkative, let alone mischievous (淘气的). It must have been a dull and lonely life too, for she stayed mainly at home during her childhood, while her brothers were sent away to school from an early age. Despite their long black shorts and their serious expressions in the photographs, I always suspect that their lives were considerably more enjoyable than hers. One can imagine them telling each other to shut up or mind their own business, as soon as their parents were out of sight.
Going to see Granny on Sundays used to be a terrible experience. We would always be warned in advance to be on our best behavior, since my mother made a great effort to show how well brought up we were, in spite of our old, comfortable clothes, our incomprehensible (to Granny) slang, and our noisy games in the garden. We had to change into what Granny described as our "Sundays best" for lunch, when we would sit uncomfortably, kicking each other under the table. We were continually being ordered to sit up straight, to take our elbows off the table, to wait till everybody had been served, not to wolf down our food, nor to talk with our mouths full. At length we would be told to ask to be excused from the table and ordered to find quiet occupations for the rest of the day. We were always very bad-tempered by the evening, and would complain angrily all the way home.
Yet though we hated the Sunday visit, we never questioned the rules of good manners themselves. I remember being greatly shocked as a child to hear one of my friends telling her father to shut up. I knew I could never have spoken like that to my father and it would never have occurred to me to do so.
However, my childhood was much freer than Granny’s. I went to school with my brother and I played football with him and his friends. We all spoke a common language, and we got up to the same mischief. I would have died if I had had to stay indoors, wear a tight dress, and sew.
But I do sometimes look wistfully (惆怅地) at an old sampler which hangs in the hall, which was embroidered (刺绣) by an even more distant relative—my great-great-aunt, of whom, regrettably, no photograph remains. It was done as an example of her progress in learning. The alphabet is carefully sewn in large colored childish letters from A to Z, and below it a small verse reads:
Mary Saunders is my name,
And with my needle I worked the same,
That by it you may plainly see
What care my parents have for me.
It must have taken that little five-year-old months and months of laborious sewing, but, in a circle in a bottom corner of the sampler, there is a line: "Be Ever Happy".The writer’s grandmother will complain that ______.
| A．children used to be mischievous |
| B．children behave worse than they did in the past |
| C．children are often reminded of what to do |
| D．children are very badly behaved |
Visiting Granny on Sundays was a terrible experience because ______.
| A．the writer was not so well raised as she was required to pretend |
| B．Granny continually warned the writer to be on her best behavior |
| C．Granny was always describing the writer’s "Sunday best" |
| D．the writer was always blamed for not behaving well |
From Paragraph 4, we can infer that the writer ______.
| A．seldom spoke to her father in the way her friend did |
| B．was never questioned about the rules of good manners |
| C．never doubted the value of the strict rules at that time |
| D．was worried that her friend’s father would be shocked |
The writer looked wistfully at the sampler, because______.
| A．it was embroidered by a relative. |
| B．she wished she could sew herself. |
| C．it called to mind the values of good old days. |
| D．she had no photographs of Mary Saunders. |
By sewing "Be Ever Happy" in the sampler, Mary Saunders ______.
| A．suggested she was unhappy then |
| B．indicated happiness was hard to gain |
| C．expected we would find happiness in sewing |
| D．hoped happiness would be everlasting |
Welcome to Franklin Hotel. To make you stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities(设施) to the full.
Dining Room: Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Also the room staff(服务员) may bring breakfast to your room at any time after 7 a.m. If this happens, please fill out a card and hang outside your door when you go to bed. Lunch is from 12 to 2:30 p. m. Dinner is from 7:30 to 9 p. m.
Room Service: This operates 24 hours a day; phone the Reception desk(总台), and your message will be passed on to the staff.
Telephones: To make a phone call, dial(拨) 0 for Reception and ask to be connected. We apologized for delays(拖延) if the lines are very busy. There are also public telephones near the Reception desk. Tell Reception if early calls are needed.
Shop: The hotel shop is open for presents, gifts and goods from 9 a. m. to 5:30 p. m.
Laundry : We have a laundry in the building, and will wash, iron(烫) and return your clothes within 24 hours, ask the room staff to collect them.
Bar(酒吧): The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p. m. and 7 p. m. to 1 a. m.
Banking : The Reception staff will cash cheques and exchange(兑换) any foreign money for you.
You would see this notice .
| A．in a hotel bar |
| B．in a hotel dining room |
| C．in a bedroom of a large international hotel |
| D．at the entrance of a small family hotel |
You have arrived at the hotel at 2 a. m. and want a quick meal. What should you do?
| A．Go to the hotel shop. |
| B．Go to the hotel bar. |
| C．Hang a message outside your door. |
| D．Phone the Reception desk. |
Your phone is powered off and the Reception desk is busy. The quickest way to make an urgent(紧急的) call is to .
| A．go to your room and phone from there. |
| B．use one of the phones in the entrance hall |
| C．ask the Reception desk to help you |
| D．go out and look for a public phone box |
The underlined word “laundry” (in Paragraph 6) probably means ________.
| A．phone box | B．shopping centre |
| C．clothes shop | D．washhouse |
The text tells us that .
| A．the hotel offers at least seven kinds of services |
| B．it's too difficult to stay up in this hotel |
| C．you can shop at any time inside the hotel |
| D．you'll have trouble without the money of the country where the hotel lies |
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