The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci,Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?
| A．The 13th. | B．The 17th. |
| C．The 18th. | D．The 20th. |
Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?
| A．In the East Wing. | B．In the main West Wing. |
| C．In the Sainsbury Wing. | D．In the North Wing. |
Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?
| A．Embankment. | B．Leicester Square. |
| C．Piccadilly Circus. | D．Charing Cross. |
“ I’d like to be at a healthier weight , ” a friend told me . “ But we just don’t have the money to buy expensive diet foods and there isn’t enough money to join a gym .” Many people feel that way—that a healthy diet and exercise plan is out of reach because of their high cost . Don’t lose hope ! We’ll be looking at ways to make healthy choices without spending too much money .
First you don’t need to buy the expensive pre-prepared “ diet foods . ” Back in the early 1970s when I started housekeeping , 90% of the food I bought was ingredients . Very few things were preprocessed（预处理的）. Now 90% of the food you find in the store is quick food . That’s a bad thing .
Quick foods like boxed “ just add hamburger ” meals have had the fiber removed to make them faster to prepare . Take a look at the label on that box . It often has low numbers listed under “ fiber ” because fiber takes longer to digest . If the low fiber meal is digested , the result is that your body begins to store fat . Besides , your body is short of nutrients（营养物质）. You will be driven to eat more to try to make up for the low quality of the food you are eating .
And then there are the chemicals the producers add to the quick meals to make them palatable . If not , the stuff would taste like cardboard and you wouldn’t enjoy it . However , these chemicals certainly aren’t good for your health .
What’s the answer ? Buy whole ingredients and give up the expensive , low nutrition , processed foods . Do the cooking yourself and you will have control over what is in your food —and it will cost less , too .People who find it hard to get a healthier weight think .
| A．they had too much diet foods |
| B．they didn’t make a detailed plan |
| C．they have no time to do exercise in gym |
| D．they can’t afford diet foods and to exercise in gym |
The author doesn’t like quick food mainly because .
| A．it contains too much fat | B．it makes people eat less |
| C．it has low fiber | D．it takes longer to digest |
The underlined word “ palatable ” in Paragraph 4 probably means “ ”.
| A．fresh | B．delicious | C．healthy | D．simple |
The author suggests in the text that people should .
| A．control the amount of food |
| B．eat more processed foods |
| C．cook food for themselves |
| D．choose cheap ingredients |
Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage ? （①="Paragraph" 1,
②="Paragraph" 2 ,…⑤="Paragraph" 5）
| A．①/②③④/⑤ | B．①②/③④/⑤ | C．①②③/④/⑤ | D．①/②③/④⑤ |
CHOOSE YOUR VIRGINIA
Rock House Museum
Take a journey through history with a visit to the exciting museum and historic sites of Wytheville . The Rock House Museum offers glimpses into daily life in the 19th century . The museum is part of the 50 structures featured in Wytheville’s Historic Walking Tour . 540/233-3330 .
Grand Caverns
Grand Caverns is America’s oldest cave . Beautiful and massive formations . Union troops visited the caverns . Thomas Jefferson visited—you should , too ! Open weekends in March , daily April—October , 9 a.m.—5 p.m. Hour tours leave every 30 minutes . 703/249-5705 .
The News Museum
The News Museum in Arlington is the world’s only interactive（互动）museum of news . Visitors can be reporters or television newscasters , see today’s news as it happens on a block-long video news wall , and be taken behind the scenes to see how news is made . The News museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a. m.—5 p. m. You can visit www. News museum .Org .
Kenmore Plantation & Gardens
Kenmore Plantation & Gardens has over two hundred years of history from the Revolutionary War , Civil War and into the 21st century . Home of Betty Washington , George Washington’s only sister , and Patriot Col. Fielding Lewis . Explore this historic building and city block of restored gardens . Tea and ginger cookies served . 540/373-3381 .
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach offers 11 000 hotel / motel rooms , plus cottages and campgrounds . Enjoy miles of clean beaches and a variety of family attractions . Fine restaurants , various shopping areas , exciting nightlife , and special events are offered throughout the year . 800/822-3224 .What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage ?
| A．To attract tourists to Virginia . |
| B．To encourage people to settle in Virginia . |
| C．To introduce historic sites in Virginia . |
| D．To give people a general description of Virginia . |
In what way is The News Museum different from Rock House Museum ?
| A．It is larger . | B．It is more exciting . |
| C．Visitors can act in it . | D．Visitors can see more in it . |
If you want to enjoy yourself in the evening , you may go to .
| A．The News Museum | B．Kenmore Plantation & Gardens |
| C．Grand Caverns | D．Virginia Beach |
Which of the following places is NOT open in the winter months ?
| A．The news Museum . |
| B．Grand Caverns . |
| C．Virginia Beach . |
| D．Kenmore Plantation & Gardens . |
Which of the following is NOT a fact when tourists are visiting the Virginia Beach ?
| A．Tourists can camp in the open air . |
| B．Tourists can enjoy some special events there . |
| C．Tourists can not go there in their own cars . |
| D．Tourists can enjoy themselves on the clean beach . |
As computers become more popular in China , Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters . But if they use the computer too much , they may end up forgetting the exact strokes（笔画）of each Chinese character when writing on paper . Experts suggest people , especially students , write by hand more .
Do you write by hand more or type more ? In Beijing , students start using a computer as early as primary school . And computer dependence is more widespread among university students . Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer .
