As we know, Julian Beever is an international well-known sidewalk chalk artist whose drawings have appeared on the streets of London, Buenos Aires, Paris, New York, and countless other cities around the world. Beever creates drawings that look completely three- dimensional when seen from the correct angle.
Now, in his book, Pavement chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever, the artist shares some of his most fascinating and humorous pieces, Here are a few examples you’ll find in the book.
●Philadelphia eagle
In Pennsylvania, Beever created “Philadelphiaeagle ”a huge drawing with an eagle landing successfully on an American national flag.
●Meeting Mr. Frog
“Meeting Mr. Frog” was created in Salamanca, Spain, and is about a realistic-looking frog sitting on a Lily pad.
●Swimming pool in the high street
My personal favorite is “Swimming pool in the high street” from Brussels, which is about a woman relaxing in a swimming pool-----a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is!
Along with an introduction about his background, Beever includes a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame with every drawing. He shares information about his time at home in the UK. and abroad; there is a fun story to back up each piece of art.
Beever’s artwork is truly jaw drooping. You’re sure to spend ages turning the leaves back and forth, surprised at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the paintings are a wonder to lay eyes on.
＊Payment chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever is surely worth a look. And another look. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $ 29.95What do we know about the book mentioned in the text?
| A．It has a paper cover. |
| B．It hasn’t been published. |
| C．It includes some drawing techniques. |
| D．It’s a biography of Julian Beever. |
What does the underlined part “ jaw dropping” most probably mean?
| A．Romantic. | B．Amazing. |
| C．Frightening | D．Depressing. |
We can infer that the text is ______.
| A．a book review. |
| B．a description of street art. |
| C．an advertisement for a new book. |
| D．an introduction to an artist. |
Imagine being the only person in the Forbidden City. You could stay there all day without swarms of people crowding around. You'd be able to look at the ancient treasures without worrying about other visitors pushing you for a better view. Well, in two years time you'll be able to have such an experience, just like the former emperors used to. The only difference is that your Forbidden City fun will be online.
Thanks to new technology, a virtual tour of the Forbidden City will be available online by 2008. The project － jointly driven by the Palace Museum and computer company IBM － aims to help teenagers around the world become more interested in Chinese culture. The project will offer an interactive, three-dimensional view of the palace. The virtual tour will provide images from all over the 780,000-square-metre palace.
"The Palace Museum is a big book; there are always places you haven't read about," said Hu Chui from the museum. There are many rooms closed for protection. But the virtual platform breaks the boundaries of time and space, meaning visitors can see whatever they want. "The interaction and games content in the virtual tour will attract more young people to understand and love our cultural heritage," added Hu.
In the virtual tour, historical figures will actually talk to visitors and answer their questions. The stories behind the buildings and treasures will also be told. "The online environment, presented in both Chinese and English, enables visitors to experience the culture and stories of the museum," said James Yeh, an IBM official.
If you visit the Forbidden City now, which of the following won’t be the case you’ll have?
| A．It is crowed with a lot of visitors. | B．Visitors are pushing you for a better view. |
| C．You are the only person in it. | D．You can see some ancient treasures in it. |
Which of the following is not the advantage of the virtual tour of the Forbidden City?
| A．Visitors can see whatever they want. |
| B．Visitor can ask and talk to historical figures. |
| C．Visitors can get to know the cultural heritage by playing games. |
| D．Visitors can walk around the Forbidden City with your family. |
The “project” underlined in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
| A．a virtual tour of the Forbidden City |
| B．a new “Forbidden City” to be built by the Palace Museum and IBM computer company |
| C．an Internet cafe to be built in the Palace Museum |
| D．a big book to be published to introduce Chinese culture |
What attracts teenagers most to the virtual tour is _____.
| A．the visible pictures in the place |
| B．the interaction and game playing |
| C．the online environment presented in English |
| D．the platform without the boundaries of time and space |
In 1879, a group of explorers made an incredible find. They discovered paintings of remarkable beauty on the walls of a cave in Spain. Some scientists believed that these paintings were created by early humans from the Stone Age, between ten and thirty thousand years ago. Other scientists and the public did not believe the claim, but over the years, it was proven correct. Our ancestors had incredible artistic talents.
Most of the cave art that has been discovered has been found in Spain and France. A smaller number of such caves are located in Italy, Portugal, Russia, and other countries. Scientists believe that many more caves will be discovered in the coming years, and are concentrating their efforts on Africa and the area between Europe and Asia. These two regions of the world were, populated first by humans.
Cave art was carved or painted on the walls and roofs of caves, usually near the entrance. The entrance area was probably chosen to take advantage of daylight and to allow many people to view the paintings. In some cases, the art appears much deeper in caves and requires artificial light. Evidence suggests that the artists used torches or shallow bowls in which animal fat was burned.
9.What was the response of general public to the discovery of cave art made by Stone Age people?
A. They believed it at first.
B. They did not believe it.
C. They thought it was beautiful.
D. They ignored it.
10.According to the passage, what can we conclude about animal fat?
A. It does not burn.
B. Stone Age artists used it to preserve their paintings.
C. It can be burned to produce light.
D. Stone Age artists mixed it with their food.
11.. Where do scientists expect to find more cave paintings?
A. In Central and South America.
B. In Spain and France.
C. In the places where there are caves with large openings.
D. In the regions of the world first populated by humans.
12.Where would this passage be most likely to appear?
