In most an museums, the paintings on the wall just look flat, but sometimes visitors come across an image that appears to be three-dimensional(三维的).The artist has cleverly used colors, lines, and shading to give the painting some depth, making it more realistic The artistic technique of creating three-dimensional images of something on a flat surface is called trompe I’oeil.Some artists are adapting the idea of trompe I’oeil to make things become invisible(隐形的), which is called camouflage.
In nature, using camouflage not only allows insects and animals to hide from their natural enemies but also allows them to get close enough to surprise other insects or smaller animals that they want to catch and eat.Artists are not hiding or preparing to attack.Instead, they are using the idea of camouflage to make city space look nicer or to make statements with their art.
It is not difficult to find things that we would like to make disappear such as the dull wall of a large industrial building or the poles carrying electricity wires.Artists can make these things more interesting and in some cases less visible.In many city areas, large buildings have been painted with amazing pictures that trick our eyes.Thus, ordinary brick walls are turned into interesting works of art.
Some artists include camouflage in their work to say something about the modern world we live in.For example, American artist Trina Merry camouflages people so that they disappear in the landscapes(风景) she photographs.Her latest series, New York City blends (融合) women and their environment to create images that closely examine the relationship between people and where they live.“My series shows respect for Big Apple women who feel the need to blend in with everyone else in New York,” Merry says.“I think many women move here hoping to live a city life when the reality is that most women have to change their fancy designer heels(高跟鞋) on the subway for more practical sneakers.”
1. Which of the following words best describes camouflage?| A．Flat. | B．Invisible | C．Dull. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．To make animals look nicer. |
| B．To express people’s artistic ideas. |
| C．To protect animals from natural enemies. |
| D．To give smaller animals or insects a surprise. |
| A．Merry feels the need to fit in with others in the city. |
| B．most women wear fancy dresses in their daily life in the city. |
| C．women in New York have succeeded in being a part of the city. |
| D．Merry’s New York City partly reflects people’s life in modern society. |
| A．a form of art | B．paintings in art museums |
| C．a famous artist | D．women in New York City |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】How to appreciate arts in museums
You can increase the chance of finding an art piece that you can connect with by going to a museum that interests you. If you’re interested in climate change, for example, you might pick a museum that’s showing artworks inspired by Earth protection.
Keep your museum visit short and focused
Once you’ve picked the place you want to visit, how do you make the most of your time? Art museums can be huge. For example, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has almost 200, 000 works. So be realistic about how long you can spend at the museum.
Really experience the art
Once you have the chance of seeing the real thing at a museum, get up close and take your time to experience it. For example, when you are looking at sculptures(雕塑), try to copy them with your body.
Keep an open mind to reflect and appreciate
When you are looking at an artwork, try not to think about what you’re about to see. Some artworks maybe surprising, while others might be disappointing.
Draw personal connections to the artwork
Even though it may not be what the artist intended, a color, a flower or a pattern in a painting might remind you of something in your own life. So let your mind wander and follow your thought wherever it leads you.
| A．Consider the value of the artwork |
| B．Then a deep connection will happen |
| C．You don’t need more than an hour or two |
| D．Pick a museum that is related to your interest |
| E．Instead, allow yourself to feel how the art makes you feel |
| F．Plans to copy something beautiful are nothing to be laughed at |
| G．It can help you appreciate how artists express their emotions more deeply |
【推荐2】A portrait created by artificial intelligence (AI) made a historic appearance on the auction(拍卖) block at Christie’s in New York City this week. It is the first artwork created by an algorithm to be offered for auction in the world of fine art.
The strange-looking painting of an imaginary man in a dark long dress left the auction block at Christie’s for $432,500 on Oct. 25 in New York City.
The portrait—designed in the “Old Master” style of European fine artists from centuries ago—only partially fills the canvas, leaving empty space around the central figure. It appears to represent a man with an unclear face, dressed in clothing similar to that worn by subjects painted by the Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn in the 17th century.
Of course, a computer didn’t pick up a brush and become an artist. The AI that generated the image had human programmers—a Parisian art team called Obvious. To generate the portrait, titled “Portrait of Edmond De Belamy”, the Obvious team first fed the neural network a diet of 15,000 images painted between the 14th and 20th centuries, to train it to recognize visual elements in fine art, Obvious artist Hugo Caselles-Dupré told Christie’s. The algorithm that eventually created an original image had two parts that worked against each other, called the Generator and the Discriminator.
