The National Gallery

Description:

　　　 The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronest.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10anm to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk). Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus(8-minute walk).

68. In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A. The 13th

B. The 17th

C. The 18th

D. The 20th

69. Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A. In the East Wing.

B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing.

D. In the North Wing.

70. Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A. Piccadilly Circus.

B. Leicester Square.

C. Embankment.

D. Charing Cross.

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 _____?

The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronest.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10anm to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk). Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus(8-minute walk).
【小题1】In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

   下面是几篇有关英国博物馆的信息, 请阅读下列资料和相关信息, 并按照要求匹配信息。

首先, 请阅读下列资料介绍:

a. Explore the natural history of the planet Earth from the prehistoric era to the present day at one of London’s most visited museums. In 1881, the Natural History Museum moved to its present venue. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, this building is now one of London’s most beautiful and most recognised. These hallowed halls now house more than 300 years’ worth of collections, with over 68 million specimens. Broadly divided into Life and Earth galleries.

b. The British Museum is one of London’s top tourist attraction as well as being a major scholarly resource and Royal history. Its collection was bequeathed to the nation in 1753 and the Museum’s distinctive Greek revivalist structure was built during the 19th Century. The collection expanded massively during the hey-day of the British Empire. And if you haven’t got time for a proper visit, drop in for a coffee at the lovely Court Restaurant. Admission: free.

c. This magnificent Georgian edifice, found on the northern side of Trafalgar Square, houses a massive collection of Western European art. Designer Marc Newson presents two new blockbuster exhibitions to his gallery. The National Gallery, which showcased recent retrospectives. This exhibition traces the rise of the Italian Renaissance artist, and gather more than 100 pieces of his collection.

d. There are mausoleums, catacombs and ornate crumbling tombs of eminent writers, politicians and artists in the rambling, overgrown west section of this woodland graveyard. Celebrity corpses include Karl Marx, Michael Faraday and Christina Rossetti. Be aware that you must purchase a photography license in order to take photographs within the cemetery. Take advantage of the special guided tours.

e. The Science Museum’s seven floors offer opportunities to explore the history of technology as well as to glimpse the future. Setting off from Launchpad, where you can get to grips with the laws of science, you can move on to a vast array of interactive galleries which demand audience participation—whether it be of the hands- on or brain—stimulating kind. From medical history to nuclear physics, it’s all covered. Challenging the perception amongst many children that science is boring, the multitude of things to press, touch, watch and think about make this museum a firm favourite with the kids.

f. Predominantly a decorative arts museum, the V&A is a comprehensive collection of everything from sculpture to photographs, from Chinese art to art deco. Among others, the V&A houses the recently refurbished Raphael Gallery, home to seven tapestry cartoons by Raphael that are among Britain’s greatest art treasures and part of the Royal Collection. There is a lot to see from the Becket Casket to the Canon photography.

请阅读以下参观者的信息, 然后匹配参观者和他/ 她拟要参观的博物馆:

1. Tedy, a young official who is quite interested in photo- taking and sculpture. He spends all his spare time doing his favorite things.

2. Rusial, a beautiful lady with a fair hair, who gives painting lectures to the students in a college. She herself is a super fan of such artists as Da Vinci, Micheangelo, Raphael.

3. Mr. Green, a free careerist, makes a living by writing short plays which mostly tell the history of Great Britain. Besides, he is also a heavy coffee drinker.

4. Tim, 18 years old, a pre- engineering boy student, full of energy and rich in imagination.

5. Ms Denis, a widelife lover. She takes an active part in protecting the earth and enjoy herself by doing sports.

参观者 博物馆

1. Tedy       A. the Natural History Museum

2. Rusial      B. The British Museum

3. Mr. Green  C. The National Gallery

4. Tim        D. Highgate cemetery

5. Ms Denis   E. The Science Museum

F. Victoria and Albert Museum

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."  
【小题1】Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?