1 . Christ Mocked, by the Florentine master Cimabue, was sold at auction(拍卖)for €24 million in 2019. But the Chilean buyers never got to include the work in their collection because the French government refused to give it an export licence.
Ministers declared the painting a national treasure, officially giving the Louvre 30 months to raise the funds for its purchase. The Louvre recently reached an agreement with the owners.
Laurence des Cars, the president of the Louvre, said it was a “great joy” to have acquired the painting, which “constitutes a crucial landmark in the history of art”. The museum did not say how much it had paid, nor who had sold the painting, which will be exhibited in 2025.
The painting was spotted four years ago by Philomene Wolf, an auctioneer, when she was asked to assess the content s of a house that was being cleared. The owner, in her nineties, thought it was a painting from Russia of no value and was preparing to put it in the dustbin.
Wolf was struck by its quality and guessed that it could be Italian. Experts using modern technology confirmed that it was by Cimabue, who is widely regarded as having opened the gateway to Renaissance art. It is believed to date from 1280. Christ Mocked is one of about 15 known Cimabue’s works.
The Louvre launched an appeal on Tuesday for donations to buy another painting, The Basket of Wild Strawberries by Jean Simeon Chardin, the 18th-century French still life(静物画)master. The work, which was first exhibited in 1761, was in a private collection from the 19th century until last year, when it was sold for €24.3 million to an American art museum at an auction in Paris.
Luckily, many groups and individuals donated two-thirds of the sum. The museum must pay the remaining € 8 million and is hoping that members of the public will help to ease the burden by responding to its appeal, which aims to raise € 1.3 million.
1. What can we know about Christ Mocked?| A．It is a painting from Russia. |
| B．It was discovered by Cimabue. |
| C．It is seen as a treasure of France. |
| D．It was taken away by Chilean buyers. |
| A．Sums up. | B．Acts as. | C．Finds out. | D．Points out. |
| A．She purchased it at auction. | B．Cimabue sent it to her. |
| C．She got it from an old woman. | D．She found it when she cleaned up. |
| A．The Painting Christ Mocked Was Sold |
| B．The Louvre Was Appealing for Donation |
| C．French Government Takes Back Its Words |
| D．Painting Saved From Bin Was to Hang in the Louvre |
2 . The wheel is believed to be around 5,500 years old. The invention came about long after the advent of other, arguably more complex technologies, like boats, woven cloth, and agriculture. The invention of the wheel greatly speeded up the development of civilization by making it easier to trade. Towns and cities grew crowded, their populations sustained by the increased productivity of wheel-assisted farming.
However, the Aztecs, Incas, Maya, and Native Americans which were regarded as relatively advanced civilizations did not use the wheel until after the arrival of European colonists (殖民者) during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
It had long been assumed that ancient Americans didn’t know how to make them. That turned out to be false. In 1880, as archaeologist Désiré Charnay unearthed the tomb of an Aztec child in Mexico City, he came across a small figurine (雕像) mounted on an even smaller set of wheels. Since then, other wheeled toys have been found across the country.
Current explanations of why the Aztecs, Incas, Maya, and Native Americans lacked wheels focus not on the knowledge of how to create them — which they clearly possessed — but on practicality. One major reason is that the continent lacks creatures strong enough to pull them. After all, horses and cows crossed the Atlantic along with the wheel itself.
Another important factor was geography. Yes, the Incas built roads, but those roads were mapped out over the hilly terrain (地形) of the Andes Mountains. They featured a structure of giant staircases in which there were top, middle, and bottom levels. So wheeled vehicles would not have been able to climb.
Ancient American societies might not have been built on wheels, but this in no way prevented them from teaching levels of complexity comparable to their European counterparts. They also built impressive architecture with rocks. How their builders managed to move those rocks without help from the wheel, nobody knows. But they did manage to do this. Of course, the absence of the wheel still shaped these societies in meaningful ways. For example, attempts to unite the different warring tribes repeatedly fell apart because of the amount of time it took to travel from one stronghold (据点) to another.
“When the wheel did finally show up in indigenous American societies, a lot of things changed. But the change occurred more slowly. Even though indigenous Americans could now use the wheel for transport, weaving, and pottery, this new and more efficient technology didn’t replace the familiar way of doing things overnight. Traditional techniques continue to be passed down from generation to generation, even to this day,” archaeologist Patrick Kirch said.