“The Generator makes a new image based on the set, and then the Discriminator tries to spot the difference between a human-made image and one created by the Generator. The aim is to fool the Discriminator into thinking that the new images are real-life portraits. Then, we have a result,” he told Christie’s.
GAN’s final image was then inkjet-printed on canvas and framed, according to Obvious. At the bottom of the portrait is a mathematical formula representing the algorithm that created it, Obvious artists wrote on the team’s website.
The goal of the painting and of Obvious, also co-founded by Hugo Caselles-Dupré and Gauthier Vernier, was to prove “artificial intelligence can do more than operate driverless cars or transform industry—it can be creative,” CNBC reported.
1. What does the author think of the portrait?| A．It was a breakthrough in history. | B．It is a masterpiece painted by Christie. |
| C．It was hardly received by the artists. | D．It might frightened away the visitors. |
| A．The figure wears a strange expression. | B．It is in the style of European fine artists of the time. |
| C．It is painted with some empty space. | D．The figure is dressed in the same way as the Dutch artist. |
| A．They invested $432,500 to buy paintings. |
| B．They input a large number of paintings into the computer. |
| C．They forced the network to learn painting. |
| D．They worked with the Generator to paint 15,000 paintings. |
| A．operate driverless cars | B．replace human beings |
| C．take over the world | D．be applied in many fields |
【推荐3】Inspired by Greek art, many Roman artists designed sculptures, which were placed all throughout the country.
The Romans appreciated the idea of realism.
| A．The Romans loved paintings as well. |
| B．So their art actually reflected real life. |
| C．Why did the Romans paint on their walls? |
| D．But why did they enjoy showing their individual beauty? |
| E．This helps to provide us with a clear picture of life in ancient Rome. |
| F．Sculptures decorated homes, businesses, parks, and all other areas of Rome. |
| G．These busts give us an idea of what kind of looks were preferred in ancient Rome. |
【推荐1】Women generally have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (心血管疾病) as they age. Now, a new study reveals another risk factor in increasing heart trouble as people age—eating alone. Researchers of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) say eating in isolation contributes to both physical and mental risk factors that can harm the heart.
Although many studies have examined the link between a healthy diet and a healthy heart, study authors say few have actually looked at the importance of eating with another person. Food delivery services are making it extremely easy for people to avoid the public while still getting their meals.
Unfortunately, previous studies show that people generally eat faster when they’re alone, which leads to a higher body mass index, a larger waistline, and higher blood pressure and blood lipid levels. All of these problems increase a person’s risk of both metabolic syndrome and heart disease.
“This study shows that older women who eat alone are more likely to have symptomatic heart disease. They are also more likely to have lower incomes and poorer nutritional intake. This result is not surprising given that lower socioeconomic status and social isolation contribute to a lower quality of life, greater rates of depression, and poorer health. Given that women live longer than men, finding ways for older women who are socially isolated to engage in and create meaningful social ties may improve not only their nutrition but also their overall health while simultaneously reducing the costs of health care,” says NAMS medical director Dr. Stephanie Faubion in a media release.
1. What will contribute to heart problems according to paragraph 1?| A．Weight. | B．Eating alone. | C．Blood pressure. | D．Mental problems. |
| A．Mental status. | B．Blood lipid levels. |
| C．Food delivery services. | D．Eating with other people. |
| A．As people age, they don’t like to create social ties. |
| B．Elderly women are more likely to suffer depression. |
| C．Single elderly women tend to have a lower quality of life. |
| D．Reducing the costs of health care will be extremely challenging. |
| A．We Can Ignore the Impact of Mental Health |
| B．Factors That Might Contribute to Heart Problems |
| C．Older Women Are More Likely to Have Heart Disease |
| D．Eating Alone May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease |
【推荐2】Do you love bacon (熏猪肉)? Who doesn’t, right? From time to time, you may have heard the phrase “bring home the bacon”. Did you ever wonder what that means?
Actually, “bring home the bacon” is a common phrase used to mean “to earn money”. If you’re “bringing home the bacon”, you’re making money to bring home to your family. So how is the meat connected with making money?
