The following 4 famous paintings — from Jan van Eyck's portrait to Pablo Picasso's masterpiece — have stood the test of time.
The Amolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck’s Amolfini Portrait, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document on fifteenth-century society, through van Eyck's heavy use of symbolism — while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, oil on canvas (帆布), a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, during his 12-month stay at the mental hospital near Saint–Remy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890. When the Museum of Modem Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of van Gogh's most famous works.
The Harvesters
The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicts the harvest time which most commonly occurred within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.
Guernica
Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title 'Guernica' refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicts the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.
1.Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?
A.Guernica. B.The Harvesters.
C.The Starry Night. D.The Amolfini Portrait.
2.Who created the painting describing the harvest seasons?
A.Pieter Bruegel the Elder. B.Vincent van Gogh.
C.Jan van Eyck. D.Pablo Picasso.
3.What do we know about the painting The Starry Night?
A.It was painted on wood in oils.
B.It described the painter's life in hospital.
C.It wasn't widely recognized before 1941.
D.It was given away to the museum by a collector.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Adventure-seeker Emma broke her ankle when she fell awkwardly while climbing a rock and spent a week in hospital waiting for an operation on her foot. When she was sent home to recover under strict instructions not to bear any weight, she became so fearful of crutches (拐杖) that she didn't move for three weeks. “I tried crutches but I kept falling over and injuring myself. So I literally just stayed on the sofa all day, ” says Emma.
She was gutted at the thought of missing the Wolf Run — a quarterly event that she hasn't missed since 2014. “If you complete four Wolf Runs in a year, one in each season, you get Alpha Wolf status,” explains Emma. “This year was going to be my fifth in a row as an Alpha Wolf and I was really upset that I'd lose my status.” So she was willing to try anything to get through the course — even with her injured ankle.
“I was telling my friend that I was going to cancel, and he persuaded me to give it a go. Having something to aim for really kept me going." Emma completed the run wearing an iWALK2.0, which is a medically-approved device and it basically functions like a hi-tech artificial leg, allowing users to walk freely. I decided to get one and it completely changed my recovery. I could move around the house and start getting out and about again, which had a real impact on my mental well-being.”
On the day of the race, Emma was nervous but the sound of people cheering her on kept her motivated. Emma made it over the finish line in just under six hours and clocked up her 23rd Wolf Run in five years. “It was an incredible day and my determination to finish combined with the support I received along the way kept me going,” says Emma.
1.Why was Emma frightened to use a crutch?
A.She was afraid of recovering slowly.
B.She was warned not to move around.
C.She just had an operation on her foot.
D.She often got injured when using one.
2.What does the underlined word “gutted” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Extremely sad. B.A bit relieved.
C.Very surprised. D.Pretty cheerful.
3.What actually made Emma take part in the race?
A.Her new hi-tech artificial leg.
B.Her fear of letting her friend down.
C.Her strong desire to achieve her ambition.
D.Her complete recovery from the operation.
4.Which of the following best describes Emma?
A.Strong-willed. B.Supportive.
C.Creative. D.Humorous.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.
Humans have 12,000 years of experience growing food, but only a generation or so worth of experience growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (学习曲线). What's more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promises.
The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as " pie-in-the-sky" businesses. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors — the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.
Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create high efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It's clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.
The future is probably mixed. In some environments — the Middle East, for instance — a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading out other farmland. In other geographies, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical fanning and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.
1.What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?
A.It will replace traditional farming one day.
B.It relies on research of more basic science.
C.It can be applicable on different conditions.
D.It actually came into being 12,000 years ago.
2.What does Dr. Albright think of vertical farms?
A.They use less light than traditional ones.
B.They may seem very unlikely to succeed.
C.They can overcome many problems in farming.
D.They do not need any natural sunlight any longer.
3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.The ways of reducing costs of vertical fanning.
B.The secrets of developing vertical farming.
C.The recent trend of vertical farming.
D.The benefits of vertical farming.
4.Why is the example of “an indoor farm in Saudi Arabia” mentioned?
