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Mona Lisa, the mysterious woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century masterpiece, had just given birth to her second son when she sat for the painting, a French art expert said.
The discovery was made by a team of Canadian scientists who used special infrared and three-dimensional technology to look through paint layers on the work, which now sits in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Bruno Mottin of the French Museums’ Center for Research and Restoration said that on very close examination of the painting, it became clear that Mona Lisa’s dress was covered in a thin transparent gauze dress.
“This type of gauze dress was typical of the kind worn in the early 16th century in Italy by women who were pregnant or who had just given birth. This is something that has never been seen up to now because the painting was always judged to be dark and difficult to examine,” he told a news conference. “We can now say that this painting by Leonardo da Vinci was painted to commemorate the birth of the second son of Mona Lisa, which helps us to date it more precisely to around 1503. The young woman with the half smile has been identified as Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco de Giocondo. She had five children.”
Mottin also said that, contrary to popular belief, the subject had not let her hair hang freely, but in fact she had worn a bonnet from which only a few curls had managed to escape.
"People always wrote that the Mona Lisa had allowed her hair to hang freely over her shoulders. This greatly surprised historians because letting your hair hang freely during the Renaissance was typical of young girls and women of poor virtue," he said.
The team had hoped to discover more details about Leonardo's "sfumato " technique of subtly blending one tone into another, which the artist used to create a special effect. But scientist John Taylor said the team had been frustrated by the lack of brush stroke detail on the painting.This passage mainly discusses___________..
| A．a new discovery about Leonardo da Vinci |
| B．a new discovery of Mona Lisa |
| C．the way Leonardo da Vinci painted Mona Lisa |
| D．the relationship between Mona Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Mona Lisa was in fact the wife of Lisa Gherardini. |
| B．The painting is in French now. |
| C．Mona Lisa lived in the 1500s in Canada. |
| D．Leonardo da Vinci painted the masterpiece in memory of the birth of his second son. |
What did people think of the hair of Mona Lisa?
| A．People thought her hair was in fashion. |
| B．People thought she had her hair curled. |
| C．People thought she had let her hair hang freely over her shoulders. |
| D．People thought she wore fake hair. |
Why didn’t people find Mona Lisa’s dress was covered in a thin transparent gauze dress at first ?
| A．Because they didn’t look carefully. |
| B．Because the painting was in bad condition. |
| C．Because Leonardo da Vinci fooled people. |
| D．Because the color of the painting was dark. |
From the last two paragraphs we can know the scientists felt a little_________.
| A．discouraged | B．satisfied |
| C．hopeful | D．surprised |
It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?
| A．Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream. |
| B．Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones. |
| C．People can only remember unpleasant dreams. |
| D．More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams. |
According to the tests in the 1980s, dreaming takes place______.
| A．between each 90-minute cycle |
| B．at any time during 90-minute cycles |
| C．during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles |
| D．in the last stage of 90-minute cycles |
People woken during REM sleep can______.
| A．hardly remember their dreams |
| B．easily remember their dreams |
| C．only remember their dreams |
| D．partly remember their thinking activity |
"Insomniacs" are persons who______.
| A．can always remember their dreams |
| B．have trouble getting into sleep at night |
| C．experience rapid eye movement |
| D．usually wake after each 90-minute sleep period |
A shopping center is a place where many different shops and stores are collected under one roof. You can buy everything there and there are also banks, restaurants and, sometimes, a post office.
There are other places in the United States which are called five-and –ten-cent stores because they used to sell things for 5 to 10 cents. Today they sell almost anything and some of the things cost several dollars. Supermarkets are found in all the cities. They sell food and many other goods. You walk around the supermarket, choose the things you want, put them into a special basket prepared by the store and pay for them all together at the door. Supermarkets often stay open later than other stores.
