Announcers on China Central Television (CCTV) will need to do some fast talking to replace the popular English acronyms(首字母缩略词) they’re now forbidden to use. Shanghai Daily reports that “anchors at China Central Television [CCTV] have been banned from saying the English acronyms NBA, CBA, GDP, and the like in their programs
.”
The replacement for those handy acronyms? Chinese presenters must use the full Chinese name, standardized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
Although CCTV (oops, we mean China Central Television) presenters must already have a score of at least 94 in their government-rated oral Mandarin proficiency exam（普通话等级考试）, saying the full name of organizations like the CBA or WTO ― 10 and 6 charac
ter’s long separately ― is sure to challenge even the most skillful anchors. CCTV sports anchor Sun Zhengping tells Shanghai Daily, “A full Chinese explanation of the English acronyms must be followed if my tongue slips. It is a little trouble but a necessary one because not every audience member can understand the acronyms.”
Although the government isn’t giving any official explanation for the shift, it is believed to have to do with a proposal (提案) by Huang Youyi, director of the China International Publishing Group, at March’s NPC meeting. In his sp
eech, Huang said, “With more and more publications mixing Chinese with English, measures and regulations should be adopted to avoid English invading Chinese. If we don’t pay attention and don’t take measures to stop the expansion of mixing Chinese with English, Chinese won’t be a pure language in a couple of years.”
Although China is far from the first country to take measures to protect local languages (the French and Québécois beat them to it by a long way), acronyms are more about saving time than they are about corrupting a language, we would think. Good luck to the CCTV anchors.
1. CCTV anchors have to “do some fast talking” because they can no longer ______.
| A．speak as slowly as they like | B．mix English into Chinese |
| C．use shortened Chinese expressions | D．have so much time for their program |
If you don’t want people to know too much about you, then you had better keep your fridge contents secret according to a British market research document released Finally, a fridge filled with nothing more than a bottle of white wine and some sparkling mineral water implies an owner who is single, lives in a big city and enjoys the finer things in life．The fridge is empty because this person regularly eats in restaurants．
We can know from the first two paragraphs that _________________．
| A．some researchers are fond of staring at other people’s fridges |
| B．people don’t want others to know about their secrets |
| C．the food you put in the fridge has something to do with your personality |
| D．there are mainly five kinds of lifestyles among British people |
According to the passage, people who belong to “food faddies” ____________．
| A．don’t care much about money when buying things |
| B．will try their best to stay healthy |
| C．often stay up late to finish their job |
| D．prefer to ask others about what to do next |
What will those who often dine out put in the fridge?
| A．All kinds of food they like． | B．Food rich in vitamins． |
| C．Fruit, vegetables and meat． | D．Only something to drink |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Keep your fridge a secret | B．You are what’s in your fridge |
| C．What to put in the fridge? | D．Be careful about your fridge |
If English m
eans endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter（大脑灰质）. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles（肌肉）.
The study also found the younger people learn a second language，the greater the effect is.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” it means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(灵活的)”, he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of dif
ferent ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned Englis
h as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.
| A．science on learning a second language |
| B．man’s ability of learning a second language |
| C．language learning can help brain power |
| D．language learning and maths study |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ______.
| A．a researcher on language learning |
| B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages |
| D．an active language learner |
We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ______.
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favorite song. Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults, in the privacy of our homes. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work.
Yes, that is true. I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light. I get weird looks from some people and others laugh. Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!
The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!
No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don’t care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal, how rich, and so on… No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not?
Life is so short… You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single second on being so full of rigidity(呆板)? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great recipe for life:
"Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth."
When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that childlike innocence.
