You are probably busy preparing for the College Entrance Examination at the moment,but do you have a plan for the three months after?Perhaps you're thinking of traveling. If so,take a look at these three destinations on The New York Times.

Pingyao,Shanxi Province,China

The town has remained traditional, banning cars within its 10­meter­tall Ming Dynasty walls and preserving the traditional architecture of courtyard houses and 19th century bank buildings. But the city is becoming known for more than its history. Its yearly photography festival,which takes place in late summer, has attracted enthusiasts and professionals from across the globe for a decade.

London,The UK

There is never a bad time to go to London.But this year may be better than most:the 2012 Summer Olymipic Games provide the greatest appeal to the whole world, and you'll have an unforgettable astonishing experience in London. Besides,travelers can also enjoy special art exhibitions about the Olympics.

The Danube(多瑙河)

The blue Danube threads its way through four capitals(Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade)and touches 10 countries, passing by majestic scenery, great wine regions,castles and ruins dating back centuries. What better way to see all these treasures than from the water?

1.Which of the following doesn't belong to the features of Pingyao?

A. Traditional architecture.          B. 19th century bank buildings.

C. Various cars.                    D. Photography festival.

2.London of this year is more attractive than most years because________.

A. Olympics are going on here

B. you can experience a completely different culture

C. London's National Portrait Gallery is open to the public

D. you can attend art exhibitions this year

3. From the last paragraph,we know that the Danube________.

A. runs through four countries

B. provides a good way to enjoy beautiful scenery and ancient castles and ruins.

C. is the most valuable river in Europe

D. originates in Viena, Austria

4. The underlined word“majestic”is closest to ________ in meaning.

A. magnificent     B. significant    C. sensitive   D. unattractive

5.Which column do you suppose this passage belongs to?

A. Society       B. Economy    C. Tourism      D. Entertainment

 

AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!

Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut (初次登台).

Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle. Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s group

Earphones

These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s. They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in, cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears.

Martian language

They have created their own code-like online language. It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand. This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers.                 

Self-Portrait

Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is usual for this generation. A little bit of narcissism (自恋) never hurts anyone. It helps them reflect a little on their own lives.But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online.

Text-messaging

They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak. This is a generation that respects efficiency. However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.

1.According to the passage, if you belong to the Gen-90s , you will ____________ .

A.just appreciate yourself and ignore others’ strengths.

B.have your own symbols and lifestyle.

C.have the same symbols and lifestyle of the Gen-80s.

D.like music and dance very much.

2.According to the text, the writer will choose ______ as a good example to the Gen-90.

A.Li Hua likes music and always wearing ipod

B.Zhang Chao is not only an imaginative boy but do everything efficiently.

C.Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends.

D.Fangfang likes being taken photos and often posting them on line.

3.According to this passage, which is FALSE?

A.Not all teens are cautious about posting photos.

B.They type their mobile phones so fast that it can catch the speed of speaking.

C.The Gen-90s have a preference for some music players, and even regard them as a necessary part of life.

D.They don’t use the cool and complex online language in formal writing.

4.The main idea of the passage is about________.

A.the Gen-90s’ happy life

B.the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

C.the Gen-90s’ unique lifestyle and some practical warnings

D.the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

 

Birthdays often involve surprises. But this year's surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic.

On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits of William Shakespeare is a fake. This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like. "It's very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one," said an expert from Britain's National Portrait Gallery.

  The discovery comes after four months of testing using X-rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples. The experts from the gallery say the image —commonly known as the "Flower portrait"— was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare's death. The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture. These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814. Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609.

 "We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840. This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays," Tarnya Cooper, the gallery's curator (馆长), told the Associated President.

  The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays. It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

  "There have always been questions about the painting," said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company. "Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture."

Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation (调查) and the results will come out later this month._________________

1.What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?

A.It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609.

B.The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake.

C.Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one.

D.It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays around 1818 to 1840.

2.Which statement is True according to the passage?

A.Portraits of Shakespeare are all unreliable.

B."Flower portrait " was a portrait of Shakespeare given to Desmond Flower.

C.1814 might be when the portrait was drawn.

D.The Flower portrait is not often used as a cover for Shakespeare's play.

3.How many methods were used to test the portrait?

A.Not mentioned.     B.Two              C.Three            D.At least four.

4.The best title for this passage is _________.

A.Birthdays often involve surprises 

B.The surprise on the 441st birthday of Shakespeare

C.One portrait of Shakespeare is a fake

D.How can we know Shakespeare's appearance?

5.Which is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the last paragraph?

A.Soon we'll know which portrait is reliable.

B.Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare.

C.If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more.

D.For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery.

