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 Louver Museum(卢浮宫) 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.

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 details, 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 Louver 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.

We can infer from the text that_______

A. the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years

B. Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by

C. the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years

D. Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago

Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?

A. It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces.

B. Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade.

C. Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles.

D. King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy.

Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.

a. It was stolen from the Louver.

b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I

c. Its state of health was checked.

d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.

e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.

A. b-a-d-e-c       B. d-e-c-b-a        C. d-a-e-c-b       D. b-c-a-d-e

It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that_____.

A. experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do

B. it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair

C. it is uncertain which country, Italy of France, should take charge

D. experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint

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?

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

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

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

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

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

完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I’m a straight-A student and have been my whole life .When you come from a family of educators, it just seems 　36　 .

With high academic standards and a competitive 　37 , I don’t just like losing and I also can’t 　38 it. I need to beat the 　39 students, perfectly in everything. I’ve even gone so far as to define myself by my 　40 , saying how outstanding I am. If I don’t get the grade I 　 41 then I am lost.

　 Today I was sitting in class trying to 　42 the last minutes studying for a test in which I had to get full marks. 　43 the girl behind me started talking to me, I tried to listen 　44 while still glancing at my study sheet 　45 .When I thought the conversation required it, I smiled, nodded and 　46 . And then I found myself wishing she would be 　47 so I could study .After a while, she said, “You know, you’re a really good 　48　 . You’re so easy to talk to.” I froze.

　 I replayed the praise in my head before smiling and accepting it 　49 . But inside, I knew it wasn’t true .She’d made every effort to have a conversation and I wasn’t even trying to 　50 .

　 I passed the test excellently despite my 　51 of lost study time, but the one thing I needed to learn most wasn’t on that test. I had 　52 being the best student so that I had failed at just being normal. So what 　53 to me most? What I have is all about my personal 　54　 and about me being too self-centered. There can only be so many scholars, but there is 　55 enough sympathy. I want that to be what matters to me --- sympathy.

36.　　　　 A. usual 　　　　　　 B. helpless 　　　　　　 C. unfortunate 　　　　　　 D. natural

37.　　　　 A. spirit　　　　　　　 B. sport　　　　　　　　　 C. school　　　　　　　　　　　 D. market

38.　　　　 A. take　　　　　　　　 B. recommend 　　　 C. stand　　　　　　　　　　　 D. help

39.　　　　 A. ordinary　　　　　 B. top　　　　　　　　　　 C. handsome 　　　　　　　 D. strong

40.　　　　 A. strength　　　　　 B. appearance　　　　 C. grades 　　　　　　　　　　 D. tricks

41.　　　　 A. invent 　　　　　　 B. expect 　　　　　　　 C. copy 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. hide

42.　　　　 A. save 　　　　　　　 B. spend　　　　　　　　 C. collect 　　　　　　　　　　 D. cost

43.　　　　 A. When　　　　　　　 B. After 　　　　　　　　 C. Because 　　　　　　　　　 D. Before

44.　　　　 A. rudely 　　　　　 B. bitterly 　　　　　　　 C. excitedly 　　　　　　　　 D. politely

45.　　　　 A. in no time　　　　 B. on time C. for a long time D. now and then

46.　　　　 A. refused 　　　　　 B. worked 　　　　　　 C. agreed　 　　　　　　　　 D. waited

47.　　　　 A. quiet　　　　　　　 B. gentle　　　　　　　　 C. pretty 　　　　　　　　　　 D. safe

48.　　　　 A. talker　　　　　　　 B. listener 　　　　　　 C. lecturer　　　　　　　　　　 D. teacher

49.　　　　 A. angrily　　　　　　 B. carelessly 　　　　　 C. disappointedly 　　　　 D. gladly

50.　　　　 A. alarm 　　　　　　 B. gather 　　　　　　　 C. participate 　　　　　　　 D. shout

51.　　　　 A. fear　　　　　　　　 B. joy 　　　　　　　　　 C. worry 　　　　　　　　　　 D. possession

52.　　　　 A. given up　　　　　 B. focused on　　　　 C. complained of 　　　　 D. dreamed of

53.　　　　 A. happens 　　　　 B. matters 　　　　　　 C. appeals 　　　　　　　　　 D. devotes

54.　　　　 A. success　　　　　 B. failure　　　　　　　　 C. depression　　　　　　　　 D. health

55.　　　　 A. always 　　　　　 B. ever　　　　　　　　　 C. much　　　　　　　　　　　 D. never

Last summer, I travelled to Meixian County with my friends. It is a small county at the foot of Taibai Mountain in Shanxi Province. We stayed there for one week and I__1__ my vacation because of the beautiful scenery at the top of the mountain.

I will__2__ forget the day when we climbed the main peak(山顶). The __3__in that area changes very quickly: it was sunny in the early morning when we set out, __4__ it began to rain heavily when we were only halfway up.