So don’t lose the child that still lives within you. The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow. Or watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails you and nothing is better than laughing so hard that your tummy hurts. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn’t want to feel good? According to the passage, what does the writer usually do?
| A．He pretends to be a rock star. | B．He dances in his own home. |
| C．He sings songs while going to work. | D．He gets jammed on his way to work. |
What do other people think of the writer?
| A．They think that the writer is strange. | B．They look down upon the writer. |
| C．They believe that the writer is lonely. | D．No one is interested in the writer. |
What is the writer’s opinion about the people who look very serious?
| A．They are honest. | B．They are silly. |
| C．They are perfect. | D．They are educated. |
The writer quotes Souza to show that _______.
| A．life is a beautiful journey | B．life is full of rigidity |
| C．life is like a great recipe | D．life is to be treasured |
The underlined part “the child” in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.
| A．the writer | B．any child |
| C．the feeling of being a child | D．the time of being a child |
With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into one of several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re all part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is yet another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.The underlined part in the first paragraph means _______.
| A．lovers like staying at an eco-hotel when traveling |
| B．eco-hotels are very popular in the travel industry |
| C．eco-hotels are where young people love to live |
| D．romantic love stories often happen in eco-hotels |
According to the passage, which of the following can match the idea of eco-hotel?
| A．It uses renewable energy. |
| B．It is comfortable and fashionable. |
| C．It has walls of glass. |
| D．It is home to endangered species. |
From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort & Spa is a kind of hotel that _______.
| A．protects important habitats |
| B．harvests food from its own garden |
| C．has courses on the environment for its guests |
| D．encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that _______.
| A．money is the driving force behind eco-hotels |
| B．eco-hotels have no advantages in competing for guests |
| C．eco-hotels teach their guests the philosophy of eco-hotels |
| D．the hotel industry cares more about money than the environment |
People who choose to stay at eco-hotels _______.
| A．love to take a hike |
| B．have environmental awareness |
| C．want to live comfortably |
| D．enjoy the green atmosphere |
Dear All，
Happy New Year! A list of important dates for this term is attached to this letter．
Interviews for our April and September Primary One classes will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday，18th&19th January．Now is the time to apply for admission to Peak School．
Children are expected to weal their uniforms this term．As is usual at this time of the year，mornings at the school are quite cold and l would suggest children wear their sweaters to school．As the temperature goes up during the day，children
tend to take off their outer clothes，so it is important that all sweatshirts are labeled(贴有标签)．
I have received a few requests from parents asking if their children can wear summer uniforms this term．I am of the view that all children in the school should follow the school policy and be dressed in the appropriate uniforms．In the longer term，a number of US at school have questioned the need to have a winter and summer uniform．Perhaps．with careful consideration，we can develop a uniform that will serve children for the whole academic year．
As the foggy(多雾)mornings start to appear，a number of parents have raised concerns over the safety of those children who walk to school． Our dark green uniforms are not particularly visible to motorists．Hopefully, the “Uniform Committee” to be set up this term will deal with this particular issue．I will keep parents informed of the channels through which views may be expressed in future newsletters．
We still have a “No Hat，No Play” rule on the playground，so children need to ensure that they have their sunhats in school at all times．
Yours sincerely，
P D Tunesi
PrincipalThe letter was most probably written ．
| A．when the school year ended |
| B．before the new term started |
| C．after kids were admitted to school |
| D．after kids were interviewed |
This letter was mainly written to ．
| A．teachers | B．visitors | C．students | D．parents |
What do we know about the present school uniforms?