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer .
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer . And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education . But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly , problems appear .
“ When I’m writing with a pen , I find I often can’t remember how to write a character , though I feel I’m familiar with it .”
“ I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper .”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about . Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer , why bother to handwrite ?
Many educators think differently . Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said “ Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic（审美的）value . But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value . All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost . And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion . Through one’s handwriting , people can get to know one’s thinking and personality . Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them .”
To encourage students to handwrite more , many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory（必修的）and in universities , some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand .Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage ?
| A．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing . |
| B．To Type or to Handwrite . |
| C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters |
The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because .
| A．they are usually asked to email their homework and essays |
| B．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| C．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China |
Which of the following statements is NOT true of the advantages of handwriting ?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer’s emotion . |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting . |
| C．Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s self-confidence . |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value . |
The underlined expression “ taking stock in ” ( Paragraph 4 ) probably means .
| A．getting bored with | B．getting dependent on |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting curious about |
We can draw the conclusion from the passage that .
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
| B．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
| C．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
| D．the typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality |
Have you ever dreamed about sending a letter to yourself or your friends in the future ? While express mail representing efficiency and speed is prevalent（盛行的）in China , there is another type of mail appearing as a new business : “ Future Mail ” . “ Future Mail ” service can make people slow down and let them understand the meaning of “ time ” in another way . And “ Future Mail ” letters are “ reminders of affection , friendship and love ”.
Lin Xiao fan , a senior high school student in Hefei , wrote a letter to her mother in advance to express her love to her mother for next Mother’s Day . Feng Xiao , a youth who feels pressure despite of some achievements in her career decided to write a letter to herself on her 25th birthday and have it delivered five years later on her 30th birthday through a “ Future Mail ” . She expressed her thoughts about her present life and her expectations for the future to encourage herself to face up to the challenges of her life with courage .
While “ Future Mail ” is gaining popularity , some people are concerned about what happens if the postal address of the receiver changes or if the company goes broke before letters are delivered . Actually , customers required to complete an acceptance form and make an assessment so they can be compensated if their letters or goods are lost or damaged .
Most of the business’s customers are college students and young white-collar workers . Psychologists said young Chinese might be given a vent（发泄）to their negative feelings through the service . Most people put their hopes and wishes in the letters so they can experience the connection between “ past ” and “ present ” while they receive the letters . It can help people reunderstand the meaning of “ time ” .The underlined word in Para . 3 probably means .
| A．paid | B．changed | C．bought | D．repaired |
Which of the following is NOT true ?
| A．People can express their thoughts and feelings to themselves or others through a “ Future Mail ” . |
| B．The “ Future Mail ” business is not perfect . |
| C．Only young people accept the new “ Future Mail ” service . |
| D．“ Future Mail ”service can let people reunderstand the meaning of “ time ” . |
You can read this article in newspaper’s part .
| A．sports . | B．science | C．leisure | D．policy |
Which is NOT the purpose of Feng Xiao’s letter ?
| A．To encourage herself to face up to the challenges . |
| B．To express her thoughts about her present life . |
| C．To express her expectations for the future . |
| D．To remind herself of something she must do . |
The best title of this article should be .
| A．The Different Kinds of Letter |
| B．“ Future Mail ” Business Taking off in China |
| C．The Advantage of “ Future Mail ” |
| D．The Letter in Future |
Animals are being killed by hunters in America in a cruel way, says an animal protection organization. There are about 1,000 hunting farms across America whose owners offer hunters an opportunity to kill animals that are kept in fenced areas.
Russian boar, zebra, deer, antelope and many other species are raised just to be killed. Farm owners charge hunters thousands of dollars for animals that they kill, many of which are close to extinction (灭绝).
The Humane Society of the United States says this type of hunting should be stopped because it is not fair to the animals. Many owners raise their animals. Others buy from animal dealers or from zoos and circuses that no longer want them. This means that the animals are not afraid of humans and they are easy to be shot by hunters.
Owners of small ranches (牧场) keep their animals in fenced areas so that the hunters can get close to the animals before shooting at them. On large farms hunters are taken to areas where the animals are fed sometime of the day. This also makes it easy to kill the animals.
The hunters want to keep the heads and chests of the animals they kill to hang as trophies (战利品) on their walls. This means that the animals are usually shot in parts of the body. That means they will suffer a slow and painful death.
The hunting is allowed across most of America but some parts of the country have stopped or restricted it. The Humane Society of the United States hopes that it won’t be too long before the rest parts of the country also give up this cruel sport.What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Fenced Animals Are in Danger |
| B．Animals Are Easy to Kill |
| C．Hunters Pay to Kill Fenced Animals |
| D．Animal Hunting Should Be Banned |
One of the main reasons why these animals are easy to be shot is that _______.
| A．they don’t run very fast |
| B．they are not afraid of humans |
| C．they don’t know how to escape |
| D．the hunters are good at shooting |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many animals can run away when hunters want to shoot them. |
| B．It is very cruel to kill the animals in the way mentioned in the passage. |
| C．The Humane Society of the United States considers this kind of hunting as a good sport. |
| D．The animals are usually hung on the walls after being shot. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．no measures have been taken to prevent this kind of hunting |
| B．the animals usually get really hungry before dying |
| C．in most parts of America this kind of hunting has been stopped |
| D．people who do this kind of hunting are probably very rich |