 

New picture

The National Gallery now has a fine still life by the 18th century Dutch painter Jan van Os.This large picture (89.1 cm x 71cm) of flowers and fruit is painted in light bright colours on wood.It is one of the first pictures of this type in the Gallery.The picture is signed and dated 1777 and 1778.It is not unusual for a picture to be dated two years: the artist waited for particular flowers to come out in their different seasons in order to paint them.This picture was given to the Gallery by Miss Violet Churchman in memory of her sister Ida Nancy. It is now on show in Room 25.

Special exhibition

The exhibition "Painting in Spain During the Late 18th Century" opened in the Sunley Room on 15 March.Recently the Gallery has bought works by three Spanish painters of this period—Paret, Melendez and Francisco Bayeu, who are the focus of the exhibition.These three artists are also joined by Francisco's brother Ramon, by Antonio Gonzalez and two Italians who worked in Spain during these years—Corrado Giaquinto and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.The exhibition runs until 31 May.

Lecture news    Lectures will be given along with the special exhibition every Wednesday.On 8 April, Lizzie Barker will discuss the work of Melendez, while on 15 April, Sarah Symmons will lecture on Luis Patter.On 22 and 29 April, Juliet Wilson will talk about Francisco Bayeu.On 25 April, a Saturday, Erika Langmuir will explain how artists often "tell a story" through their pictures.

1.What does "still life" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A.A painting of unmoving objects.

B.A picture of a country scene.

C.A drawing done in pencil.

D.A portrait shown in a public place.

2.How many artists' paintings are on show at the special exhibition?

A.Three.

B.Five.

C.Seven.

D.Eight.

3.Which speaker will lecture on a general topic rather than on particular artists?

A.Juliet Wilson.

B.Lizzie Barker.

C.Sarah Symmons.

D.Erika Langmuir.

4.Where will this passage most probably be found?

A.In the booklet of a gallery.

B.In a textbook.

C.In an academic magazine.

D.In a picture album.

 

The story of Madame Tussaud is as fascinating as that of the exhibition itself. From a housekeeper's daughter to a successful business woman, her life has all the marks of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Madam Tussaud was born in 1761 and named Marie Grosholtz. Her father was killed in battle only two months before Mane's birth. For the first five years of her life, Marie lived in Berne with her mother, who worked as housekeeper for Dr Philippe Curtius. A doctor, with a talent for wax modeling, Curtius became her teacher.

It was Curtius who opened the original wax exhibition in Paris in 1770 and introduced Marie to some famous people. At only 17, she modeled the famous writer Francois Voltaire, followed by a portrait of American statesman Benjamin Franklin when he was in Paris as US ambassador. Both figures are still on display at Madame Tussaud's, London today.

Her work at Curtius successful wax exhibition led to an invitation to the court of Louis XVI and his queen. For nine years she lived at the palace of Versailles guiding the artistic education of the king's sister. Meanwhile the French Revolution was about to erupt. Aware of the political  nrest,Philippe Curtius called Marie back to Paris. Marie7 s connection with the royal family made her guilty. Both she and her mother were arrested. After she was set free, Marie was forced to make death masks (a death mask is a model of a dead person's face, made by coving their face with a soft substance and letting it become hard) of executed (被处决的) nobles. Many were former friends at court, including her former employers, the king and queen.

By 1800 Marie was married with two young children and a poor business inherited from Curtius. Madame Tussaud made the decision to take her exhibition on tour. In 1802, she left France. For the next 33 years, Madame Tussaud traveled the British Isles, exhibiting her growing collection of portraits. In those pre-television days, this was the only way most people had direct contact with the famous people of the time. The exhibition became permanently based in London in 1835, moving to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. Her last work, a remarkable self – portrait that is still on show, was completed only eight years before her death aged 89.

1.The underlined part in Para. 1 implies that Madame Tussaud’s life was         .

A.complicated

B.successful

C.peaceful

D.lonely

2.Marie got a job at that court of Louis XVI because of        .

A.Curtius’ recommendation

B.her gift for wax modeling

C.her mother’s help

D.her friendship with the king’s sister

3.Marie was arrested during the French Revolution because         .

A.she had worked for Dr Philippe Curtius

B.she had modeled the French royal family

C.she had worked at the place of Versailles

D.she had refused to make death masks

4.The last paragraph is mainly about         .

A.how Marie’s was modeling business became successful

B.how Marie balanced her family and work

C.the establishment of Madame Tussaud’s, London

D.the popularity of Madame Tussaud’s wax exhibition

5.According toe the passage, how many of the following statements about Marie are TREU?

a. She hadn’t seen his father since she was born.

b. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.

c. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.

d. She guided the artistic education of the king’s daughter.

e. In 1842, she completed her last work.

A.2

B.3

C.4

D.5

 

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