| A．The school has solved the problems． |
B．They are invisible to motorist s on foggy days． |
| C．The school is considering changing them． |
| D．There is a winter and summer school uniform． |
We can infer from the text that ．
| A．the school has strict rules on uniforms |
| B．kids can’t have classes without wearing hats |
| C．parents are satisfied with the uniforms |
| D．most kids walk to school on foggy mornings |
Windsurfing is a sport that combines sailing and surfing．In 1948，twenty-year-old Newman Darby first 
thought of using a handheld sail to contro1 a small boat．Darby did not apply for a patent(专利)for his design at first．However，he is recognized as the inventor of the first sailboard．
Californians Jim Drake，a sailor and engineer，and Hoyle Schweitzer，a surfer and skier received the patent for a sailboard．They called their design a windsurfer．The early windsurfer boards measured 3．5 meters long and weighed 60 pounds．Later in the l980s，Newman Darby did apply for and receive a design patent for a one—person sailboat．
In the late l940s，Newman Darby found he could control a 3-meter-long sailboat and make turns even without a rudder(舵)．In l964 he designed the first universal joint(万向接头)to go along with a flat bottom sailing boat．This sailboard was equipped with a universal joint，a board and a kite—shaped free sail and thus windsurfing was born．
Naomi Darby，Newman’s wife，was the first woman windsurfer and helped her husband build and design the first sailboard．She sailed while standing up，controlling the boat without the use of a rudder．She tilted(倾斜)the sail to change directions．This was something that had never been done before．
Hoyle Schweitzer began producing sailboards in the early 1970s．The sport became very popular in Europe．By the late 1970s，windsurfing fever had Europe firmly in its grasp with one in every three families having a sailboard．
The first windsurfing world championship was held in 1973．Windsurfing first became an Olympic sport for men in l984 and for women in l992．Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer received the patent for the design of ．
| A．a sailboard called windsurfer | B．a kite—shaped free sail |
C．the first universal jo int |
D．a one—person sailboat |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Hoyle Schweitzer was a sailor and Jim Drake was a surfer． |
| B．Newman Darby’s wife supported him in his invention． |
| C．Newman Darby was the first to tilt the sail to change directions． |
| D．The first world windsurfing competition was held in the late l970s． |
Which is the correct order of the following events?
a．Newman Darby thought of controlling a boat with a handheld sail．
b．Newman Darby received his design patent．
c．Windsurfing became popular in Europe．
d．Windsurfing became an Olympic sport for women．
| A．acbd | B．abcd | C．acdb | D．bacd |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．The invention of windsurfing． | B．How windsurfing was popular in the world． |
| C．The history of windsurfing． | D．How windsurfing became an Olympic sport． |
Hey there,
So you're about to spend four years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars of your parents' money, and all you really know about college is that all of your friends are going. Do you ever consider why you're going?
Relax. You're making the right decision. First of all, you'll discover what interests you by taking courses in many subjects. It's hard to decide whether you want to be a painter if you've never painted any pictures, until you're in a drawing-room on campus. College is also a lot of fun — after you graduate, you'll be working every weekday for 50 or so years. And remember that college graduate earn about twice the income of those who never attended college.
Finding the right college can be difficult. Fortunately, Johnson Review is here to help you every step of the way.
*Researching Schools. The most important decision you'll make is to choose the school that really suits your 
best — not the one that is the most competitive or has the best-equipped rooms.
*Applying to School. On JohnsonReview.com, you’ll
find hundreds of actual college applications and links to many more.
*Raising Your Scores. American College Test is one of the most difficult parts of the admission(录取) course. It's not the most important, though, and not everyone needs to prepare for the test. But, if you can do better, find the right course for better scores.
*Paying for School. Most families need financial aid for the high cost of college. The problem is that financial aid seems difficult to get and many families get caught up in the price of college instead of learning the ways to get financial aid. If you really do your research, you'll learn that you can afford to attend any college, no matter the cost.
For more information, call 600-3681 or visit JohnsonReview.com. Wherever you go, have a nice trip!
Johnson Smith
Founder and CEO
Johnson Review How many reasons for going to college does the author mention in the text?
| A．5 | B．4 | C．3 | D．2 |
The author thinks you should choose the college that is _______________.
| A．famous | B．suitable | C．competitive | D．well-equipped |
What does the author advise you to do to pay the high cost college?
| A．To study the financial courses. |
| B．To ask the society for donation. |
| C．To get to know how to ask for financial aid. |
| D．To do research on the financial system of college |
What's the author's purpose of writing this test?
| A．To make Johnson Review popular. |
| B．To help readers find the right college. |
| C．To suggest ways to prepare for college learning. |
| D．To introduce college life to high school students. |
When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away." The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that
__________.
| A．they must reach the age of 60 |
| B．they should be easy to make friends with |
| C．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months |
| D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February |
Doctors __________.
| A．encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively |
| B．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming |
| C．believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer |
| D．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming |
According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that __________.
