It was August in Paris. Most Parisians were out of the city, enjoying their summer holiday. The streets were empty and restaurants were closed.

But on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., I was standing in a queue(队伍). I was waiting to see Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the world's most famous artwork. I bought the ticket in advance (提前). However, by the time I arrived at the Louvre(卢浮官), there had been a very long line.

It took me around 30 minutes to pass the security check(安检). As I entered the museum, I found the second airport-style queue of the day. The line moved forward slowly and silently. It's just like a trip to Ikea. You only need some glasses. However, you have to walk, eyes-down, past lots of sofas and tables before you reach what you need.

The only sign(迹象)the Mona Lisa was close was a forest of security officers. Only ten people were allowed to view the painting at a time. A poster(布告)outside the pen(围栏)warned, “The Mona Lisa has many admirers. Please keep your visit short and sweet to give everyone a chance to meet her.”

“How short is short and sweet?” I wondered. Very short, it turned out.

My watch clocked only 22 seconds from entering the pen before two staff members told me it was time to go. "One photo and go," they said. I tried to take a selfie(自拍), but an arm quickly came to guide me onwards. Behind me, the queue slowly moved forward, ten by ten, to take a photo and leave.

I was almost alone as I admired the other artworks in the Louvre. I couldn't help wondering: Why are we so eager to see the Mona Lisa? Are we really going to appreciate the famous artworks or are we just "checking in" at the “popular” attractions?

1.The author(作者)went to see Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa__________.

A.on a Saturday morning in July B.on a Saturday afternoon in July

C.on a Saturday morning in August D.on a Saturday afternoon in August

2.How did the author know he was finally close to the Mona Lisa?

A.He saw many security officers. B.He saw another airport-style queue.

C.A staff member guided him onwards. D.He saw a poster telling people to keep their visits short.

3.How many people were allowed to see the Mona Lisa at a time?

A.No more than nine people. B.No more than ten people.

C.No more than 22 people. D.No more.than 30 people.

4.We can learn from the article that_________.

A.the author had never seen the Mona Lisa before

B.most Parisians are not interested in the Mona Lisa

C.the author failed to take a selfie in front of the Mona Lisa

D.the author spent half an hour getting from the Louvre's entrance to the Mona Lisa pen

5.By writing this article, the author mainly wanted to __________·

A.explain why the Mona Lisa was so popular

B.share his experience of seeing the Mona Lisa

C.encourage museum visitors to really appreciate the artworks

D.prevent visitors from appreciating the Mona Lisa

Four years ago, Chinese skater Wu Dajing, 23, introduced himself to the skating world by winning a silver medal(奖牌)at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

At this year's PyeongChang Olympics, Wu not only returned, but also made history.

On Feb. 22, 2018, Wu won the gold medal in the men's short-track(短道)500-meter race. He set a new world record with a time of 39. 584 seconds. He also became the first Chinese to take home an Olympic short-track gold medal.

“I didn't give them a chance and I kept my speed from the start.” he told the media(媒体)after the match.

But China's short-track teams didn't do well in general at the Games. Chinese skaters in the women's 500 meters, 3,000-meter relay(接力)and men's 1,500 meters all failed to take home the gold. Wu was China's biggest hope, which put a lot of pressure on him. But he proved himself.

Wu is now known as a highly talented(天赋高的)skater. But things were not always that way. When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was seen as almost "nothing" compared to gifted skaters, as his coaches said at the time. Their words made him quite upset. But as the saying goes,"Winners never quit and quitters never win." Wu worked as hard as he could. He practiced skating all year-round. He even didn't return to his hometown for the holidays for 10 years.

1.It seems that the skating world knew Wu Dajing for the first time because __________.

A.he made the history of Olympics B.he won an Olympic silver medal

C.he took home a gold medal D.he set a new world record

2.At this year's PyeongChang Olympics, Wu Dajing won__________.

A.men's short-track 3,000-meter relay B.men's short-track 1,500 meters race

C.the women's short-track 500 meters D.the men's short-track 500-meter race

3.Why did Wu Dajing feel the stress at the PyeongChang Olympics?

A.Because he was a highly talented skater.

B.Because I kept my speed from the start.

C.Because the other Chinese skaters failed.

D.Because he did not prove himself well.

4.When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was considered that ____________.

A.he was cleverer than any other skater

B.he didn't work as hard as the others

C.he wasn't as careful as all the other skaters

D.he was less talented than the other skaters

5.What does the underlined word “quit” mean in the passage?

A.drop B.accept C.fail D.succeed

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