She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever. 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 the 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.
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.
【小题1】The underlined sentence in the first paragraph means the Mona Lisa ________.

Putting in water fountains (饮水器) at schools, and teaching children about the health benefits of water, could reduce their risk of getting extra pounds, reports a new study that is published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.

The findings are based on a survey in 32 elementary schools of two German cities, Dortmund and Essen. The researchers, led by Rebecca Muckelbauer, a nutritionist(营养学家) at the Research Institute of Child Nutrition Dortmund, weighed about 3,000 children, and asked them about their beverage consumption(饮料消费量).

At the beginning of the school year, the experts had water fountains added to 17 of the schools. The scientists also worked with teachers to carry out educational programs that promote the benefits of drinking water. In contrast to schools in the United States, there are very few schools in Germany that have water fountains.

At the beginning of the study, there were no big differences in the number of overweight children in the different groups. But by the end of the school year, children in the schools with water fountains were 31 per cent less likely to gain extra pounds, compared to kids who went to other schools, where water drinking was not encouraged.

Children in the schools with fountains increased their water consumption from about 3 up to 4 glasses a day, while those in the other schools continued to drink an average of 3 glasses. Over the research, the number of overweight kids upped from 384 to 385 out of 1,641 at the schools with water fountains. In comparison, the number of overweight kids at the other schools increased from 339 to 364 out of 1,309, Dr. Muckelbauer said.

The experts cannot make any final conclusions and explain why the students who were encouraged to drink water were less likely to gain extra weight. Dr. Muckelbauer noted that according to a few other studies, drinking of water increases the rate at which calories are burned, while some other research suggested that water may temporarily decrease appetite (食欲). 

1.What do we know about the survey from the passage?

A. The teachers were also encouraged to drink water.

B. The students surveyed were all overweight.

C. It surveyed children in the countryside.    

D. It lasted for a whole school year.

2. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A. Drinking water certainly decreases appetite.

B. Further research is needed to confirm the finding.

C. The experts will encourage all the students to drink water.

D. Why students drinking more get less pounds will be clear soon.

3. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Schools with water fountains          

B. Drink more water and become thinner

C. Water fountains at schools help kids stay thin

D. Water consumption at some German schools

When movie star Scarlett Johansson was photographed naming in Los Angeles recently, she attracted a lot of attention; for the 27-year-old actress was wearing Vibram FiveFingers, so called because they look more like gloves than shoes, with a space for each toe.
Strange though they may look, these so-called barefoot shoes, which reproduce the effect of barefoot running but with less pain, are just one brand in a range of minimalist footwear. These super-thin sports shoes are causing a stir in the world of running and fitness. Why? Because some experts believe they could make you a better, more efficient runner and that traditional trainers could be doing you more harm than good.
"Wearing a shoe that has lots of cushioning and support affects the way your body naturally moves and studies suggest that this carries a higher risk of injury," explains Matt Wallden, an athlete performance expert. "But with barefoot shoes, the foot can actually feel the firmness and shape of the ground, which allows your body to respond effectively.'"
But before you rush out to invest in minimalist footwear, be careful. These kinds of shoes are not meant for everyone, or at least not straight away.
"Ordinary sports shoes with support are good for beginners whose bodies are not used to the impact of running," explains Patrick Davoren, former Olympic athlete. "If you are not in great condition, then running in minimalist footwear may cause injuries and will turn a lot of people off exercise and running.
If you are currently injured, and figures show that in any given year 65% of all runners are, it can be tempting to try anything that promises to get you back on the road, trail, or beach. But barefoot running is not a method of treating injury nor is it a magical way of suddenly turning you into a great athlete.
Even if you're used to running, when you start using minimalist shoes you should build up your distance gradually. Start_off'by doing just 10% of what you'd normally run and increase the distance by no more than 10% every week. And a word of warning - you may never have soft feet again
【小题1】The Vibram FiveFingers are shoes ______.

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

完形填空 （共20小题，每小题1分，满分20分）
Are you carrying too much on your back at school? Lots of kids at the same age as you are. Not only are students in China ___36___ from this problem, but kids in the United States are ___37___ fed up with（饱受…之苦） heavy school bags.
Experts are starting to___38___ that more and more young students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags ___39___ too heavy for them. “It’s hard for me to get up the___40___ with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rich Hammond, ___41___ 11-year-old student in the US. Rick is among the students who have ___42___ backpacks with two straps (带子) to carry them, ___43___ a number of other students choose rolling backpacks. However, even with rolling backpacks, ___44___ up stairs and buses with them is ___45___ a problem for kids. Many of them have hurt their knees, backs or necks because of heavy school bags.
But how much is too ___46___? Experts say students should carry ___47___ more than 10 to 15 per cent of their own body weight. Scott Bautch, a Wisconsin ___48___ doctor, said kids under 4th grade should ___49___ with 10 per cent. But it’s also important that older kids don’t go ___50___ 15 percent, because their bones are still growing. Bautch explained that there are other injuries caused by backpacks. “Kids are ___51___ their balance and falling down with these backpacks,” he said．
Parents and teachers are starting to tell the kids to only take ___52___ library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using worksheets (作业纸) or ___53___ workbooks for students to take home. One of the best answers is, as some ___54___ themselves suggested, to have no homework ___55___!
36． A．meeting                B．facing                    C．experiencing   D．suffering
37． A．already       B．always             C．yet              D．also
38． A．explain             B．say               C．worry               D．announce
39． A．being              B．be                C．are               D．is
40．A．schools              B．stairs            C．houses             D．homes
41．A．this                 B．that             C．a                    D．an
42．A．special               B．unusual          C．ordinary            D．regular
43．A．when                B．but             C．then                  D．and
44．A. getting               B．climbing     C．going                D．turning
45．A．only                 B．still              C．even                D．just
46．A．more                B．very              C．much              D．many
47．A．no                  B．not              C．any                 D．much
48．A．children              B．student           C．bag                  D．back
49．A．carry               B．stay         C．take               D．bring
50．A．about              B．under        C．beyond               D．before
51．A．keeping             B．missing       C．losing              D．making
52．A．home              B．class         C．school              D．city
53．A．valuable             B．thin         C．important           D．interesting
54．A．reports              B．teachers      C．parents       D．kids
55．A．at all                B．after all      C．in all         D．for all