第三部分 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出
最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Two American scientists told the people in industrial nations（工业国） that they would be much healthier if they ate more of the same kind of foods eaten by humans living more than 10,000 years ago．
The scientists say that the human body has changed very little since human first appeared on earth, but the way we live has changed greatly．Our body has not been able to deal with these changes in life style and this has led to new kinds of sicknesses．These new sicknesses were not known in ancient times．So they are called “diseases of civilization （文明）”．Many cancers and diseases of the blood system, including heart attacks （心脏病）and strokes（中风）are examples of such diseases．
Scientists noted that early stone-age people used very little alcohol（酒精） or tobacco, probably none．Ancient people also got a great deal of physical exercise, but a change in food is one of the main differences between life in ancient times and life today．
Stone-age people hunted wild animals for their meat, which had much less fat than farm animals．They also ate a lot of fresh wild vegetables, and fruits．They did not use milk and other dairy products, and they made very little use of grains．But today, we eat a large amount of dairy products and grain foods．We eat six times more salt than stone-age people．We eat more sugar．We eat twice as much fat but only one third as much protein（蛋白质）and much less vitamin C．
People today probably do not want to live as people thousands of years ago did, but scientists say that we would be much healthier if we ate as those ancient people did, cutting the amount of fatty, salty and sweet foods．
1．The people in industrial nations would be much healthier if they ate ．
A．more foods as humans living 10,000 years ago did
B．as humans living 10,000 years ago
C．more kinds of food eaten by people living over 10,000 years ago
D．more of the same kinds of foods eaten by people over 10,000 years ago．
2．New kinds of sicknesses have been found because ．
A．the human body has changed compared with human first appeared on earth
B．the way we live has changed a little
C．our body can’t deal with the changes in life style
D．the way we live today is proper for the human body
3．What is the main cause mentioned in the article why people suffer from a lot of new sicknesses?
A．Ancient people did a great deal of physical exercise
B．People today have a lot of alcohol
C．People today have more tobacco
D．Food is quite different between life today and life in ancient times
4．Stone-age people were much healthier than people today because they ate a lot of ．
A．milk and other dairy products
B．grain foods and farm animals
C．salt and sugar
D．wild animals, fresh wild vegetables and fruits
5．From this article, we know that are not good to our health．
A．protein and vitamin
B．milk and grain foods
C．wild animals, vegetables and fruits
D．a huge amount of fatty, salty and sweet foods
It’s you and I who are to blame for the state of the earth. No question about it. It’s our life-style that is threatening life on Earth, so we must make the changes. The good news is that many of those changes are really quite simple, even enjoyable, but for every careful step we take as individuals , we must press government and industry to take a big step on our benefit . And we must start now. Tomorrow’s too late.
My aim this year is to persuade as many of my friends and colleagues as possible to choose the train, and leave their cars behind too. My gardens have been pesticide(杀虫剂)–free zones for years and I enjoy seeing more wildlife on my doorstep as a result; I’ve tried to reduce my contribution to water pollution too, by using environment-friendly, phosphate(磷)–free washing powder , and by no longer thinking of the toilet as a suitable waste-disposal(处理) point .
I ran after a young lady through town recently to give her back the piece of paper she had carelessly thrown away. She disappeared into a shop, and when I followed her inside and made my presentation, she was doubly embarrassed--she worked there, and the boss gave her a ticking–off too. I’ve started asking fellow drivers at gas stations why they aren’t using unleaded (无铅的) petrol . These are small things, but we have to start somewhere, and every little does help .To help the environment, the author is trying to do everything mentioned below EXCEPT .
| A．taking the train instead of a car |
| B．throwing away the old cars |
| C．avoiding the use of pesticides |
| D．running after those who throw articles carelessly |
The author ran after a woman through town because he wanted .
| A．to find out where she worked |
| B．to give her back the piece of paper she had lost |
| C．to tell her not to throw away pieces of paper carelessly |
| D．to ask her to pay him for picking up the piece of paper. |
The word “ticking-off ” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．blaming | B．a piece of paper | C．prize | D．ticket |
The purpose of this passage is to .
| A．persuade his friends to take the train |
| B．inform us of the good news |
| C．make clear who is responsible for the environment |
| D．try to advise us all to protect our environment |
Do you know Australia ? Australia is the largest island in the world . It is a little smaller than China . It is in the south of the earth .Australia is big , but its population is not large . The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai .
The government has made enough laws to fight pollution . The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution .The sky is blue and the water is clean . You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers . Plants grow very well .
Last month we visited Perth , the biggest city in Western Australia , and went to a wild flowers’ exhibition . There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before . We had a wonderful time .Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers .In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers’ exhibition .After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside . We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill .It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves . Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill .What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could .There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path .
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos (袋鼠). After a short drive from any town , you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep . Sheep , sheep , everywhere are sheep .Australia is __________ .
| A．the largest country in the world |
| B．as large as Shanghai . |
| C．not as large as China . |
| D．the largest island in the north of the earth . |
The government had made ______________ .
| A．too enough laws to fight pollution . |
| B．so many laws that it can fight pollution . |
| C．enough laws that it can hardly fight pollution . |
| D．enough laws because the pollution is very serious . |
Which of the following NOT true ?
| A．Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers . |
| B．Perth is bigger than any other city in Western Australia . |
| C．Perth lies in the west of Australia . |
| D．No other city is larger than Perth in Australia . |
In Perth you may visit a wild flowers’ show in________________ .
| A．October | B． January | C．May | D． July . |
Which of the following is true ?
| A．Australia is famous for its sheep , kangaroos and wild flowers . |
| B．We ran back to the car because we were in the middle of white sheep . |
| C．Three hundred sheep came towards us because they saw us . |
| D．If you go to the countryside in Australia , you will see a large number of whit sheep . |
Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach(菠菜) to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron（铁）in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron there is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid(叶酸).
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along. A good title for this reading passage is______.
| A．Popeye the Sailor |
| B．The Truth About Spinach |
| C．A Mistake with Numbers |
| D．Folic Acid Makes You Strong |
Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?
| A．They thought spinach made them strong. |
| B．They thought Popeye was funny. |
| C．Spinach had a lot of iron. |
| D．People liked folic acid. |
A research group told people that spinach______.
| A．made Popeye strong |
| B．was a green vegetable |
| C．had less iron than other green vegetables |
| D．had more iron than other green vegetables |
The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from______.
| A．iron | B．folic acid | C．spinach | D．exercise |
My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren’t too many tourists in October.
We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn’t understand the bus routes, and my wife didn’t like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.
We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn’t have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn’t think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.
In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I’m sure we’ll need them sometimes.The couple chose a small hotel in the West End to stay in because _________.
| A．taxis were too expensive | B．they could go sightseeing on foot |
| C．the underground made the wife feel sick | D．all the above |
The couple had some difficulty in ________.
| A．booking in the hotel | B．finding the bus routes |
| C．going sightseeing on foot | D．having meals |
Generally speaking, the couple _________the trip to London.
| A．were satisfied with | B．disliked |
| C．were a bit unhappy about | D．regretted |
Which of the following is NOT true about the couple?
| A．They thought English food was bad. |
| B．They will visit London again. |
| C．They visited London last October. |
| D．They didn’t take their umbrella last year. |
Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.
One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. He did so well that the butcher went into a room behind the shop to do all the accounts. In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher’s shop and in the hospital, Bob had to wear white clothes.
One evening in the hospital, Bob had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating - room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Bob coming to get her, she felt even more frightened.
"No! No!" she cried. "Not a butcher! I won’t let a butcher operate on me!" with these words ,she fainted away.根据第一段Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.描述,可知选C.
根据第二段One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night.描述,可知选B.
根据In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. 描述,可知选D.