One popular story holds that the phrase appeared in the 1100s in a small town of Great Dunmow in England. The church (教堂) in Great Dunmow would give a rasher of bacon as a reward to any man who could honestly say that he had not argued (争吵) with his wife for a year. Others believe the phrase got started in the 1500s at country fairs. One of the most popular competitions included catching a pig. The prize for it was that you got to keep it.
Since the 1600s, the word “bacon” has been used to mean one’s body. Because people often connect the body with one’s ability to work and earn money, it’s believed that bacon finally took on that meaning, too. One way of earning money with one’s body back then was the sport of boxing.
On September 3l, 1906, boxer Joe Gans fought against Oliver Nelson for the world lightweight championship in Goldfield, Nevada. According to the Reno Evening Gazette, Joe received a telegram (电报) from his mother before the fight. It read: “Joe, the eyes of the world are on you. Everybody says you ought to win. Peter Jackson will tell me the news and you bring home the bacon.” Joe Gans did win the fight and the prize money that went along with the victory. He sent a telegram back to his mother, saying that he was “bringing home the bacon”. Mrs. Gans was probably repeating a phrase she had heard before, but hers was the first usage that experts can find. Before long, the phrase was being used commonly in boxing, and it also quickly moved to other sports.
1. Why does the author raise questions in Paragraph 1?| A．To show his writing purpose. |
| B．To lead to the topic of the text. |
| C．To know the meaning of the phrase. |
| D．To see how many people love bacon. |
| A．Support one’s family financially. |
| B．Bring family members together. |
| C．Earn money by selling bacon. |
| D．Improve a family’s living conditions. |
| A．The one who never tells lies. |
| B．The one who lives in peace with his wife. |
| C．The one who wins a competition at the fair. |
| D．The one who is strong enough to catch a pig. |
| A．To ask Joe to buy some bacon. |
| B．To tell Joe how to win the fight. |
| C．To show what she expected from Joe. |
| D．To introduce a new phrase to people. |
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天大楼) and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
1. Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
| A．Because they can live more comfortably there. |
| B．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life. |
| C．Because they mainly want to find work there. |
| D．Because they are sure of having a better life there. |
| A．where people can buy things |
| B．which is suitable for living in |
| C．where people can do business |
| D．which is near a city center |
| A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district. |
| B．People usually work and live in the business district. |
| C．A business district usually lies in the city center downtown. |
| D．Nearly every major city has its own business district. |
| A．and live there |
| B．but live in the suburbs of the city |
| C．and live in another city |
| D．but live in rural areas |
| A．has been going on for more than 2,000 years |
| B．will surely continue in the future |
| C．may not continue in the future |
| D．has now stopped already |
【推荐1】Children who spend more time outdoors may have a lower risk of becoming nearsighted，new research suggests.
In the study，researchers looked at about 1，900 schoolchildren. The scientists found that the kids who had been instructed to spend more time outdoors for three years were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness during this time than those who had not been instructed.
The researchers selected six schools and required the children，whose average age was 7 at the start of the study，to attend one additional 60-minute class of outdoor activities during each school day for three years. The parents of these children were also encouraged to join their children for outdoor activities after school，especially during weekends and holidays. The other children，from another six schools，continued their usual activity patterns. After three years，30.4 percent of the kids in the intervention(干预) group became nearsighted，compared with 38.5 percent of the kids in the other group.
It is not clear exactly why spending more time outside would benefit children’s eyesight，the researchers said. However，some research has suggested that the higher levels of light intensity found outdoors may increase the release of the chemical dopamine（多巴胺）of the eye. In turn，dopamine is known to restrain（抑制）the type of growth in the eye that is associated with nearsightedness.
Based on the new results，the researchers recommend that children spend more time outdoors because of the potential benefits to their eyesight. However，it's important to protect kids' skin and eyes from UV light，which can be damaging.
1. What did the children in the intervention group do during each school day？| A．They attended an extra class of outdoor activities. |
| B．They just continued to do their usual activities. |
| C．They spent one hour in doing eye exercises. |
| D．They participated in outdoor activities with parents. |
| A．It can contribute to poor sight. |
| B．It can damage people's brain. |
| C．It is beneficial to eyesight. |
| D．It means low levels of light intensity. |
| A．How to design outdoor activities for kids. |
| B．How to prevent kids becoming nearsighted. |
| C．How to protect kids' skin and eyes from UV light. |
| D．How to encourage kids to join in outdoor activities. |
| A．The More Time Outdoors, the Better |
| B．Kids May See Better if They Spend More Time Outside |
| C．It's Time to Join Kids for Outdoor Activities |
| D．Researchers Found a Cure for Nearsightedness |
【推荐2】Mobile phone technology is advancing rapidly, but what can people expect to be using in 2018?
