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D. Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago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

A camera and a computer can “see” something that perhaps millions of pairs of eyes failed to see for 480 years: the Mona Lisa’s necklace. The discovery about the famous painting was made by an American physicist.
The Mona Lisa, painted by the Italian, Leonardo da Vinci, has been on show for many years in Paris. Now a row of white spots on the neck have been “seen”. They are said to be the remains (痕迹) of a necklace which the artist later painted over.
The painting will be examined further by using infrared scanning (红外线扫描) techniques. Laser (激光) technology can be used to show what lies directly under the surface of the finished work, too. This will help us to understand how the artist drew the picture: Did he begin with a quick-made drawing or have second thoughts as he painted the picture?
This kind of knowledge will show us the famous artist at work. It may also help to explain Mona Lisa’s smile, which has puzzled art lovers for centuries.
【小题1】This passage is mainly about ______.

A camera and a computer can “see” something that perhaps millions of pairs of eyes failed to see for 480 years: the Mona Lisa’s necklace. The discovery about the famous painting was made by an American physicist.

The Mona Lisa, painted by the Italian, Leonardo da Vinci, has been on show for many years in Paris. Now a row of white spots on the neck have been “seen”. They are said to be the remains (痕迹) of a necklace which the artist later painted over.

The painting will be examined further by using infrared scanning (红外线扫描) techniques. Laser (激光) technology can be used to show what lies directly under the surface of the finished work, too. This will help us to understand how the artist drew the picture: Did he begin with a quick-made drawing or have second thoughts as he painted the picture?

This kind of knowledge will show us the famous artist at work. It may also help to explain Mona Lisa’s smile, which has puzzled art lovers for centuries.

1.This passage is mainly about ______.

   A. the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci

B. an American physicist’s discovery

   C. further researches on the Mona Lisa

D. The uses of modern technology

2.The Mona Lisa is ______.

   A. a famous artist                  B. a famous painting

C. a smiling woman    D. a lost necklace

3.In this passage, “the Mona Lisa’s lost necklace” suggests that ______.

   A. Mona Lisa once wore a necklace

   B. someone stole the necklace from the Mona Lisa

   C. the artist did not keep the necklace he had painted on the neck

   D. the artist had a necklace stolen while working on the painting

4.According to the passage, the white spots on Mona Lisa’s neck ______.

   A. are still invisible to visitors

B. have turned into a necklace

   C. have already appeared before visitors

D. are looking more and more like a necklace

5.The painting will be examined further so that people may know more about ______.

   A. Mona Lisa and her smile

B. the time when it was finished

   C. infrared scanning and laser

D. this art work and the artist 

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 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.

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 Louvre.

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 or France, should take charge

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

A pair of US scientists believe they have unlocked the mystery of the Mona Lisa __36__. Christopher Tyler and Leonid Kontsevich, of the San Francisco, California branch of the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, __37__ it comes from us: It's a part of our brain that interprets "visual noise", which is __38__ to the white fuzz you see on a badly-tuned TV.

The two scientists digitally __39__ a type of grey layer(层) of random(随便的) spots over an image of the __40__. They showed the results to 12 volunteers, __41__ were asked to put Mona Lisa's __42__ in one of the four categories: sad, slightly sad, slightly happy and happy.

__43__ would be expected, the "noise" that lifted the edges of her lips made her look __44__, and the "noise" that __45__ her lips seem flatter gave her a sadder look, says the British publication New Scientist.

But __46__ was more surprising was how the grey dots made people __47__ their opinion of Mona Lisa's expression.

The __48__ for this appears to be based __49__ the way the brain interprets the interrupted flow of light __50__ which is visual noise. This means that __51__ many people see the Mona Lisa, they are tricked into thinking her expression is changing __52__.

The Mona Lisa was __53__ by Italian Leonardo da Vinci, and __54__ in Paris' Louvre Museum. Some experts say that Mona Lisa is __55__ a self-portrait of da Vinci, or of a teenage boy.

36. A. cry B. smile C. sadness D. pleasure

37. A. talk B. tell C. speak D. say

38. A. same B. different C. simple D. similar

39. A. laid B. lay C. gave D. took

40. A. photo B. play C. painting D. film

41. A. who B. they C. which D. those

42. A. explanation B. expression C. suggestion D. phrase

43. A. It B. As C. What D. Which

44. A. richer B. better C. worse D. happier

45. A. made B. kept C. forced D. got

46. A. it B. which C. one D. what

47. A. express B. give C. change D. learn

48. A. reason B. suggestion C. excuse D. requirement

49. A. in B. on C. instead D. by

50. A. marks B. signs C. messages D. signals

51. A. since B. for C. when D. because

52. A. greatly B. slightly C. highly D. heavily

53. A. carried B. taken C. painted D. described

54. A. hangs B. raises C. flows D. waves

55. A. falsely B. actually C. wrongly D. truthfully