Fading beauty

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.  

The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.   

“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (化学状态).  

Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”

However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  

In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.  

During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.   

Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.

What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?

A. The painted woman is not so beautiful any more.

B. Ageing is something that affects us all.

C. The painting needs repairing.   

D. At such an old age, she is no longer popular.

What makes the repair work difficult?

A. The wooden panel is thin and old and has also changed shape.

B. The health of the painting is suffering

C. Experts can’t agree on how the painting might respond to treatment.

D. No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting.

What makes her smile so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?

A. The materials the Italian artist used.   B. The way Da Vinci painted the smile.

C. The way she smiles.      D. It plays a trick upon the human eye.

Which of the following is in the right order?

①The painting was stolen from the Louvre.

②The painting was sent back to France.

③It was sold to France’s King Francis I  

④Da Vinci carried the painting with him.

⑤French hid the painting to keep it out of the hands of German forces.

A. ④→③→①→②→⑤   B. ④→①→③→②→⑤

C. ①→④→③→②→⑤   D. ①→③→④→②→⑤

◆1. Malan Flower: China Children's Art Theatre stages a fairy tale musical (音乐剧) "Malan Flower" this weekend.

Beautiful Malan flowers were blossoming everywhere on Malan Mountain, and hard-working girl Xiao Lan was married to the god of flowers, Ma Lang. They lived a happy life in harmony with Grandpa Tree. and all the lovely little animals. However, greedy Old Cat made use of the jealousy of elder sister Da Lan to kill Xiao Lan, in an attempt to keep the magic Malan flower under her possession.

This fairy tale entertained three generations of Chinese youth.

Time: 7: 30 p. m., until August 21

Place: The Great Theatre of the Cultural Palace of the Nationalities, west of Xidan Area

Tel: 6602-2530

◆2. Joyful jugglers: The China Acrobatic Troupe is staging a nightly variety show at the Tiandi Theatre, where the seemingly impossible becomes a reality, where performers spin (旋转) plates and juggle umbrellas.

Contortionists (柔术演员) show incredible feats of flexibility and acrobats leap through the air. Integrating juggling, unicycling, balancing and jumping through hoops with the finest ancient Chinese dancing, the performance will amuse you.

Time: 7: 15 p. m., daily

Place: 10 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Chaoyang District

Tel: 6502-3984

◆3. Tour of love: Taiwan singer David Tao (Tao Zhe), who is on a global tour, will arrive in Beijing next month.

Tao Zhe was born into a musical family. His father is an expert in Western pop music while his mother is from a family famous for playing Peking Opera. This probably explains why Too approaches pop music from a unique angle (角度), which separates him from the average pop singer.

With the song "Forever Love You" as the theme of the concert, Tao will share his love and ideas for life and music with his fans.

Time: 7: 30 p. m. , September 10

Place: Capital Gymnasium, Baishiqiao Lu

Tel: 6835-4055

◆4. Army artist: An exhibition featuring artist Li Shaozhou's personal and meticulous (注意细节的) style of painting will be held at the National Art Museum of China.

Born in Henan Province, Li showed strong interests in art during his childhood, and was a specialized artist in the army.

The exhibition will present 65 paintings of modern figures, birds and flowers that he has made over the past decade, during which he has formed his own style by absorbing other painting techniques.

Time: 9 a. m. ~ 5 p. m., August 23 ~ 29

Place: 1 Wusi Dajie

Tel: 8403-3500

Which advertisement will Michael be most interested in if he likes fairy tales?

A. Malan Flower.   B. Joyful jugglers.        C. Tour of love.    D. Army artist.

What phone number should you dial for further information if you are a pop song fan?

A. 6602-2530.       B. 6502-3984.      C. 6835-4055.     D. 8403-3500.

On which page do the above passages most probably appear in the newspaper?

A. Opinions. B. Business.         C. Sports.          D. Listings.

Fading beauty

   She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.  

The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.   

“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (状态).  

Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”

However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  

In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.  

During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.   

Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.

What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?

A. The painted woman is not so beautiful any more. 

B. Ageing is something that affects us all.

C. The painting needs repairing.  

D. At such an old age, she is no longer popular.

What makes the repair work difficult?

A. The wooden panel is thin and old.

B. No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting and how it might respond to treatment.

C. The health of the painting is suffering

D. Experts can’t agree on how to carry out repairs.

What makes her smile so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?

A. The materials the Italian artist used. B. The way she smiles.

C. The way Da Vinci painted the smile. D. It plays a trick upon the human mind.


D
A child who has once been pleased with a tale likes, as a rule, to have it retold in almost the same words, but this should not lead parents to treat printed fairy stories as formal texts. It is always much better to tell a story than read it out of a book, and, if a parent can produce what, in the actual situation of the time and the child, is an improvement on the printed text, so much the better.
A charge made against fairy tales is that they harm the child by frightening him or making him sad thinking. To prove the latter, one would have to show in a controlled experiment that children who have read fairy stories were more often sorry for cruelty than those who had not. As to fears, there are, I think, some cases of children being dangerously terrified by some fairy story. Often, however, this arises from the child having heard the story once. Familiarity with the story by repetition turns the pain of fear into the pleasure of a fear faced and mastered.
There are also people who object to fairy stories on the grounds that they are not objectively true, that giants, witches, two-headed dragons, magic carpets, etc. do not exist; and that, instead of being fond of the strange side in fairy tales, the child should be taught to learn the reality by studying history. I find such people, I must say so peculiar(奇怪的) that I do not know how to argue with them. If their case were sound, the world should be full of mad men attempting to fly from New York to Philadelphia on a stick or covering a telephone with kisses in the belief that it was their beloved girl-friend.
No fairy story ever declared to be a description of the real world and no clever child has ever believed that it was.
68. The author considers that a fairy story is more effective when it is _______.
A. repeated without any change              B. treated as a joke
C. made some changes by the parent            D. set in the present
69. The advantage claimed for repeating fairy stories to young children is that it _______.
A. makes them less fearful                       
B. develops their power of memory
C. makes them believe there is nothing to be afraid of   
D. encourages them not to have strange beliefs
70. The author’s mention of sticks and telephones is meant to suggest that _______.
A. fairy stories are still being made up
B. there is some misunderstanding about fairy tales
C. people try to modernize old fairy stories
D. there is more concern for children's fears nowadays
71. One of the reasons why some people are not in favor of fairy tales is that _______.
A. they are full of imagination
B. they just make up the stories which are far from the truth
C. they are not interesting
D. they make teachers of history difficult to teach

ROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die?Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise (伪装)?

A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.

If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting.

"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.

Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.

"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.

The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.

Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.

That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars. Theories have existed: Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover.

If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume (挖掘) the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.

At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.

Vezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants (后代) of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.

Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva (唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings.

Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old.

Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa."

Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated (共鸣) with Leonardo.

Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo. He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."  

1.   Where is this passage most probably taken from?

A.A magazine.

B.A newspaper.

C.A textbook.

D.A research report.

2.   Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?

A.To arouse the interest of readers.

B.To puzzle Italian scientists.

C.To answer the questions himself.

D.To make fun of French officials.

3.   The best title of this story might be “_____”.

A.What Is the Purpose of an Investigation?

B.How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France?

C.Are the Remains Really Those of the Master?

D.Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'?

4.The sentence “he plans to press his case with the French officials” (underlined in Paragraph 4) suggests that Vinceti intends to _____.

A.press the French officials to participate in their project

B.urge the French officials to open the tomb early next week

C.persuade the French officials to allow opening the tomb

D.record events in a person’s life with the French officials

5.   Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing.

B.Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci.

C.The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved.

D.Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb.

6.   We can infer from the last two paragraphs that _____?

A.“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchant

B.the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci

C.experts divided the committee into several groups

D.opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa”

 

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