Bob had to work after class and during his holidays because_________.
| A．his father told him to make more friends |
| B．he wanted to become a rich man |
| C．he couldn’t go on with his studies without enough money |
| D．he had nothing to do at home. |
One summer Bob_________.
| A．wanted to become not only a butcher but also a doctor. |
| B．got two different jobs at two places |
| C．was free only at night |
| D．worked only during the daytime |
In the hospital, Bob’s job was_________.
| A．to take care of the wounded soldiers |
| B．to give the doctor’s advice |
| C．to find out what was wrong with the sick people |
| D．to carry the sick people from one place to another |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳的选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. Whenever I speak to a Chinese student, they always say,“ My spoken English is poor.” I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary.However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if you choose a positive attitude. Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.
Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY. Your aim in writing is to be accurate following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly. However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across, to talk to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense, but it doesn’t matter.
The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening. You have one mouth but two ears! All that hearing is necessary for you to start speaking.
Fourth, most Chinese students are reactive rather than proactive language learners. Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor.
| A．The person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for any mistakes he hears. |
| B．They may try to avoid making similar mistakes next time. |
| C．Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary. |
| D．If you have this proactive outlook, then you will see English opportunities wherever you go. |
E. However, their spoken English does not have to remain “poor”!
F. Second, they are afraid of making mistakes.
G. The second reason lies in the reluctance of using what has just been learned.
Human needs seem endless. When a hungry man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat, when a manager gets a new sports car, a big house and pleasure boats dance into view.
The many needs of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of needs, another level appears.
The first and most basic level of needs involves food. Once this level is satisfied, the second level of needs, clothing and some sort of shelter, appears. By the end of World War Ⅱ, these needs were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as automobiles and new houses.
By 1957 or 1958 this third level of needs was fairly well satisfied. Then, in the late 1950s, a fourth level of needs appeared; the “life-enriching” level. While the other levels involve physical satisfaction, that is, the need in comfort, safety, and transportation, this level stresses mental needs for recognition, achievement, and happiness. It includes a variety of goods and services, many of which could be called “luxury” items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical and dental care, and recreation. Also included here are fancy goods and the latest styles in clothing.
On the fourth level, a lot of money is spent on services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of needs as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?
A fifth level would probably involve needs that can be achieved best by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes to pay for government action against disease, ignorance, crime, and prejudice. After filling our stomachs, our clothes closets, our garages, our teeth, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health, safety, and leisure to enjoy more fully the good things on the first four levels.According to the passage, man will begin to think about such needs as housing and clothing only when .
| A．he has saved up enough money |
| B．he has grown dissatisfied with his simple shelter |
| C．he has satisfied his hunger |
| D．he has learned to build houses |
It can be inferred from the passage that by the end of World War Ⅱ, most Americans .
| A．were very rich | B．lived in poverty |
| C．had the good things on the first three levels | |
| D．did not own automobiles |
Which of the following is NOT related to “physical satisfaction” ?
| A．A successful career. | B．A comfortable home. |
| C．A good meal. | D．A family car. |
What is the main concern of man on the fourth level?
| A．The more goods the better. |
| B．The more mental satisfaction the better. |
| C．The more “luxury” items the better. |
| D．The more earnings the better. |
BEIJING, Feb 13 — Never has China’s economic growth attracted so much global attention. The shock waves from the financial crisis (危机) that started in the United States have spread across the entire world, sending developed nations, including Japan and those of Europe, into serious recession(衰退). The world is now holding out hope that China, with its massive potential, will serve as the engine to fuel global economic growth.
But China’s real economic growth slowed sharply to 6.8 percent in the October-December quarter. For China, this rate of economic expansion must be as disappointing as negative growth is for Japan. Beijing has set an official goal of achieving a minimum annual growth rate of 8 percent -- a pace it regards as important to ensuring job security.
The Chinese government is apparently confident the nation will achieve the minimum growth target of 8 percent in 2009. At the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting of political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao stressed the Chinese economy began to show signs of recovery late last year.
Last week, however, the International Monetary Fund predicted that China’s economic growth in 2009 will be 6.7 percent. China’s economic outlook is likely to keep both hope and anxiety for the time being.