| A．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue |
| B．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter |
| C．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high |
| D．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water |
The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.
| A．they can remain young | B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter |
| C．they find it enjoyable and interesting | D．they might meet fewer troubles in life |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers |
| B．the polar bears' life |
| C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming |
| D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club |
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the eco-passages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders（火蜥蜴）and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass! The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that __________.
| A．wild animals have become more dangerous |
| B．the driving condition has improved greatly |
| C．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
| D．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
From the story, we know an eco-passage is __________.
| A．an underground path for cars |
| B．a fence built for the safety of the area |
| C．a bridge for animals to get over a river |
| D．a path for animals to cross the road |
When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on” (Para. 6), he means __________.
| A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
| B．animals are crossing the road in groups |
| C．animals are increasing in number |
| D．animals begin to learn to use eco-passages |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because __________.
| A．wild animals may attack cars | B．they may see wild animals on eco-passages |
| C．they may see wild animals in the park | D．wild animals may jam the road |
The best title for the passage is __________.
| A．Special bridges help animals cross the road |
| B．Endangered animals increase because of roadkill |
| C．Animals fail to cross the road |
| D．Take steps to protect animals in danger |
Most of the news in the newspapers is bad but sometimes there is a story with good news. This is one of those stories. Millions of people around the world suffer from AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other serious diseases. There are medicines to treat these diseases but for people in poor countries, these medicines are too expensive to buy. When a pharmaceutical（制药的）company produces a new medicine, they receive a special license called a patent. This license means that the new medicine or drug is protected for a period of 20 years. The company that produced the drug can fix the price of the drug and no other company is allowed to produce the same drug or a copy of the drug for 20 years. At the moment, these patents operate all over the world, both in rich countries and in poor countries. The drugs companies say that they need patents so that they can get the money to pay for research to find new drugs and medicines. In rich countries people usually have enough money to pay for these drugs but in poor countries people can’t afford to buy them and cannot treat diseases like AIDS and malaria.
Last month, however, a group of experts published a report which says that patents are very bad for poor countries. The report says that drug companies do not want to find new medicines for diseases of poor people in poor countries. It says that poor countries should be allowed to buy cheap drugs without patents from other countries.
The authors of the report were lawyers, scientists and a senior director from the drug company Pfizer. Of course, the pharmaceuticals industry doesn’t agree with the report, “We need patents so that we can develop new medicines to fight disease both in the developed and developing world,” said a spokesman. But the report is the first sign that there might be a change in the patent system. This change could save millions of lives in the world’s poorest countries. This really is good news. Why are medicines expensive for people in poor countries?
| A．They are protected by patents. | B．They are produced in rich countries. |
| C．They are imported. | D．They can cure the deadly diseases. |
What does the underlined word “patent” in Para1 mean in Chinese?
| A．执照 | B．专利权 | C．专利品 | D．商标 |
Why do drugs companies need patents?
| A．To sell drugs in rich countries. |
| B．To sell drugs in poor countries. |
| C．To get money to produce new drugs. |
| D．To compete with other companies. |
What does the report say?
| A．Poor countries should spend more money on drugs. |
| B．Poor countries shouldn’t obey a pharmaceutical patent. |
| C．Poor countries should import drugs. |
| D．Poor countries should be allowed to make copies of drugs. |
What might happen if the patent system is changed?
| A．Millions of lives will be saved in poor countries. |
| B．Drugs companies will stop producing drugs. |
| C．Drug companies will make more money. |
| D．The competition will be canceled. |
Bernstein had been appointed Assistant Conductor for the New York philharmonic only a few months before that night. Just 25 years old, he was relatively inexperienced. At the last minute, Bernstein was told he was to take Walter’s place, so he didn’t have any time to rehearse（排演）. The music he was going to conduct was very difficult. Plus, the concert was going to be broadcast nationally on the radio. Despite all these pressures, Bernstein rose to the occasion and received a standing ovation（长久的鼓掌）at the end of the concert. The event made national headlines, and Bernstein became famous overnight.
