1 . Workers at the National Galleries of Scotland recently experienced quite a surprise after they X-rayed a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Hidden on the back of the painting Head of a Peasant Woman, which Van Gogh completed in 1885, was a self-portrait (自画像) of the Dutch painter. No one had ever found it.
The hidden self-portrait had been covered by glue and cardboard that had been attached to the back of the painting. “It was absolutely exciting,” Lesley Stevenson, the museum’s worker, said about the discovery. “We weren’t expecting much of the little painting when we performed the scans,” she said. But museum experts quickly changed their expectations when they looked at the X-rays. “We didn’t see much of the peasant woman, but we saw the lead white that Van Gogh used for his face showing up after the X-ray went through the cardboard,” she added.
Van Gogh painted Head of a Peasant Woman as part of a series of works focused on the working-class residents of Nuenen, a small farming community in the southern part of the Netherlands where he lived briefly in the 1880s. The woman in the painting is Gordina de Groot, a farm worker. She wears a white headpiece. In a letter that Van Gogh penned about the series in 1885 to Anton Kerssemakers, a friend, he described his excitement at his working-class subjects. “I’m working with great pleasure these days, for I would rather paint people than paint anything else,” he wrote.
Van Gogh also loved creating self-portraits, producing about 20 paintings of himself by the end of his life while he was living in Paris. Recreating his own image was a cheap way for him to practice portraiture as he didn’t have to spend money hiring models, according to a report.
Art historians at the National Galleries hope that the hidden self-portrait may help us understand the life of the artist. The museum is currently considering how to best remove the unwanted protective materials without harming the painting.
1. What can be learned about the self-portrait on the back of the painting?A.It isn’t in very good condition. | B.It describes a well-known woman. |
C.It wasn’t known to exist for a long time. | D.It was sold to another artist by Van Gogh. |
A.It was a wonderful surprise. | B.It failed to meet her expectations. |
C.It was the result of her great efforts. | D.It deepened her understanding of Van Gogh’s life. |
A.He was encouraged to try different subjects. |
B.He was glad to find his love for figure paintings. |
C.He was attracted by the lifestyle of people in Nuenen. |
D.He wanted to improve the living conditions of the farmers. |
A.X-rays can do harm to artworks |
B.Van Gogh sent a secret message to his friend |
C.Modern technology has a great influence on art |
D.Van Gogh’s hidden self-portrait draws public attention |
2 . Named “America’s Finest City” due to its hospitality, beauty and ideal climate, San Diego is located on the border with Mexico. The residents are so active outdoors that it is called “Sportstown, the U.S.A.”. San Diego’s 70 miles of beaches are a heaven for swimmers, surfers, divers, boaters and sunbathers. Another favourite outside activity is golf. With 100 courses (about 50 of them public), San Diego is a golfers’ paradise. Many San Diego residents came here first as tourists, who were attracted by San Diego’s sunny beaches, nearby mountains and deserts, plus the cultural delights of any big city. The world-famous San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld Adventure Park, Wild Animal Park, museums and other attractions attract visitors from around the world.
The zoo is home to some 4,000 animals, including the world’s largest group of parrots. Animals are displayed in natural settings, and there is a petting zoo for children. By contrast, the Wild Animal Park is a wildlife preserve with an area of over 2,000 acres and more than 3,000 free-roaming (自由漫步的) animals in natural habitats.
In addition to housing the zoo, Balboa Park is home to several museums and attractions, including an aerospace museum, an art and history museum, the Old Globe Theatre, science museums and even a railroad museum. Free concerts are offered frequently. Another popular attraction is the SeaWorld, a 190-acre marine park.
San Diego’s varied attractions, as well as its business climate, offer many opportunities for students to explore the local culture, meet people from around the world, and gain business experience. At San Diego State University, for example, students in the American Language Institute’s study tour program learn English both in the classroom and while sightseeing.
1. What do the residents of San Diego probably like to do?A.Have sports outdoors. | B.Travel to other places. |
C.Stay at home. | D.Stay outdoors all day. |
A.Because it is more convenient to live here. |
B.Because they are attracted by its beauty and culture. |
C.Because they can make money from tourism here. |
D.Because it is a quiet place to enjoy themselves. |
A.The SeaWorld Adventure park. | B.The art and history museum. |
C.The petting zoo. | D.The Old Globe Theatre. |
注意:(1)词数80左右;(2)开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。
Dear Mr. Smith,
How is it going? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
Nanjing, the capital city of China’s Jiangsu Province and located ( 位于) along the Yangtze River Delta (三角洲),
But if you’ll only be visiting for 72 hours, there are a few
Any trip to Nanjing, no matter
The city is also considered the birthplace of Peking Duck, but it also prepares a local favorite: Nanjing salted duck,
Nanjing is known for
Nanjing is also home
With a history of more than 2,000 years, the Silk Route dates back to Han dynasty. Through this route, the Chinese highly
That route functioned
Throughout all these years, many great figures have made great
6 . More than a quarter have to enlarge the font size on their mobile phone so they can read it clearly.
“The research has shown our eyes are not designed to be fixed on a single object for a long time, especially smaller laptops or smart devices.
Dry eye syndrome is a condition where the eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. Here are some simple solutions to prevent eye strain and irritation, and preserve your eye health overall.
Rest your eyes.
Follow the 20:20:20 rule, looking up from your screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Adjust your workstation.
Change your screen settings to ensure that the brightness and contrast are balanced correctly, as well as making fonts larger. Also, be mindful of how your workstation is positioned. Adjust your screen ensuring it is 15 — 20 degrees below eye level and around 50 — 70 cm away from the eyes.
