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 ________.

A．is losing its value	B．is being damaged after so many years
C．is getting more valuable with years passing	D．will rot away

【小题2】 Experts haven’t any repairs on the Mona Lisa because______.
1.      

A．it is now in a poor chemical state 2.

B．they don’t know how to replace the wooden panel 3.

C．they don’t have the materials Da Vinci used 4.

D．they are afraid it will be done further damage.

【小题3】The smile of the Mona Lisa can only be seen_______.

A．by indirect vision	B．at a distance
C．by direct vision	D．in shadows

【小题4】 From the last paragraph, we can infer that______.

A．many interesting stories have been written about the Mona Lisa

B．people are interested in the stories about the Mona Lisa.

C．some mysteries still remain to be solved about the Mona Lisa.

D．Many more stories will be told about the Mona Lisa.

If there is something that appears most frequently on Chinese dining tables, it is doufu—beancurd. Beancurd looks like soft cakes and it’s made from dried soybeans. Beancurd used to be considered a favourite of the poor because of its low cost. Beans have high yields (产量) every year with their short growing period and suitability for various soil both dry and wet.
Historical records show beancurd was invented by Liu An, Prince of Huainan and uncle of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty（206BC—220AD）. He had a dream of finding the pill for longevity (长寿). He traveled all over the country and found soybeans, which looked much the same as gold in terms of colour. He collected soybeans, put them in the water and crushed them into pulp (浆). It got solidified (凝固) and became known as doufu. Although it’s not able to keep longevity, it’s really good for one’s health with high protein and low fat.
With a long history, beancurd is rooted deep in Chinese culture. People eat more meat and fish than beancurd. But they are encouraged to have beancurd every once in a while for it’s really good for health. Most Chinese people still keep beancurd as one of their favourite dishes.
【小题1】 Why was beancurd considered to be liked by the poor?

A．It’s cheap.	B．It’s easy to cook.
C．It’s easy to make.	D．It’s good for health.

【小题2】 Where can beans grow well?

A．Only in wet soil.	B．In dry soil.
C．In soft soil.	D．In any soil.

【小题3】 Why did Liu An travel all over the country?       

A．He had a dream.

B．He wanted to find something that could make people live longer.

C．He wanted to invent beancurd.

D．He wanted to find gold.

Thanks to the huge success of Harry Potter, many teenagers dream about living in an ancient castle. These dreams may include beautiful silk dresses, delicious food, servants and of course, magic. However, real life in an English castle was not easy. With thick stonewalls and high towers, castles were built for defence(防御). So they were not good places to live in. In medieval times, castles must have been noisy and smelly places. Horses, cattle, chickens and sheep walked free, blacksmiths did ironwork, soldiers practised sword (剑) fights, and children of all ages played around them. Castles did not have central heating; the only heat came from the fireplace. Even in summer the castle was cool. People living in the castles had to use blankets to keep warm while at work.
Life during the Middle Ages began at sunrise. Servants lit the fire, swept the floor and cooked the morning meal. The mid-morning meal was the main meal of the day and often included three or four courses (一道菜). After dinner, everyone continued his or her work. The owner of the castle, the lord, sometimes took his guests hunting or shooting. His wife, the lady, spent much of the day watching the maids (女仆) work, as well as people working in the kitchen. She also kept an eye on the weavers and embroiderers who made clothes for the family. Supper was simple and eaten late, just before bedtime.
You may find some old magic books in a castle as Harry Potter once did. Read them before you go to bed, because when you fall asleep the magic of castle life may appear before your eyes.
【小题1】 For what purpose were the castles built in England?

A．To defend the city or country against enemies.

B．To provide a working place for blacksmiths.

C．To raise poultry (家禽) and livestock (家畜).

D．To provide a place for teenagers to learn magic.

【小题2】 Why were the ancient castles noisy?

A．Because soldiers practiced sword fights there.

B．Because blacksmiths did ironwork there.

C．Because children of all ages played around them.

D．All of the above.

【小题3】 Which of the following about family life in castles is true according to the passage?

A．The servants in castles lived an easy life.

B．The wife spent much of the day at home.

C．Supper was eaten before sunset.

D．Dinner was eaten in the middle of the day.

【小题4】The main idea of this passage is ______.