Some people feel they do their best under the most stressful circumstances. What was it about Leonard Bernstein that made him do so well in such a difficult situation?
Perhaps Leonard Bernstein did so well because music was his devotion. The son of a man who supplied hairdressing products, Bernstein became interested in music at the age of 10. By the time he was a teenager, he was performing in public. He became a soloist of the Boston Public School Orchestra, and for 13 weeks in 1934, he played classics on the radio. The underlined word “break” in the first paragraph means “__________”.
| A．rest | B．chance | C．pause | D．gap |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the second paragraph?
| A．The concert Bernstein was to play at was going to be broadcast nationally on TV. |
| B．The music Bernstein was going to conduct was very difficult. |
| C．When Bernstein was told he was to take Walter’s place, he had no time to practice the performance. |
| D．Before his performance as a conductor, Leonard Bernstein had little experience. |
Leonard Bernstein was successful at the concert because of __________.
| A．the wonderful music | B．the stress of the circumstances |
| C．his devotion to music | D．Bruno Walter’s absence |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that __________.
| A．Leonard Bernstein was very clever |
| B．Leonard Bernstein’s parents worked hard |
| C．chances are important to a famous person |
| D．early interest led to Leonard Bernstein’s success |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．Leonard Bernstein’s Debut | B．Leonard Bernstein’s Life |
| C．A Young Soloist | D．A Great Conductor |
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." Where is this passage most probably taken from?
| A．A magazine. | B．A newspaper. | C．A textbook. | D．A research report. |
Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?
| A．To arouse the interest of readers. | B．To puzzle Italian scientists. |
| C．To answer the questions himself. | D．To make fun of French officials. |
The best title of this story might be “_____”.
| A．What Is the Purpose of an Investigation? |
| B．How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France? |
| C．Are the Remains Really Those of the Master? |
| D．Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'? |
The sentence “he plans to press his case with the French officials” (underlined in Paragraph 4) suggests that Vinceti intends to _____.
| A．press the French officials to participate in their project |
| B．urge the French officials to open the tomb early next week |
| C．persuade the French officials to allow opening the tomb |
| D．record events in a person’s life with the French officials |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing. |
| B．Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci. |
| C．The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved. |
| D．Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb. |
We can infer from the last two paragraphs that _____?
| A．“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchant |
| B．the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci |
| C．experts divided the committee into several groups |
| D．opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa” |
Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been!
What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.
When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners (吸尘器), collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before vacuum dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.
Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as commo
n as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky. What is this passage about?
| A．A sad story. | B．Australia’s northern part. |
C．A rain of fish. |
D．The damage done by floods. |
Fish-falls occur in Australia __________.
| A．quite often | B．on large farms |
| C．only in winter | D．when the air is calm |
The underlined word “infinite” is closest in meaning to “__________”.
| A．easy | B．difficult | C．countless | D．dangerous |
A sign can be found in the front yard of a house in the US. The people living here want to let their dog play outside and ensure it won’t run into the street. So, they hire a company to set up an “invisible fence”, an electric wire buried in the ground around the yard. The dog wears a special collar and when it walks near to the “fence”, the wire will send out a small shock. The dog quickly learns to stay away from the edge of the yard. As it says at the bottom of the sign, the fence will keep your dog “safe” (away from the street) and “at home” (contained inside the yard).
The small word “BRAND” printed in blue means that “Invisible Fence” is registered as the company’s brand name. Similarly, the “TM” printed after “your dog safe at home” stands for “trade mark”, a slogan registered specifically to one company. The people set up an “invisible fence” _________.
| A．to let their dog play outside their house |
| B．to keep their dog away from the edge of the yard |
| C．to keep their dog inside their yard |
| D．to warn others not to enter their house |
Which is NOT true about the “invisible fence”?
| A．The fence does not exist at all. |
| B．The “Invisible Fence” is the name of a company. |
| C．Without the special collar, the fence won’t work on the dog. |
| D．Science and technology play an important part in it. |
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