What will their mobile be able to do and what will look like? Nokia has collaborated with Industrial Design students from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London to come up with some ideas.
The Winner
Daniel Meyer
The device (装置) was inspired both by the appearing of video calling and the traditional practice of carrying pictures of family and friends with you. The handset is designed to sit as a picture frame (镜框) wherever the user is, serving the double purposes of communications device and a comforting familiar focus at home or when away.
Regenerate
Nicola Reed
It aims to get people to be more green. It collects infuriation on how much electricity and gas you use how you get about, the type of products you buy, and how you deal with waste. It works on a reward system and you can earn free calls and texts by being environmentally friendly, like walking to work instead of driving.
Hello
Sung-Joo Kim
People constantly upgrade mobiles and throw away their old ones. In the future new mobiles will have to exist alongside older modals that have become redundant (过剩的) in their primary role. This project proposes a change for them, using secondary functions like the camera. This model allows old phones to become part of a CCTV network.
Get Your Friend
Ik-Soo Shin
The aim was a user friendly product that gave an emotional relationship, like a friend. A new generation of mobiles with artificial intelligence will be able to express a user’s feelings, such as anger. The phone will also automatically recognize the voice of the user, allowing communication between them and their mobiles.
1. What’s the aim of Nokia and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Designs event?| A．To attract some users. | B．To collect some ideas. |
| C．To promote Nokia’s mobile phones. | D．To introduce Nokia’s mobile phones. |
| A．It is environmentally friendly. | B．It behaves like a human being. |
| C．It can be used as a picture frame. | D．It has the function of video calling. |
| A．The winner. | B．Regenerate. |
| C．Hello. | D．Get Your Friend. |
| A．excellent sound | B．cool appearance |
| C．personal feelings | D．practical functions |
【推荐3】As the school year barely starts in Denver, French teacher Melanie is filled with worry that her students are always absent-minded. Yet, the problem isn’t messaging, enjoying video games or delivering notes. Surprisingly, the problem is about the ongoing heat wave in Denver.
“Today was a little bit hot, so I noticed kids were very sleepy and they were having to get up to drink water quite often.” said Melanie, who works at Denver’s East High School. “If you lose too much water, and you have to keep going to the water fountain, that can take away from their classroom experience.” While nodding off in class on a warm day may seem acceptable for the average teen, Melanie’s observation carries a bigger consequence than dry lips.
“There have been quite a few media reports about teachers noticing that students weren’t able to focus on hotter days,” said R Jisung Park, a researcher, “Does a hotter climate during the school year actually affect the rate of learning?” The drops in academic achievement couldn’t be explained by hotter weekends or hotter summers, but the trend was connected to higher temperatures on school days alone.
The connection between lost learning and a greater number of hot days is one more example of how climate change is already affecting our lives — and it’s an alarm bell for what we stand to lose in the future. Humans still have time to lessen the worst consequences of continued global warming. Without the unlikely important changes in the next 10 years, the globe will be trapped in an unavoidable era of heat waves that were unprecedented (前所未有的) for human beings.
1. What may cause students absent-minded according to the text?| A．Video games. | B．Text messages. |
| C．Heat waves. | D．Classroom notes. |
| A．Kids often go to the water fountain for lack of water. |
| B．Extreme heat may lower a kid’s ability to learn. |
| C．Nodding off in class is a sign of respecting teachers. |
| D．Kids are more interested in drinking water than sleeping. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Uncertain. | C．Worried. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The way that global warming continues. |
| B．The reasons why kids are absent-minded in class. |
| C．The hotter it grows, the more focused kids become. |
| D．The hotter it grows, the harder it will be for kids to learn. |
【推荐1】How to get tickets to The Steve Harvey Show
Do you want to check out The Steve Harvey Show? All you have to do is ask and wait.