Stores are usually open every day of the week except on Sunday. Some close on Saturdays in July and August.The shops and stores in a shopping center are .
| A．in the same building | B．on the top of a big roof |
| C．close to your house | D．near banks and restaurants |
A five-and-ten-cent store usually sells .
| A．expensive things | B．small and cheap things |
| C．things worth many dollars | D．everything you need in the house |
________have baskets ready for people to carry the things they are going to buy.
| A．Shopping centers | B．Fine stores in America |
| C．Five-and-ten-cent stores | D．Supermarkets |
Which of the following can be the topic of the article?
| A．What a shopping Center is? | B．Why people like supermarkets? |
| C．Three types of places for shopping. | D．Old and new stores. |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, "Well, it's so-and-so's fault，"or "I know I'm late, but it's not my fault; the car broke down. " It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner's key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague(同事) fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about-creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.According to the passage, winners_______________.
| A．deal with problems rather than blame others |
| B．meet with fewer difficulties in their eyes |
| C．have responsible and able colleagues |
| D．blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word “remedy” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to.
| A．avoid | B．accept |
| C．improve | D．consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should __.
| A．find a better way to deal with the problem |
| B．blame him for his lack of responsibility |
| C．tell him to find the cause of the problem |
| D．ask a more able colleague for help |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Winner's Achievement. | B．A Winner's Problem. |
| C．A Winner's Opportunity. | D．A Winner's Secret. |
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today. The Caltech scientists say they have directly established the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented.
The Caltech scientists say carbonate（碳酸盐）minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite（陨石）that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.
Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius.
The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have proved the information.
The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home."The underlined word “establish” in Paragraph 1 probably means “___________”.
| A．to set up |
| B．to make people accept a belief |
| C．to discover or prove |
| D．to start having a relationship with others |
How did the scientists reach the finding?
| A．By studying Allan Hills meteorite. |
| B．By using spacecraft orbiting Mars. |
| C．By studying minerals gathered on Mars. |
| D．By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface. |
According to the fourth paragraph, what have spacecraft orbiting Mars done?
| A．Measuring the temperature of Mars. |
| B．Taking photos of the surface of Mars. |
| C．Finding that there is water flowing on Mars. |
| D．Proving where human beings will probably land on Mars. |
Where can we most probably read this passage?
| A．In a biography of scientists. | B．In a geography magazine. |
| C．In an environment report. | D．In a science report. |
Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisements.
| FAIRMONT HOTEL Five Waiters and Ten Waitresses — Aged under 22 — At least high school graduate — Good-looking; men at least 1.72 meters tall and women at least 1.65 — Those knowing foreign languages favoured — Paid 1,600—2,200 dollars per month One Secretary — Aged under 30 — Female favoured — Good at writing and skilled at computer If interested, call 465-4768 or write to: Mr. Jack Hundris Room 0825, Fairmont Hotel 567 Wood Street, San Markers, 78003 Fax: 6954828 WILSON BOOKSTORE Accountant (会计) — Aged between 25 and 40 — With an experience of at least two years — With a degree and an accountant certificate (证书) — Paid 3,000—4,000 dollars monthly — With a practical knowledge of computer Salesclerk — Basic education of 12 years or more — Good at computer — Paid 1,800—2,200 dollars monthly Tel: 447-4398 Fax: 3485269 |
If you don’t know how to use a computer, you can just get the position as _____.
| A．a secretary | B．a waiter or waitress |
| C．an accountant | D．a salesclerk |
If you want to get the position of accountant in Wilson Bookstore, you have to satisfy the following conditions EXCEPT _______.
| A．being a woman | B．knowing well how to use a computer |
| C．having been an accountant | D．having an accountant certificate |
If you want to try for a job in Fairmont Hotel, you _______.
| A．should be younger than 30 years old |
| B．should be a university graduate |
| C．have to be taller than 1.72 meters |
| D．have to be a woman and know foreign languages |
From the ads we can conclude that _______.
| A．you’ll be better paid in Wilson Bookstore than in Fairmont Hotel |
| B．all the jobs offered require experience |
| C．the better education you’ve received, the more money you’ll make |
| D．if you want to be an accountant, you may call 465-4768 |