（7）------中偏难题

People generally use spices （香料） every day when preparing meals．Most of these spices are readily available in local supermarkets．However, in the 15th and 16th centuries, spices were as valuable as gold or diamonds．Spices are small plants or parts of plants, such as ginger, pepper, vanilla, and cinnamon, which are used to add flavor to our food． 1   Such a use for spices actually goes all the way back to Roman times．The Romans used spices such as cumin and coriander to help preserve food．

    The spices came to Europe from countries to the east, such as the islands in the East Indies, Sri Lanka, and India． 2   Because of the long journeys involved, they were very expensive．

    European sailors began to look for routes to these countries themselves in order to bring back the spices by sea．In 1498, a Portuguese explorer named Vasco Da Gama reached an East Indies island called Calicut． 3   In 1519, another Spanish explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, found a new trade route by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean, around the southern tips of both South America and Africa, and back to Europe．

    4   Portugal was the leader until the end of the 16th century．Spain was in control during much of the next 100 years．Then, Holland took over．The Dutch controlled the East Indies, but, in 1780, England defeated them in a famous war． 5   They treated the people there badly and made them submit to the British government.

India finally became independent from Britain in the 1940s．Today, it is still called “the land of spices”．In fact, at present India produces 2.5 million tons of spices each year and produced more types of spices than any other country．

A．For centuries, Arab traders had carried the spices over land and sold them to European countries．

B．For the next four centuries, Western countries raced each other for control of the spice trade in these new countries, which they called the “New World.”

C．Though they might not be as valuable today as gold or diamonds, spices are still big business around the globe.

D．Six years earlier, Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus had been looking for spices when he discovered America.

E．The English then moved from the islands into India.

F．The history of spice is almost as old as human civilization.

G．In those times, spices also helped keep meat from spoiling.

Painter, sculptor, architect, musician, anatomist（解剖学家）, inventor, engineer, and scientist. All these titles belong to a Renaissance（文艺复兴时期） Italian-Leonardo da Vinci（1452~1519）. The versatility（多才多艺） and creative power of Leonardo mark him as a supreme example of universal genius.

     Leonardo is famous for his masterly paintings， such as The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Though there is debate whether Leonardo himself painted the Mona Lisa or not， it is known that it was probably his favorite piece. He most likely kept it with him at all times， and did not travel without it. Thousands of people see it each year in the Louvre nowadays， drawing their own interpretation（理解） on what is known as the Mona Lisa’s most enigmatic（神秘的） feature — her smile.

     Perhaps even more impressive than his artistic work are his studies in science and engineering. In his notebooks， art and science were fused（融合） in some 13，000 pages of notes and drawings.

      Leonardo designed many inventions， such as flying machines. Today’s researchers find that many of Leonardo’s inventions anticipated modern technology though they were rarely constructed in his lifetime.

    Leonardo’s The Last Supper has become one of the most widely appreciated masterpieces in the world. It began to gain its reputation immediately after it was finished in 1498 and its prestige（声望） has never lessened. Best-seller The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is based on the idea that there is a secret code in the painting. The upcoming movie The Da Vinci Code will probably be a big hit as well！

1．What made Leonado Da Vinci one of the most understanding geniuses?

       A．his achievements in painting and architecture

       B．his achievements in science and engineering

       C．his rich knowledge and creative power

       D．his masterly paintings The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa

2．Which of the following is NOT TRUE about The Mona Lisa?

       A．It was one of Da Vinci’s most famous paintings.

       B．There is a secret code in it according to the Best-seller The Da Vinci Code.

       C．it was probably Da Vinci’S favorite painting.

       D．It is doubted not to be painted by Da Vinci himself.

3．The third paragraph tries to tell us Da Vinci’s achievements about      .

       A．science and art                                    B．engineering and science

       C．The Last Supper                                  D．engineering and art

4．The underlined word “hit” in the last sentence means           .

       A．success        B．challenge         C．event         D．chance