In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business.But he was not a good artist.So he invented a very simple camera.He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his yard.That was the first photograph.

  The next important date in the history of photography was 1837.That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his workroom.He used a new kind of camera and a different process(程序).In his pictures, you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest details.This kind of photograph was called daguerreotype(银版照相).

  Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s process.Travelers brought back daguerreotypes from all around the world.People photographed famous buildings, cities and mountains.

  In about 1840, the process was improved.Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things.The process was not simple.The photographers had to carry lots of film and processing equipment.But this did not stop the photographers, especially in the United States.After 1840, daguerreotype artists were popular in most cities.

  Matthew Brady was one well-known American photographer.He took many photos of famous people.The photos were unusual because they were very life-like and full of personality.

  Brady was also the first person to take pictures of a war.His 1862 Civil War pictures showed dead soldiers and destroyed cities.They made the war seem more real and more terrible.

  In 1861, Scottish physicist James Maxwell showed a color photography system involving three black and white photographs, each taken through a red, green, or blue filter(滤光镜).This is the “color separation”method.

  In the 1880s, new inventions began to change photography.Photographers could buy film ready-made in rolls.So they did not have to make the film themselves.Also, they did not have to process the film immediately.They could bring it back to their workrooms and develop it later, meaning they did not have to carry lots of equipment.And finally, the invention of the small hand-held camera made photography less expensive.

  With the small camera, anyone could be a photographer.People began to use cameras just for fun.They took pictures of their families, friends and favorite places.They called these pictures“snapshots.”

  Photographs because very popular in newspapers in the 1890s.Soon magazines and books also used documentary photographs.These pictures showed true events and people.They were much more real than drawing.

  Photography also turned into a form of art by the end of the 19th century.Some photographs were not just copies of the real world.They showed ideas and feelings, like other art forms.

(1)

Matthew Brady was famous for ________.

[  ]

A.

his unusual art photographs

B.

the first color photographs

C.

his invention of daguerreotypes

D.

the improvement of photography process

(2)

Who was the first person that made it possible for common people to use cameras while traveling?

[  ]

A.

Niepce

B.

Matthew Brady

C.

James Maxwell

D.

Daguerre

(3)

Nowadays photography can also be an art form because photographers can ________.

[  ]

A.

make documentaries in books

B.

take pictures to show the real world

C.

show ideas and feelings in their photos

D.

take pictures of people and moving things

(4)

Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?

[  ]

A.

The Process of Photography

B.

The History of Photography

C.

The Inventors of Photography

D.

The First Invention of Photography

阅读理解。
                                                        The Changing Olympic Games
        The Olympic Games have changed a lot since they were first held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Back then,
winners got silver medals instead of gold ones. Sounds strange, doesn't it? People thought silver was better than
gold. Also, no women ran in the first Olympics, and only 14 countries took part. China was not one of them.
But those aren't the only differences.
        The Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin (顾拜旦) was the man who really wanted the Games to start
again. His idea for the modern Olympics came from the Greek Games thousands of years ago. He hoped they
would help to bring world peace.
        But it took time for the Olympics to become popular. Not many people thought they were good ideas in
1896, so they were put together poorly. Some tourists even ran in races! Today, more than 10,000 people from
about 200 countries take part.
        In the early years of the Olympics, there weren't many sports. Most events were track and field (田径),
much like in the first Greek Games. Events usually took place in the Panathenaic Stadium (雅典体育场), and
you can still see it today. Players did not wear their countries' colors in 1896. Their clothes were not like the
uniforms people wear today. In fact, players weren't even picked by their countries back then. They traveled to
the Games by themselves and had to use their own money to take part.
         New sports have been put into the Olympics over time, like badminton and table tennis. Some older games
are no longer played, like tug-of-war (拔河). It would be hard to see all the events at this year's Games. There
will be over 300!
         Swimming was different in 1896. There was a 1,200-metre race in the sea. A boat took swimmers out
into the sea and left them to swim back to land. Sometimes rough water made the race dangerous. The first
person ever to win that race was Hungarian Alfred Hajos. He seemed happy just to finish."I just wanted to live.
That's more important than winning," he said. When people or teams won events in 1896, they didn't get the
same things as now. They got olive wreaths (橄榄枝花环) to put on their heads and silver medals.
1. In the first Olympic, winners were given            .
[     ]
A、gold medals and olive wreaths
B、silver and gold medals
C、olive wreaths and flowers
D、silver medals and olive wreaths
2. Baron Pierre de Coubertin wanted the Olympic Games to start again because            .
[     ]
A、may people thought they were good ideas
B、they became popular in 1896
C、he hoped they would help to bring world peace
D、no women ran in the first Olympics
3. In the early years of the Olympics           .
[     ]
A、most events were track and field
B、players wore the uniforms people wear today
C、people from about 200 countries took part
D、events usually took place in many other countries
4. ________ are no longer played in the modern Olympics.
[     ]
A、Running
B、Tug-of-war
C、Table tennis
D、Swimming
5. The sentence underlined in the text really means            .
[     ]
A、some events will no longer be played in this year's Games
B、there will be too many events for you to see all
C、the Olympic Games have changed a lot
D、events will take place in the Panathenaic Stadium

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