As with many daytime talk shows, tickets to see the taping of The Steve Harvey Show are free. They're given away in order to fill the audience with fans. The catch is that the show often gives away more tickets than seats since usually some people won't show up on the taping dates.
There is good news and bad news. The good is that even if you don't get tickets, you might be able to get standby tickets. The bad is that even if you do have tickets, you're not guaranteed a seat. Be sure to show up early and your chances will improve.
Request your tickets to The Steve Harvey Show
The process for requesting tickets could not be easier. You'll simply give the show your information and the date you'd like to attend.
You may need to check back in frequently to see when they're taping. If anything is scheduled, it's often only for one or two weeks at a time.
1. Visit The Steve Harvey Show's official website.
2. You'll find a calendar with marked dates. Those are available taping dates. Select one that works best for you.
3. Fill out the online form that pops up. It's pretty straightforward-name,email,phone number,address, requested date,etc.
4. Make sure everyone attending is 18 years old or older.
Attending The Steve Harvey Show
Remember that your requested date is not guaranteed. The show will do its best to arrange the seat at your request, but it is possible you may receive tickets for a different date.
1. What's the advantage of free tickets?| A．Your seat is ensured. | B．You must get up early to get them. |
| C．Standby tickets are included. | D．Good seats are available in advance. |
| A．An elementary school student. | B．A retired teacher. |
| C．A boy aged 8. | D．A junior middle school student. |
| A．The host of the show. | B．The content of the show. |
| C．The date of your ticket. | D．The price of your ticket. |
【推荐2】Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package — blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote (推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius to sell it.”
1. Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?| A．The cost of its package. |
| B．The price of the product. |
| C．The color of its package. |
| D．The brand name of the product. |
| A．attracted the customers strongly |
| B．caused the customers to lose interest |
| C．tricked the customers into shopping |
| D．had weak effects on the customers |
| A．The way to promote goods. |
| B．The team to produce a good product. |
| C．The discovery of a genius. |
| D．The brand name used by successful producers. |
| A．Choice of Good Products |
| B．Disadvantages of Products |
| C．Effect of Packaging on Shopping |
| D．Brand Names and Shopping Tricks |
【推荐3】I’m going through it right now. Last night one of our three family dogs was hit and killed by a car in front of my mother’s house. The dogs became, more or less, my mother’s surrogate children after her human children grew up and moved out and my father ran with a midlife crisis and left her. The one that was killed had bonded with my mother far more than the others.
She is extremely shocked. I loved the dog, but my true sadness currently results from having to watch my mother bear another tragedy after everything she has been through in her life. In the midst of all of this, I have to sincerely applaud the driver of the vehicle, which feels wrong, but it’s not.
I’ll start by stating it was not his fault. The dog ran after a deer into the road at night. In an effort not to hit the deer with his car, he changed direction, not seeing the dog, resulting in its death. He could have very easily continued on his way, but he did something that I hope I never forget.
In my eyes, he did the right thing. The driver pulled over, carefully wrapped our dog in a blanket he got from his car to preserve its dignity, and carried it up to my mother’s front door.
He was visibly shaking and very upset. He informed my mother of what happened and she broke down immediately. He comforted her the best a stranger could and waited with her while my sister rushed to her house. He left his information and offered assistance in any way he could.
Yes, he is the man who hit and killed our dog accidentally. What he really did was spare my mother, and potentially my sister, from coming across a horrible scene themselves while searching for the dog. He had so many choices that were far easier to make than what he chose. He did the right thing and for that, thank you, Stranger. You restored my faith in humanity.
1. What do we know about the dog killed by the driver?| A．It was killed by the driver on purpose. |
| B．It lost its life during a fight against a deer. |
| C．It was a particular favorite of the author’s mother. |
| D．It got killed by hitting the deer while running after it. |
| A．The driver ought to answer for the dog’s death. |
| B．The author thought it sensible to praise the driver. |
| C．The author believed it was not the driver’s fault to kill the dog. |
| D．The driver should not take responsibility for the dog’s death at a11. |
| A．Self-condemned and considerate. | B．Calm and far-sighted. |
| C．Reliable and generous. | D．Irresponsible and unreasonable. |
| A．Still waters have deep bottoms. |
| B．Those who are ready to believe are easy to cheat. |
| C．When the wound is healed，the pain is forgotten. |
| D．Taking responsibility is the best policy. |
