The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's greatest art museums. Millions of people have entered its doors to see paintings by the world's fine artists. But if these priceless masterpieces are to be preserved, the Gallery must protect them carefully. The Gallery's 135-man guard force has successfully prevented them from being stolen, but protecting the paintings from nature is a greater problem.

In past times, the owners of paintings did not protect them from damaging changes in humidity (湿度) and temperature. As a result, the life of these paintings were shortened. In the National Gallery, however, humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. The building is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. The air-conditioning and heating system are so important to the life of the painting that the Gallery has two of each system. If one should fail, the extra one can take over.

Light is another enemy of paintings. Ultraviolet rays (紫外线) in light cause paintings to fade (褪色).  Long ago, paintings often hung in dark churches and palaces. A coat of varnish (清漆) was a protection from the weak light. But when museums took over the care of many paintings, they were often hung in brighter light than before. Soon they were in danger of fading. The damaging effects of light were increased when the museums removed the varnish coating, yellowed with age.

To protect its paintings, the National Gallery put a special kind of glass in its skylights. This glass allows visible lights to enter the building but it keeps out harmful ultraviolet rays. The Gallery has also developed new and better varnishes which help to keep paintings from fading. Thanks to these new precautions, many of the world's greatest paintings are being well protected for future generations to enjoy.

1.The text mainly tells us about ______.

A．the guard force in the National Gallery

B．protecting great paintings from nature

C．priceless paintings of past times

D．the air-conditioning and heating systems in the National Gallery

2.The underlined word "precautions" in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.  

A．decorations

B．problems

C．suggestions

D．applications

3.From the text we can infer that_______.

A．great artists painted in dark churches and palaces

B．you can touch these paintings while you are in the National Gallery

C．the care of the world's greatest paintings is both a big responsibility and a great challenge

D．the guard force in the Gallery has not done a good job

 

Americans are thinking about national education standards recently developed by teachers and other education experts. The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) led the effort.

　　The United States, unlike other nations, has never had the same school standards across the country. What is the reason? Education is not discussed in the Constitution. That document limits the responsibilities of the federal government. Other responsibilities, like education, fall to each state.

Local control of education probably was a good idea two hundred years ago. People stayed in the same place and schools knew what students needed to learn. But today, people move to different cities. And some people work at jobs that did not exist even twenty years ago.

Many American educators say that getting a good education should not depend on where you live. They say that some states have lowered their standards in order to increase student scores on tests required by the No Child Left behind Act.

　　Kara Schlosser is communications director for the CCSSO. She says the new standards clearly state what a student should be able to do to be successful in college and work.

　　Forty--eight states have already shown approval for the standards. Two states refuse to accept the idea. Critics say that working toward the same standards in every state will not guarantee excellence for all. Some educators in Massachusetts say adopting the national standards will hurt their students because the state standards are even higher. Others say the change will be too costly, requiring new textbooks and different kinds of training for teachers. Still others fear federal control.

　　Supporters say the standards are goals and do not tell states or teachers how to teach. They also say the federal government is not forcing acceptance. However, approving the standards will help states qualify (取得资格) for some federal grant money.

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

A．Local Control of Education Standards out of Date

B．American National Education Standards under Consideration

C．Education Standards in Each State--Good or Bad.

D．Acceptance of the New Standards in the United States

2.Why is local control of education no 1onger a good idea today?

A．Because local standards are limited.

B．Because it is required by the federal government.

C．Because people today moves among states more often than before.

D．Because America has never had the same school standards throughout the country.

3.Some people are against the nationa1 education standards because__________

A．the standards are higher than those of each state

B．they are not yet prepared for the new standards

C．the standards may prevent some students gaining excellence

D．they don't want the federal government to train their teachers

4.If a state agrees to accept the national standards, it will probably get ________.

A．more students                         B．advice on how to improve teaching

C．better textbooks                        D．money from the federal government

 

________ at the golden belt of Yangtze River Delta, Ma'anshan is the National Garden city _______ wonderful landscape appeals to many visitors every year.

A. Located; which               B. Locating; which                        C. Located; whose                       D. Locating; whose

 

Your teenage daughter is supposed to be doing homework, but you catch her chatting online. She tells you that she’s talking about the math test tomorrow. Before your eyes start rolling, listen up: teens are using social networking sites for more than just gossip, according to a new study by the National School Boards Association.

The students who took part in the online survey, aged 9 to 17, said they spent almost as much time on social networking online as they did watching television. And it is what these kids are talking about online that is causing such a cheer: education. Of the students who took part in the study 60 percent reported that some of the most popular social networking topics were college planning, learning outside of school, careers, and schoolwork. They also reported posting writing and art projects that might have nothing to do with schoolwork.

Ann Flynn, director of education technology for the National School Boards Association, says incorporating (合并) social networking tools into educational curriculum (课程) is the way forward. Flynn says a school in Cleveland, Ohio is posting students’ book reports on a blog for students of their own ages, parents and other teachers to read and comment on. “If someone reacts other than the teacher, a child is much more likely to take an assignment seriously,” Flynn says.

Not only students but also parents can benefit. Now parents can go online and know what the class is doing. So, next time your child says her blog is educational, get curious, sit down and check out the blog with her. You might just learn something new yourself.

1.We can infer from the text that Ann Flynn       .

A．supports students in using social networking sites

B．used to think badly of students’ using social networking sites

C．suggests schools set up their own social networking sites

D．suggests teachers inspect what students do on social networking sites

2.How does the school in Cleveland mentioned in the text use social net-working sites?

A．It asks each student to keep a blog.

B．It invites parents to comment on students’ work.

C．It welcomes comments on students’ book reports online.

D．It lets students keep in touch with their teachers online.

3.A student will not probably take an assignment seriously if he gets comments from       .

A．a stranger         B．his teachers        C．his parents        D．his classmates

4.Why can parents benefit from social networking sites?

A．Because parents can make a lot of friends online.

B．Because parents can help their children with their schoolwork.

C．Because parents can know their children’s learning at school.

D．Because parents can keep up with social development.

 

Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.

“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.

“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”

Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think .

In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”

“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”

The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.

Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.

“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.

1.According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.

A．her 10th book is much better

B．her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected

C．the media is surprised at her works

D．she likes being recognized by her readers

2.Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?

A．She published a poetry textbook.

B．She used to teach Denise Levertov.

C．She started a poets? group with others.

D．She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.

3.What can we learn about “Versed”?

A．It consists of three parts.

B．It is mainly about the American army.

C．It is a book published two decades ago.

D．It partly concerns the poet’s own life.

4.Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.

A．should write more                      B．has a sweet voice

C．deserves the prize                      D．is a strange professor

5.What can we learn from the text?

A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.

B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.

C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.

D. “Versed” has been awarded twice