1. Why does the author write the first paragraph?| A．To stress the difficulty in inventing the wheel. |
| B．To describe the process of the invention of the wheel. |
| C．To explain the significance of the invention of the wheel. |
| D．To introduce the wide applications of the wheel in modern times. |
| A．They lacked tools for creating wheels. |
| B．They built roads with vertical structures. |
| C．They relied on animals for transportation. |
| D．They lacked the knowledge of producing wheels. |
| A．the complexity of ancient American societies |
| B．the frequency of wars in ancient American societies |
| C．the impressive architecture in ancient American societies |
| D．the unification of different tribes in ancient American societies |
| A．Easy but limited | B．Noticeable but harmful. |
| C．Welcome but fruitless. | D．Influential but gradual. |
3 . How do flowers know when to bloom? How do dogs know when to start getting their winter coats falling off? Phenology, the study of timings in nature, helps us understand how plant and animal life cycle events are influenced by seasonal variations and changing climate. Learn more about phenology and record the timings of nature near you!
MATERIALS
·Phenology bingo sheet
| Smell fresh-cut grass | Find a red leaf on a tree | Smell a blooming flower | Find snow on the ground |
| Find a butterfly | Find footprints in the mud | Scratch a mosquito bite | Listen to a rainstorm |
| Collect ripe strawberries | See a group of birds fly overhead | Play with maple seeds | Find a pine cone (松果) on the ground |
·Science notebook or paper
·Something to write with
PROCEDURE
·In your science notebook, write down 3 or 4 natural things you can observe that tell you what season it is.
·Print out the bingo sheet. Walk in your neighborhood and cross off as many of the items as you can.
·Are you able to get through everything on your bingo sheet? Do you notice a pattern with the items that you are/aren’t able to find? What time of the year would it be easiest to get through each item on the bingo sheet?
·Keep your bingo sheet and continue playing throughout the following months. Then you are able to discover various connections and patterns that affect our everyday life. For example, the appearance of flowers is a response to the local weather and climate.
1. What does phenology mainly focus on?| A．The effects of climate change on everyday life. |
| B．The link between biological events and the environment. |
| C．The interaction between plant and animal life cycles. |
| D．The patterns of climate and seasonal variations. |
| A．Use it for a long period. | B．Put it in their notebook. |
| C．Find every item on it. | D．Add 3 or 4 items to it. |
| A．To help people improve observational skills. | B．To persuade people to be close to nature. |
| C．To provide a way to cast new light on phenology. | D．To publicize the significance of phenology. |
4 . Making it to 100 years old is a big achievement on its own, but being active at that age is absolutely worthy of praise and admiration. Jayne Burns, who just turned 101 years old, still has a part-time job at a craft store in Ohio, drives herself to work, and simply doesn’t see herself retiring anytime soon. Not only does she seem to love keeping busy, but she credits it as one of her secrets to living a long life.
Burns first caught the internet’s attention on TikTok. There, her coworker Maggie HusVar told her followers about her then 98-year-old friend. Maggie then asked Burns to share a piece of advice with her new fans, to whom Burns said, “Keep moving.”
The senior woman recently celebrated her 101st birthday, and she certainly hasn’t changed her mind about slowing down. Burns took the job in 1997 after her husband died, and has expressed that she enjoys what she does, so she wants to keep doing it. “I’ll work for as long as I can or as long as they’ll have me,” she said.
In celebration of her milestone birthday, Burns recently shared some more tips for a long life. “I was always active all my life doing things. So I think that has helped more than anything.” As a cancer survivor, she said she used to watch her sugar intake, but she doesn’t anymore, as she loves sweets. Despite her age, she still follows a beauty routine. “I use a moisturizer(保湿霜) and makeup. I figured I did it all my life, so I’m ‘not’ going to stop now,” she says.
Overall, her top secret for a long life is to make friends and find happiness in the company of others. “It’s important to find people who are friendly and kind.” she says. “I enjoy talking to everybody I work with, and meeting the customers who are very nice, even if some of them are surprised to see me at the cutting table.”
1. Why does Jayne Bums still work part-time?| A．To keep herself busy. | B．To make more money. |
| C．To meet more people. | D．To win praise and admiration. |
| A．She goes to work by bus. | B．She puts on makeup daily. |
| C．She likes nothing but sweets. | D．She gets along well with her boss. |
| A．Eating what you love. | B．Doing exercise regularly. |
| C．Having a part-time job. | D．Making friends and being happy. |
| A．Living a Busy Life | B．A Successful Woman |
| C．Keeping Active Forever | D．Secrets to a Woman’s Long Life |
6 . Easy Steam Mop (拖把)
￡29.99
WAS ￡79.99
Save ￡50
Buy 2 or more and get an extra 5% off
ADD TO BASKET
Product Description
Use the power of steam to clean and disinfect your home in minutes without using expensive and harmful detergents．
Perfect for use throughout the home, this steam mop heats up almost instantly and takes just eight seconds to kill bacteria from any area it targets.
