2 . The Mona Lisa is the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting of a woman with a mysterious smile. This week, the painting gave up a secret.

Scientists used X-rays to examine the chemical organization of an extremely small part of the more than 500-year-old painting. The researchers discovered a technique Leonardo used in the work. A team in France and Britain discovered an oil paint used for the Mona Lisa was a special, new chemical mixture. It suggests that the Italian artist may have been in an experimental mood when he set to work on the painting early in the 16th century.

“He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically,” said Victor Gonzalez. He is the study’s lead writer. “In this case, it’s interesting to see that indeed there is a specific technique for the ground layer of the Mona Lisa,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. Specifically, the researchers found a rare compound, plumbonacrite (水蛭石), in Leonardo’s first layer of paint. The discovery, Gonzalez said, proved that da Vinci most likely used lead oxide to thicken and help dry his paint.

The scientists looked into its atomic structure using X-rays in a synchrotron (同步加速器). The machine moves particles at close to the speed of light, permitting researchers to look deeper into the paint structure. “Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe,” Gonzalez said. “It’s the first time we can actually chemically prove it.”

Dutch artist Rembrandt may have used a similar mixture when he was painting in the 17th century. Gonzalez and other researchers have found plumbonacrite in his work, too. “It also tells us that those recipes were passed on for centuries,” Gonzalez said. “It was a very good recipe.”

But the Mona Lisa and additional works by Leonardo still have other secrets to tell. “There are plenty, plenty more things to discover,” Gonzalez said. “What we are saying is just a little brick more in the knowledge.”

1. What is the secret of the painting of the Mona Lisa?

A．The use of plumbonacrite.	B．Leonardo’s love for experiment.
C．The way to dry the painting.	D．The oil in the first layer.

2. What is Gonzalez’s attitude to the painting’s secret?

A．Unclear.

B．Positive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Disappointed.

3. How does the author support the topic of the text?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By listing related examples.
C．By describing the study process.	D．By quoting experts’ opinions.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Creative Painter	B．A Smiling Mona Lisa
C．A New Discovery in the Mona Lisa	D．A Pioneering Painting

4 . In a heartwarming tale from Georgia, a 72-year-old senior recently celebrated his college graduation in cinema studies, an achievement made even more special by the presence of his proud 99-year-old mother.

Sam Kaplan of Lawrenceville decided to start on his educational journey at Georgia Gwinnett College in 2019, half a century after he had firstly chosen not to get higher education following his high school graduation in 1969. The catalyst for his return to academia came when he heard a radio announcement about a degree programme in cinema studies.

Recalling that moment, Kaplan said, “I was driving down the highway when I heard about the degree programme. The next exit led to Collinsville, so I immediately exited, and within five minutes, I was enrolling in classes. I’ve always had a passion for writing and storytelling. I longed to transform my narratives into screenplays, but I realized I needed the basic knowledge to do so,”

Kaplan admitted that the journey was a mix of anxiety and excitement, but it proved to be greatly rewarding. He graduated with a 3.975 grade point average and perfect grade honours, majoring in cinema and media arts, and had desires to continue creating screenplays in the future.

“It was an exciting and nerve-wracking (神经紧张的) challenge. Re-recognizing myself with the art of studying and communicating with fellow students was a lot of fun,” he told FOX5 Atlanta.

The most heartwarming thing of Kaplan’s graduation day was the presence of his mother, 99-year-old Virginia Kaplan, during the ceremony. Virginia expressed her huge pride, saying, “I am so proud of him. He faced numerous challenges but insisted, and I am delighted, pleased, and extremely proud,” the mother also added. “With his new degree, he’s going to stand out in whatever he does. Who knows, I might even make an appearance in the movies.”

1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To provide some background.	B．To tell the main idea.
C．To serve as a comment.	D．To offer an example.

2. What does the underlined word “catalyst” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Reason.

B．Vehicle.

C．Task.

D．Fact.

3. What do we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The mother desires to star in a film.

B．Kaplan takes much pride in himself.

C．Kaplan is excellent at whatever he does.

D．The mother offers the unshakeable support.

4. What can we conclude from the text?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．It’s never too late to follow a dream.

C．The good seaman is known in bad weather.

D．All things in their being are good for something.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does the conversation probably take place?

A．At an office.

B．At a party.

C．At a card shop.

2. How does the man feel about Steve’s leaving?

A．Excited.

B．Disappointed.

C．Confused.

3. What is the man planning to hold for Steve?

A．A farewell party.

B．An honour ceremony.

C．A welcome meeting.

4. What does the woman promise in the end?

A．Put the card away.

B．Write a notice.

C．Keep the card a secret.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．Holding a party.

B．Buying a dress.

C．Finding a job.

2. What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A．Husband and wife.

B．Teacher and student.

C．Friends.

9 . 假定你是某国际学校志愿者社团的一员。请你写一篇英文演讲稿，分享你在志愿活动中的收获。
注意：
1.写作词数应为 80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

What I Have Gained from Voluntary Work

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10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The ancient Chinese built two great engineering wonders: the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Though the Great Wall’s effect in military     1     (defend) has worn off over time, the Grand Canal remains an important channel of cultural communication.

The Grand Canal,     2     is made up of three parts (Suitang Grand Canal, Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal and Zhedong Grand Canal), is a     3     (run) epic (史诗) of transformation. The man-made waterway runs more than 2,000 kilometres from north to south across the large eastern flatland of China. It is about 16 times     4     size of the Suez Canal in Egypt and 33 times     5     (long) than the Panama Canal, the world’s second- and third-largest man-made waterways. “It sees the striking and early development of water engineering,” the UNESCO website says     6     (official).

In ancient times, the Grand Canal served     7     the key waterway for grain transport and every kind of economic and cultural exchange. It also improved the time-consuming journeys of workers     8     materials for the building of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the imperial city of the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Years ago, it     9     (inspire) the name of Chenchen, one of the three mascots (吉祥物) of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Chenchen, from the Gongchen Bridge, which goes across the Hangzhou part of the Grand Canal, is coloured blue     10     (suggest) science and technology.