A．castles were not good places to live in

B．castles in novels are different from those in history

C．Harry Potter's story in a castle affected people

D．what real life was like in an ancient castle

Based on cultural traditions and the changing face of contemporary British communities, the Festival of Muslim Cultures joins young people from Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds together through the creation of innovative(创新的), high quality cultural activities.
We have been working with arts and educational institutions across the UK to promote the mainstreaming of Muslim cultures within UK everyday life. The Festival was created out of the need to encourage a better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, to promote respect for Muslim cultures and to show how culture creates the pathways that connect us all together.
The program launched with a visit by the Festival’s patron(赞助人), the Prince of Wales, to the exhibition “Palace and Mosque” in Sheffield and since then there have been more than 100 events that have ranged from a Somali community day in Cardiff at the National Museum of Wales to a late-night Dance with Radio Tarifa (from Spain) and Dimi Mint Abba (form Mauritania) in the Royal Albert Hall and from a home-grown play in Nottingham about the Kashmir earthquake to the exhibition“Beyond the Palace Walls” at the Royal Museum Edinburgh of Islamic art from the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.
We are now working on a number of long-term projects which stay true to our commitment to promoting Muslim cultures through arts collaborations(协作) and build on the extensive network of local, national and international partners that Festival has created. These include a three-year national program that connects young Muslims to their local cultural institutions; a UK Muslim cookbook; an exhibition of the Ottoman architect Sinan; and a project for schools around the 1000-year old story “The Animals’ Lawsuit against Humanity”.
For more information about the Festival, please click on another page: Who’s Who.
【小题1】The best title of this passage would be _______.

A．Welcome to the Celebration of Muslim Cultures

B．The History and Development of Muslim Cultures

C．The Exhibition of “Beyond the Palace Walls”

D．New Ways to Connect Muslims to Local Cultures

【小题2】Which is NOT the purpose of holding the Festival of Muslim Cultures?

A．To promote people’s respect for Muslim cultures.

B．To show to people how cultures join the people together.

C．To try to change the beliefs of various religions.

D．To make Muslims and non-Muslims understand each other better.

【小题3】This passage was probably taken from _________.

A．a website

B．a newspaper

C．a book

D．a magazine

Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.
I was pretty shocked when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, it’s not even really a campus. It’s more like a district in a small town.
Harvard’s main buildings are from the 18^th century. They look very old and simple. You might even say they’re a little shabby. They don’t fit the modern idea of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21^st century again. It creates a strong contrast(对照) and brings a special atmosphere to the school.
Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us, “You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony. Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?”
I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with the chirping(鸟叫声) of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all.
Harvard has the world’s first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end computers too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in.
I hope one day I’ll attend my dream school---Harvard.
【小题1】 The article is mainly about ______.

A．the author’s campus life in Harvard

B．the author’s impression of Harvard

C．Harvard’s old buildings

D．the academic system at Harvard

【小题2】According to the article, in which fields is Harvard top in the world

A．Literature, art, and law

B．Religion, law and arts

C．Literature, arts and computer science

D．Religion, computer science and literature

【小题3】Which word can be used to describe the Harvard campus?

A．Modern

B．Competitive

C．Peaceful

D．Splendid

In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. To have read Gulliver’s Travels is to have had the experience of listening to Jonathan Swift, of learning about man’s cruelty to man. To read Huckleberry Finn is to feel what it is like to drift (漂流) down the Mississippi River on a raft . To have read Byron is to have suffered his rebellions with him and to have enjoyed his nose—thumbing at (对……的蔑视) society. To have read Native Son is to know how it feels to be frustrated in the particular way in which Blacks in Chicago are frustrated. This is effective communication. It enables us to feel how others felt about life, even if they lived thousands of miles away and centuries age. It is not true that “We have only one life to live.” If we read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.
【小题1】The sentence “People who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read” suggests that ______.

A．reading stimulates（激发）a desire to travel	B．reading broadens a person’s experience
C．people who read much live longer	D．people who read are more relaxed

【小题2】The author implies that good literature ______.

A．must deal with social problems	B．must teach a lesson
C．is varied in subject and in content	D．is always exciting and heart--warming

【小题3】 According to the author, reading good literature ______.

A．produces new income	B．is quite useless
C．satisfies the curious	D．opens new worlds to us

【小题4】The underlined word effective in this passage means ______.

A．actual

B．striking

C．existing

D．having an effect

For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romantic languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, operagoers also had a certain appearance in people’s mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to associate opera with the common people. That means no formal suits, old-styled theatre or bank-breaking ticket prices. And because young people don’t or won’t come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such usual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera’s choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas”, shortened versions of child-friendly operas. This summer’s production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists’ Training Program.
【小题1】Which is the main idea of this passage?

A．Opera is famous for its long history.

B．Opera is only performed for rich people.

C．Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.

D．Young people are not interested in opera.

【小题2】The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means _________.

A．breaking up the old rules	B．changing the dresses
C．making the audience at ease	D．advertising themselves

【小题3】Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because _________.

A．they can be performed in public libraries

B．short versions are easy to perform

C．it is hard to find long versions

D．they can make people interested

【小题4】The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to _________.

A．celebrate its 75th anniversary

B．reduce the cost

C．attract young people

D．make Cinderella popular

【小题5】 From the passage we can infer that _________.