Reduce glare (眩光).
A.People should try to reduce the time spent on the screen. |
B.One can read his favorite paper books instead of e-books. |
C.Half confess they’re forced to enlarge images to see them clearly. |
D.Another thing to focus on is to make sure your room is properly lit. |
E.Looking into the distance helps relax the focusing muscles of your eyes. |
F.Reflections on your computer screen can cause glare and lead to eye fatigue. |
G.They may feel uncomfortable, painful, tired and even start to itch (发痒) or burn. |
A.Terrible. | B.Pleasant. | C.Short. |
8 . Billions of people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives. Many will go to great lengths to try to stop. And while not all of us are nail-biters, most of us do have a habit we’d like to kick. So what’s the best way to break one?
Research shows that intentions alone often fail to lead to long-term behavior change. This isn’t to say you can’t break a habit. Rather, by understanding the basis of habits, you can create better plans for changing them. For example, we know habits are often affected by environments and routines. Lying in bed may cause you to endlessly scroll through your phone, or watching TV on the couch may lead you to grab a sugary snack.
One of the most effective ways to manage behavior is to identify these locations or times of day. Then try to modify them by changing your routine or creating obstacles that make it more difficult to perform the habit in that space. Moving, switching jobs, or even starting a new schedule, are particularly great times to break a habit or build a new one.
One 2005 study tracked university students’ exercising, reading, and TV-watching habits before and after they transferred schools. When students were no longer around old environments and routines, their habits, even the strong ones, significantly changed.
For behaviors like nail-biting, a practice called habit reversal training can be helpful. Developed by psychologists in the 1970s, the aim is to change a habit by replacing it with another one that’s less detrimental. The training requires you to analyze and understand your habit cues, so you can effectively step in at the right times. For example, if you tend to bite your nails at work, keep a fidget toy at your desk in advance. Then, if a stressful email comes in, use the toy when you feel the urge to bite your nails.
Breaking a habit takes time, so remember to give yourself grace and have patience through the process.
1. Why does the author mention “a nail-biting habit” in Para. 1?A.To make a comparison. | B.To make a conclusion. |
C.To introduce the topic. | D.To attract readers’ attention. |
A.Having intentions alone. | B.Understanding the basis of habits. |
C.Making practical plans. | D.Adapting the environments or times. |
A.Harmful. | B.Helpful. |
C.Annoying. | D.Time-consuming. |
A.Difficulties in dealing with nail-biting. | B.Significance of habit reversal training. |
C.Useful tips on getting rid of a habit. | D.Necessity of having grace and patience. |
9 . Dorothea Dix was born in 1802 in Massachusetts. When she was 12 years old, she left her unhappy home to live with her grandmother in Boston. There Dorothea went to school and was so quick at her lessons that two years later she went back to Worcester, Massachusetts and taught in a school for little children. She was only fourteen and rather small for her age. Anyway, she proved herself a good teacher, and the children loved her and respected her. In 1821, she opened a school for girls in Boston.
Gradually, her health broke down, and she began to think that she could never work any more, but after a long rest in England, she came back to America and did something far greater than teaching. She went through the whole country where she first observed the inhumane treatment of the mentally ill. During Dorothea’s traveling for nearly two years throughout the state, and meeting similar conditions, she always spoke kindly to the ill-treated, but she spoke wrathfully to the men who ill-treated them. In January 1843, she submitted to the Massachusetts legislature (立法机关) a detailed report of her fully documented findings.
In the next 40 years Dorothea inspired legislators in 15 US states and in Canada to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. Her continuous efforts directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States. When the Civil War broke out, she went straight to Washington and offered to nurse the soldiers without pay. She hired houses to keep supplies in and bought an ambulance. She gave her time, strength and money to her country.
Dorothea Dix has been called the most useful woman of America. She is an, American educator, social reformer and humanitarian whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread reforms in the United States and abroad.
1. What do we know about Dorothea Dix when she was 19?A.She set up a school. | B.She lived with her parents. |
C.She went to school in Massachusetts. | D.She failed to become a good teacher. |
A.Patiently. | B.Fluently. | C.Angrily. | D.Quickly. |
A.The awards Dorothea Dix received in her life. |
B.The contributions Dorothea Dix made to her country. |
C.The support Dorothea Dix got from her family. |
D.The difficulties Dorothea Dix met during the Civil War. |
A.Humorous and well-educated. | B.Generous and warm-hearted. |
C.Proud and hard-working. | D.Romantic and open-minded. |
10 . The Maranhão region of northern Brazil is my ancestral home. For centuries, we have
But today, our environment is being destroyed for capitalist (资本家的)
When we see an illegal camp or
Our resistance is
A.consumed | B.anticipated | C.explored | D.preserved |
A.traditions | B.obstructions | C.possessions | D.antiques |
A.starts out | B.provides for | C.relies on | D.submits to |
A.charity | B.mercy | C.greed | D.temper |
A.logging | B.advertising | C.proceeding | D.bleeding |
A.slicing | B.closing | C.highlighting | D.reserving |
A.swallow | B.develop | C.enroll | D.protect |
A.association | B.spectacular | C.resistance | D.urgency |
A.grab | B.identify | C.visualize | D.launch |
A.priority | B.fellow | C.accent | D.advantage |
A.act | B.arise | C.chew | D.ease |
A.justify | B.toast | C.surround | D.repair |
A.hiking | B.packing | C.boating | D.sightseeing |
A.working | B.swelling | C.freezing | D.withdrawing |
A.investment | B.advertisement | C.motion | D.struggle |