China’s impressive economic growth has been fueled by swelling exports and massive investment (投资)in equipment to produce goods for overseas. But the US, Japanese and European economies, which have absorbed the bulk(数量) of China’s exports, are expected to shrink simultaneous（同时）in 2009, for the first time since the end of World War II. For the first time since it started serious efforts to turn itself into a market economy in the 1990s, China is facing the challenge of maintaining healthy economic growth without depending on external demand.
Expansion of domestic (国内的) demand holds a key to China’s success in tackling this challenge. Consumer spending accounts for only 35 percent of China’s gross (总的)) domestic product. The ratio(比率) is considerably lower than the 70 percent for the United States and the nearly 60 percent for Japan. That is because the middle class - the group that should lead consumer spending - is still relatively small in China, where the benefits of the nation’s strong economic growth in recent years have mostly eluded rural villages and low-income earners.According to the report, in the last quarter of 2008, China’s real economic growth was at least ______less than planned annual growth rate.
| A．6.7% . | B．6.8% | C．1.3% | D．1.2% |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The financial crisis has had bad effects on many countries including China. |
| B．China’s economic growth has been depending on exports. |
| C．If China intends to keep the same economic growth, it must increase goods for overseas. |
| D．Consumer spending in China is much lower than that of the US. |
The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means____.
| A．benefited | B．avoided | C．influenced | D．missed |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Economic change, the only hope for china. |
| B．China has attracted much global attention. |
| C．China, the engine to fuel global economic growth. |
| D．The financial crisis has influenced China’s economy. |
A patient came to see me about the stress in her life. She described all the things she had to do －one was to make her bed－from the moment she woke up until she flew out of the door for work. I suggested she experiment by not making her bed for two weeks. She was shocked, probably thinking I’d been raised by wolves in a forest. However, she went along with my idea.
Two weeks later she went into my office beaming. She had left her bed unmade for the first time in 42 years－and nothing bad had happened. “And you know what?” she said. “I don’t dry my dishes anymore, either.”
This woman had made two major breakthroughs (突破). One was discovering that she had choices in her life that she had never seen before. The other was giving herself permission to be less that perfect. This story shows an important principle (原理) about managing time: No one can do it all. Each of us has to make choices and accept trade – offs. The problem is, many people choose in ways that put themselves and their health last. They take better care of their houses and cars than they do of themselves. They put everyone else’s needs ahead of their own.
So what is the solution? There’s an easy way. Decide what you want in your life, and put that first. On a daily basis, that should include regular meals, enough sleep and time with your family. Exercise, leisure, friendships and hobbies should also be regular aspects of life. The point is to do something for yourself every day. The choice is yours: whatever makes you feel good about yourself and your life. Take a nap. Take a walk. Take time to play the piano. Stop bringing your briefcase home from the office. Stop keeping your house as clean as your mother kept hers. Fill more of your time with want – to – dos instead of have – to – dos.What is the solution to the problem of managing time?
| A．Doing more exercises every day. | B．Taking time to visit friends regularly. |
| C．Stopping making bed occasionally. | D．Doing what you want to do first. |
What does the word “beaming” in Line 1, Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Worrying | B．Smiling | C．Depressed | D．Luckily |
What is the major problem of most people managing time?
| A．Most people do not take care of their health. |
| B．Most people put others’ needs ahead of their own. |
| C．Most people cannot keep balance on managing time. |
| D．Most people do not take time to relax themselves. |
What is the author’s attitude toward people’s problems in the passage?
| A．Matter – of – fact. | B．Negative. | C．Indifferent. | D．Worried. |
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated(愤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this. The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for ________.
| A．wasting gold | B．wasting wrapping paper |
| C．putting the box under the Christmas tree | |
| D．bringing the gift to her father |
What’s inside the box according to the little girl?
| A．nothing | B．air | C．kisses | D．gold wrapping paper |
Choose the best title for the passage.