A．the tickets for opera are very expensive

B．opera is performed in a difficult language

C．opera is not so popular an art form today

D．students enjoy performing opera very much

Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto. But what about really young filmmakers who aren’t in film school yet and aren’t, strictly speaking, even adults?
They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival, tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy: Lincoln Center. Complete with “red carpet” interviews and various awards, the festival has much in common with events for more experienced moviemakers, except for the age of the participants: about 8 to 18.
“What’s really exciting is that it’s film for kids by kids,” said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in Arlington, Virginia. “We want to make this a national event,” Ms. Gardner added.
The nine shorts to be shown range from a Claymation biography of B. B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “A lot of the material is really mature,” Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the New York City branch of Global Action Project, a media arts and leadership-training group. “The Choice is about the history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Dream of the Invisibles describes young immigrants’(移民) feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.”
The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and a full-length film whose title is Pressures.
【小题1】 Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival ______.

A．is organized by a middle school

B．is as famous as the Toronto Festival

C．shows films made by children

D．offers awards to film school students

【小题2】Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?

A．It helps young filmmakers to make money.

B．It provides arts projects for young people.

C．It’s a media arts and leadership-training group.

D．It’s a national organization for young people.

【小题3】 The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 4 refers to ______.

A．short trousers

B．short kids

C．short films

D．short stories

【小题4】 Movies to be shown in the festival ______.

A．cover different subjects	B．focus on kids’ life
C．are produced by Global Action Project	D．are directed by Ms. Gardner

【小题5】At the end of this film festival, there will be ______.

A．various awards

B．“red carpet” interviews

C．an open reception

D．a concert at Lincoln Center

Every culture has a recognized (公认的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She remembered the pressure, especially from kids from richer families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families will buy cars for their children. In cities with subways (地铁) and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban (郊区的) areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents think carefully before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said. “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road either.”
In China as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?
【小题1】The story is mainly about _______.

A．the recognized point between childhood and adulthood

B．American teens want to drive a car when they turn 16

C．whether teenagers should have a car

D．the fact that it’s safer for teens to drive a car at an younger age

【小题2】 Which of the following is not one of the reasons that kids want to have a car?

A．With a car, it would be easy to move around.

B．A great number of teenagers have cars.

C．Having a car would mean more excitement.

D．Parents’ support for kids to have a car at an early age.

【小题3】.Which of the following is not true?

A．Some of Chad’s friends have cars.

B．When deciding whether to buy a car for their kids, safety weighs heavily on many parents’ mind.

C．In the US, 16 is considered the point between childhood and adulthood.

D．More kids from cities own cars than those from the countryside.

【小题4】The word “license” in Paragraph 2 means closest to ______.

A．driving permit

B．ID card

C．learner’s permit

D．test result

Bee Movie

Barry B. Benson is a graduate bee fresh out of college who has been discouraged at his lone （单独的，独自的）career choice: making honey. On a rare trip outside the hive（蜂房）, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a florist（花商） in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans are mass consumers of honey and decides to sue（控告） the human race for stealing bees’ honey. Genres: Comedy and Animation Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min. Release Date: November 2nd, 2007 (wide) Distributors: Paramount Pictures U.S. Box Office: $125,196,072

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates looks to discover the truth behind the assassination (暗杀) of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth’s diary. Genres: Action/Adventure, Thriller and Sequel Running Time: 2 hrs. 3 min. Release Date: December 21st, 2007 (wide) Distributors: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution U.S. Box Office: $170,870,795

P. S. I Love You

A grieving young widow discovers that her late husband has left her a list of tasks revealed （揭示，显示）in 10 messages, delivered anonymously, intended to ease her out of grief （悲伤）and transition her to a new life. Genres: Drama and aptation Running Time: 1 hr. 59 min. Release Date:  December 21st, 2007 (wide) Distributors :Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution U.S. Box Office: $39,202,724

One Missed Call

Beth Raymond is shocked when she witnesses the gruesome deaths of two friends just days apart. Even more disturbing, she knows that both of them had received chilling cell phone messages – actual recordings of their own horrifying last moments. Impossibly, the calls were received days before they died, but each death occurred precisely when and how the messages foretold. Genres: Suspense/Horror and Remake Running Time: 1 hr. 27 min. Release Date: January 4th, 2008 (wide) Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution U.S. Box Office: $12,511,473

 
【小题1】 According to the information, if you are interested in a cartoon film, you will see the film    released on ________.

A．December 21st, 2007	B．December 21st, 2007
C．November 2nd, 2007	D．January 4th, 2008

【小题2】 If a person is fond of watching a film with an exciting plot, involving crime, he will probably like__________.

A．Bee Movie& P. S. I Love You

B．Bee Movie & National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

C．P. S. I Love You & One Missed Call.

D．National Treasure: Book of Secrets & One Missed Call.

【小题3】In the film One Missed Call, Beth Raymond is greatly disturbed because ________.

A．she received chilling cell phone messages

B．she witnessed the deaths of two friends in the hospital

C．she foretold the horrifying last moments of her friends

D．two of her friends died in the way foretold by the cell phone massages that had been received days before