Soon，we were all__5__ and some of us wanted to go home. They said, “There is nothing__6__ here. We came to see the scenery，__7__the pouring rain！” However, the guide__8__， “Since we have got wet already, why not just go on with our journey？”

So we carried on up the mountain and，__9__we even noticed, the rain stopped and the sun was smiling again. When we reached the top of the peak, the view was unique (独特的)．

Up there, it was bright and clear. The sky was__10__and the air was fresh. The gentle wind made us feel cool. All the clouds were just like waves in the ocean, __11__ and falling under our feet. We could only see the peaks of mountains, as if they were __12__ floating sparsely (稀疏的) in the ocean. It was a really magical experience.

While we were enjoying the scene, the guide said __13__，“You see, I knew that there would be no rain above the clouds.”

It is __14__. While it may rain below the clouds, the sun is still there above them.

You will never see the sun __15__ you don't try your best to climb to the top of the mountain. If we had stopped and gone home when the rain was very heavy, we would never have seen the beautiful scenery __16__ the clouds. I think this is also true in __17__.

As the song says, “You won't see the rainbow unless you have gone through the thunder and storm.” I think in the__18__， whenever I have any difficulties in my life, I will remember the__19__from the top of Taibai Mountain and the __20__ which touched my heart deeply: There is no rain above the clouds.

1．A.spent　　　B．killed　　　C．had　　　D．enjoyed

2．A.ever       B．never      C．certainly  D．perhaps

3．A.scenery    B．cloud      C．sky       D．weather

4．A.so        B．while      C．but        D．instead

5．A.tired      B．hungry     C．angry      D．wet

6．A.necessary  B．fun       C．important    D．instructive

7．A.not       B．no         C．never      D．hardly

8．A.suggested  B．ordered     C．asked     D．demanded

9．A.when            B．before  C．while         D．then

10．A.dark          B．green      C．black         D．blue

11．A.jumping   B．dropping  C．going      D．rising

12．A.islands   B．fish       C．animals     D．waves

13．A.excited   B．proudly    C．angrily     D．happily

14．A.false     B．a lie        C．a guess     D．true

15．A.when     B．unless      C．if         D．while

16．A.over     B．on         C．above      D．under

17．A.study      B．rest       C．real world  D．life

18．A.past      B．present      C．future   D．life

19．A.weather   B．change     C．view      D．time

20．A.word    B．phrase       C．speech     D．sentence

When I was a boy, I belonged to the Boy Scouts so I used to go camping every summer, and once something happened which I have never been able to explain.

We were camping in a place above a river. After arriving, we all rushed down to the river and had a swim. Standing by the river, we noticed that it was surrounded(环绕) by cliffs(悬崖). If someone wanted to reach the river at this point, he had to walk past our camp.

Several days later, the scoutmaster had to be away for a day. That afternoon, we had supper early. We were sitting round the fire, eating and talking, when a man walked past and went down towards the river. We all felt that this man looked very strange, but, because each of us was afraid of looking very stupid, no one said anything.

We ate rather slowly, taking as long as possible. After finishing, we collected our plates together so that we could take them to the river where we always washed them. But no one moved towards the river梬e stood looking at each other ashamed. Then all shouting at once, we began talking about the man who had walked past us. We agreed how strange he looked and we wondered what he could be doing by the river. We knew that he could only return by passing through our camp.

An hour passed. Then one of the boys suggested we should creep(悄悄移动) down by the river so that we could see what the man was doing. Moving very slowly and keeping in the shadow, we crept down towards the bank. One boy climbed a tree so that he could see everything clearly. He called to us that there was no one there, so we ran down to the bank, looking everywhere carefully. We could not understand where the man had gone.

When it got dark, we went back to our camp feeling bewildered. We told the scoutmaster what had happened in the evening. Smiling, he doubted that we had seen the man, but finally suggested we go and look again. We did, but there was no one there.

Many years have passed, but I still remember it as if it were yesterday. What did we see? I do not know.

1. The writer in the text mainly tells us _________.

A. the story of his childhood  B. a strange camping experience

C. about a stranger by the river     D. about a good place for camping

2. Why did the boys eat their supper slowly?

A. They wanted to delay going to the river bank.

B. They were sitting for their scoutmaster.

C. They had a supper earlier than usual.

D. They were taking while eating.

3. The word “Bewildered” in the text probably means _________.

A. ashamed            B. nervous 

C. unable to understand  D. eager to know something

4. When he heard what had happened, the scoutmaster _________.

A. realized who the man was B. started to worry about the man

C. went back to look for the man  D. felt it hard to believe the boys

5. The writer still remembers the event because ________.

A. the boys acted foolishly

B. the camping place is beautiful

C. there has been no explanation for the event

D. he particularly enjoyed his camping that summer.