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. |
Most people know precious gemstones (宝石) by their appearances. An emerald flashes deep green, a ruby seems to hold a red fire inside, and a diamond shines like a star. It’s more difficult to tell where the gem was mined, since a diamond from Australia or Arkansas may appear the same to one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, recently, a team of scientists has found a way to identify a gemstone’s origin.
Beneath the surface of a gemstone, on the tiny level of atoms and molecules（分子）, lie clues (线索) to its origin. At this year’s meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis, Catherine McManus reported on a technique that uses lasers (激光) to clarify these clues and identify a stone’s homeland. McManus directs scientific research at Materialytics, in Killeen, Texas. The company is developing the technique. “With enough data, we could identify which country, which mining place, even the individual mine a gemstone comes from,” McManus told Science News.
Some gemstones, including many diamonds, come from war-torn countries. Sales of those “blood minerals” may encourage violent civil wars where innocent people are injured or killed. In an effort to reduce the trade in blood minerals, the U.S. government passed law in July 2010 that requires companies that sell gemstones to determine the origins of their stones.
To figure out where gemstones come from, McManus and her team focus a powerful laser on a small sample of the gemstone. The technique is called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Just as heat can turn ice into water or water into steam, energy from the laser changes the state of matter of the stone. The laser changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma, a gas state of matter in which tiny particles（微粒）called electrons separate from atoms.
The plasma, which is superhot, produces a light pattern. (The science of analyzing this kind of light pattern is called spectroscopy.) Different elements（元素）produce different patterns, but McManus and her team say that gemstones from the same area produce similar patterns. Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones, including more than 200 from diamonds. They can compare the light pattern from an unknown gemstone to patterns they do know and look for a match. The light pattern acts like a signature, telling the researchers the origin of the gemstone.
In a small test, the laser technique correctly identified the origins of 95 out of every 100 diamonds. For gemstones like emeralds and rubies, the technique proved successful for 98 out of every 100 stones. The scientists need to collect and analyze more samples, including those from war-torn countries, before the tool is ready for commercial use.
Scientists like Barbara Dutrow, a mineralogist from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, find the technique exciting. “This is a basic new tool that could provide a better fingerprint of a material from a particular locality,” she told Science News. We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.
| A．an emerald and a ruby are names of diamonds. |
| B．it’s not difficult to tell where the gem was mined. |
| C．appearances help to identify the origin of gemstones. |
| D．diamonds from different places may appear the same. |
Why did the U.S. government pass law that requires companies selling gemstones to determine the origins of their stones?
| A．To look for more gemstones. |
| B．To encourage violent civil wars. |
| C．To reduce the trade in blood minerals. |
| D．To develop the economy. |
Which of the following facts most probably helps McManus and her team in identifying the origin of stones?
| A．Heat can turn ice into water or water into steam. |
| B．Gemstones from the same area produce similar light patterns. |
| C．Laser can changes a miniscule part of the gemstone into plasma. |
| D．Materialytics has already collected patterns from thousands of gemstones. |
From the last two paragraphs, what can be inferred about the laser technique?
| A．It is ready for commercial use. |
| B．People can use the new tool to find more gemstones. |
| C．It can significantly reduce the gemstones trade in blood minerals. |
| D．It will bring about a revolutionary change in identifying the origin of minerals. |
The author wrote this passage mainly to ________.
| A．tell us how to identify the origin of diamonds. |
| B．introduce a laser technique in identifying a stone’s origin |
| C．prove identifying the origin of gemstones are difficult |
| D．attract our attention to reducing trade in blood minerals |
Generic Name: ASPIRIN
Pronunciation: ['æspərin]
Why it is prescribed (开药方)：
1. Aspirin relieves mild to moderate pain.
2. It reduces fever, redness, and swelling.
3. It prevents blood from clotting (凝结).
When it is to be taken:
1. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription.
2. Follow the instructions on the label and package.
3. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific instructions for how often you should take it.
4. Keep in touch with your doctor.
How it should be taken:
1. Aspirin comes in the form of suppositories (栓剂), capsules, and regular, coated, extended-release, and chewable tablets.
2. Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk after meals to avoid stomach upset.
3. Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice should be drunk immediately after taking these tablets.
Special Instruction:
1. Children should not take aspirin for fevers associated with flu or chickenpox (水痘) because such use has been linked with a serious illness known as Reye’s syndrome.
2. Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (five days for children) without consulting a doctor.
3. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than three days without a doctor’s supervision (监管).
4. Do not give more than five doses (剂量) to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor.
5. If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and resume the prescribed schedule.
Side Effects:
1. Although side effects from aspirin are not common, they can occur.
2. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk. If these effects continue, contact your doctor.
3. Ringing in the ears, bloody or black stools (粪便), difficulty breathing, dizziness, mental confusion and sleepiness are rare. Stop taking the drug and contact your doctor.
Other Precautions:
1. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding women, inform your doctor before taking aspirin.
2. Do not take aspirin if you are within three months of delivery.
3. Do not take aspirin if you are allergic (过敏) to it.
4. If you have diabetes (糖尿病), regular use of eight or more regular strength aspirin tablets a day may affect test result.
5. If you are taking large doses of aspirin on a long-term basis, avoid having alcoholic drinks because alcohol can increase stomach problems.
6. To prevent an overdose of aspirin, read the labels before taking other pain relievers and cold products to be sure that they do not contain aspirin.
Storage Conditions:
1. Store aspirin in a cool place or in a refrigerator.
2. Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar.