A. In a textbook about early human history.
B. In a textbook about modern art.
C. In a dictionary.
D. In an encyclopedia entry about caves.
Markwaswalkinghomefromschoolonedaywhenhenoticedtheboy ahead of him had stumbled over something and dropped all of the books he was carrying along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
TheyarrivedatBill'shomefirstandMarkwasinvitedinforaCokeandtowatch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Billremindedhimofthedayyearsagowhentheyhadfirstmet."DidyoueverwonderwhyIwascarryingsomanythingshomethatday?"askedBill."Yousee,IcleanedoutmylockerbecauseIdidn'twanttoleaveamessforanyoneelse.Ihadstoredawaysomeofmymother'ssleepingpillsandIwasgoinghometocommitsuicide.Butafterwespentsometimetogethertalkingandlaughing,IrealizedthatifIhadkilledmyself,Iwouldhavemissedthattimeandsomanyothersthatmightfollow.Soyou see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
1. The underlined word “stumbled” in Paragraph One probably means .
A. stopped himself B. came to life
C. trapped himself D. lost one’s balance
2. It can be inferred that________ according to the passage.
A. The boy took so many books with him because he was about to take an exam soon.
B. From the beginning, in fact, Mark knew Bill was to kill himself.
C. Bill valued the days whenthey spenttalkingandlaughing together
D. Bill was dismissed for his breaking the school rules
3. What was it that saved Bill’s life in fact?
A. Friendliness and kindness. B. Understanding and Honesty.
C. Bill’s confidence and strong will D. Bill’s mother’s encouragement
4. From the passage we can learn that _____.
A. Bill would have remove to another school if Mark hadn't met him that day
B. Bill had planned to go to kill himself for the loss of his girlfriend.
C. From the first meeting, they often talked and play together.
D. Mark found out Bill’s secret and saved his life.
5. Which of the following should be the best title for this passage?
A. A little but meaning thing
B. Just a Little Smile
C. Unforgettable School Life
D. Friendship and Life1.D
●A 78-year-old grandmother whose education was cut short by the second world war celebrated an A-level with her 50-year-old daughter. Betty Allen and daughter Chris Branton of Sprotbrough, South Yorkshire, opened their results together on TV after completing the UK's only online English A-level course. Mrs Allen received a D and Ms Branton a C
●Actor Holly Grainger, 18, from East Didsbury, Manchester, achieved two As and two Bs. She is a regular face on television screens with roles in Terry Pratchett's Johnny and the Bomb and new legal drama New Street Law. She learned yesterday that she had landed a main part in a new school drama called Waterloo Road
●A teenage hockey star who hopes to play for England in the 2012 Olympic Games won three A-grades. Will Miles, 18, from Formby, Merseyside, who attends Merchant Taylors' school in Crosby, plans to study maths at Manchester University
● Andrew Nowell, a student at Nottingham high school, got five grade As, including one of the top five marks in the country for his design and technology paper. He won the Young Engineers for Britain contest this year with an invention he produced for his Design and Technology A-Level - a "remote control and security interface system". He is off to Cambridge to study engineering .
● Jed McQueen Jones got A grades in chemistry, maths and physics, despite being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2003 and being hospital for three months. Jed, a pupil at Richard Huish College in Taunton, restarted A-levels in September 2004 and continued chemotherapy(化疗)into that Christmas. He is going to Exeter University on a science scholarship to study physics.
1. How did Betty Allen learn English and complete the course?
A. On TV B. On the Internet C. By herself D. Through her daughter
2. The underlined word “landed” in Paragraph Two means_______.
A. moved down B. arrive at C. catch up D. got successfully
3. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
A. She and her daughter were invited to appear online to celebrate.
B. Her daughter did worse than her in the English A-level course.
C. They completed the English A-level course on the internet.
D. Betty Allen’s education was stopped by the Second World War.
4. What really made Andrew Nowell prouder and more successful?
A. getting five grade As.
B. an invention.
C. his study on engineering
D. His job as an engineer
5. The best title of the passage is probably_________
A. Super students and their achievements
B. Super gifts account for great achievements
C. Hard work results in success
D. Star pupils and super students
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains, stretching about 6,700 kilometers from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some parts of the Great Wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions around the world.
No one can tell for sure when the building of the Great Wall was started, but it is popularly believed that it originated as a military fortification(要塞) against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. Late in the Spring and Autumn Period, some states extended the defence work to prevent the attacks from other states.
It was not until the Qin Dynasty that the separate walls were connected to form a defensive system by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. After the emperor unified the country in 214 BC, he ordered the construction of the wall. It took about ten years to finish and the wall stretched from Gansu Province to Jilin Province. The wall not only served as a defence in the north but also symbolized the power of the emperor.
Further construction also experienced several dynasties. The present Great Wall in Beijing is mainly remains from the Ming Dynasty. Today, the Great Wall has become a must-see for every visitor to China. Few can help saying “Wow” when they stand on top of a beacon tower and look at this giant dragon. It has become a national pride of Chinese people. The underlined word “appealing” probably means “______”.
| A．huge | B．attractive | C．ordinary | D．moving |
In the Qin Dynasty, ______.
| A．the construction of the Great Wall was finished in 204 BC |
| B．the emperor wanted to invade other minor states |
| C．the defensive system of the Great Wall was separated |
| D．the Great Wall began its way from Jilin Province |
According to the passage, the Great Wall _______.
| A．is from the west to the east |
| B．is as long as 6,700 miles |
| C．was built in several dynasties |
| D．was begun in the Qin Dynasties |
The best title for the passage probably is _______.
| A．History of the Great Wall |
| B．Culture of the Great Wall |
| C．Construction of the Great Wall |
| D．Projection of the Great Wall |