| A．The kisses in the box. | B．A girl and his father |
| C．A love story | D．The box under the Christmas tree. |
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| To Minneapolis/St. Paul And Back |
| Depart Arrive Depart Arrive |
| 9:15 a.m 10:52 a.m 6:20 p.m 9:30 p.m |
| To Phoenix And Back |
| Depart Arrive Depart Arrive |
| 9:15 a.m 12:25 p.m 1:10 p.m 9:30 p.m |
| To Boston And Back |
| Depart Arrive Depart Arrive |
| 10:00 p.m 10:53 p.m 7:30 a.m 8:30 a.m |
| All times are local. All flights to/off from Newark international Airport. |
This passage is most probably ______.
| A．a warning | B．a notice | C．an advertisement | D．an announcement |
If you want to fly to Boston soon after you come back from Minneapolis, you have to wait for _____.
| A．thirty minutes | B．one hour | C．one hour and a half | D．three hours and ten |
Suppose the price of flight ticket is 300 dollars to Phoenix, as a secondary school student, how much can you save after having chosen over a dozen US air discount fares?
| A．120 | B．150 | C．180 | D．225 |
According to this form above, ______.
| A．all flights from Newark leave in the morning |
| B．the flight to Phoenix takes three hours and ten minutes. |
| C．Flights to and from Boston take the same amount of time |
| D．It’s impossible to return from Phoenix and fly to Boston on the same day |
Years after throwing a bottle-up note into a lake for a class project and just one year after his death, a man’s childhood message was found and returned to his mother.
Eleven years ago, a then 10-year-old boy, Joshua Baker, wrote the message, folded and put it in an empty container, his mother, Maggie Holbrook said. He died last February in a motor vehicle accident in California. He had recently returned after a serving in the Middle East as a US marine. “I think he was just letting us know he was OK and keep doing what we are doing.” Holbrook said.
The message surfaced in White Lake in late April, just days after the 11th anniversary of its being thrown into the lake. It was found by one of Baker’s closest friends, Steve Lieder, she said. Lieder and two friends were chatting near the lake when Lieder looked down and saw the bottle. He broke it open and found the note inside.
“My name is Joshua Baker. I am 10. If you find this, put it on the news. The date is 4/16/98.” They immediately took it to Holbrook, who said she is now having the note preserved and will display it in her home.
She can remember when her son wrote the message for the school project. She said she always wondered why he didn’t put it in the nearby Wolf River, which has a much stronger current.
“I still remember the day he wrote it, ” Holbrook said. “I couldn’t understand why he threw I in the lake. No one would never see it again. Now I know.”What was Joshua Baker when he died in motor vehicle accident in California?
| A．An official | B．A soldier | C．A worker | D．A teacher |
Which of the following statements is correct according to the passage?
| A．The man threw the bottle into the lake without any purpose. |
| B．The man didn’t put the bottle into the nearby river because it had a strong current. |
| C．Not until recently did his mother understand why he put the bottle into the lake. |
| D．The man made the bottle-up note so as to let his parents know he was OK. |
The best title for this passage would be___.
| A．A man’s Bottle Message Found After His Death |
| B．A Ridiculous and Unbelievable Bottle Message |
| C．A Strange Bottle-up Note Appearing In a Lake |
| D．An Important Childhood Message 11 Years After His Death |
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. |
Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for ― its stadium (露天大型运动场) and theatres, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. They do not see them because Pompeii has no people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2000 years. Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano . Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not.
In August of AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stone and ash. Then, in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city looked almost the same as it had looked in AD 79. There were streets and fountains（喷泉）, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue colour in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread, too; metal bread pans were in every bakery. In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread ― a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye makeup.
Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?
| A．To visit the volcano | B．To shop and eat there |
| C．To watch sports and plays | D．To watch how Pompeiians lived |
Why had so many Pompeiians remained by volcanic Mount Vesuvius?
| A．The city nearby offered all kinds of fun. |
| B．The area produced the finest wine in Italy. |
| C．Few people expected the volcano to erupt again. |
| D．The mountain was beautiful and covered with grass. |
Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in AD 79?
| A．Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully. |
| B．Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched. |
| C．Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects. |
| D．Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted. |
What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2000 years ago?
| A．They lived more or less the same as Italians now do. |
| B．They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup. |
| C．They enjoyed a good life with drinking and eating. |
| D．They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in AD 79. |
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