It works by changing water into steam using a microfiber cloth to enhance the ability to absorb liquid, and features a clever triangular mop head and swivel joint to allow it to reach into corners and other spaces that many similar cleaning tools cannot. The 1,300W motor helps the mop reach temperatures of between 90-100℃, making it suitable for all heat-resistant floors including hardwood, tiles and stone.
Comes apart for easy storage: 2×microfiber cloths included.
Additional pack of three spare mop heads are also available
Easy Steam Mop White/Green: D6430
Easy Steam Mop White/Blue : D7149
Spare Pads — 3 packs : D6431
Delivery
Standard Delivery — Only ￡3.95
Please note standard delivery on all items is only￡3.95; delivery charge applies per order regardless of number of items purchased. Delivery to Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scottish Highlands and Islands is￡6.95. Delivery to the Channel Islands and Scilly Isles is￡14.95. Delivery to Eire is￡9.95 and deliveries to BFPO postal addresses are￡6.95.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
For your complete piece of mind, our Home and Garden products may be returned to us within 30 days of purchase for a refund of the purchase price.Items must be returned unused.
1. How much should you pay for a mop delivered to Isle of Man?| A．￡33.94. | B．￡36.94. |
| C．￡39.94. | D．￡44.94. |
| A．It uses the power of steam to work. |
| B．It isn’t suitable for a hardwood floor. |
| C．It can reach the temperature of 130℃. |
| D．It needs five seconds to kill bacteria. |
| A．Northern Ireland and Scilly Isles. |
| B．Scottish Highlands and Islands and Eire. |
| C．Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. |
| D．The Channel Islands and Eire. |
| A．In a business magazine. |
| B．On an e-shopping website. |
| C．On a teenage website |
| D．In an exhibition guide |
1. What is special about a live concert?
| A．The whole experience is unique. |
| B．The sound quality is outstanding. |
| C．The performance can be recorded. |
| A．They are expensive. |
| B．They are often of high quality. |
| C．They are covered by the local media. |
| A．Listening to the works to be performed. |
| B．Checking information at the box office. |
| C．Reading something about the concert hall, |
| A．news reporter. | B．A theater designer. | C．A college teacher. |
1. What did the woman do last night?
| A．She watched a game. |
| B．She attended a party. |
| C．She studied at home. |
| A．They should have played better. |
| B．They have a poor goalkeeper. |
| C．They played well as usual. |
| A．Telephone a few people. |
| B．Make a plan on the games. |
| C．Watch the next game at his house. |
1. What did Susan do right before the conversation?
| A．She visited her brother. |
| B．She called John Reeves. |
| C．She toured the company. |
| A．It’s big. | B．It’s famous | C．It’s crowded. |
| A．John’s boss. | B．Tara’s husband. | C．Susan’s brother. |
10 . Placed before you are two pots. Each contains 100 balls. You are given a clear description of the first pot’s contents, in which there are 50 red balls and 50 black balls. The economist running the experiment is tight-lipped about the second, saying only that there are 100 balls divided between red and black in some percentage. Then you are offered a choice. Pick a red ball from a pot and you will get a million dollars. Which pot would you like to pull from? Now try again, but select a black ball. Which pot this time? Most people choose the first pot both times, despite such a choice implying that there are both more and fewer red balls than in the second pot.
This fact is known as the Ellsberg paradox after Daniel Ellsberg, who called the behaviour hate uncertainty. It reveals a deeper problem facing the world as it struggles with climate change.
Ignorance of the future carries a cost today: uncertainty makes risks uninsurable, or at the very least expensive. The less insurers know about risks, the more capital they need to protect their balance-sheets against possible losses.
Insurance is a tool of climate adaptation. Indeed, insurance calculators have as big a role to play as activists in the fight against climate change. Without insurance, those whose homes burn in a wildfire or are destroyed by a flood will lose everything. Insurance can also be a motive for corrective action. Higher insurance expenses, which accurately reflect risk, stimulate people to adapt sooner, whether by discouraging building in risky areas or encouraging people to move away from high fire risk land. If prices are wrong, society will be more hurt by a hotter world than otherwise would be the case. Politicians considering financial aid for home insurance on flood plains ought to note.
1. The experiment of the two pots shows that ___________.| A．instinct sometimes works better than reasoning | B．most people prefer predictability to uncertainty |
| C．people are willing to take risks to get a reward | D．it is impossible to always make the right decision |
| A．It raises people’s awareness of climate change. | B．It prevents people from taking risks. |
| C．It motivates people to adapt to risky environment. | D．It helps climate refugees to relocate. |
| A．Opposing | B．Supportive | C．Uncertain | D．Ambiguous |
| A．Prevention is better than remedy | B．Improving forecast can reduce uncertainty |
| C．Uncertainty pushes up the price of insurance | D．Speedy action is urgently needed for climate change |