A.To show vertical fanning can work well in some places.
B.To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia.
C.To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high.
D.To argue vegetables do not need to be imported any longer.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Researchers discovered a hidden continent on Earth, but it's not Atlantis. They found it while reconstructing the evolution of Mediterranean region's complex geology, which rises with mountain ranges and dips with seas from Spain to Iran.
The continent is called Greater Adria. It's the size of Greenland and it broke off from North Africa, only to be buried under Southern Europe about 140 million years ago. And chances are you've been there without even knowing it. “Forget Atlantis,” said Douwe, study author and professor at Utrecht University. “Without realizing it, vast numbers of tourists spend their holiday each year on the lost continent of Greater Adria.” This area is called Adria by geologists, so the researchers for this study refer to the previously undiscovered continent as Greater Adria.
Most of Greater Adria was underwater, covered by shallow seas, coral reefs and sediments (沉淀物). The sediments formed rocks and those rocks became mountain ranges in these areas： the Alps, the Apennines, the Balkans, Greece and Turkey. The researchers found that Greater Adria started to become its own continent about 240 million years ago.
This isn't the first time a lost continent has been found. In January 2017, researchers announced the discovery of a lost continent left over from the supercontinent Gondwana, which began breaking apart 200 million years ago. The leftover piece, which was covered in lava (岩 浆), is now under Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. And in September 2017, a different research team found the lost continent of Zealandia through ocean drilling in the South Pacific. It’s two-thirds of a mile beneath the sea.
Greater Adria isn’t the first lost continent to be found. But if research in past years shows anything, it likely won’t be the last discovery.
1.How did the researchers find Greater Adria?
A.They found it accidentally.
B.They got inspired by the tales of Atlantis.
C.They discovered it after years of seaching.
D.They followed the steps of exploring mountain ranges.
2.What do we know about Greater Adria?
A.It is hidden under the sea level.
B.It is much smaller than Greenland.
C.It has existed for about 240 million years.
D.It has been known to many tourists before.
3.Why are the discoveries mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A.To describe how the researchers explored continents.
B.To show some other lost continents have been found.
C.To prove they are closely related to Greater Adria.
D.To explain the reason why Greater Adria got buried.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Atlantis Discovered Finally
B.Undersea World Explored
C.A Hidden Mountain Undiscovered
D.A Lost Continent Found Under Europe
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Easy Ways to Give Yourself a Fresh Start
It doesn't need to be complicated or challenging to turn a fresh page on each new day.
Whenever we mark a new year — by turning the calendar, returning to school or celebrating a holiday — we are looking for a fresh start. 1. But how? Here are some easy ways to connect with that feeling of starting fresh, whether it’s a new year or simply a new day in our life.
2. This means you have realized what serves your life now and what can stay in your past. Or invest in a new pen and a new notebook. Having fresh supplies can stimulate even the common task of creating your to-do list.
Moreover, you can learn something new by opening a book you've been expecting to read, searching a question that's been on your mind, enrolling in a class that motivates your interest. Of course you can simply ask a friend for a fresh idea about an issue. 3.
Take a break from technology — for an hour, a day, or a week. 4. You should be able to put some space between yourself and digital routines.
One reason we sometimes struggle to start fresh is that you get stuck reflecting on worrisome thoughts about the past, the future or even the present. 5. Allow these thoughts into your day only at a brief (30 minutes or less), specific time. The rest of the time, focus on what you are doing that's new and positive.
How do you give yourself that “fresh start” feeling?
A.Electronic Products might not be serving you best.
B.Newness or the freshness can guide us on a positive path.
C.Limit your daily “worry time” and make an appointment with yourself.
D.All of us enjoy newness, but what is it that leads to a sense of freshness?
E.Realizing your past mistakes, you should move forward with enthusiasm.
F.Increasing your knowledge on any topic means taking your mind into a fresh area.
G.First, even letting go of a single box or bag of items can give you a refreshing sense.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When our girls are brave, they are free to explore in their learning and in life. That exploration leads to the _______ of their talents, passions and weaknesses. On Saturday night we saw one of our students act so bravely that it took my _______ away.