3. Keep this aspirin out of the reach of children.Which of the following about Aspirin is correct?
| A．It only comes in the form of regular tablets. |
| B．It should not be taken for more than 5 days for children. |
| C．It can be used to reduce fever and pain and prevent blood clotting. |
| D．It causes ringing in the ears or difficulty breathing after being taken |
If you start taking aspirin, you should do all the following things EXCEPT ________.
| A．keeping in touch with your doctor |
| B．taking aspirin tablets after meals to avoid stomach upset |
| C．drinking a full glass of juice immediately after taking chewable aspirin tablets |
| D．taking more than 8 regular strength aspirin a day while suffering from diabetes |
The underlined word “resume” most probably means ________.
| A．continue | B．make up | C．pause | D．throw away |
Which of the following might be a side effect caused by Aspirin?
| A．blood clotting | B．stomach upset | C．lasting fever | D．sight problem |
Where can we probably come across such a text?
| A．In a research paper. |
| B．In the package of a medicine |
| C．In a medical textbook. |
| D．In a scientific and technological magazine |
Everyone hates to wait in lines. We get that anxious feeling that our precious life is slipping away while we’re doing something so meaningless. But it’s not always the length of the wait we find so unbearable. Some people camp outside Apple stores for an entire night just to get their hands on the latest product. But waiting 10 minutes in a grocery store just to buy a drink? Forget it.
Our behavior when waiting is only partly decided by the length of the wait. “Often the psychology of queuing is more important than the statistics of the wait itself,” notes the MIT researcher Richard Larson.
One apparent aspect of queuing psychology is that we get bored when we wait in line. This issue is solved in many ways, from magazines in hospital waiting rooms to mirrors in elevators so that we can check our appearance.
We really hate it when we expect a short wait and then get a long one. But studies show that we are much more patient when we are given an idea of how long we’ll be waiting.
Walt Disney Co knows this better than anyone else. It posts estimated waiting times for attractions in its theme parks. But according to Larson, these times are overestimated so that visitors get to the front of the queue more quickly than they expect. It keeps them happy.
But perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about waiting in a line has to do with our sense of fairness. When it comes to queues, the universally acknowledged standard is first come, first served. Any departure from this principle is regarded as unfair and can lead to violent queue anger.
You’ve probably experienced mild queue anger yourself in fast food restaurants, watching people in the other line zoom ahead of you, cursing yourself for having chosen the “wrong” line. In order to solve this problem, the serpentine(蛇形) line was invented. The serpentine line guides all customers into one big snaking queue, separated by ropes or barriers. When you reach the head of the queue, you are directed to the next available server, or teller, or customs official. The serpentine line isn’t always faster than multi-lines before an array(排) of cash registers. But it offers important comfort: you absolutely never have to see someone arrive after you and get served before you.
In life, waiting is inevitable. But a better understanding of the psychology of waiting can help make it a bit more bearable. When all else fails, bring a book or a smart phone will also do.In the 1stparagraph, the author intends to tell us_____.
| A．why people are crazy about Apple’s products |
| B．people waste their precious time in queuing |
| C．waiting time is not the only cause for people’s hate in queuing |
| D．the psychology is the real reason why people hate to wait in lines |
Walt Disney Co makes people queuing happily by_____.
| A．having people queue in serpentine line |
| B．letting people know how long they will wait exactly |
| C．making people queue shorter than they are informed |
| D．offering people magazines to read when waiting in lines |
Serpentine line was invented to_____.
| A．make the waiting line move faster |
| B．guarantee the first-come-first-served principle |
| C．solve the problem of feeling bored in queuing |
| D．guide all customers into one big snaking queue |
The main purpose of the passage is _____.
| A．to explain the advantages of serpentine line |
| B．to introduce ways of saving time in queuing |
| C．to offer an explanation of the psychology of queuing |
| D．to analyze the psychology of people queuing for Apple products |
So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest（探索）for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading.The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ________.
| A．it is one of the most difficult school courses |
| B．students spend endless hours in reading |
| C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance |
| D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading |
The teaching of reading will be successful if ________.
| A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students |
| B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading |
| C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading |
| D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable |
The underlined word“ scrutiny” most probably means“________”.
| A．inquiry | B．observation | C．control | D．suspicion |
According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ________.
| A．children become highly motivated |
| B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable |
| C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge |
| D．reading enriches children’s experience |
The main idea of the passage is that ________.
| A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read |
| B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible |
| C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught |
| D．reading is more complicated that generally believed |
Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad things while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same one color may mean differently in different places of the world?
In the English-speaking world, black is the color of mourning. People wear black clothes at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed (流血). Yellow is the word for fear. If you are afraid, you are yellow. Yet none of these sayings is true outside the English-speaking world. In China and Korea white is the color of mourning. In Russia, China and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.
Even within the English-speaking area it is not difficult to find color contradictions (矛盾). A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station. In Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white collar worker is sometimes called a black-coated worker.
One does not have to cross an area to find color differences. Would you rather be red-blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression "blueblood" comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly said that they had "blue blood". But then why "blue" blood? Because they were fairskinned, and it is only natural that their blood vessels (血管) stood out appearing blue.Yellow is concerned with anger in _______.
| A．Russia | B．Britain | C．Germany | D．China |
The two meanings of the term "redcap" form a difference in _______.
| A．pronunciation | B．climate | C．logical relationship | D．custom |
Both Britain and America would probably agree that _______.
| A．black is the color of mourning |
| B．a black-coated worker is employed in an office |
| C．red stands for beauty and excellence |
| D．a redcap is a porter in a station |
The best title for this passage is _______.
| A．The Origin of Blue Blood |
| B．The Development of the Symbolic Use of Colors |
| C．Colors that Carry Bad Meanings |
| D．The Meaning Concerned With Certain Colors |
When some Spanish called themselves "blueblood", they actually meant _______.
| A．they had heart trouble and their faces looked blue |
| B．they came from a noble family |
| C．they had blue blood in their vessels |
| D．they were fairskinned |