Rembrandt was an extraordinary Dutch painter. He was most well-known for his brushwork and the way in which he connected with the human soul. His life, however, was not happy.

　 He was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father wanted him to have a real, learned profession but Rembrandt left the University of Leiden after becoming bored. He began studying art under a local teacher but soon left and studied in Amsterdam where he mastered all his lessons in six months!

At the age of 22, he moved back to Leiden and began to get his own students. One of his students was the famous artist Gerrit Dou. In 1631 he returned to Amsterdam where he became the most popular portrait painter in Holland. Rembrandt met Saskia and married her in 1634. She was a cousin of a very successful art dealer and she helped him to meet wealthy people who commissioned (委任制作) many paintings from him. He used her as a model in many of his paintings.

　 Rembrandt’s private life, however, was very unfortunate. He had four children with Saskia but only one, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 at the age of only 30. In 1649, his housekeeper became his second wife and was also a model for many of his paintings. Even though Rembrandt was very successful as an artist, art dealer and teacher, he lived in a careless way and had to declare bankruptcy (破产) in 1656. He even had to sell his whole art collection and his house to pay off his debts.

His unfortunate life, however, didn’t affect his art. He painted many great paintings during that time. His new love, Hendrickje, died in 1663 and his 27-year-old son, Titus, died in 1668. Eleven months later, on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt died in Amsterdam. He produced more than 600 paintings and over 2,000 drawings!

56. Which of the following is the reason that made his business fail?

A. As an extraordinary Dutch painter, he knew nothing about business.

B. He spent most of his time on art, leaving no time to care his business.

C. All his children but Titus died, which made him very sad.

D. Like other famous artists, he was thoughtless.

57. From the passage we learn that Rembrandt 　　　　.

A. graduated from the University of Leiden.　 B. began his teaching career in 1628.

C. married Saskia when he was 22 years old.　 D. was good at drawing animals and flowers.

58. How many members of Rembrandt’s family died before him, not including his parents?

A. Four 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Five 　　　　　　　 C. Six 　　　　　　　 D. Seven

59. What’s the best title for this passage?

A. A brief biography of Rembrandt 　　　　　　 B. A great Dutch painter

C. The greatest painter in the world 　　　　　　 D. Rembrandt’s unhappy family

2009 is the year of what? Yes, it’s the year of the Ox. But do you know that 2009 is also the year of the telescope? This year the world celebrates the 400^th anniversary of Galileo’s observations of the universe through an astronomical telescope (天文望远镜). In 1609, the Italian scientist first pointed a “Dutch perspective glass” at the night sky and made discoveries that changed mankind’s conceptions of the universe.

In honor of Galileo’s discoveries, the United Nations and the International Astronomical Union have declared 2009 to be the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009).

IYA 2009 is a yearlong celebration of astronomy. Its goal is to spread knowledge of astronomy’s contributions to society and culture and to inspire more interest in astronomy and science, especially among young people. The theme of the celebration is “The Universe, Yours to Discover.”

One interesting aim of the IYA is to encourage more diversity (多样性) in the field of astronomy and physics. IYA organizers hope that the yearlong celebration of astronomy will inspire more females and underrepresented minorities to pursue (追求) careers in science. An event that will help further that goal is 100 Hours of Astronomy (100 HA) that will fall on April. This event aims to have as many people as possible look through a telescope. From April 2^nd to 5^th, millions of people worldwide will peer through telescopes to catch their first glimpse (一瞥) of the universe, just as Galileo’s did 400 years ago. Sidewalk astronomy events will give city-dwellers (城市居民) an excellent opportunity to see the moon, the planet Saturn, and other objects in position for early evening observations.

Organizers hope that the activities of IYA will “promote (促进) a greater appreciation of the astronomy.” So join the fun. Look through a telescope this year!

65. What does the article mainly talk about?

   A. The celebrations in IYA 2009.       

   B. The activities on the 400^th anniversary of Galileo.

   C. The event of 100 Hours of Astronomy. 

   D. How to spread knowledge of astronomy.

66. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The IYA celebrations will fall on April lasting 100 hours.

B. IYA 2009 is a yearlong celebration to honor Galileo’s discoveries.

C. The aim of 100 HA is to spread knowledge of astronomy’s contributions.

D. People worldwide will have a chance to peer the universe in 100 HA.

67. What can you infer from the article?

A. More young people will take science as their career after a series of IYA events.

   B. Minorities and females take no interest in astronomy.

   C. People will have a better knowledge of the contributions of astronomy.

   D. IYA 2009 is the biggest event that takes place in the year of Ox.

68. What kind of article is it?

  A. A news report.     B. A popular reading.   C. A tourist guide.   D. A science fiction.

Do you want to live a happier, less stressful (有压力的) life?
Try laughing for no reason at all. That’s how thousands of people start their day at Laughter Clubs around the world – and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.
The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr Madan Kataria. “Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day,” says Dr Kataria. “Everyone’s naturally good at laughing – it’s the universal language. We want people to feel happy with their lives.” There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 worldwide.
Many doctors are also interested in the effects (效果) of laughter on our health. According to a 5 – year study in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%.
So, what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest – I wasn’t interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking stupid. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say “ho ho ho, ha ha ha,” while looking at each other. However, our bodies can’t tell the difference between fake laughter and real laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects.
Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real – and some people just couldn’t stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you’re under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results!
【小题1】In which country was the first Laughter Club started?

I really hadn't meant to yell（吼叫）at them．But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen．

With a tiresome report to write，I felt bothered at my desk．Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault．A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly．

“OK，you two here．but what an awful thing you are attempting!” shouting angrily, I made for them, while it became evident that the boy wanted no part of me．“Get away from us!” he shouted back，there being expression of support from his sister．

All of a sudden，I found the fault in myself．Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers（螃蟹螯）and crawled towards them，“Crabby（似螃蟹的）Daddy is here Ha，Ha，Ha，he likes to yell at children，and then eat them!” My son continued to keep me away，but now he was laughing and crying at the same time．My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well．Still，I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way that my children could do after．

Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself．It only shows just how to get rid of something（ill-feelings，responsibility）by blaming others．It's not my “best self”．

We have to search for our “best self” when with our children．They don't need perfect parents，but they do need parents who are always trying to get better．Here，I'm reminded of the words of a great thinker，“When a man lives with God，his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook…” Then，in our lifetime，couldn't we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since，most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level，what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children?  

1.The author couldn't help yelling at his kids this time probably because______．

2.Which of the following made the author aware of his fault?

3.According to the passage the author will                           in another similar situation．

4.What will the writer go on to write about in the next paragraph（s）?