One of the lead characters of our show, Blue Stockings, was played by a science teacher, Ben Walker. _______, Ben broke his nose very badly playing football on Saturday and consequently couldn't _______ . Ella Jones, a Year 11 student and part of the cast, who _______ to rest on Saturday, was _______ to play Ben's role.
Think about that. She had three hours' _______ , playing a role of a _______ she had never played before, in front of a paying audience, and if she couldn't _______, she would reduce the impact of the whole play. Not the end of the world, but it would be ________ for all concerned.
I would have __________. But Ella rose to the ______________. She said, “I was astonished； ____________, I figured the show must go on and I wanted to ________. I wasn't scared __________ I arrived at the theatre and realized how much there was to ________. It wasn't just about lines, but it was the stagecraft (舞台表演技巧). I was ________ about the other actors because I know how ________ it is to perform a role with someone who isn't as invested, especially if it is an emotional scene.”
Asked how the show __________, Ella said, “It was amazing, and the audience seemed to love the male character I played for the first time.” She added, “Just because you're scared doesn't mean you can’t be ________. Anyway, I made it.”
1.A.discovery B.change C.growth D.control
2.A.pain B.breath C.faith D.concern
3.A.Secretly B.Hopefully C.Unsurprisingly D.Unfortunately.
4.A.coach B.perform C.survive D.retire
5.A.refused B.decided C.happened D.promised
6.A.asked B.forced C.trained D.reminded
7.A.wait B.interval C.notice D.judgment
8.A.director B.woman C.man D.teacher
9.A.take it away B.look it up C.make it out D.carry it off
10.A.encouraging B.disappointing C.rewarding D.amusing
11.A.run B.agreed C.shared D.failed
12.A.power B.challenge C.danger D.threat
13.A.besides B.therefore C.however D.instead
14.A.win B.quit C.resist D.help
15.A.until B.unless C.so that D.the moment
16.A.put away B.hand in C.work out D.take over
17.A.doubtful B.confident C.curious D.worried
18.A.easy B.tough C.embarrassing D.interesting
19.A.sounded B.improved C.started D.went
20.A.brave B.proud C.calm D.shy
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。
A painting with a 1.(long) of 1014. 37 meters has received a Guinness World Record title for the longest drawing by an individual artist. The record was announced at the Simatai Great Wall on Saturday, 2. is surrounded by the verdant (草木苍翠的) mountains of an early autumn, and the painter folded the painting with great care 3. the presence of many viewers.
4. took artist Guo Feng two months to complete the black-and-white painting named Yongsheng in Chinese, meaning living forever. Clearly 5. (inspire) by the view of the Great Wall from the sky, he wanted to call for peace and harmony in the world. In fact, Guo Feng is 6. (familiar) to the public as a music producer than as a painter. And one of his songs, Let the World Be Filled with Love, has enjoyed great popularity all over the country for 7.(decade).
The painting is made up of 10 sub-themes, and was created 8.(large) using marker pens. "I 9.（draw） for more than 10 hours a day over the past months and sometimes I began working at 4 am,” said Guo. "Creating the work on the Great Wall was an unprecedented (空前的) lonely and quiet time for me 10. (look) into my past, today and the future,” he added.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧) ），并在其下面写岀添加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I have been decided to become a pilot since I am a little kid. Each time I see a plane flying across sky, I feel extremely excited but want to fly it. That is why I believe It can make me happily and free. To make my dream come true, I have to be physically fit by keeping a healthy diet and work out regularly. Besides, I must work hard to make great progresses with my studies. Although it is not that easy to being a pilot, I'll never give up my dream and spare no effort to realize them.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的加拿大朋友Allen来信询问你校学生参与劳动实践活动的情况。请给他回信，内容包括：
1. 劳动实践内容（如家务劳动、校园劳动、校外劳动等）及其意义；
2. 你最常参与的劳动实践活动，并谈谈感受。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析